#CHAPTER 19: A Different Challenge

Ava POV The next day, I took advantage of the helicopter ride to Google about NASCAR on my phone so that when we arrived at the track I felt confident I was going to call things by the right name. Then we walked into an arena with more people in the stands than I had ever seen in one place. I felt equally dizzy and exhilarated, and I loved it. I knew now that racers originally had to use production-model, or "stock," cars, but not anymore. The car Chris indicated was his, #41, could go over 200 miles an hour and seriously looked like it could achieve orbit. Chris took me over to his pit crew of seven people and introduced me, then made small talk with a few sponsors before going to change. I'd also learned that stock car racing originated during the Human World's prohibition against alcohol when cars carrying bottles were souped-up to outrace the police. I considered that as I watched Chris walk to his car in his blue fireproof racing suit and laughed at the thought that the o