Chapter Text
The NASCAR media center was filled with drivers, media members, and photographers as NASCAR production day was underway to start the new season. 33 full-time drivers fighting for 40 weeks to become a NASCAR Cup Series champion and become immortalized in NASCAR history.
Most of the drivers stood and talked with each other, having not seen their teammates and fellow drivers in two months, and becoming more acquainted with newer teammates. Dream, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, looked to back up his title whilst teammates Wilbur and Quackity looked to settle the controversy that surrounded them the previous year.
However, Wilbur wouldn’t be found amongst the crowd in the media center. He was busy waiting for his little brother Tommy, who was currently using the restroom.
It wasn’t a strange sight to see Tommy by Wilbur’s side constantly, as the kid would just cling onto his oldest brother, but Wilbur loved having his company. Tommy was sweet and he loved the kid as much as the kid loved him. So, with one hand in his pocket and the other holding his phone, Wilbur was talking to his mother and father as he waited outside the restroom for Tommy.
“We hope you and Tommy are doing okay,” Wilbur and Tommy’s mother, Kristin, said as Wilbur chuckled.
“We’re fine, Mom,” he replied. “We’re fine, I’m just waiting for the little gremlin to get done in the restroom.”
Wilbur smiled as he heard his mother and father laugh, looking over his shoulder and seeing the boy in question walking towards him, shaking his hands around to dry them off a little bit more.
“There he is,” he said quietly as he pointed the camera to Tommy, smiling as the kid waved. “Finally done, Toms?”
“Of course I’m finally done, Wil!” Tommy stated matter-of-factly as he looked up at his brother. “Why would I be out here if I wasn’t done?” the kid asked.
“It’s called a rhetorical question, sunshine,” he replied, smiling as he ruffled Tommy’s hair, ignoring the boy’s squawking as he looked back down at his phone.
“Well, we just wanted to check on you two before we go to the mall,” Kristin said. “We’ll call you two back in a while.”
“Okay Mom,” Wilbur replied. “Love you, Mom and Dad.”
“Love you too, sweetie,” his mother smiled.
“Bye mate!” Phil, their father, shouted in the background.
“Bye!” Tommy quickly said, before Wilbur hung up.
“Okay Toms,” Wilbur began. “I have one more interview left today and then we’ll go back to the hotel, okay?”
“But I’m so tired, Wil,” the kid huffed.
“Yeah, I know you are Tommy. I am too, but we can head back to the hotel tonight and sleep as late as we want,” Wilbur offered. “Come on, I might get some ice cream on the way back to the hotel as well.”
“Are you ready for this?” Anthony asked as Wilbur walked towards the chair opposite of him.
“For the season or this interview? Because I’m ready for both of them,” Wilbur chuckled, scratching behind his ear as he sat in the chair. “I’m excited to get it started.”
Anthony flipped through a few notes as they both prepared for the interview, waiting for the camera to start recording.
“Three, two, one, go.”
“For the final interview of today, I am joined by NASCAR Cup Series veteran and former Xfinity Series champion Wilbur Craft. It’s nice to see you around here, Wilbur.”
“It’s nice to be back here,” Wilbur smiled.
“So, jumping right into the questions, how was your offseason this year?” Anthony asked.
“Well,” he started. “It was pretty good, had some nice family time and ran a few laps on the sim for this season, but that’s just the surface of my offseason.”
“Well then, what was your favorite part of the offseason?”
“Ah, that one’s hard to answer,” Wilbur laughed as he began to think. “I think the time I spent with my brothers is up there, for sure, and maybe Christmas too.”
“Yeah, Christmas is always a good time of year, isn’t it?”
“It’s very enjoyable for me,” Wilbur agreed. “But I just love being with my family. They’ve supported me through my career and the least I can do is return the support and love that they’ve shown me.”
“This sport is more of a family sport than we realize at times,” Anthony noted. “For example, your father Philza, a former driver and a two-time Cup Series champion, and you’re following in his footsteps, and your brother Technoblade has been your crew chief for a few years.”
“That’s not even mentioning my mother, my baby brother, and my girlfriend,” Wilbur added with a grin. “But my family’s support is all meaningful, no matter who it is.”
“How important is their support to you? Does it make you feel better when you get in the car?”
“I mean it’s great, their support means everything to me. Even on the days when I run horribly or I don’t finish the race, my family is still there with me and they make me feel a bit better after a rough race. You know how rough this sport can be some days.”
“I’ve had quite a few of those rough days,” Anthony nodded as he shifted in his seat. “Family helps, though.”
“It really does,” Wilbur smiled. “I swear, Tommy, my youngest brother, is probably my biggest fan. He’s worn some merch to school many times, and it’s so odd to pick him up from school while he’s wearing a shirt with my name plastered on the front and back, but it’s so endearing at the same time.”
Wilbur and Anthony laughed as Anthony moved on to the final question.
“Well speaking of favorite drivers, did you have any favorites other than your father while growing up?”
“I did, actually,” he replied. “It was Sneeg. He was my favorite driver aside from my Dad when I was growing up and it’s cool to race against him now with him being like a mentor to me. My Dad didn’t even mind it, either. Sneeg was a good friend of his.”
“Your father was an influence to many of us older drivers,” Anthony stated.
“A lot of people told me that when I started showing up to races as a kid,” Wilbur recalled.
“How much of an influence has your father been to you?”
“Oh, Dad’s been a great influence. He’s taught me a bunch of stuff, and I just have to thank him for the great things that have happened through my career so far. He’s taught me how to be humble and I think it’s paid off well.”
The interview went on for a few more minutes, and as it ended, Wilbur shook Anthony’s hand before he left the studio with Tommy, and he fulfilled his promise of ice cream.
A few weeks later, Wilbur was sitting in his team owner’s office with his teammates Charlie, Fundy, and Quackity as Sam, the team owner, discussed the upcoming season and the team’s plans.
“I don’t want any internal issues here, especially from you two,” Sam said as he pointed towards Wilbur and Quackity, clearly upset. “You two did a horrible job at being teammates last year and both of you are capable of doing better. It was disappointing, but you two will work together and that is an order. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes sir,” the two drivers replied.
“And for you two, Charlie and Fundy,” Sam said as he moved on. “The mechanical issues you two had weren’t your fault, but the inconsistency needs to be resolved.”
Charlie and Fundy nodded as they looked at each other and then back to Sam.
“Finally,” he addressed them all. “You four boys are some of the most talented drivers in the field, and I have no doubts that we can win the championship this year. You boys can go get it done, so let’s work towards that.”
Wilbur glanced up to the trophy cabinet inside the office, spotting the nine championship trophies lining the cabinet. Just one championship was an achievement, but the team itself had nine. Five of the nine titles were won by Wilbur’s father, while the other four were won by various drivers, including Sneeg before he left and went to another team.
When the meeting broke, Wilbur walked into the shop where the cars were being built, stopping by Techno as he was working with the car chief.
“Hey Tech,” Wilbur said as he stood beside his brother.
“Hey Wilbur,” Techno replied. “How’d the meeting go?”
“It was just a meeting,” he stated. “But Sam did tell us that we had to work together more.”
“Yeah, you and Quackity really need to.”
Wilbur opened his mouth to speak before Techno continued. “Wilbur, you’re my brother, and I love you, but those incidents weren’t entirely his fault. You made some of those incidents happen, especially the one at Kansas.”
“I’m still sorry about that,” Wilbur mumbled.
“Don’t beat yourself up over it, though. That was last year and hopefully that won’t happen again.”
“I’ll try to not do that again,” he sighed. “But I can’t promise anything, y’know?”
“Yeah, you never can promise anything,” Techno said, playfully bumping his slightly older brother’s shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Wilbur scoffed. “I should get going now, just to not bother you while you work with the team.”
“Alright Wilbur,” Techno replied. “See you later.”
“See you later, Tech,” Wilbur smiled, throwing his arm around Techno’s shoulder and pulling his brother into a side hug. “Love you, little brother.”
“Yeah, love you too, old man,” Techno replied.
The season was just one week away from the Clash in Los Angeles, leaving a few more days for Wilbur to spend time with his family before flying to the track for the weekend.
To highlight the week, he’d spent two days with Tommy, a day with Techno, a day with his mother and father, and now he was walking through a mall with Niki as the two talked quietly, smiling the entire time.
“This is nice,” Niki said quietly.
“What is?” Wilbur asked.
“Being here with you,” she replied, smiling up at Wilbur. “The fact that it’s nice and quiet, and we’re spending time together,” she then added on.
Wilbur smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as he pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “Yeah,” he agreed. “This is nice, I’m happy to be here with you, too.”
Niki sighed happily, resting her head against Wilbur’s shoulder and holding onto the hand that was resting on her shoulder, squeezing his hand gently. Both of them were happy to just exist with each other, never speaking but occasionally smiling at each other as they walked.
“I love you, Niki,” Wilbur whispered after a moment.
“I love you too, Wil,” Niki replied as she kissed Wilbur’s cheek. “You’re just too nice to me.”
Wilbur smiled as he kissed Niki’s forehead, resting his arm protectively around her. “I’m supposed to be nice to you.”
They continued to walk silently for a few moments before leaving the mall and walking into the parking lot, stopping to say their goodbyes for the weekend. After a short kiss, they went their separate ways for the weekend.
Wilbur sighed as he sat in his bed, the night before leaving for LA. He was ready to get in the car again, and he had a really good feeling about the new year. Last season, he had been pretty good all year, but the good runs amounted to nothing when he showed up to Phoenix for the championship race, and he lost the championship.
But this year, he felt like he’d capitalize on it. He’d try his best. For his family, for his team, and for his fans.