JUST STOP!

"There can be up to 40 cars in Daytona! Forty! Are you hearing me?!"

Thunderous outrage echoed in the walls of the warehouse. "For far to long the elite have poisoned our air with their noxious death fumes! Our planet can no longer be expected to emdure this vicious attack by the rich and powerful! "

More cheers erupted in anticipation of their environmental champion.

"We can no longer sit idly by and watch as car after car is allowed to spit its toxicity into our space! Join me as we fight back for our mother! Fight back for our only home! Join the fight for our PLANET!"

The applause became deafening, and Charlie Evanta knew they were all locked into his goal. His branch of Just Stop Oil would make their mark on the world.

All John Blankman ever wanted was to drive. He was able to get his license on his first attempt, he got into Uber fresh out of high school, and was fortunate enough to use that money to get into stunt driving school. Never being one for college, or work in some stuffy office, John loved being out in the world. He felt most like himself behind the wheel. He knew it was a long shot to qualify for being a professional driver, but that was his life goal. His first job as a professional stunt man paid pretty good, but not anywhere near what NASCAR could earn him. He felt confident that he could get into a pit crew if nothing else. He grew up around engine blocks and tires, but being a mechanic wasn't what we wanted. A garage was just another office job to John, and he wanted more freedom in his life. Nothing made him feel more free then seeing that orange needle go into triple digits. He learned some fancy driving in his youth, but being a stunt driver gave him the skills and confidence to take that next step. He was able to work for two years without major injury, despite a number of close calls. You never got used to being on fire he thought no matter if it was the first time or the one hundred and fifty-seventh. He just knew that was the last time for him, as his long awaited NASCAR license finally arrived. He told his boss Hunter that he wanted to see about his qualifying time, and Hunter agreed to give him temporary leave to pursue his dream. "Let me know when you want to start working again John, you are a great driver."

"Thanks boss man, hope the fine folks at Daytona agree with ya."

They shook hands both confident in the fact John would do great.

Charlie watched with growing horror at the world collapsing around him. So many pollutants, so many willing polluters, each and every one a global killer. He tried to warn about these dangers, so few would listen. He did what he could to stop traffic, disable vehicles, protest at dealerships, even went to Detroit to protest against the lack of electric cars being manufactured. All requests fell on deaf ears. Why didn't anyone care he was trying to save them from their own destruction? How did they become so oblivious to their own undoing? He was arrested for trying to get into see the CEO at Ford Motor Company. Arrested! How the hell do you arrest someone for wanting to prevent genocide? How can I be arrested when they were all guilty of attempted murder? They were Earth killers, every one of them blind to the fact. If they refused to see, it was up to him to open all of their eyes.

The first round of qualifying went even better than John could have expected, like he was born behind the wheel with gasoline in his veins. He could not have been more thrilled if he shook hands with Dale Earnhardt himself. His bubble burst the second go around as John was bitch-slapped back to the real world. The top ten advance, and he was in a four way tie for the last spot. He needed to beat those other three for a chance at being locked in. He drove with all the skills he had, put his best foot down, took all the turns perfectly, but still ended up in second place. He was disappointed, but not heart broken; this was his first attempt after all. He was getting out of his car when some jackass ran onto the track.

Charlie had a plan to get the world's attention just like his brothers and sisters did in Europe. Those proud and brave Earth defenders showed bravery and determination to defend Mother, and he would not let that be the final say on the matter. He needed to strike hard and fast in his own country, and what better place then the annual celebration of death in his own home town? Charlie and his followers vowed to shut down the Daytona 500 and he would glady sacrifice the lives of all those proud Earth savers to accomplish his goal. They were going to stop the madness before it had a chance to start. Those idiots revved their engines for the last time.

John grew up in Daytona and loved every minute of it. He never wanted to live anywhere else, but Florida was not without its weirdos. John was no stranger to fist fights, red and blue flashing lights, or the occasional road rage that went along with life in Daytona. But what the Hell where these orange vested morons hoping to accomplish here? He was barely out of his car when he got accosted by some lunatic with a bottle of Valvoline. The guy ran onto the track, how out of your mind do you have to be to do that? John wasn't gonna waste time asking questions about who this was or why they were throwing Motor oil on him, he just cocked back his right and let loose. The punch knocked her flat on... her?

Oh shit, John just punched a lady.

Never in her life had Joan Bails felt more devoted to a man. Charlie was her everything; in his words she found purpose to her life. His vision for the restoration of the planet was hers as well. Her own mother died of a drug overdose and she would be damned if some other pusher was going to do the same to Earth mother as well. Carbon emissions were the Earth's herion injected into the lifeblood of the atmosphere. She willingly gave her thoughts and body to Charlie for he was the true savior of the world, and no man was going to take him away.

The plan was to rush the drivers, contaminate them with the very poison they were using to strangle Mother, and make them see the error of their ways in non-violent protest. Once they were exposed to harmful chemicals they would know how the Mother they shared would feel. They needed to realize we were all on the same planet and all had the same Mother, so why treat her with such awful abandon? Why force your man made impurities down her nurturing throat when all she wanted to do was love you?

Why didn't they listen to reason? Why is Joan on the ground holding her nose? Who the hell is that? Security refused to answer Charlie as they took him away.

All four drivers were covered in motor oil and being yelled at about the environment. John thought the one in front of him was taking about his Mom and that was when the time for talking was over. He tried to apologize to her once he realized what happened, but she refused to accept. So he walked away from her after a few choice words and let security deal with it. He never thought about it again after a few beers with the other three drivers, one of whom was gonna be a father soon.

After the NASCAR trails, and after the incident made the local news, John heard about Just Stop Oil for the first time but not the last.

He was back to working for Hunter when a call came in about the trails, but he wasn't interested in talking to any more reporters. Hunter, with a Joker like smile, said this weren't no reporter. John got a once in a lifetime call from NASCAR how he was an alternate for the 500 and he was needed to fill a slot. The father to be became daddy sooner than expected and said there would be other races but only one first year for his baby girl. He dropped out and John won the tiebreaker.

The meeting was dark, the mood was foul, Charlie's rage was unmatched. His dear Joan was a wounded warrior for the fight to save the planet, this brazen act of violence would not go unpunished! That was when the talk turned to the number of guns the members had as the time for non-violence was at an end.

The Daytona 500 was everything John wanted it to be and more. At long last he was on the track looking up at the crowd instead of in the crowd looking down at the track. He got a lot of support from his fellow racers for making it this far, and he thanked them all for it. He knew as well as they did, they were all family before and after the race: but all business on the track. He got in his car and took his rightfull place among the other racers and legends of the past. The announcement he waited his whole life for came over the loud speaker and he started his engine.

Charlie was good at getting people to follow him, and he was assured by 100% of them they would all be there ready to fire on the crowd, racers, and everyone else to stop this madness once and for all. At last night's meeting he took out his handgun, cocked it, and pointed it up high. "Tommorow is

The Daytona 500, this is a direct and life threatening attack on MOTHER!" Instant cheers. "Tommorow we take the next step to achieve our goal as we put to death those that would kill us first! This is self-defense and self-preservation of the highest order!"

The reaction of the crowd was the loudest yet. "They want to use carbon emissions and unrecyceld tires as weapons of war! They unleashed violence against our sister Joan! They have been on the attack since 1948! Well my brothers and sisters, I for one will no longer standback and let these vicious attacks continue! Tomorrow we take the fight to them!" Charlie reached out to Joan who glady accepted and stood next to her idol. With rage and bad intentions, Charlie unloaded the clip into the air and backed off stage with Joan in hand. He listened as the uproarious praise as it died down, and he knew he had them where he wanted them. Rather than go back on stage, he took Joan back to his trailer. The next day he pulled up in the parking lot with Joan, each with a Glock in hand. He parked, they kissed and got out, heading towards the crowd by the track at the end of the race. They made their way through the masses until they saw the pit John was assigned too. Once the singal flag for the last lap waved, their brothers and sisters in arms would open fire. Amid the confusion, Charlie would avenge Joan against her attacker.

John wished he could commit every lap to memory. He was truly living in the moment and it went by too fast even for him. He wanted it to be the Daytona 5000 instead, but would take what he could get. He didn't win, but he wasn't last either much to his surprise. He pulled into the pit and that is when he saw the orange vests...

"This is Miranda Cook with nightly news bringing you a shocking story at the Daytona 500. Two Just Stop Oil protesters were apprended by security and local police for the attempted murder of NASCAR driver John Blankman. As he pulled into the pit, Charlie Evanta and Joan Bails pulled guns on the young and talented driver, but where quickly subdued by the pit crew. Security was on hand to assist and arranged for police to take the pair into custody. In what was explained by other Just Stop Oil protesters who were in attendance and outside of the arena, their former leader plotted revenge against Blankman. Earlier this year, Blankman was detained but released following an altercation with Bails who threw Motor oil on him and yelled relentlessly. When Blankman attempted to back away, Bails continued to approach and was struck by Blankman. He was not charged on grounds of self defense, and refused to press charges on Bails for simple assault. Protesters confirmed a rally was held by both Bails and Evanta where shots were fired in the air, however Evanta never picked up the discarded brass casings. Just Stop Oil is a pround, non-violent organization, who stands against any and all environmental intrusion. They felt Evanta's careless act of littering violated his own principles and their community standards. A peaceful demonstration was held in the stands of the Daytona 500 by a few of the unarmed Just Stop Oil activists against what they believe to be a horrendous attack against the planet calling each lap 'and act of atrocity.' However, they had no intentions of harming the crowd. For Daytona nightly news, I'm Miranda Cook.

Stay safe out there, goodnight."