Drive to Survive

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Forty-Nine

Race day was officially here and Dylan was currently waiting in line to park in the staff car park. Her mum was next to her, neck craning as she peered around her surroundings and her dad was in the back seat, eyes down on his phone. 

If she'd thought traffic was crazy on Thursday, it was pure insanity on Sunday. 

They'd left an hour earlier than they needed and had still run close to the time Dylan needed to be there. It had basically been crawling pace for the last five miles and the queue even to get to the staff area was ridiculous. 

Finally, she made it to the front and wound down her window, showing her pass for inspection.

"Morning, Miss James." The guard greeted her cheerfully, "There are some spaces around to the left."

"Thank you so much!"

Dylan pulled her car into the left and swiftly found a space. Once parked up, she waited for her parents to get out the car and then led them down towards the Red Bull hospitality zone.

She kept her eyes forward, desperate not to betray the nerves that were bubbling within. Along the way, she saw media personnel and people she knew from other teams. Most offered a wave or greeting which she returned and the sight of so many friendly faces helped relax her slightly.

"Good morning, Dylan." Mark, the security guard for the hospitality zone, had a bright smile for her when she arrived with her parents in tow.

"Hello, Mark! How are you?"

"Sun is shining and we're home, can't complain." He shrugged, "Are these your parents?"

She was surprised at his preparedness, "Yes! How did you..."

"Christian gave me a heads up, I've left the passes with Wendy inside." Wendy was the hospitality manager for the team. She ensured that all the VIP guests had the best experience possible during their time at the race.

"Oh, lovely. Thank you."

"No worries, have a lovely day! Give Max some luck for me."

Dylan chuckled, "I'll try my best, Mark."

He held the door open for them all and she led her parents inside. The hospitality room was lovely at Silverstone; it was bright, airy, and filled with a horde of free food and drinks. You could see the starting line and long straight of the track from the room and there was a large TV which would show the live feed and commentary. 

Wendy, a brown-haired, curvy woman in her thirties with an extremely extroverted nature, came bustling over, "Dylan! Lovely to see you again!"

"Hi, Wendy!" She beamed, meeting the excited woman for a hug. 

They'd crossed paths a few times on comms work and Dylan had always enjoyed her company. She had a wicked sense of humour and did such a wonderful job of looking after the guests, even when they were rude or dismissive towards her. There wasn't a single grumpy customer that Wendy couldn't win over.

Well...she hadn't met Dylan's dad yet.

"These must be your parents! Hello, welcome to Silverstone. My name is Wendy, I'm your Hospitality Manager and I'll be looking after you today to make sure you have an unforgettable experience." She reached into her pocket and pulled out two navy Paddock Passes which she handed over to Dylan's mum and dad.

"Thank you." Her mum replied politely.

Her dad managed a half smile but didn't say anything. His attention was on the rest of the room and out the windows.