Days of Thunder Page #5

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- You'd let them if it was you?

- l would.

Then I've got to ask you to do

something for me.

- Drive my car.

- What?

Daytona.

You've got plenty of time

to get ready for Daytona.

l lost my sponsor. They're not sure

I'm going to come out of this deal.

Are you?

I've got a lot of land

and a lot of plans l ain't paid for.

So to get my sponsor back,

my car has to run good at Daytona.

All that network TV sh*t.

- There's plenty of other drivers.

- Don't give me that sh*t.

My car has to be in the top five, -

- before my sponsors

will pick up the tab for the year.

Maybe after Daytona l can drive.

In the meantime, l want the best

for my family, so don't bullshit me.

Is there some other reason why

l ain't good enough to drive for?.

Then you'll do it?

Sh*t, man! You had me going.

Let's get down to business.

What's your deal with Daland?

l haven't worked it out.

Excuse me for a second.

- Cole, what's wrong?

- Tell Rowdy I'll call him.

No, sir! Can't use 'em.

Don't want 'em. Can't afford 'em.

- What are you talking about?

- Race car drivers. You and Rowdy.

l ain't setting up that car

for Daytona.

But come on in. We'll bring out the

moonshine and start telling lies.

- But no talk about racing.

- All right, no talk about racing.

I'll race your ass.

I'm going to take off.

Good night, Harry.

Why won't you set up the car?.

Ever since you and Rowdy

crashed at Daytona -

- you've been waiting on something

bad to happen to you.

Just like Buddy Bretherton.

He started hearing voices.

All of them saying one thing:

''Get out of that race car.''

You pegged the engine at Atlanta

and blew it sky-high.

It was deliberate.

according to the telltale button.

You thought if you didn't get out

of that car you'd die.

Now call me a liar.

- You're not lying.

- What are we talking about then?

Racing Rowdy's car at Daytona.

l can't do it without you.

You can't do it period.

l ain't going back there, Cole.

Buddy didn't die of a heart attack.

Buddy didn't die of a heart attack.

No, he didn't, but you don't

want to hear about it.

NASCAR privately claimed

that your car is what killed Buddy.

You used thin-walled tubing

to keep the weight down.

- Carbon monoxide knocked Buddy out.

- Horseshit.

When Buddy hit the wall, he was

talking as fast as he was driving.

That was the loudest-talking

unconscious man you ever heard.

Why didn't you let them investigate?

Because l should have known better

than to let him drive.

Buddy was a terrible

pain in the ass.

He thought he knew about cars, which

made him twice as ignorant as you.

Still ...

Guys like Buddy ...

I've seen him do things in my car

that are unbelievable.

He showed me what l had done.

Then you automatically

have to sort of love the guy ...

... whether you want to or not.

Buddy Bretherton.

l have to ask you something.

Before Buddy hit the wall,

how was he doing in that race?

You ornery, no good ...

You stay out of that car.

lf you get back in that car,

you'll die. You hear?.

I'm not getting back in my car,

I'm getting in Rowdy's.

You dumb drivers.

You think you'll hide

from your bad luck in his car?.

He'd crash you tomorrow

to win the race!

- He's no particular friend, so why?.

- He asked me to.

- You just want to race again.

- And so do you.

Well, you're scared.

Yeah, and so are you.

Yeah.

What?

l need this, Harry.

l don't have anything else.

You've given me a life.

l don't want to lose it.

Put me in that car. Let me be the

one to show you what you've done.

Just trust me.

Let me drive.

l won't make a fool out of you.

l ... honestly don't know

how this deal's going to turn out.

Neither do l, Harry.

I'm setting up for cool weather.

lf the sun breaks, you'll run loose.

Cole's not ready for that.

He's changed.

You cannot get out of control.

He's liable to hurt you

and you're liable to hurt him.

l couldn't handle that.

You've got to take care of him.

All right?

You've got to take care of him.

This is not the kind of answer

I'm looking for from you.

Daytona is a tough racetrack.

We're going to keep an eye on Cole

to see if he has all his reflexes.

l don't think that the accident

will affect the way Cole performs.

l hope l beat him.

A lot of guys don't like him.

The guy's got a lot of talent.

He just wants to win.

He's been a danger to himself

and to other drivers.

lf he comes near me,

I'm going to put him in the wall.

l only expect to see him

in my rear-view mirror.

Come in.

Harry said you wouldn't mind

if l stopped by.

- How's Rowdy?.

- He's getting better every day.

Especially since you said you were

looking forward to racing his car.

So l lied.

- What are you thinking?

- 'What's he thinking?''

Everybody's the same. You've got to

be good at your job to enjoy life.

This is my job.

It's all l know.

You know l can't watch you do this.

Claire ...

I'm more afraid of being nothing

than l am of being hurt.

Walk me in?

Welcome to the Daytona 500,

the Superbowl of motor racing.

Among today's favorites has

to be Wheeler in the Hardee's car.

He's the man to watch, after

winning the pole for today's event.

But don't count out Cole Trickle.

He's returning to Daytona for

the first time since his accident.

l heard you didn't have a sponsor.

They gave us just enough money

to put their name on the car.

- Tim.

- Cole.

Why is the hood up?

What's wrong?

We had to change engines.

We forgot to tighten the oil line.

- Why did you change engines?

- There was metal in the oil filter.

- Where did you get the engine?

- We stole it.

Claire, put the boy in his car

before he starts sweating.

So, are you going to get in your car

and take off?

Drive carefully.

Gentlemen, start your engines.

We are underway.

The Daytona 500 is on.

We are 56 laps into the 200-lap

event and Wheeler is in the lead.

You're 47:
01 . The leader's 45:90.

You're running last.

What's going on, Cole?

Are you all right?

Just past the halfway mark

and Wheeler still leads.

There's a crash at turn three.

Oil at the bottom of the track.

Cars are sliding down

from the top of the track.

You'd better go high.

Pick a line you can drive through.

Cole, are you all right?

Answer me, please.

Go around those wrecks.

You can drive through it.

l know it in my heart.

I'm through it, Harry!

I'm out of here.

Cole's moved up to ninth.

Wheeler continues to lead, but the

man on the move is Cole Trickle.

I'm going to make a hole

to get through here.

Here we go.

Wheeler knocked me into Ganz.

Ganz spun out.

He's going high.

Goddamn it!

Trickle takes the lead.

Go, Cole.

This is what it's all about.

With 23 laps to go,

Cole Trickle is leading.

- Take him now, Russ.

- He's all mine.

The accelerator is stuck.

l can't slow down.

Step on the clutch

and let the son of a b*tch blow it.

Son of a ...

The accelerator is fixed,

but the transmission is screwed.

- Are they out of the race?

- They will be.

Get me out in front of the pace car

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