TOM STOOD IN VICTORY LANE at the Chicago racetrack, his hair plastered to his head with a combination of July sweat and jubilantly sprayed champagne. A reporter stuck a microphone in his face, certainly not the first, nor would it be the last during this celebration.
“You’ve just won your third race of the season and you’re only a couple of points out of first place in the championship race,” the reporter said, as if Tom didn’t already know all of that. “What would you say has turned your team around this year after the terrible season you had last year?”
“Len’s doing a phenomenal job as crew chief,” Tom said, giving a thumbs-up to his grinning teammate. “The whole team is working together like clockwork, and the hard work and spirit of cooperation is really showing out on the track.”
“Your own attitude seems to have undergone a change this season,” the reporter persisted, jostling to keep his prime position from the others eager to get a quote. “Even last week when Malloy took you out of the race with that aggressive move that sent you into the fence, you kept your cool and smiled through the interviews afterward. The Tom Wyatt from last year would have hid out in the hauler and avoided the press after a disaster like that. Can you explain the difference?”
“I guess I do have a new attitude this season,” Tom admitted. “Maybe it’s helping the team that I’m more positive now, which makes it easier for everyone to do their jobs.”
“And what brought about that change?”
“I think I’d lost sight of why I started racing in the first place,” Tom answered candidly. “It wasn’t just for the championships or the fame or the money, it was for the love of the sport. I’m going to give everything I’ve got to win the championship again this year, but if it doesn’t happen, then I’ll start focusing on winning next year, knowing I’ve done my best.”
And speaking of his job… “I want to thank my sponsors, RightTime Realty, Colby Oil, Hometown Building Supplies and Quench Cola,” he recited smoothly. “My owner, Philip Shaw, and everyone at Shaw Racing. All the members of my team, who give me the cars and the support I need to win. The fans who’ve stood by me through the good times and the bad. My friend and business partner, Dan LeMay of LeMay Resort in Lake Ozark, Missouri. And my new bride, Melissa, who keeps me on track in both my professional and my personal life.”
“So would you say you’re a happy man now, Tom?” the reporter asked just as he was pushed out of the way by another impatient microphone-holder.
Tom grinned as cameras flashed all around him. “I’m the happiest guy on earth. It’s like celebrating Christmas all year long.”
“Lucky man,” he heard someone say behind him.
Lucky, indeed, he thought as Melissa slipped through the crowd to join him with the same loving smile she had given him the week before, when he hadn’t even finished the race. Theirs was a partnership that had nothing to do with championship points—and everything to do with living a dream.