Page 86 of The Fast Track

“If she is harmed in the race,” Georgios says with an overly heavy dose of concern, “it’s going to be bad.”

I glare at him with my good eye.Self-serving bastard.

“It’d be extensive reputational damage.” Britt crosses, then uncrosses her arms. “We’ll be put through the wringer for allowing her to race in this condition.”

“I can see perfectly if I tape my lid up,” I say.

“She’ll have her helmet.” Roz jumps in. “Nothing will get to her with the visor on.”

Frank crosses his arms and tilts his head as he examines me. “Under normal circumstances, I would have serious reservations…”

“Please let me race,” I beg. “We’re fifteen points behind Triton for the team championship. I can make a difference.”

“Frank, it’s too risky,” Britt says in a low voice. “What’ll I tell the media when they come breathing down our necks? Letting her drive when she can’t see without tape?”

Frank purses his lips and nods. My stomach sinks. No. Not when I’m so close. I can’t go down as the girl who blew it in F3 without a chance to redeem myself. I can’t let everyone down.

“Tell them,” Cameron says loudly, “if Niki Lauda can win with half his face burnt to a crisp, Justine Kwong can race with a black eye.”

A hush spreads through the garage at the mention of the legendary F1 driver, then quiet murmurings and nods of approval as the team processes Cameron’s words. I’m so grateful I could cry. Frank looks thoughtful, rubbing his hand on his chin. I hold my breath and cross my fingers with the hand that isn’t holding the ice pack.

Finally, he clears his throat. “Don’t think I can argue with that one.”

I clutch Roz’s arm and do a mini celebratory hop in place. Georgios slinks away to the reserve driver’s seat by thetelemetry. Pat holds his hand out to Cameron for a high five, which Cameron answers, a reluctant grin on his face. As if he can feel me watching, he looks up and our eyes collide.

The buzzer for the installation lap whips up and down the paddock, causing us all to startle.

“Right,” Frank shouts above the noise. “Final race. Fantastic season. Let’s end it strong.”

Roz pulls me in for a tight hug, the strap of her watch pressing into the back of my neck. “You’ve got this,” she whispers.

“We’vegot this.”

With one last hand squeeze, we go our separate ways. Roz to her seat on the pit wall, me to where Lizzie’s parked, next to Pat’s and Cameron’s cars.

“Hold on, now.” Britt stalks over with a medic she must have just lassoed following after.

He pulls a strip of tape loose with athwackand gets to work on my eye.

“Thanks, Britt.”

She picks at her nail beds. “I don’t like this at all. But if Frank is going to allow our drivers to pull such a stunt, I prefer they have maximum protection.”

“Just think of all the headlines Orbital will get if I win,” I joke.

“A battered female driver is the last thing we need right now,” Britt mutters darkly and hastens away with the medic as soon as he’s done.

I touch my taped-up eye gingerly. It feels fragile, but it’ll have to do.

Cameron’s already sitting in his cockpit, so I don’t get to do more than flash him a thumbs-up to wish him luck. He gives me a nod back, his expression behind the visor unreadable. I give a quick shake to clear my head. Whatever problems remain, they’ll have to wait.

I pull on my helmet, painted with a special white-and-blue star this weekend in honor of the Dallas Cowboys, hook the HANS device across my neck, and hop in. Lizzie hums to life, the engine’s vibration comforting under my fingers. It doesn’t feel real that this is the last time I’m going to be driving her. Next year, she’ll be replaced with a newer, upgraded model. I pat the steering wheel. One last hurrah.

We pull out of our garage, complete the lap and pull up to our starting order. Sasha is P1, Cameron P2, Stephane Moreau P3. I’m in P4, and Javi Diaz rounds out the top five.

The Circuit of the Americas begins with a straight run uphill, which gives an advantage at the starting line to the Triton cars. My best bet is to have a great start while Stephane fumbles, then catch Cameron and Sasha on the last, technical part of the track.

The lights blink on one last time. I hold my breath.