Headcanons about Chick Hicks, Strip Weathers, Darrell Cartrip, and Dale Sr. back when they all raced each other.
Chick was Rookie of the Year his first season around the track! In fact, not only did he win Rookie of the Year, he placed 5th overall in the standings. Everyone expected great things from him.
At the time, Cartrip was the car to beat. Chick’s sophomore season ended in a hugely exciting shootout between Chick and Cartrip–Chick, of course, came in second.
The next season, he came in second five times in five consecutive races–to The King, then Cartrip, then Dale, the King again, and Dale…
Chick raced the way the legends of his time raced–but because he was a rookie, and didn’t know the sport nor the field as well as his role models, his competitors didn’t take too kindly to that.
Chick’s third year, Rookie Murray Clutchburn beat Chick in a huge Bristol upset, relegating Chick to second-place once again even though it seemed like he had that race in the bag.
Chick raced four years before his first win–something that consistently galled him, because the not winning is the only thing anyone seemed to remember him for. Little known fact: Chick had the most consistent overall season out of anyone all four of those years.
The King and Dale Sr. weren’t friends, necessarily, but they always figured they’d grow old together. They did not. Strip’s always made sure to keep tabs on Junior, though, on and off the track.
This is later in the timeline, but it’s always bothered Chick that McQueen’s first race out he won the Florida 500 pole and went on to place 9th overall that day. Everyone immediately hailed him a “rookie sensation,” and even though McQueen didn’t do literally anything impressive for the next five races everyone still kept calling him a “rookie sensation.” Chick kept himself calm by reminding himself that eventually the hype would die down and that would be that. All would be right in the world again. This was his year!!! His only real competition was Strip.
But then Lightning started to win.
