by Anthony Leek

Created on: September 21, 2010

The feeling you get from jumping into a stock car for the first time is a sensation only for the strong of heart. Once you slide into the cockpit of a car like that, a flood of emotions overtakes your mind. As the belts are buckled, the helmet goes on and the window net goes up, the world becomes so much smaller. Sitting inside, pacing around the track before the green flag waves, there is a sense of unity between the car and the driver.

The rumble of the engine, the bumps on the surface and fellow competitors in front, beside and behind you grow the anxiety inside your soul. A deep breath is drawn in but limited by the tightness of the belts. Riding the gas pedal waiting for the wave of the flag, there is an instant set of calm before the noise becomes a volcano.

There is awareness like no other as you steer through the first corner. The wanting urges to become the fastest car out there. The engine roars and the speed increases as the straightaway takes you to the next corner. Your mind and the car work together as you try to hold a line and not cause an accident.

The driver is fiercer as the race goes on. Lap by lap, the desire to win becomes so great that you feel like you are invincible. It feels as though nothing can stand in your way. There is something to prove, something to aim for.

The white flag is shown, one lap to go. The sweat is getting into your eyes, but your concentration does not wane. One last chance to get the win as you go into the corners once again, not close enough is the thought in your head. You can see the checkered flag up ahead as your hearts starts to pump loudly since there is not enough time left to win.

Under the flag, you cross the line, knowing that there will be another time to take to the track and try again. You go to the pits and get out of your car. Your hands are shaking like nothing before, the sweat beads down your forehead with eyes wide open.

In a stock car, power is in your hands. It is an overwhelming force that makes one drive harder and faster than before. It is not about quitting when the race is over. It is about doing it all over again to prove that you have the power to be number one.

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