Prologue
Las Vegas, Nevada
Adam Herrera was on the hot seat. The corporate brass and dignitaries from all over the country were present along with many international business executives. He had insisted the team owner himself be there for the engagement, but racing legend Anthony "Andy" Moretti was still in Saudi Arabia as the team prepared for their second Formula One race, thus he had sent his youngest son to spend the weekend in Las Vegas and do the team proud. It was an altogether innocuous move as Herrera was a fan of both racing Moretti brothers, and Alex was a natural at entertaining in front of a crowd. Team General Manager, Bob Ward, and the hospitality team would handle the setup of the Unibank-sponsored display cars, and be there along with Alex to socialize at the team-sponsored cocktail party before the banquet dinner, featuring Alex Moretti as the keynote speaker.
The youngest of the Moretti Motorsport drivers was originally expected to show up with Evelyn Stevens, his teammate and erstwhile girlfriend, a combination that was sure to please the attending crowd as Stevens had become the world's motorsport sweetheart, but as the two had fallen out romantically, Alex insisted that he represent the team himself.
Since his appointment to Vice President of Marketing, Herrera had been the driving force behind getting the corporation into motor racing and for the most part it had gone very well. Initially, Unibank was a secondary sponsor at many NASCAR events, the main sponsor of two Indycar racing events, their corporate signage appeared in four Formula One races, and was well represented at Sebring and Lemans. In the second year, Unibank co-sponsored the Grand Prix of Long Beach with Honda and expanded their footprint by becoming secondary co-sponsors in sports car racing, both with the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the North American International Motorsports Association (IMSA).
Unibank's third year of motor racing involvement saw a major expansion by becoming the main corporate sponsor for Moretti Motorsport, a firm whose players were rich in motor racing history and competed in most of the world's racing series which now included Formula One, the pinnacle the team had been aspiring to as a last step toward superteam status. Moretti's teams had finished well last season in the series championships of Indycar, NASCAR, and IMSA, despite having a lackluster showing at the single biggest prize, the Indianapolis 500, where none of the three entries finished in the top five, two with handling and tire issues, while the third car was involved in a multi-car crash.
Being preoccupied himself, Andy was cautiously optimistic about having Alex handle the Unibank function, as the boy had recently pushed back on most of the offseason appearances, particularly on weekends. He had become somewhat relieved when his youngest son seemed all the more enthusiastic about flying out to Vegas for this one, the single most important non-racing event on the calendar. Andy had blown off concerns from Ward regarding Alex's reliability, assuring the team's GM that his youngest boy had shown such zeal for the Vegas assignment. Now the team's general manager was about to blow a gasket and began calling and texting the boss every minute.
"I can't get hold of him, Andy! This is an absolute disaster. I've got both Adam and Wally asking me what our Plan "B" is. I knew we should have had Evelyn here, too. This sucks!" Ward exclaimed.
"Evelyn is pretty to look at, but she's not that great at speaking in front of a crowd. You know that, Bob," Andy responded, knowing the pressure and embarrassment his right-hand man must now be under.
"Right now, pretty to look at would look pretty good, Andy. You need to call Herrera. At least make him think you care!… Alex is not taking my calls or returning texts. Maybe he'll take yours… Here they come again, Andy…. Call me back."
This latest stunt would be a catastrophe for the team as Unibank was the most lucrative sponsor Moretti Motorsport had ever landed, potentially dwarfing anything that past tobacco companies had even spent. He and his promotional staff had spent an unworldly amount of time, energy, and expense to land the account, including their settling on a complicated performance-based contract.
The sponsorship, along with their strong new engine supplier, had helped push the team over the challenges of getting into Formula One, and Andy had gone to their F1 facility in England immediately following the season opener in Bahrain to settle an internal dust-up between their two team crews after a pit strategy mishap had cost the team some valuable championship points. Their lead driver was Anthony Moretti, Jr., "Tony", the oldest of Andy's two third-generation drivers and a young man who had done quite well in Indycar, winning two series championships and nearly winning the big one twice.
Andy had rung and sent texts to Alex's cell phone continuously for nearly an hour, getting nothing but voicemails, as he had wanted to have one last word with his youngest son before the evening's event. Suddenly, a splash screen on Andy's new Apple iPhone popped up that got his undivided attention.
"This is a Fox News break from the world of motorsports. Earlier this evening in Las Vegas, Nevada, motor racing driver, Alex Moretti, was involved in a serious car accident on Tropicana Boulevard near the MGM Casino Hotel. Moretti has been taken to a local emergency room and reported to be in serious but stable condition. We also have to report that a teenage girl was a passenger in the vehicle with Moretti and was also hospitalized with serious injuries. Thus far we have received no report on the identity of the young woman, and Las Vegas Police have had little to report regarding any pending charges against the famous driver.
Alex Moretti drives for Moretti Motorsport whose principal is his legendary father, Andy Moretti. The team fields racing teams in series all over the world, having as their chief sponsor Unibank Corporation. Stand by as Fox News has more updates on this breaking story."
A No show for Unibank's dinner as keynote speaker and now this! Damnit, Alex! Andy thought furiously as he saw the name pop up as a call coming in, a call he dreaded to take.
"Andy Moretti," he answered, gritting his teeth in preparation for what was coming.
"You know why I'm calling."
Andy could tell by his tone that Herrera was fuming. The longtime booster for all things team Moretti was blitzed for Alex not showing up at the Bellagio for the Unibank banquet dinner, a big deal that Adam himself would be under tremendous fire over.
"What can I tell you, Adam? Alex has been in an auto accident as he was heading over. I hate it, but accidents happen."
"What in hell was he doing with Amanda in the car!?" Herrera yelled.
"Amanda? Amanda who? I don't know what you're talking about, Adam," Andy replied testily, knowing he should be getting off and calling the hospital to check on his son.
"Amanda who!? Amanda Cook, Andy, that's who! You recall, Byron Cook's youngest daughter!"
***
Chapter 1: Recalling a Legacy
The room was dark and devoid of sound with exception of the beeping of the monitor and the small semblance of light as the device screen was emitting the displayed waveform. He didn't feel really bad, incognizant of the amount of pain medication being administered through the IV taped to his arm.
Alex knew something catastrophic must have occurred, but his memory of the accident was fuzzy. He pressed the help button at his side, mostly out of curiosity, the door to his room opened, and in walked the shift nurse. The light woke up the elderly woman sleeping on the chair in the corner, who herself arose and immediately approached his bedside.
"Where am I?" Alex asked, looking around and recognizing her. "Grandmother?"
"You're in a Las Vegas hospital, Alex. You've been in an accident," Matilde Moretti responded as she held her grandson's hand, wearing a smiling face with misty eyes while the attending nurse quickly took the patient's temperature.
"I don't remember… I don't remember anything," he stated.
"Can I get you anything, Alex?" the nurse asked before sharing a look with Mrs. Moretti and nodding, knowing they would need a private moment when she exited the room.
"No,… No, I'm fine. I just pressed this to see what would happen. Thank you."
"Well, I'm Brittany. Just press that again when you need anything," the young shift nurse stated and nodded at the elder Mrs. Moretti prior to departing.
"Honey, it was a severe crash. You're very fortunate," the Moretti family matriarch stated, having difficulty sharing the rest of the news.
"What happened? What about Amanda?… Please tell me, Grandma."
As she gathered her thoughts, the room telephone rang and the elder Matilde scurried around the far side of the bed to pick it up while Alex listened intently.
"…. Yes, he is doing fine…. We haven't heard, but she's still alive and in intensive care… I don't know, Andy. I just got here three hours ago, and he just woke up…. We don't know anything, yet. Hang on."
"It's your father. Are you up to talking to him?" Matilda asked as she motioned to hand him the phone.
"Sure, Grandma."
"Be prepared, honey. You know him. He's pretty angry."
"Angry? Angry about what?" Alex asked.
"Just talk to him real quick," she replied.
"Hello," the patient stated, his mind still fuzzy about what had transpired.
"Alex, can you tell me what happened?" Andy Moretti asked rather sternly. "The press are at the door in Huntersville like a pack of wolves!"
"Dad, I don't know anything." What happened to how are you feeling? Alex thought. "I don't even know how I got here."
"The staff told me you're in stable condition. Have the police shown up there, yet?"
Matilde gathered her only son was yelling at her bed-ridden grandson and grabbed the phone out of Alex's hand before the conversation got worse. "Andy! He just woke up! He doesn't remember anything! When can you get here?"
Alex now confirmed in his mind that something serious had happened. His father was very angry with him as he began recalling the Unibank banquet and the fallout it would cause. He could tell the conversation between his father and his grandmother was heated, as witnessed by Matilde looking away toward the window as she talked.
"I know he's in trouble, Andy! How about you forget about your damned cars for once. He needs you!… And what about Sabetha? Have you heard from her?"
"No, she's probably running around the Swiss Alps somewhere with another new boyfriend," Andy replied.
"Well, are you going to contact her? She is Alex's mother, Andy!"
"I won't have to contact her, Mom. It's all over the world news wire now."
***
Andy was still in a state of shock at this tragic news. Byron Cook's teenage daughter! My lord, son! How could you possibly be that careless?
He would be on a plane in a short few hours heading west toward Charlotte, having plenty of time for self-study on the long trans-Atlantic flight, time to reflect on where he had come, a family history of Moretti Motorsport's climb to achieve its place among the world's great legendary racing teams. Andy had always wished his father would be alive to witness it, much of it courtesy of Unibank, and all about to blow up right in front of his eyes.
Stopping in briefly at the team facility in Huntersville, Andy prepared for the unexpected visit to Vegas and arranged an impromptu meeting with his longtime lawyer prior to departing. Ed Rothman had been Moretti Motorsport's chief attorney since day one.
"It appears the charges, if there are any, will be minor, Andy. He tested well below the legal limit, thank God. Expect Unibank's attorneys to be preparing a civil suit, though," Rothman stated. "Their CEO will be on the warpath over this," he added, declining personal comment that he himself could hardly blame the man.
"Who will be handling that for us, Ed?" Andy asked, knowing Rothman's area of expertise was contract law, not civil litigation.
"We'll partner with Fuller, Smith, and Davidson out of Raleigh, as the suit will undoubtedly be filed in North Carolina."
No sooner than he and his attorney had concluded their meeting, the desk phone buzzed. Andy knew his executive secretary, Silvia Francisco, would not interrupt her boss at such a stressful time unless it was someone very important. "Andy, Mr. Penske on line two."
He immediately picked up. "Good morning, Roger."
"Good morning, Andy. Any update on how he's doing?"
"He's awake and talking with no apparent serious injuries," Andy replied.
"And the Cook girl?"
"No news on her yet, Roger."
"I know you have a full plate, Andy, but other than what's being reported, can you tell me anything?" Roger Penske, the CEO and family patriarch of the legendary Penske Corporation, knew Moretti well as the two had competed in all levels of motor racing for many years. As Penske's corporation now owned the Indycar series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he would have a keen interest in all matters involving the series' racing teams.
The Unibank sponsorship had a huge impact on Indycar and worldwide motorsports as a whole, as such endeavors strongly enticed interest from other corporate sponsors, both domestically and internationally. Indycar was just beginning to recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a major setback after years of stagnation over the series' sanctioning body feud of the previous twenty-plus years.
"You know about as much as I do, Roger," Andy replied, holding back on admitting their Unibank sponsorship would be in severe jeopardy, but then thinking Penske would know that.
"Andy, you know we're all here for you and know the press is hounding us for information, too. I trust you'll keep me informed."
"I will, Roger. Thanks for calling."
Andy disconnected the call and shook his head as Frank Gower, Alex's crew chief had stuck his head in the headman's office to inquire about him. "That was Roger. He's worried,… worried about what effect this whole blow-up will have on the series."
"They don't call him The Captain for nothing, Andy. Who should handle the press here while you're away?"
"I'll think about that. Just have everyone respond with no additional information at this time until further notice."
Andy prepared to head for the regional airport in Concord, where he would take their private jet for the nearly five-hour flight to Las Vegas. As the plane became airborne and the skyline of Charlotte surrendered to the scenic Smoky Mountains, the veteran racer and team owner began to reflect on his long life in motor racing, passing a silent prayer that his son and Byron Cook's daughter would be okay and this tragic incident wouldn't put an end to everything he had worked his whole life for.
***
Steve McQueen had a famous quote in the movie, Lemans, "Racing is life. Everything that happens before or after is just waiting."
That was absolutely true for Anthony "Andy" Moretti, a man whose entire life from the time he was born was centered around the sport of motor racing.
Raised on the Italian Riviera near Genoa, his father drove sports cars for legendary car manufacturers Porsche, Jaguar, and Alpha Romeo. Following a stellar career winning the 24 Hours of Lemans three times, numerous other sports car races worldwide, and four FIA sportscar championships, the senior Moretti was tragically killed while racing in Nurburg, Germany. Along with many others, the death of Moretti symbolized such events, a sport where nearly half of its participants would not retire alive.
Young Andy would carry the torch of his father's legacy despite vehement opposition from his widowed mother. His father had always felt he would never encourage his only son to drive racing cars, as the senior Moretti had seen the worst of the sport play out multiple times before succumbing to the hazard himself. But he had always seen that competitive spirit in the boy,… that drive to win,… to be the best. The family patriarch knew young Andy would never be content with selling cars, or building houses, or sitting in a swanky office. No, racing was in his blood. Racing is what he would do. In young Anthony's mind, the Moretti name would be synonymous with the sport, spoken in the same breath as Enzo Ferrari or Juan Manuel Fangio.
Coming up through the ranks in the ladder series of the 1990s, Andy got his first Formula One drive in Monza driving for March. An entire season followed that produced mediocre results, but young Moretti caught the eye of some top teams as the entire series paddock saw the March as a very uncompetitive chassis and Andy's few mid-pack and even one third-place finish got him noticed.
The following two years had Moretti driving for Frank Williams and nearly resulted in a world championship. As a free agent, the accomplished and budding young racing star could not come to terms with the team, while believing an open seat awaited him at McLaren, another top-tier team that had yet to secure the services of its two drivers. This was not to be, however, but due to the tragic and untimely death of Marco Santori in a testing crash, Moretti managed to get a ride with Ferrari, the team that every ethnic Italian dreamed of driving for.
Those were lean years for the Prancing Horse, however, and Andy Moretti was becoming frustrated. He had tasted victory and a legitimate shot at being world champion at Williams, but now languished in an uncompetitive car that struggled to score any podium finishes, much less wins. After two years of mediocre results, Andy's stock had taken a dive along with his ego, as Ferrari hinted at his being relegated to number two on the team for the next season.
During the winter, Moretti participated in the Daytona 24-Hour sports car event, sharing a ride and winning in the GTO class with two other drivers, including American NASCAR star Mark Martin. Although happy to be involved in winning after so many races, the experience of running in a slower class and getting constantly overtaken by the faster GTP class cars seemed to diminish the win, at least from a mental standpoint. It was the prototypes that grabbed the headlines and dominated the podium as these machines rivaled the speeds of the Formula One cars he was accustomed to, not to mention their somewhat similarity to the legendary Porsche 956s and 962s young Andy had watched his father drive while growing up.
The somewhat laid-back atmosphere in the Daytona paddock became quite appealing to Moretti and led to a decision on his part to sign a one-year deal with Maris-Bentley, a relatively small but well-financed team based out of Indianapolis that fielded cars in Indycar and IMSA, the North American version of the FIA's World Sports Car Championship. This period led to the most successful period of Andy's career with first-year wins at the Meadowlands street circuit and on the oval at Phoenix. Moretti added a co-driver victory in the famous sports car race in Sebring, Florida, and impressed everyone by winning and finishing a close second as a guest driver at the two NASCAR road course events at Watkins Glen and Sears Point.
What followed was a long and fruitful career with Chip Ganassi, one of Indycar's top teams, where Andy won thirty-eight races, including his biggest career trophy at the Indianapolis 500, not to mention being series champion three times.
Retirement is often difficult for any star athlete and Moretti found himself as a fish out of water in the broadcast booth, always having been a bit on the shy side in his life. His off-the-cuff political incorrectness kept getting him in trouble with the sanctioning bodies, not to mention his own network, and he quickly learned he needed a change.
Andy did, however, have a keen eye for talent in the sport and eventually arranged financial backing to purchase his own team from Ben Longmire, an automotive parts magnate who had spent his semi-retirement years running a successful Indycar team. As a young driver, Andy had always seen the sport of motor racing as two-dimensional. It was all about finishing and winning in the car. As a team owner, he quickly learned the real competition in his sport, the competition for sponsors. The costs of fielding a team of racing cars were immense, especially if the team endeavored to win. There were always one or two teams, like drivers, who were simply glad to be there, almost as a hobby. But that was not Andy Moretti. Moretti Motorsport was in business to win, win races, and win championships. To accomplish winning, a team had to have money which meant getting good sponsors, and in most cases many.
The business side of the sport had changed immensely since Colin Chapman had broken ground in Formula One with his famous Team Gold Leaf Lotus cars. Drivers like Jimmy Clark and Graham Hill never had to spend a whole Saturday at a corporate store opening or hang out all day at a show booth. He could just imagine a VP of Marketing asking A.J. Foyt to fly to Nassau for an hour-long guest keynote speaker engagement. David Pearson or Donnie Allison showing up in three-piece suits to shake hands at a corporate sales meeting? Who were they kidding?
That was the way business was conducted now. Competition for sponsorship money was fierce. The drivers themselves had to court their own sponsors and often bring them to a team if they were going to get a ride at all in many cases. The owners and drivers of race teams had to stay as focused on pleasing their sponsors as winning on the track and these sponsors had to constantly be sold, sold not only on staying loyal to that team but often sold on staying involved in the sport period. The business of motor racing was particularly susceptible to national and world economic conditions. When a corporate bottom line went through hard times, the advertising budget for expenses like motor racing sponsorships was among the first to be cut.
This was a part of the business that Andy Moretti despised. He himself had always struggled with it as he didn't care for salespeople generally and had to work very hard at conducting himself in that arena. Too often, he had to admit, his drivers' fortunes would rise and fall nearly as much with their corporate relations abilities as would their driving skills. When his two sons chose to become race drivers, career paths that were never much in doubt, Andy went overboard in stressing this importance to them.
Tony was the oldest and most established of the two boys and had won twenty-three Indycar series races in his seven years, including the marquee event at Long Beach and two Indycar Championships. He was indeed considered a man to beat. Six years younger, Alessandro, or "Alex" as he preferred, was competing in his second season and starting his own legacy. Alex was fast in the car, very fast, but drove hell-bent on winning every race and overdriving at times, still resulting in too many DNFs.
Neither driver had won the big one at Indianapolis, although Tony had finished runner-up in a photo finish the year before, losing by an eyelash to the venerable Scott Dixon, Team Ganassi's ace driver, in an emotional finish for all involved as Dixon had been Andy's rookie teammate with Chip during his last year of active driving. No one in the sport knew at the time the New Zealander would become Indycar's twenty-first century ironman, a racing legend in his own right, and still winning against the next generation twenty-plus years later.
Tony gained substantial success with his disciplined car control and won many races and indeed his two championships by often saving the race car's tires and smart fuel management, a style that had ironically become known as Dixonian.
Alex seemed to care less about car management and had a simple attitude toward winning, drive the car as fast as it would go and hope it lasts. Win enough races and the championships would come, he kept telling himself. Very sensational at times, Alex was often compared to the late Gilles Villeneuve, and would always be among the drivers to beat, if and when he finished.
On a personal level, although similar in appearance the two sons couldn't have been more different. Tony tended to be on the shy side himself, taking after his father. Always excelling in school, Andy's oldest son was a very disciplined kid and became skilled as a driver through sheer will and determination. Alex had a very extroverted personality, the type of person who had never met a stranger. As a young man, he had never been a good student scholastically and always had an air of mischief about him. The boy did have his very good looks going for him and was always quite popular with members of the opposite sex.
Both Moretti boys were good with corporate sponsors and each approached public relations in a manner to match their perspective personalities. While Tony lacked the same flamboyance in front of a crowd as his younger brother, he was reliable and neither the team nor its sponsors ever had cause to worry about him showing up for an important event. Alex was credited with some of the most memorable quotes as a keynote speaker, but his father was constantly fielding complaints about him showing up late for events, and in one case not showing up at all.
***
This latest sponsorship opportunity, one that was huge in its scope and volume, had actually been generated by a chance encounter on Lake Norman, the huge body of water near Charlotte that was extremely popular with the regional motorsports community. Many of the sport's personalities had lakefront properties and boats of every size and shape there, as well as many other individuals directly or indirectly connected to the industry.
Walter "Wally" Remington was an Executive Vice President at Unibank Corporation, enjoying life at his lodge-type home on the shores of Lake Norman, and spent a goodly number of summer days on his fifty-foot Azimut Flybridge yacht. Constantly entertaining a well-known roster of guests, a local Mount Mourne regional bank manager had brought along his new neighbor, Myles Delcanton, the NASCAR team manager for Moretti Motorsport.
During the afternoon excursion, Delcanton had become acquainted and hit it off with Adam Herrera, Remington's right-hand man and newly promoted Vice President of Marketing for Unibank, having recently relocated from Los Angeles to Charlotte. Herrera revealed that he was a huge fan of motor racing himself, particularly Formula One and Indycar, having been to the Long Beach Grand Prix several times while living in Southern California. This connection led to an introduction to Andy Moretti and a subsequent invite to the Moretti Motorsport hospitality tent at the upcoming Indycar weekend in Nashville.
Herrera quickly became friendly with Andy Moretti and his boys, leading to Unibank's increased involvement in motor racing and discussions of a major sponsorship relationship. As Unibank was in the heart of NASCAR country, indeed a few key NASCAR teams were Unibank clients, Andy's recent investment in a NASCAR team had opened some doors in that community, a discipline that had become America's most popular racing series.
While in Nashville, Herrera spent time making the rounds doing what he did best, networking with people. He met briefly with the Penske Entertainment staff regarding the leasing of a Tower Terrace hospitality suite at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and visited briefly with The Captain, Roger Penske himself.
While enjoying the breakfast buffet with Andy at the Moretti hospitality tent on Saturday morning, Adam met attorney Louis Newberry, who was the newly contracted agent for Evelyn Stevens, the good-looking young Brit who was rapidly becoming the sport's poster girl. The three discussed an overall deal with Unibank becoming the team sponsor and including a tie-in with Evelyn as a driver, whom Moretti would sign at season end as part of a multi-year deal.
Stevens had started out young like most drivers, competing and often winning several karting championships in southern England prior to moving up gradually to the Formula Two Series. Her lifelong dream had been to compete in Formula One, a feat that no female had been able to broach with any level of success since Lella Lombardi, who had a sixth-place finish in a Grand Prix nearly fifty years prior.
The European ladder system to Formula One is a fast imitation of musical chairs, much more so than other motorsport series around the globe. While Evelyn Stevens was competitive in F2, she had indeed finished on the podium three times, her photogenic good looks are what garnered much attention, to the point that other drivers who had scored more success on the track held a level of resentment toward her, fearing she would have an unfair advantage with corporate sponsors over themselves, regardless of their own on-track prowess.
While a couple of Formula One teams did show some interest, they feared a repeat of what had happened in the States with Danica Patrick, the very attractive female driver who had brought in a large measure of notoriety and sponsorship dollars to Indycar and NASCAR. The feeling in the paddock had carried a level of discord toward her as other drivers and team personnel grew tired of the media circus, due in large part to some bruised egos of a few drivers who blamed Danica for their own lack of media attention, a somewhat unfair sentiment as she was very good on the racetrack when given a competitive car.
The general consensus among Formula One teams was their sport didn't need the added attention, as their discipline was recording a near unlimited success as things were. Thus the few opportunities in F1 had become closed to Stevens, and like many talented young European drivers, she sought opportunity in the States. Seeking to increase the market share of its Guinness Draught brand in North America, the British corporation Diageo saw this avenue in Evelyn Stevens, and having these newfound sponsorship dollars she became the second driver for the IndyWest team, a relative newcomer to the sport and struggling to get a foothold following three seasons fielding an Indy Lights team, which was Indycar's ladder series.
Evelyn quickly put her face on the front page by finishing tenth in her first event in Saint Petersburg, Florida, and a very close second to reigning series champion Will Power on the high-speed oval in Fort Worth, Texas. Suddenly she was the darling of the sporting world press, culminating with a feature article and bikini photo on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She naturally caught the attention of much of the male persuasion, including competitor Alex Moretti.
Alex and his father engaged in many conversations regarding the budding romance, fueled by the senior Moretti's concern for how it may affect his son's performance on the track, notwithstanding the fact that Moretti was one of the top-tier teams looking to recruit Stevens, whose star power among sponsors could not be ignored. "You do know she is your competitor on the track, Alex," young Moretti had heard more than once.
Andy planned to replace the third team driver, Juan Pedro Cortez, and was courting the services of Evelyn Stevens, as were other teams. A three-way dinner meeting with himself, Adam Herrera, and Louis Newberry was planned for a subsequent Friday evening in Charlotte. On the table was a lucrative contract involving Unibank coming on as the team's primary sponsor and putting Stevens in the third Moretti car, as well as the team featuring her in a car at three major sports car races, Daytona, Sebring, and Lemans.
They had become the hottest couple in the sport, Alex Moretti and Evelyn Stevens, and the press couldn't get enough of them. Like many celebrity romances, a new paparazzi emerged giving the couple, their teams, and the series as a whole a new influx of publicity, which had its ups and downs. The extra journalists and their camera crews were starting to become a flagrant annoyance for an already crowded paddock.
The couple enjoyed a relatively private late-night dinner at the popular Nashville restaurant, quiet in a context that even though the area did have a very successful annual Indycar event, it was in relative NASCAR country, and as such most of the Indycar drivers came and went about socially with little fanfare. That suited Alex to a tee, as he badly needed a break from the constant barrage of those seeking autographs and selfies. Even though it was inherent to Alex's personality to appreciate and accommodate the fans, it had gotten to be a bit much, particularly since his newly acquired girlfriend was so popular.
"Quite a happening town here, huh?" Alex stated.
"Yes, and these country honky tonks; so very American," the Brit said, smiling. "I'll have to get me some of those cowgirl boots."
"We do have much, what is the right word? Diversity here in the States… Tough track today," Alex lamented, as he obviously had more on his mind right then than the local Nashville partying scene. Both he and Tony had struggled to get into the top tier during qualifying. The street circuit was just north of downtown and on the grounds of Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans NFL team.
"I'm rather surprised at the crowds, Alex. I always heard that Americans in the South were into NASCAR," Evelyn observed.
"Oh, they are. They definitely are. But this is Josef Newgarden's hometown. He'll be hard to beat, and so will O'Ward… We'll catch 'em tomorrow, though."
One of the things that always seemed to attract Stevens to the younger Moretti was his simple belief in success. The two brothers were very competitive together, but all in such a supportive way. The comparative criticism in the press didn't seem to affect Alex, who in a certain way was his brother's biggest cheerleader, next to Tony's new bride, of course. For a guy who had such a big ego, as did most good race drivers, she admired Alex for his lack of any envy toward Tony, a trait she felt would serve their own relationship well.
As she and Alex immersed in shop talk during dinner, Evelyn would constantly attempt to steer the conversation away from the track and garage toward other things, all in a vain effort to affect romance whenever she could. It was a challenge as she always had her ever-increasing celebrity distractions, and as for him?… He was a racer.
Recalling her easily from social media, their waiter approached along with one of the chefs toward the end of the evening. "Evelyn, if you wouldn't mind, could we get your autograph?" the young man asked sheepishly, and mostly on behalf of the chef.
She and Alex shared a look, thinking their plan for a somewhat private dinner had gone array, at least momentarily. Stevens signed a restaurant menu for each one and then asked if they would also like Alex to sign. The four shared a slight moment of embarrassment when it was obvious the two restaurant employees had no recognition of Alex whatsoever.
"This is Alex Moretti, my competitor and Andy Moretti's youngest son," Evelyn explained, unhappy with herself as an afterthought for bringing Alex's dad into the equation, as if to imply her man could only be recognized because of his famous father, an all too often scenario that Evelyn knew would get under Alex's skin.
The waiter and chef shared a confused look and one replied, "Oh, of course. Thank you."
An uneasy silence befell the table as the waiter and cook walked away smiling. "Oh, don't let it get to you, love. Not everyone on this planet keeps up with our sport."
Alex forced a smile, knowing Evelyn was probably right, but also feeling belittled and constantly having to admit to his girlfriend being much more famous than himself, a reminder that was occurring constantly, and one that a Moretti was unaccustomed to. While he was extremely proud of his father's legacy, this kind of repeated incident was a source of embarrassment and served to fuel an ever-growing and burning desire on his part to make his own mark in the sport he loved.
***
Andy's Indycar team was progressing with mixed results. Tony had been his usual consistent self, winning three races and finishing in the top six three other times. Alex had himself won twice with four total podium finishes, while the third driver, Cortez, had been a dismal failure since coming over from Formula One two years earlier.
The import of F1 drivers by Indycar teams was no guarantee for success and vice-versa. Legends like Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansell had come across the pond to make immediate impacts, as in effect, champions were champions. Many mid-pack former Grand Prix drivers brought little but sponsorship dollars, as was the case with Cortez. Any third driver in the Moretti stable would tend to blame their lack of success on Andy's two sons getting preferential treatment in equipment and personnel, and the Columbian was no exception.
The silly season had begun in earnest as the season headed to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the only weekend where the Indycars and NASCAR "Cup" cars would be featured together at the same track. The Penske Entertainment folks had promoted the event to have the two series come together in joint support with many fans being supportive of both.
The Saturday Indycar event was run on and off in the rain, always a condition that served to level the playing field and provide some exciting and unpredictable results. When the weather appeared to break, many teams chose to pit late for slick tires. When the field cycled through, IndyWest driver Evelyn Stevens found herself leading the race. As her rain tires began to degrade badly with the track drying, the team chose to roll the dice and have her stay out with three laps to go. When hard chargers Scott McLaughlin and Colton Herta were gaining at a rate of over fifteen seconds per lap, the rain resumed. The second and third-place drivers, both on primary slicks, ran into each other at the end of the back straight and Stevens limped home to her first Indycar victory, only the second female to ever win in the series and the first since Danica in well over a decade.
Gleefully in unchartered waters, team owners Geoff Lynch and Roberto Santos arranged an improvised celebration party in their hotel. Agent Newberry, who generally stuck to Stevens like glue, sent a text to Adam Herrera, in town as Andy Moretti's guest and had already left the track, heading to his downtown hotel for a shower and change of clothes prior to a planned dinner engagement with Andy, Bob Ward, and two other sponsors.
"Adam, how about coming over to the IndyWest celebration party?"
The two kept exchanging messages as Newberry wanted his client to sell herself to this potential gold mine representative, separately from having Andy Moretti or any other team owner present.
Herrera responded. "I'll message you after I return from dinner. If it works out, fine."
***
"Louie, is this really necessary? I'm exhausted," the day's celebrated winner inquired.
"Evelyn! Don't spit in a gift horse's face!" Newberry exclaimed, appearing exasperated. "This guy has a big checkbook in his pocket! With a sponsor like that, you could write your own ticket for any team you wish to drive for! I worked hard to set this up! Let's not blow it."
They all met in the Conrad Hotel's lobby lounge at just past 11:00 PM. Both Evelyn and her agent appeared a bit battle-worn from too much partying, a condition not lost on Herrera who was not offended as he knew this was a big day for her and was quite congratulatory. As Evelyn was quite a striking woman and she and Adam Herrera seemed to connect right away, Newberry became very guarded as if worried their connection may somehow downplay his own importance in any future relationship.
The agent made it quite clear that his client's contract with IndyWest would expire at season's end and they were open to offers from other teams. He attempted to steer the conversation toward Unibank going for a straight driver sponsorship, taking their dollars to whatever team his client chose to work for.
This rubbed Herrera the wrong way as he felt a certain friendship loyalty to Andy Moretti and his team, as they had been his guide to the world of motor racing from day one. In addition, Andy had even been the one who introduced him to Newberry, not to mention hosting their earlier dinner in Nashville where the Unibank Marketing VP had felt they had an agreement to proceed. As such, Adam felt a certain disdain for Stevens' agent, who following an evening of consuming a bit too many adult beverages, began to come off as arrogant and blatantly over his head.
For her part, Evelyn displayed an attractive personality matching her physical beauty, and the bank executive had the wheels turning in his mind regarding her extreme sex appeal and marketing potential. Newberry seemed to become agitated when Herrera tended to ask most of his questions toward Stevens herself, an act that Adam found amusing, if not petty.
"So, how about NASCAR, Evelyn? Do you have any interest in running there?" Herrera asked sincerely.
"Well,"… She hesitated to collect her thoughts.
"Of course, she is interested in NASCAR," Newberry interrupted, awkwardly speaking on her behalf.
"Since Andy now has a majority interest in a team there, it may be a natural… Should you sign on with him next year, of course," Adam added.
The evening was getting long and Herrera suggested they connect again early the following week and discuss proposals. By this juncture, Adam was of the opinion that Stevens was doing herself a complete disservice by having Newberry represent her, a man who was totally out of his league. Of course, as one being on the other side of such negotiations, he relished dealing with such an amateur and thus dared not suggest to her anything of the sort.
The talks between the three parties became sophisticated as Unibank was willing to commit to a four-year deal that included Andy's three drivers, with certain funding tied to performance. Newberry could not get the guaranteed money he wanted from Andy, so he had Stevens sign for just two years with another two-year option. This created a gray area with some options in the third and fourth years, arrangements Andy was not at all keen about but couldn't decline because the Unibank commitment overall was just too lucrative. Discussions were even made regarding the possibility of Stevens moving to Moretti Motorsport's NASCAR team in the third year, a future arrangement that all three parties looked upon openly.
***
Andy watched with mixed emotions as he saw the romance between his youngest son, who had garnered the nickname Paddock Playboy, and Evelyn Stevens, with her British accent and photo model looks, drawing together like magnets. He would see in many ways a repeat of himself in Alex, recalling his first meeting Sabetha in Barcelona. She was not a driver but a regular fixture in the Formula One paddock, a beautiful Grid Girl as they were referred to, promotional models who worked for each team.
Their marriage was a storybook at first. He was winning and moving up the series pecking order and life was exciting as the young couple traveled the world with the jet-set crowd of Formula One, a sport growing rapidly with the expanding technology explosion and its play to a worldwide audience. The birth of their first child, Anthony Junior, had brought additional tranquility to the Morettis. The constant travel slowed, at least for a while, with Sabetha not wanting to attend as many races, even though her mother-in-law, Matilde Moretti, was all too happy to tend to young Tony while they were both away.
His move to Ferrari brought the family closer to their Genoa home, thought of at the time as a personal bonus with Andy now within driving distance of the team facility in northern Italy, while his former employer, Williams, was headquartered in England. He couldn't wait to get home following the Sunday races, and would often not be seen by his team until just prior to the next race, generally two weeks later. This was not looked upon favorably by the team, or Formula One in general, to the point where Andy came to believe this may have affected his failure to secure a seat at McLaren, a team also based in England.
The lean years for Ferrari at the time wore heavily on Moretti, as his popularity with the Tifosi, the Greek word given to the massive Italian Ferrari Scuderia fanbase, declined. As one of their own, the legendary manufacturer saw Andy Moretti as the man who would put the famous brand back in the winner's circle and compete for the constructor's championship, a status that had escaped the fabled Maranello car manufacturer for over a decade, nor had Ferrari hosted a world driving champion since the late seventies.
Formula One in those years became a two-team battle between Williams and McLaren while the other teams competed in mid-pack, a condition that ate at a man like Andy Moretti, who saw the prime years of his life in racing being spent in a car where he had little or no chance of winning. Team Manager, Sean Benolt, became insistent that Andy spend more time at the Ferrari test circuit at Fiorano, a three-hour drive from Genoa. He would sometimes leave before dawn and return after dark while often spending a night or two in local hotels, either way resulting in less quality time being spent with his family.
Recovering from childbirth, Sabetha soon regained her form as a beautiful vivacious woman and one who couldn't deal with neglect from her husband, particularly one whose career woes were depressing his romantic appeal. For his part, Andy kept feeling more and more pressure from the team, implying that his marital issues at home were reflecting negatively on his performance in their cars. Rumors surfaced of Sabetha having an affair with a wealthy business tycoon from Monte Carlo and the two separated.
As Sabetha's new beau didn't favor her playing full-time mother, particularly since young Anthony reminded him so much of Sabetha's ex, she spent most of her time away with the boy's grandmother, Matilde, becoming his de facto nanny, a role she was all too glad to fill.
Andy and Sabetha had worked at reconciliation and were on and off as an intimate pair for ten years, finally divorcing when their second son was two years of age. Andy never remarried as the scars of the breakup with Sabetha never quite healed. He had engaged in a few temporary romances through the years but knew his first love would always be to the sport, a man incapable of giving a woman the full commitment she most assuredly wanted and deserved. This was an inherent weakness, a disease he often felt and one he didn't wish upon his two sons.
Tony had seemed to do extremely well for himself in that regard, as the entire family just adored his wife, Crissy. He approached his career so businesslike, a man who could shut it off at race end and go home to private life, regardless of the current success or lack thereof driving. His father knew that trait hadn't come from him as he himself had been the total opposite, wearing motorsports on his sleeve 24/7. He certainly didn't believe it came from Sabetha, who had a socialite personality and never fully relished the nuclear family thing, even when her husband was winning and happy. It didn't come from Andy's father, either, a man fully obsessed with racing as young Andy and his mother seldom saw the senior Moretti at all unless they accompanied him to the racetrack. Years later, Andy would reflect on and admire his mother, a woman who remained loyal to his father through thick and thin, enduring the tragedy of his death at an early age, and remaining the true family matriarch to this day. It was her personal qualities that had rubbed off on Tony, Andy was certain.
He saw Alex and Evelyn with different concerns. She was any man's dream, for sure, with that rare quality of beauty, class, and personality. And Alex, with his own handsome appeal and bubbly persona had never lacked for attracting females either, starting at a young age. There was always a side of Alex that admired and envied his older brother, Andy knew however, and had always felt that Alex adored his sister-in-law and saw in her the kind of relationship he wanted for himself someday.
With Evelyn's celebrity increasing daily, which admittedly had the sponsors jubilant, Andy saw this romance between the two as challenging, to say the least. He also saw his own role as father and boss getting more complicated, knowing conflicts would sometimes flair up on the racetrack, and his having to mediate those would get ever more difficult when not only dealing with two of his drivers, but two of his drivers who were also lovers.
***
The Gulf Coast sunset highlighted a pleasant breeze as Alex sat alone on the twelfth-floor balcony while enjoying a cocktail. He and Evelyn were able to grab a rare few days off together between venues and their ever-increasing corporate sponsorship commitments. While it was not workable for either to turn off or simply ignore their phone traffic, Alex began to feel the strain of having a romantic relationship with a sports media supermodel, while she droned on and on with her agent, an annoying man who seemed to call every hour as though he was her panicked parent.
"I'm sorry, love," Evelyn decried as she finally appeared through the sliding door, joining her obviously disgruntled boyfriend.
"Why don't you just turn that thing off for the night?" Alex asked as more than a strong suggestion.
"Oh, poor baby. Is he being neglected?" she replied mockingly as her bathing suit top dropped to the floor.
His expression lightened up as she moved toward him, burying his face between her tan-lined breasts. As the two engaged in an intimate moment on the gulf-view balcony, the dark-colored object went unobserved, a small but expensive drone sporting its high-resolution camera.
The high-profile couple had been truly discreet regarding their whereabouts for a few days, and it would come as an unpleasant surprise when the two prepared to head out in the morning of the third day as Alex turned on his phone and received the disturbing message from his sister-in-law, one accompanied by a short video.
"You guys had best conduct business behind closed doors. The entire world is watching."
No more than half a minute went by when Evelyn's own phone began to buzz, indicating what seemed to be an on-the-hour call from her agent. After she had let it go to voicemail twice, she finally acquiesced and answered.
"Evelyn! Have you seen that video?" Louie asked excitedly. "This is not good."
"What video?" she replied anxiously.
"What video!? Oh my god, let me send you this link," Newberry responded hastily.
Evelyn hit the text message button and the link he had sent her, noticing her text box was flooded with previous messages containing comments and the same link. "Oh, my lord! How in the bloody world?"
"I'll have to prepare some immediate crisis management responses on your social media and release a press statement," Newberry stated as a man sounding as though shocked but working overtime to get everything under control.
"Let's just talk later, Louie. I have to pack up," she responded with a mixed feeling of embarrassment and shock. "I'll touch base when we get to the airport." She hung up the phone, knowing by seeing Alex's mood that he must have just been confronted with the video himself.
Alex sat on the edge of the bed, just staring toward the balcony. In spite of his reputation as a cavalier playboy, Evelyn knew that deep down Alex had an intense private side when it came to his intimate life, a side of him she actually adored. He would be quite disturbed by this new video that had gone viral.
It could have been worse. The steel bars of the balcony railing served to disguise much of their open exposure although she had displayed most of herself totally, her recent tan highlighting two shapely bright breasts and a tan-lined rear end for all the world to consume.
"Who all knew we were here, Evelyn?" Alex questioned. "I know Dad didn't tell anyone," he added, knowing his father had suggested the private getaway for a few days, recalling his own experience in the limelight, and had advised them to be very discreet about it.
"The only people who knew were my mother and sister. And I didn't even tell them exactly where we were staying," Evelyn declared defensively. "Nobody else I can think of."
"What about Newberry?" Alex asked sternly.
"Of course, Louie knew. But he wouldn't disclose anything. You know how protective he is," she replied innocently.
"Protective, huh?" Alex grunted as he continued to pack his things. "If that twit Newberry is in charge of security, I'll know to sleep with one eye open from now on."
He had grown to have a level of contempt toward his girlfriend's agent, a man who was a constant menace with his countless phone calls and invasion of their privacy. Alex didn't add that he knew Louie had a crush on Evelyn, not that he saw the pompous Englishman as a threat romantically, but his constant attention was extremely annoying and would have been an embarrassment to any normal human being, which in Alex's view excluded Louie.
***
Over a thousand miles away Newberry enjoyed a cigar where he busied himself being the agent of Evelyn Stevens, the woman who may soon replace Oprah as the most recognized female on the planet, a status that he would take all the credit for, so far as he knew.
"Three thousand, Remi. Not a dime less, unless you want this to become a party line. You have competitors." Newberry had informed the paparazzi reporter of their three-day location, one who prepared to transfer another deposit into his bank account.
He would pretend to scold his client about this, imitating that folks like Honda or Unibank would not look kindly upon this type of publicity. In truth, he was tickled pink with the stunt, as hundreds of thousands of would-be fans, those who barely knew what an Indycar even was, much less the sports' biggest star, would be added to the rolls of likes for their videos and links to sponsors. He now relaxed, assuming more of the world's more risqué press publications would be ringing his number.
What neither Louie nor Remi knew was the Moretti-Stevens romance would soon become such an explosion, the demand for everything increased to the point of a paparazzi becoming extraordinarily professional, their trackers no longer needing to be tipped off by anyone regarding the pair's whereabouts.
The woman hired to sleep with him exited the bathroom and prepared to leave, standing expectantly as it was customary for her customers to reward her with a generous tip, one that was not forthcoming.
You should have just included that in the price, Newberry thought, always of the opinion such services had much more perceived value during the onset than upon the conclusion.
The hired entertainer didn't smile as she departed.
***
The announcement had come during the Belgian Grand Prix at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where Andy Moretti appeared as part of an effort to show interest in Formula One, which was rapidly gaining popularity in America with the new U.S. ownership group. Evelyn Stevens had signed a contract to drive for Moretti Motorsport the following season, teaming with the two second-generation Moretti boys, Tony and Alex. She had brought in some extra sponsorship from Seagram promoting their evermore popular wine cooler product line.
The extra sponsorship dollars came with a personal cost. The motor racing media fraternity had long adopted Stevens as their poster girl, but now the rest of that world celebrity paparazzi had joined in, putting yet more of a strain on her and Alex's romantic relationship, as well as the Moretti Motorsport team as a whole. What began as a novelty was now causing dissension in the ranks, as the increased media attention had brought some unforeseen problems. The Indycar series had long touted their access to the drivers and teams, taking a cue from the NHRA, but series president, Jay Frye, had little choice but to add a few restrictions at most venues, as crowd control and security became major concerns.
Tony's recent bride, now expecting their first child, had developed a sort of kindred spirit friendship with Evelyn, a relationship strained when a rather sleazy article appeared on social media and a tabloid magazine comparing the five-month-pregnant Crissy Moretti with Stevens, implying that young Alex had made up ground over his older brother with his romantic accomplishments, something he had yet to do on the racetrack. The post went viral, causing a new level of anxiety within the team, and much to the consternation of everyone in the Moretti family. By coincidence, the originator of the offending blog appeared to come from the same source as the blogger who perpetuated the compromising social media video months earlier.
The team endured nevertheless, pulling off an impressive victory in the prototype class at the Daytona 24-hour endurance classic to start the year, followed up by a win at the Saint Petersburg Grand Prix by Tony, with Evelyn joining him on the podium with an impressive third. Alex had led early and ran among the leaders for half the race prior to retiring with gearbox problems.
***
The grand opening planned for late January was delayed a few weeks over construction issues. The delay, however, worked in everyone's favor as the team presented a fast start on all fronts with the win at the Rolex 24, their lead NASCAR driver Alan Allison finishing a promising fourth in the Daytona 500, and the stellar showing in St. Pete. The huge event was promoted as a celebration for all the employees of Moretti Motorsport and their sponsors, which really meant it was a huge coming-out party for Unibank Corporation.
Their sponsorship announcement had rocked the world of motorsports, and along with the Ford announcement to partner with Moretti and re-enter Indycar as part of the new hybrid engine formula, the team seemed poised to solidify their competitive status at the top of the sport, build on their new partnership in NASCAR, and push to move into Formula One as an expansion team.
It was a monumental deal, four years with a two-year option, and one that revolutionized the entire Moretti operation. The contract was extremely sophisticated in its size and scope, requiring an overall team performance standard, tied certain drivers to the sponsorship as well as the team, and included ample obligations for commercial advertisements, corporate appearances, etc.
The major dollars from Unibank enabled Andy to enhance the recently acquired NASCAR team, but more importantly, gave the team the financial backing needed to enter Formula One with some of the sport's finest talent. The relationship also predicated a move to the Charlotte area from their long-time base in suburban Chicago, a more centralized location to service all the racing series, tripling the size of their existing NASCAR facility and becoming the team's worldwide headquarters.
The newly transplanted employees loved the area, close in proximity to the mountains and the ocean, as well as Lake Norman. The area had long been the epicenter of the NASCAR world with most of the major teams based there as well as home to many of their drivers, not to mention the nearby homes of iconic legends like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Junior. Nearly all suppliers of motor racing hardware had facilities nearby and, of course, the proximity to the Unibank World Corporate Office building, located in downtown Charlotte, was icing on the cake.
The new facility, just north of Huntersville, North Carolina, was completely dressed up for the occasion. The 700,000-square-foot facility would have every nook and cranny decked out for the invited guests and their entourage. Much of the corporate brass from Unibank were there, including their CEO Byron Cook, the man who had been a tough sell on rubber stamping the four-year sponsorship deal.
The deferred schedule of the event and more pleasant March weather allowed many of the bank executives, along with their family members, to be treated to a thrilling ride at the nearby Charlotte Motor Speedway with Alex and Tony Moretti chauffeuring their guests around the mile and a half banked racetrack in the special two-seater Indycar at one hundred sixty miles per hour.
One of the riders was Allison Cook, the oldest of Byron Cook's two daughters, while the younger of the two girls, Amanda, stood with her parents and other bank staff, her father suggesting she was still a bit too young for such extremities.
The highlight of the festivities was the unveiling of the new Unibank livery featured on each of the various series' cars, NASCAR, Indycar, IMSA, and last but not least, the Formula One model, one which Unibank would co-sponsor with British Petroleum starting the following season.
The car was actually a rebranded year-old McLaren, generously on loan from Zak Brown, the team principal of the legendary team, and one who had given tacit approval for his friend Andy in his quest to enter F1, a support that was yet to be unanimous among his F1 compatriots.
Everyone present would get an ample number of photographs with the cars and team drivers, highlighted by the very photogenic and popular Evelyn Stevens. By evening's end, the bank guests seemed to be all smiles, impressed with the hospitality while totally excited about the Unibank liveries on all the race cars.
In concert with Unibank's recent acquisition of a sizable West Coast bank chain, arrangements were made by Herrera for Cook and his family to join the rest of the bank contingent as special guests of Moretti Motorsport at the very popular and festive Grand Prix of Long Beach the following month in southern California.
***
As the pilot announced the descent into Las Vegas over the intercom, a directive that all passengers be seated and to secure their seatbelts, Andy gathered his final thoughts on such a memorable past year as he prepared mentally to deal with the present and what awaited him at the hospital, not only his own youngest being injured but facing the Cooks as their youngest child was in critical condition and fighting for her life.
"I knew when I saw those two girls there would be fireworks," Andy had told Ward as he boarded their plane before takeoff. "But I had always just assumed it would be the oldest Cook girl."
***
