"Such speed," he muttered, a small, confident smile breaking through his shyness. "Many win."
Beside him, the passenger seat was empty, but the dashboard was covered in stickers: bright rainbows, glittery paw prints, and a small, handwritten note that read Much Brave. Very Proud.
As he reached the hairpins of the "Lavender Loop," a faster car tried to edge him out. Doge felt that familiar urge to shrink away, to let the more aggressive driver pass. But then he glanced at the dashboard note.
"Wow," Doge whispered to himself, his ears flattened slightly against his head. "So nerves." The flag dropped.
A group of fellow racers approached him, their cars just as loud and colorful as his. They weren't looking at him like a shy mechanic anymore. They looked at him like a champion.
Drainage Somerset