Before the Checkered Flag

Before the Checkered Flag - This novel marks the beginning of Cody Walker's journey into the world of short-track racing and the life that follows. Cody Walker was raised to inherit a life already mapped out-money, comfort, and expectations that left no room for risk. But beneath the polish and privilege, all Cody has ever wanted is speed. The kind that rattles your bones. The kind that makes everything else disappear.
When a chance encounter pulls him into the gritty world of short-track racing, Cody finds himself surrounded by people who live by instinct, sweat, and stubborn belief-Bosco Billings, a hard-edged team owner with nothing left to prove; Pops Anderson, a legendary mechanic pulled out of retirement; Peggy Mitchell, a gifted wrench-turner carrying more loss than she lets on; and Eugene, a brilliant outsider who sees racing as both science and survival.
Together, they build something fragile and dangerous: a race team with no money, no safety net, and no margin for mistakes. As Cody's talent pushes him closer to the wall-on the track and at home-he's forced to choose between the life he was given and the one he's willing to fight for. Because in racing, as in life, it's not just about crossing the finish line. It's about who you become before you ever see the checkered flag.
Before the Checkered Flag is a grounded, emotionally driven racing novel about ambition, loyalty, class divide, and the cost of chasing the thing that makes you feel alive.