It seemed every Friday I was summoned to Limaland to clean up after people during the race season. Each week was a different job to work off my probation for street racing.. Before you say anything, I know it's stupid. But
that's just who I am. I'm only 18 might I add. And honestly you'd think with myself being a girl, that I would get away with anything.
"Today you'll be cleaning up after the fans." Officer Charles spoke sternly as I felt degraded and nodded.
Handing me a massive black bag, he walked away with his hands in his pockets. He always seemed to be playing with something.
Trudging past the stands I let out a sigh. It had always been a dream of mine to be out there racing. The closest I had ever gotten was my college race team. And they did not even want me. That's when I turned to street racing.
It had sent me down a bad a streak that well...led me here..
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Limaland : 4pm

" LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WELCOME TO LIMALAND MOTORSPORTS PARK!" The speakers blasted the song thunderstruck by AC/DC.
The haulers began to roll in past the gates as the sun shined up high in the sky. It's rays kissed the roofs of the massive haulers as they rolled past the stands and headed for the grass area to set up for the show.
Limaland is well known for its features of the UMP mods, the stock cars and their winged sprint cars.
I looked up to catch a glimpse of the stock car track champions hauler. It was lettered from top to bottom. "Texas Roadhouse" sat in big letters across both sides. His number "22T" brightly reflecting the sun.

"It's racing season once again here in Lima Ohio!" They continued to talk over the radio.
"If only I could-.." Megan had stopped talking as she caught herself leaning against the fence. Her eyes watched the "7C" stock car semi trailer roll by her. Megan had watched that car run lines unlike any other. It seemed almost impossible to match it's speed when it came to corner entry and exit. Straight a way speed is where it would take off and leave everyone in the dust. Its driven by a young Forest, Ohio native, Jordan Conover. He also drives the "33" UMP mod.

"What would it take to get to that point? To have that amount of speed. Get in that car weekly and run it like your playing with death." I had let out as if I was speaking to myself.

Once more she let out a sigh and began to clean off a table top. She could tell it was going to be a long night. Being four nights left of the championship battle and such, she knew from the year prior how bad it can get. Yes.... She has been doing this now for a year. And the probation lasts another year and a half.
Lifting her head up she pushed her black hair out of her eyes. Megan tossed aside the dirty rag and trudged her way over to the back straightaways stands where she then sat down. Pulling out her iphone, she checked for any texts from her boyfriend. As soon as she did though, another worker came over to her with a stern look on their face and had their arms crossed.

"What..." I spoke in a smart ass tone.
The woman then pointed and demanded that she hand over her cell phone. Thats when Megan got up and caused a scene. Almost yelling she tossed the phone at the women and stormed off into the row of haulers.

"IM DONE WITH THIS!" She yelled as she punched the side of a hauler.
Pulling her hand back, her knuckles were bruised. Her hand shook as the pain grew over her.

"You know the trailers a solid object. Next time try a pillow or a tire." A voice spoke from a few feet away from her. She knew it wasn't officer Charles because the voice was more high pitched then anything. Along with a more calm tone.
She looked up to see a head popping out from the side door of the "7C" trailer. Instantly she grew red out of embarrassment.

"Mr. Conover....I didn't mean to... I'm im sorry...." Megan spat out instantly. The pain had washed away and replaced itself with total embarrassment.

"I'd say you could work the damage off but your already working enough for the state troopers. Why don't you come in here and we can wrap that up." Mr.Conover pointed at her obviously broken hand.

Nodding, Megan pushed herself up from the long grass. She made her way into the small enclosed trailer. Her eyes lit up as she saw all the tools and tires along the walls of the trailer. The car was sitting at the end of the trailer with the jack up underneath it holding up the right side.

"Tim are we running "D"s tonight?" Another guy comes walking into the trailer with one of the tires that were on the car.

Tim looked at Megan who he had handed the bandages to a few moments before.

"I don't know, what do you think?" He asked Megan as if she knew anything.

Her face turned red without her noticing as she handed him the rest of the bandages.

"The track looked pretty tacky to me." She spoke with a smile.

Tim nodded and rattled off a different tire to the skinny male with long hair at the end of the trailer. He then looked at Megan for a moment.

" I'm sure you should be getting back to work." He said almost killing her mood. But that's when she saw his smile.

" your joking. I can tell." Megan made it obvious.

"we can see where this is going to go. I'll let you work with us for tonight. That will determine what happens for the season." He said to her now in a serious tone.
Jumping with glee, Megan yelled for joy
" Thank you!!!!" She yelled. Her yells though were cut short when a few engines were started.

Tim began to walk towards the opening of the trailer, Megan shortly followed behind. Her eyes instantly went to the purple and white "7c" stock car that sat in front of the trailer. Running her hand along the side of the car, she felt every rivet. The stickers were fresh and just put on not to long ago.

"I see you like the paint job." A different voice spoke from the other side of the car.
Looking over, Megan could see Jordan. He was in his white fire suit, his helmet sitting on the roof of the car.
" My dad said your helping us tonight. I wish you luck putting up with me." He jokingly said before climbing into the car. That's when she rushed over towards the nose to help latch the hood on. Jordan fired up the 350 block that sat under the hood of his Monte Carlo "7c" and backed out to head over to inspection.

"Megan come get in here and help steer." Tim yelled for her as they finished up the modified. Slipping through the small window, she sat in the seat. Moving around trying to get comfy, she realized that it would never happen. The seat was made for Jordan. She clipped the wheel on and the guys pushed her backwards. Barley seeing past the air filter, she could only guess where she was going. The nose dipped so far down that she lost site of it. As they pushed the car, she could feel every little bump. Turning the wheel was also hard, let alone one of her hands was messed up...
Sitting in line waiting, she could only imagine driving that monster. Trying not to be noticeable, she was playing with the wheel pretending she was in a race. The car in front of her was her next target to pass.

"Oh how I wish..." She muttered under her breath as they pushed it forwards once again.
She had never driven a race car, let alone face the physics of dirt track racing. She had only watched them when she could. The tumbleweeds would bounce around if one got loose or lost its line... The mods were too heavy unless someone else clips one in the corner. And the stocks, it all depends on where the incident happens.
Finally they made it up to inspections. Sitting on the scales the car weight was perfect. They looked under the panel to check if the carburetor was right before giving the ok to roll back to the pits. Struggling to turn the wheel Megan fought the yells of pain she so badly wanted to let out.

"Here let me help." Jordan's voice came back as a hand came through the window to help turn the wheel.

" You just need some strength." He said as the car came to a stop beside his other.

"It's only because I have one hand, Conover." She said as she pulled herself out of the car. Jordan had migrated to the other side by the time she sat herself on the panel. She had her arms resting on the roof where a set of gloves sat.
"God how don't you lose anything. Your helmets over there on that car. Your gloves here. I could only imagine where everything else is." She said as she watched the two younger boys pull tires off the car again. They had a tire pressure gauge in one hand and a impact in the other.
Tim walked over with the torque wrench and handed it to Megan.

"If you don't want to go back to cleaning, then you better get torquing out nuts.
She nodded and threw in her ear buds. Blasting "The Boys Are Back In Town", she began to slowly check the lugs on the 33. They were tight as can be as she migrated to the other car. She began torquing down the right side since that had been the side the boys took off.
Her music continued to play as she went into the trailer to put back the wrench. Grabbing hold a few other tools, she came back out of the trailer towards Tim. Placing a couple wrenches down next to him, she watched as he tuned the carburetor. Firing the engine up he tuned it and then reved it for a few moments. Hooking the timing light up, Megan checked the timing.

"It seems she's good for hot laps. Go on and take a break. Thank you Megan." Tim said as he sent her into the trailer to cool off.
Walking into the trailer, she grabbed a cold water and sat on a tire that was not on a rim. Across the way were the dreadful UNOH haulers. It seemed that they had six people checking tire pressure on the same car. Too many kids for the cars they brought. Directly across the way from the Conovers sat Tony Anderson's hauler. Tony and his friend Frank ran the "22T" and the "27" modifies and stocks. It seemed that they have all the major huge sponsors compared to the others. The "3" Top modified of Dylan Woodling also had a high paying sponsor. That had been known now for over a year. He has a massive hauler and a lot of free performance parts. But the real money sat over with the winged sprints. All of them have massive haulers.. their season is full of racing week and weekends.

Glancing down at her hand, Megan let out a small sigh.

" You can't do much when you do stuff like that." Jordan said as he came in for another impact socket. He began rummaging through the tool box at the back of the trailer.

"Well we can't all be lucky..." She spoke but muttered it knowing it wasn't right.

Jordan stopped for a moment and glared at her.

" I'm not lucky. I worked for what I have. So did my father and his brother... so did Drew. We all work for this." He spoke in an irritated tone before walking by her in silence.
That was the end of that...
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Jordan climbed into his Mod after just running his stock in the heat laps. It seemed that all he would do now is give her a death look. Megan got up this time as he backed the mod out onto the pavement and rolled towards the gates for his next set of hot laps. As his car disappeared past the haulers, she caught up to Tim and walked behind him in silence. They sat five rows up in the stands as the cars rolled out onto the track. Seven cars came out for the first set of hot laps as she shifted her weight. For once she could actually watch what was truly goining on out there. The cars went through the corner like they were going to wreck, but at the same time they would come out of the turn perfectly and run the straightaways. They also seemed to rarley let out of the throttle.

"Now watch how Jordan comes out of the corner." Tim yells over the cars as he tries to teach Megan about the way the body moves. How they rarley use left front tire.
Jordan had decided to follow Tony Anderson as they both went into turn one and two. Both running up near the cushion, but not close enough to hit it.
The car looked a little loose though by the way he came out of the turn. He had to over correct it to catch it.

"All right so when he gets back, we will be raising the bar in the stock. I'll take care of his mod." Tim said as he got up. The checkers waved as both him and Megan walked to the trailer.
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Jordan climbed from the car and threw his helmet onto the roof.
" That mother fucker better not come over here of I'm going to take his 82 stock and shove it up his ass!" Conover yelled as he whipped his gloves off. He had just been wrecked out of the "A main" for the stock cars by the 82 car. That was apparently the lovely Chris Douglas.

" Jordan calm down.." Tim told him as the others watched Drew Trick putt around in the back as the laps wind down.

"Douglas better not come over here or I'm going to beat his ass! It's bullshit!!!" Jordan continued to yell as Megan came around the corner of the trailer.

"What's he bitching about?" She asked out loud as he walked by her saying nothing.

Tim looked at her and explained what had happened. And how Jordan explodes over the smallest accidents.
Looking over at the mod, Jordan had one more race which was the main feature of the night. With about six more laps left, Megan gathered his stuff and laid it out on the roof of the mod. Before walking away, she looked at the tore up 7c car.

" let's get a win." She whispered before heading back to the stands.
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Conover pulled out onto the track. He was lined up along side Anderson. They brought the field around for a few parade laps before taking the green. At the beginning Anderson seemed to have the advantage, whenever Conover would try and pull a slide job, Anderson was there to block. They spent the first seven laps this way before finally Jordan caught Tony off guard and he shot down around him taking the lead. Megan watched as they went at it once again coming off of turn four back past the flag stand. They were now side by side going through the turn. It seemed almost unison how they were driving. They were spending so much time battling that neither noticed the 3 car rolling into the picture. With two to go, it was a three way race for the win. Jordan trying to fight off Anderson who also had Dylan Woodling on his ass. They had no room for error. One lap to go, and Anderson sacrafised second as he got loose off of two. Jordan Conover had a lead but not much over the Top 3 car. It was coming up fast as he whipped around the last corner. There was no way of warning Jordan that Dylan was on his inside.
Closing her eyes, Megan did not want to watch. All she could hear was Tim yell and cheering. That's when she opened her eyes.
She could see Jordan out there going back around towards the flag stand, and that's when Tim began to make his way to the track, Megan followed behind as then others ran and booked it.
Stepping onto the track was odd. It was packed down solid and hard once you got passed the cushion. And the closer to the middle you got, the muddier it was. She followed the limping Tim down to where the car was. Everyone was celebrating as they interviewed Jordan.

" so this is how it feels to win!" She was enjoying herself.
Tim dragged her over to the front of the car and they lined up for the victory lane photo.

"Guess all that yelling paid off huh Conover." She spoke jokingly as Jordan stood back up from kneeling beside his massive check with his flag.

" it always pays off when you know what your doing." He said before getting back into his car and driving off while the others including Megan walked back up the track towards the trailer to pack up.
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" It was an honor working with you guys. Thank you Tim for everything." Megan said as she grabbed her sweatshirt.
Tim shut the trailer door and began to lock it when he looked at her.

" where do you think your going? Your part of us now. I talked to officer Charles and told him I'm taking you for the season. As far as he knows, your volunteering. But I'll pay you if you come help at the shop. See you next Friday." Tim said to her.
They shook hands and with a massive grin on her face, Megan made her way to the parking lot where she parked her car.