Imagining the Race

This passage is about a boy who wants to be a race car driver.

Lexile Level: 1190L

Categories: Sports & Health Adventure

The first time Todd got behind the wheel of a car, he knew he wanted to become a professional driver. As he gripped the shifter with his right hand and wrapped the fingers of his left hand around the steering wheel, he imagined himself speeding around the track at Daytona. He closed his eyes, pressed himself deep into the padded driver's seat, and pretended that he was racing past the grandstands, working his way through the field of competitors to the checkered flag and a first-place win. The continually changing blur of color, the sound of the engines roaring, and the smell of hot rubber overwhelmed Todd's senses as he imagined his future. He imagined all the moves he'd make: downshift, accelerate, upshift, accelerate, brake, steer, drift, draft, pass. Todd's reflexes were sharp as he fell in behind the leader. There were only three more laps to go and only three more years until Todd would finally get his driver's license.