The doctor broke the news to Michael, Mark, and their dad. Michael would have to have surgery on his ankle. Once the leg was healed, Michael would need a long period of physical therapy.

  “I’m sorry, Michael,” the doctor said.

  “Injuries like this usually take a year or more to heal. You have to take it easy until it’s ready.”

  Michael knew what that meant. He wouldn’t be able to race in next summer’s season.

  Michael was heartbroken. “I can’t believe I have to sit through another whole year of watching Buzz Shaw win all the races,” he said.

  His dad looked sad, and Mark reached out and gently patted Michael’s arm. “At least you’re okay,” Mark said.

  But Michael didn’t see it that way. It didn’t seem to him like he was okay at all. To Michael, it seemed like the end of the world.

  After the surgery, Michael wore a cast that went all the way up to his knee.

  Twelve weeks later, the cast was removed, and he was able to start his physical therapy exercises.

  At first, Michael could barely put any weight on his leg. Over time, his strength grew. But he was still in a lot of pain, especially when he tried to test it by doing a little more than the doctors advised.

  All Michael thought about that winter was racing.

  He wanted so badly to heal fast enough that he could have even one race against Buzz. But every time he tried to suggest to his father that he be allowed to race, the answer was simple and direct.

  “Not this year, Michael,” his father would say.

  Mark was just as unhappy.

  No racing meant no working on the car’s engine and tires. He and his dad repaired the damage from the accident. The number 12 car was looking brand new.

  Once in a while, Michael would go out to the garage and get in the car. But that just made him feel worse.

  One day, Michael’s father came home from work and found Michael and Mark out by the car.

  “Boys, I’ve been thinking,” Dad said. “We’ve always been a team, right?”

  “Right,” the boys said.

  “Well, Michael’s hurt this year, but we can still be a team,” Dad said.

  The boys looked confused. “What do you mean?” Michael asked.

  “Why don’t you two just switch jobs?” Dad replied. “Mark, you can drive the car. And Michael, you can help me in the pits. We can still be Team Haynes!”

  The boys looked at each other. They weren’t sure what to say.

  “But, Dad,” Mark answered finally, “I’m not as good a driver as Michael is.”

  “And I’m not as good a mechanic as Mark is,” Michael added.

  “Look, boys,” their dad said. “We can sit and watch Buzz win races all summer, or we can go out there and try to win some ourselves.”

  Smiles crossed the boys’ faces. “Let’s do it,” Michael said.

  “Yeah,” Mark agreed. “Let’s beat Buzz.”

  ( Chapter 8 )

  New Faces

  As soon as summer came, Mark began practicing his driving skills at the track. Michael learned the mechanical side of things as quickly as he could.

  They spent every weekend working on the car, but the new Team Haynes didn’t start out very well.

  Mark was never comfortable driving the car at its top speeds. Michael wasn’t skilled at keeping the car running smoothly.

  But by the time the first race of the season arrived, they were both more confident and were feeling better.

  The first race was short, just twenty laps. Mark was very nervous before the race, and was quizzing Michael to make sure he had checked everything with the engine the way Mark would have done it.

  Mark went through the qualifying runs and was set to run in the middle of the pack. That was better than he expected, but Michael wasn’t happy.

  “You’ve got to accelerate into the turns,” Michael said. “Don’t slow down. You’ll never have a chance if you slow down going into the turns!”

  Mark just smiled. “You need to relax,” he said.

  When the race started, Michael could barely stand still. The sound of the engines, the smell of the fumes, and the sight of Buzz leading the pack was too much. It was driving him crazy.

  Mark got off to a good start. He passed a few cars in the first couple of laps. By the fifth lap, he was in third place.

  But as the race moved on, Mark struggled to keep from getting passed. By the fifteenth lap, he was in last place.

  Without Michael to challenge him, Buzz was pulling away for an easy victory.

  On the final lap, he caught up to Mark. He pulled up alongside Mark, they made eye contact, and Buzz flashed a big grin.

  Then Buzz passed Mark.

  Michael felt his heart sink. It was almost more than he could take.

  After the race, Team Haynes was a pretty unhappy crew.

  “We’ll use this as a learning experience,” Dad said. “Don’t worry, we’ll get better as the year goes on.”

  He was right. Mark’s performance improved in each race of the season, and Michael was doing a better job in the pits, too.

  Still, Mark wasn’t coming close to winning, and Buzz was winning whenever he raced.

  During one race, Michael made a bad mistake on the engine that caused the car to fail in the middle of the race. It was a mistake Mark never would have made.

  Buzz was on his way to another championship. After he won the second-to-last race of the year, Buzz had the championship pretty well wrapped up.

  But the biggest race of the year still remained: the Mount Rose Grand Championship. It was the race that Michael had been injured in last year.

  “If Buzz wins that race, too, it’s going to be a long winter,” Mark said one night. “But I don’t think I can beat him.”

  Suddenly, Michael had an idea. “No, you probably can’t beat him. But Mark Haynes can,” Michael said, a grin coming across his face.

  “What the heck are you talking about?” Mark said. “I am Mark Haynes.”

  “Are you?” Michael said. He smiled.

  ( Chapter 9 )

  Switcheroo

  Mark stared at his brother. “I think that a year without racing has made you nuts, Michael! Are you losing your mind?” asked Mark.

  “No, I’m not,” said Michael. “Do you remember that April Fool’s Day when we switched places in school?”

  “Yeah,” Mark said. “You went to my English class, and I went to your math class.”

  “Right,” Michael said. “And no one noticed. Remember?”

  “Yes,” Mark said.

  “So,” said Michael, “let’s do it again!”

  A smile rolled across Mark’s face. Then he frowned. “Wait a minute,” he said. “If your leg feels good enough, why don’t you just enter the race?”

  “Dad would never let me,” Michael said. “Trading places is the only way.”

  Mark agreed. “I’m in,” he said.

  * * *

  Every day for the rest of the week, Mr. Haynes dropped off the boys and their car at the race track on his way to work. Michael and Mark didn’t ever mention their plan.

  At the track, Michael put on Mark’s racing suit and ran his practice laps. He felt some pain in his leg, but the joy of being back on the track was more than enough to overcome it.

  By the time the day of the championship came around, Michael was feeling comfortable in the driver’s seat again. He barely even felt his leg. And Mark had made some changes to the engine, so the car was running better than ever.

  On the morning of the race, Mr. Haynes checked the car over, and gave it a thumbs-up. The boys were dressed in their racing suits.

  As they walked off toward the car, Michael yelled back to his dad.

  “Hey, Dad,” Michael said. “I’m going to watch this one from the stands, okay?”

  “Sure,” Mr. Haynes said.

  Michael and Mark scurried off to the bathroom and changed racing suits. Most people, even those who knew them well, could only tell them apart by reading the names on their jumpsuits.

  When they emerged from the bathroom, the first couple of people they ran into didn’t notice they had switched. The plan was working!

  The boys hurried to the car, and Michael jumped in. But as he was buckling himself in, he noticed a problem. Mr. Haynes was coming to the car!

  ( Chapter 10 )

  Caught!

  Michael lowered the visor on his helmet. He hoped his dad wouldn’t notice. Mark quickly started to walk away, hoping his dad wouldn’t call to him. But it was too late.

  “What’s going on here?” Dad said as he approached the car.

  “What do you mean?” Michael said from inside his helmet.

  “Come on, boys,” Dad said.

  He laughed. “I’m not stupid. I can tell you apart from a mile away. I am your father, after all.”

  Michael and Mark were stunned. They couldn’t believe they had been discovered. Now they were ready for a punishment, and they were both afraid it might mean neither of them would be allowed to race in the championship.

  There was silence. All around them, racers were getting into their cars, buckling in, revving engines. But Team Haynes just stood in silence.

  Finally, a grin came across Dad’s face. “So, Michael,” he said. “Your leg’s feeling better?”

  “Yes,” Michael said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough to race.”

  Mark opened his mouth, ready to beg. “Dad,” he said, “please.”

  “Listen, boys,” Mr. Haynes said. “Michael can race today. But if he’s going to do it, we’re going to do it right. Michael, get out of the car and go register for this race as yourself.”

  Michael didn’t hesitate. In a flash, he was out of the car and running to the registration tent.

  ( Chapter 11 )

  The Finish Line

  Michael filled out the registration form, told the judge to scratch Mark Haynes from the race, and sprinted back to his car.

  On the way, he passed Buzz Shaw.

  “Ready to sniff my fumes again, Mark?” Buzz said.

  “Actually, no,” Michael said. “And I’m not Mark. It’s me, Michael. I’m back.”

  Buzz’s jaw dropped.

  His face turned white. He struggled to get out another sharp comment, but Michael was already gone.

  When the race began, Michael started from the middle of the pack. Rather than charge right to the front and challenge Buzz, Michael held back.

  He passed a few cars and moved up to fourth place by the midway point of the race. Most importantly, his leg was feeling pretty good. Even if it did hurt, he was sure he wouldn’t have noticed. He was racing, and that’s all that mattered.

  Mark cheered himself hoarse from the pits. Dad just stood there and beamed.

  On the thirtieth lap, Michael made his charge. On a straightaway, he moved past two cars and into second place.

  There, he hugged Buzz’s back bumper and waited for his chance.

  Everything inside him wanted to do exactly what Buzz had done to him. He wanted to get inside position and force Buzz off the track. But Michael knew he didn’t want to win a race that way. He wanted to win fair and square.

  The best way to do that, he decided, was to catch Buzz by surprise. So Michael decided not to wait for the last couple of laps to make a charge. With eight laps still to go, Michael made his move.

  Coming around a curve, Michael did something odd. Instead of taking the shorter route and trying to cut inside Buzz on the straightaway, Michael headed for the outside.

  Before Buzz realized what Michael was doing, they were running neck and neck. But Buzz still felt confident. He would do his usual trick and force Michael toward the wall.

  Michael knew what was coming. He held his line and waited for Buzz to make his move. When he did, Michael hit the brakes for a split second. Buzz’s car slipped to the outside lane as Michael dropped back. Then Michael hit the gas as hard as he could, driving toward the inside lane.

  Confused, Buzz let off the gas for a second. By the time he hit it again, Michael was past him on the inside, heading for the lead.

  Michael’s move had worked. With six laps to go, he was in the lead! All he had to do now was hold Buzz off.

  Michael made a fast decision. He was going to drive the car as hard as he could until the race was over. He was going to simply trust that all the work Mark had done on the car would make it hold up for six more laps.

  Buzz tried several times to catch Michael, but he never could. Thanks to the great work of Team Haynes, Michael’s car stayed true. And Michael’s driving was flawless. As he rounded the final turn and headed for the finish line, Michael suddenly felt his leg throbbing.

  But it didn’t matter. Buzz was behind him, in second place, and Team Haynes had won the Grand Championship!

  Michael took one extra spin around the track, pumping his fist in the air.

  When he reached the winner’s circle, his dad and Mark were already there. Michael jumped out of the car and walked confidently over to Mark. The twins gave each other a high five, and Mr. Haynes patted his boys on their backs.

  When they turned to face the cheering crowd, they saw Buzz Shaw. He was walking out of the pits, shaking his head in disbelief.

  About the Author

  Bob Temple lives in Rosemount, Minnesota, with his wife and three children. He has written more than thirty books for children. Over the years, he has coached more than twenty kids’ soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. He also loves visiting classrooms to talk about his writing.

  About the Illustrator

  When Sean Tiffany was growing up, he lived on a small island off the coast of Maine. Every day, from sixth grade until he graduated from high school, he had to take a boat to get to school. When Sean isn’t working on his art, he works on a multimedia project called “OilCan Drive,” which combines music and art. He has a pet cactus named Jim.

  Glossary

  harness (HAR-niss)—a series of straps that are designed to keep someone safe

  overreact (oh-vur-ree-AKT)—to respond to something in an extreme way

  plight (PLITE)—a situation in which there is great hardship

  qualify (KWAHL-uh-fye)—to reach a level that allows you to do something

  quarter midget (KWOR-tur MIJ-it)—a small race car, roughly one-fourth the size of a Midget racer, designed for children to use in racing

  register (REJ-uh-stur)—to sign up for something

  reputation (rep-yoo-TAY-shun)—your character, as viewed by other people

  steamroll (STEEM-rohl)—to force your way over or past something or someone

  straightaway (STRAYT-uh-way)—a stretch of a race track that is not curved

  stretcher (STRECH-ur)—a flat bed used to carry an injured person

  QUARTER-MIDGET RACING

  Quarter-Midget racing is auto racing designed for kids. The small race cars are roughly onequarter the size of a Midget racer, which is where the sport got its name.

  There are Quarter-Midget racing associations all over the United States. Kids can start racing as young as age 5, and can race in Quarter Midgets until the age of 16. Many families work together as part of the racing “team,” with parents working on the cars or timing races for their young racers.

  Quarter-Midget cars can go 20-40 miles per hour, and they race on tracks that are usually 1/20th of a mile in length. The oval tracks can be made of dirt or pavement.

  Young drivers usually start with training classes. Then they begin racing in Novice-level races. After moving up to Junior and Senior levels, many racers move up to the larger Midget cars.

  Many of NASCAR’s top drivers started out racing Quarter-Midget cars, including Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, Jimmy Vasser and Ryan Newman.

  Discussion Questions

  1. When Michael and his family realized that Buzz was racing dangerously, what could they have done to keep that from happening?

  2. Why do you suppose Michael didn’t protest Buzz’s racing style to the racing judges?

  3. Michael and Mark decided to switch places, trying to fool everyone, including their dad. What other things could they have tried to get Michael into the race?

  4. Mr. Haynes let Mark do most of the work on the race car, and he just kept an eye on things. Why do you think he didn’t fix the car himself?

  Writing Prompts

  1. Has there ever been a time in your life when you faced off against someone like Buzz? What happened? Write about it.

  2. In this story, Michael tricked Buzz into trying to run him into the wall, then sneaked around the other side of Buzz to beat him. Can you write another ending for this story? How else could Michael have beaten Buzz?

  3. Have you ever suffered an injury while participating in a sport? Write a story about it.

  Internet Sites

  Do you want to know more about subjects related to this book? Or are you interested in learning about other topics? Then check out FactHound, a fun, easy way to find Internet sites.

  Our investigative staff has already sniffed out great sites for you!

  Here’s how to use FactHound:

  1. Visit www.facthound.com

  2. Select your grade level.

  3. To learn more about subjects related to this book, type in the book’s ISBN number: 9781598893212.

  4. Click the Fetch It button.

  FactHound will fetch the best Internet sites for you!

  Impact Books are published by Stone Arch Books,

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

 

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