Lucky Seven (13 page)

“Yes, I did.” Jack shrugged. “I’m sorry about that. I hope you believe me.”

“I do.”

Chick was given a gold ribbon and a five-dollar gift certificate entitling him to purchase merchandise at
Mort’s Pit Stop.
Jack was given a blue ribbon with a two-dollar gift certificate.

Chick thought a while, then held the envelope containing the gift certificate to Ken. “Here, for giving me that Stingray body.”

Ken’s eyes popped. “You crazy? You earned it! It’s yours!”

“But you gave me the body. And you never took a cent for it. Please, Ken, take it.”

Ken pushed it away. “Not on your life. You fixed up the Stingray from scratch. You deserve every bit of your winnings yourself.”

“Boy, have you changed,” said Jack. “Like Ken says, keep your winnings. You earned every bit of it.”

“Then let’s have a team,” suggested Chick. “The four of us.”

“Now you’re talking sense!” Jack exclaimed. “We’ll scratch-build models. You can be our chief designer. Okay?”

Chick laughed. “Okay! Great! Let’s go home and get started.”

chassis:
car’s frame, suspension system, axles, wheels and tires.

color dots:
round dots attached to hood of car to identify its lane.

controller:
a plunger (thumb-operated), or a trigger, that supplies power to a slot car’s motor.

deslotting:
the flag, or guide, leaving the slot, thereby stopping the car.

doughnut:
loop on track.

Epoxy:
adhesive cement.

ess (or s) bend:
S-shaped curve of the track.

flag:
guide that fits into slot and steers the car.

frame:
the structure of the car that supports the motor, body, suspension system and slot guide.

full throttle point:
fast area on track.

goop the tires:
running tires over a pad of oil of wintergreen or other additive for traction.

Grand Prix:
same as Formula 1. Slim, single-seat, open cockpit cars without fenders.

GT (Gran Turismo):
Italian for Grand Touring. An enclosed type of racing car.

hot thumb:
name given to thumb depressing controller lever.

nerfing:
when a car sidewinds at a curve and strikes another car, causing it to leave the track.

race director (or marshal):
man who starts and directs the race, using a stopwatch for timing. He has complete authority over race events. He arranges
the events, appoints the officials and enforces the rules.

spin-out:
deslotting of a racing car’s flag as car turns a corner at too high a speed.

straight:
a straightaway on the track.

sweeper:
a wide, sweeping, high-speed turn.

“Thumbs down!”:
thumb lever is depressed by all participants to start race. When all thumbs are down the director signals “Go!” and either
he or the manager turns on the switch.

“Thumbs up!”:
warning call for beginning of race to insure all thumbs are away from controller for a fair start.

“Track!”:
call made by race director, or a turn marshal, when a car goes onto another lane, leaps over railing or deslots and hits
another car.

turn marshal:
man stationed at turns of the raceway during a race. He shouts “Track!” when a car. He then replaces the car on the track,
or removes it altogether, depending on the type of race.

SPORTS STORIES BY
MATT CHRISTOPHER

Matt Christopher’s sports books have long been popular and enjoyed by countless readers; now seven of his sports stories,
most of them previously published in periodicals, have been gathered together in this book.

Here are highly readable sagas of football, baseball, hockey, and the new pastime of slot-car racing. The stories are full
of colorful young heroes, such as Tim, who couldn’t seem to make himself into a goalie; Rusty, who didn’t want to play any
position except quarterback; and Jerry, who suddenly discovered that quarterback was just the right spot. Readers should be
intrigued by the mechanisms of slot-car racing and will laugh as they discover how George Maxwell Jones almost makes it to
the big leagues.

These tales are all marked by Matt Christopher’s ability to evoke fast-moving action in stories told on an easy-reading level.

Shortstop From Tokyo

by Matt Christopher

If it hadn’t been for Sam Suzuki, Stogie Crane would have started for the Mohawks this year as shortstop. Stogie thought it
was somehow unfair that Sam could arrive in this country from Japan and almost immediately take over a position Stogie wanted
badly.

Stogie tried not to become resentful of Sam’s success, but somehow the bitterness he felt kept showing. And when Sam’s glove
was found torn and ruined in Stogie’s yard, it looked as though the two would never be friends. This story of boys working
out their differences on the field and off will satisfy young, competitive sport fans.

Illustrated by Harvey Kidder

BY MATT CHRISTOPHER

BASEBALL BOOKS

The Lucky Baseball Bat

Baseball Pals

Two Strikes on Johnny

Little Lefty

Long Stretch at First Base

Challenge at Second Base

Baseball Flyhawk

Catcher with a Glass Arm

Too Hot to Handle

The Reluctant Pitcher

Miracle at the Plate

The Year Mom Won the Pennant

Hard Drive to Short

Shortstop From Tokyo

BASKETBALL BOOKS

Basketball Sparkplug

Break for the Basket

Tall Man in the Pivot

Sink It, Rusty

Long Shot for Paul

The Basket Counts

FOOTBALL BOOKS

Touchdown for Tommy

Crackerjack Halfback

Counterfeit Tackle

The Team That Couldn’t Lose

Catch That Pass!

HOCKEY BOOKS

Wingman on Ice

Lucky Seven: Sports Stories by Matt Christopher