Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona 500. Names infamous in the racing community. Names that strike fear and excitement into the up and coming drivers who are facing the track for the first time. The old timers know that anything could happen, at any time and that's all part of the fun of the race. The driver loves it, the crews hate it. Owners look forward to standing in Victory Lane with their drivers at the end of the race, celebrating. Raising the storied Harley J. Earl trophy that will soon hold the name of the most current winner. They want to see their race car sitting in Daytona USA for the next year, as the current 500 champion. The ambiance, the story, the sounds, the history. There's no other place in the racing world quite like Daytona. And for the Callahan family, the track that was stepped in so much history, was also laced with it's fair share if nightmares and horror stories.
The track wasn't yet open to the public. But as an owner, Indi was able to worm her way into the garage area before it opened. The garage wasn't even open yet. It was still, quiet. The smell of motor oil hung over the garage and through the doors that separated each bay from the main walk though, Indi could see the tools of their trade handing from the war wagons and the tool boxes. The sights were comforting. They made sense. On a day when nothing felt normal, and little made sense, the familiar sights, smells and sounds of what Indi considered to be home just made it a little easier.
As the actress walked through the tunnel that lead to the track, she could only pause to take in the sight that was Daytona International Speedway as the sun started to rise over the track. She could do this, she had to do this. Not only for herself, but for her husband and for their daughter. And maybe more so, for their families. Past, present and future.
Elation. Fear. Excitement. Adrenaline. Anxiety. So many emotions rolled into one as she sat on top of the war wagon and watched. Three laps left on the score board, six miles. Six miles until the end of the 2001 Daytona 500 and a new winner would be crowned. At that moment, there was a very, very real chance that Aiden Callahan could be the one in Victory Lane, and as much as Indi hated to admit it she wanted to see him there. Not only for her own father, his team owner, but because he was an amazing driver and deserved the elusive win that so many aimed for but few ever got. The Drake Racing cars were 1-2, with her father blocking in third. One lap down, another lap down. Indi stood on the war wagon next too Aiden's mother, watching as the lead pack came out of turn three and went into four. The checkers were waving on the front stretch, and the finish was in sight.. When all of the sudden the three car got tagged, turned and went nose first into the wall.
Steeling herself against what she knew she had to do, Indi took a few deep breaths and started walking towards turn 4. She knew that this wasn't a place Aiden was likely to go too. And she knew that she didn't blame him for it. The memories held in turn 4 were hard for all of them. They were hard for her, they were harder still for him, and even harder still for Patrick and Joann. Every year as January rolled into February, the family was again faced with the memories of that Daytona and the accident that almost killed their husband, father, and father in law. It was hard, especially now on the 10th anniversary of the day. But they were a stronger family because of it. A family that survives a wreck like that comes to realize just how precious life is, but it also didn't let it stop them from continuing on with their dreams and didn't destroy the love of the sport that was such a big part of their lives.
She knew she probably was breaking all sorts of rules by walking onto the track, but she didn't care. There wasn't a person alive who had been involved in the sport who would argue with her. Or anyone in her family. Sure, at the time of the wreck she and Aiden hadn't gotten married yet. They hadn't really officially came out and admitted they were dating for that matter. But she knew. She had known from the moment she had met Aiden Patrick Callahan that she had met
the one. Call it a feeling, woman's intuition. Something. But she just knew. It didn't help matters that she had known Patrick Callahan for years and was quite fond of the man. It didn't matter that she loved and hated his son all at the same time. Like any race fan, the events of the last lap of the 500 that fateful day had rocked her to her core and she couldn't help but relive the memories every year, twice a year, since.
”You got it! You got it! YOU GOT IT!! MIKEEEEEEEEEEY!!” Darrell Waltrip exclaimed happily in the announcers booth as he watched his baby brother take the checkers and win his first Daytona 500. Both Waltrips were now 500 winners. Brothers from Owensboro, Kentucky shared the Harley J. Edgar trophy. Their names would forever be infamous with the 'Granddaddy of 'em all'. But the real action was happening beyond that. The sound of sheet metal ripping was drowned out by the cheers of the fans as Michael Waltrip and Aiden Callahan crossed the start finish line 1-2. But a few hundered yards past that, something else was happening. Something major. As Michael took his parade laps, saluting the fans and savoring his first Daytona 500 win, the track medical team had swarmed the black number 3 car. The window net had never come down. The signal to crews and fans alike that the driver was alright. There was almost no movement coming from the cockpit. There was no movement at all, really. Something had happened. Something bad. But no one knew just how badly yet.
Even though she knew in the back of her mind that the accident, while bad, hadn't killed her father in law, it still scared the crap out of her. Because she knew that at any moment it could happen to Aiden. Aiden, the love of her life, her best friend. Aiden was her everything to her and so much more. She couldn't imagine what her life would be without him in it, and she could recall the week after Daytona in Rockingham, watching Aiden wreck in the exact same way on the first lap of the race and it made her stomach roll. She knew her husband had been dreading this day. And she had felt bad slipping out of bed that morning, leaving him alone there so that she could come out to turn 4 and try to make peace with the race track. He had looked too peaceful to wake, and she knew that he needed the rest. Both mentally and physically because he had a hell of a few days ahead of him.
Patrick had been one of the first people Indi had met on pit road when she first showed up to the NASCAR race track. In Indy cars she knew everyone, and everyone knew her. But with Stock Cars, it had been very different. She had felt like a fish out of water, not understanding anything about the sport. It was so different then what she had been around most of her life. But at the same time, it had been exciting, yet scary all at once. And that was before she had bumped – literally – into one of the biggest and most feared drivers in the garage. She had wandered off from her parents, peeking into other garage bays to see what was going on when she bumped into a sturdy pair of legs. Moments later a heavy hand clamped down onto her shoulder and she felt herself being spun around to face someone.. and oh shit. That someone was none other then Patrick Callahan.
”What are you doing here missy?” the deep, southern voice asked.
”I, um.. I got lost?” Indi replied, stamering through it.
”Really?” Came the reply with a quirked brow and an amused smile.
”Alright no. I was looking.. Stock cars are so neat!” Patrick could only chuckle and turn her gently back towards her fathers garage bay.
”Better be careful looking around here. Someone will think there's a pint sized spy on the loose.” Indi took offense to his words, and slammed a hand on her hip,
”HEY NOW! I am not pint sized!” she huffed and glared at the man known as 'The Indimidator'.
”Nor am I a spy! You better not tell lies about me to all these people, or my daddy will clean you up with the track!” They were bold words from a little girl no older then ten. But those were the words that endeared her to the man who would one day become her father in law.
Victory Lane. The one place every driver wanted to be. It was hallowed ground among stock car drivers. And being the one to hoist the trophy at the end of it all was even more special. Michael was over the moon as he rolled his car into Victory Lane and popped out through the window to face the cheers of the fans, his crew and his family. Buffy was there, wrapping him in a hug and a soul sucking kiss. His kids were nearby, waiting for their turn to hug their daddy and congratulate him for the biggest win of his career. After hugging his crew chief and high fiving the crew, he gave the required interviews.. All the while wondering where exactly his owner and friend Patrick Callahan was. It was a huge moment, Patrick should have been there by now. And as he stood there celebrating and pondering that exact question a somber looking Kenny Shrader coming up too him. “Hey man!” Michael greeted his friend, expecting him too congratulate him. Instead Kenny just shook his head, leaned in and whispered, “Pat's accident man.. It was bad.” Michael stood there, stunned as Kenny turned and headed out of Victory Lane. Michael turned towards his crew, and everyone seemed oblivious to what had happened and how bad the accident really was. After the required interviews and pictures were over, Michael and Buffy went to their rental car, and like so many other drivers, headed to the hospital where Patrick had been taken to wait and pray.
Indi had reached the bottom of turn 4, and looked up at the wall. The wall where the nose of the car had hit, the wall that had almost ripped her family in two. They said all the greats spun at Daytona. Patrick and Aiden had both spun. But the legend never said that all the greats almost died at the track. No where was that written. Yet it had happened. Indi steeled herself for it. One step at a time she started to climb the 31 degree banking. If nothing else, she was getting her workout for the day in. As she reached the top of the turn, Indi sat down on the newly paved track, and rested her back against the wall. It was in this spot that Patrick wrecked. She closed her eyes and took a few breaths and ran her fingers over the pavement. She often found herself sitting on the track whenever they were in town, but this time it just felt different. There was a different vibe about the track. Maybe it was the new pavement, maybe it was the date. It could be anything. It was all apart of the mystique of the track.
The hospital waiting room was a mess. A knot of drivers, crew members, owners and family. Everyone waiting on pins and needles for news. Something, anything. Conversations were held in whispers, if there were any in the first place. There were people sitting, people standing, some pacing and some just staring at the walls. Joann Callahan sat sandwiched between her son and Richard Childress, her husbands team owner and one of his closest friends. Indi sat next to Aiden, switching between rubbing his back or holding his hand. She knew there were no words that would offer comfort during the waiting game. All she could do was try to offer some sort of physical comfort. Every so often people would walk by and squeeze Aiden's shoulder, or pat her on the back. Even then, Indi was already family. Despite the are they or aren't they that surrounded the young couple, people knew. Indi knew. Everyone knew. It was just a matter of the two of them finally admitting it to one another. Indi hated the waiting as much as everyone else. But she knew there was little she could do to stop it. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the doors separating the waiting room from the operating room opened and a doctor clad in blue scrubs stepped out. The man looked a little surprised and indimated to see the anxious crowd of people who jumped to their feet and took a step towards him. “He's alive.”
He's alive. The words ran through Indi's mind even now. He's alive. It seemed so hard to believe that it had been ten years since that day. But it had been. And thankfully her father in law was still alive and had recovered fully from the accident. He would never race again, that had been obvious from the get go. But he was alive. Joann still had her soul mate, Aiden had his father, and Bristol had her grand father. That was one of the biggest things she was thankful for. Her daughter had gotten to meet her grandfather. The two were thick as thieves. Much like she was with her own father, Bristol and her grandfather were inseparable. She asked, demanded, to see her grandpa if she felt it had been too long since she had seen him. Even if it had only been a few days. It was something that warmed her heart to see. As a family, they had only grown stronger and tighter since the accident. Between Patrick's accident and Aiden's accident a few years later. She knew that nothing would be able to tear the family apart now. They were stronger then ever before, if it had been even possible.
Opening her eyes, Indi peered across the two mile race track as the sun came up over eastern grand stands. It was going to be a beautiful day, of that she had no doubt. A day that could have been filled with sadness and loss was one filled with joy and thankfulness. It was hard to come to the track, hard to watch her husband race on it. But part of her still loved the speedway, and everything that went with it. Her gaze shifted to the infield, where a short 5 months later, Aiden had taken the checkers in the Pepsi 400. A sentimental favorite to win at the track that almost killed his father. The fans needed the win. Aiden had needed the win. Their family had needed that win. With the win came a healing of sorts. Not only for the Callahans, but for the Drakes, the Waltrips and everyone else up and down pit road and in the stands who had watched in horror as Patrick had been carried away from his car on a stretcher and airlifted to the hospital. That race had marked the first time that Patrick had returned to the track since his accident. The icon of the racing community had been welcomed back with open arms. Thinking back to that day still made Indi smile. With Aiden taking the checkers, and Michael coming in right behind him, the family had been able to take the win and have the celebration that they had been denied earlier. Standing in Victory Lane together, there was a moment of vindication.
”He's alive. He's going to make it.” Those seven words caused an uproar of jubilation in the small waiting room. Joanna collapsed back into her chair, tears of joy streaming down her face. Indi gripped Aiden tightly, hugging her boyfriend with everything she had as her own tears fell. She had been thinking the worst. The accident was one of the worst she had ever seen, but he was okay. Thank God! As the crew members embraced one another, sharing their own tears of joy, Indi watched as Aiden and Joanna were lead into the recovery room that they had Patrick too following his operation. They could wait and be there for him when he woke up. Even as the waiting room emptied out, with people heading back to the track to clean up and get under way for the next race, Indi stayed. She waited in the waiting room for Aiden to emerge. She wasn't going to leave until he did. Her own parents had left hours earlier, making her promise to call them if there was an change. When Aiden finally emerged, Indi walked straight into his arms, pillowed her face against his chest. She needed to hold him as much as he had needed to hold her. “He's alive. He's going to be fine.” Aiden whispered against her hair as he held his girlfriend. “He's beat up and it's going to be a long road, but he'll make it. I know he will.” Indi gave a tired chuckle. “He's a Callahan and as stubborn as his son. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.” She leaned up and gave him a soft kiss. “I'm glad he's alright.” Indi said quietly. “Me too, baby. Me too.”
In the distance, Indi could see a figure walking towards the spot she sat in. Even without seeing his face, she knew who it was. She would know his walk anywhere. It was a strut that only the Callahan men had. A walk that oozed the ego and confidence both father and son held. Hell, she saw the walk already starting to form in her daughter. It was just a Callahan thing and Bristol was all Callahan. Standing up, Indi made her way down the track too where Aiden stood at the foot of the turn, looking up at banking at his wife. “What are you doing out here?” She asked as she reached him, her arms instantly sliding around his waist. “Looking for you. What are
you doing out here before the sun comes up?” he asked, though she figured he already knew the answer. Indi glanced over her shoulder at turn 4. “Just making my peace with the track.” She answered, glancing back up to her husband. “You?” Aiden looked up at turn 4, and back down to his wife. “Just saying goodbye to some bad memories. It's time. We're going back to Victory Lane.”
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