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While the big league NASCAR world travels south to Homestead, Florida, from Charlotte to crown a national champion, the stock car short trackers are migrating east. From all corners of the grassroots racing world, trailers and tow trucks pulling late-model race cars are headed to Myrtle Beach Speedway for the annual Myrtle Beach 400 in South Carolina. Its an event that signifies the end of the season for many of NASCARs home track racers.Among those pilgrims will be the racer with the Kid N Play fade and his friend with the partially shaved head. Their trip to Myrtle Beach started more than a year ago, a road thats carried them around bullring racetracks, through cancer wards and, they hope, ultimately into Victory Lane.Im so excited about this weekend I cant hardly stand it, Erika Newcome said Tuesday evening.The 21-year-old had just walked out of class at Akron University in Ohio, where shes a fourth-year public relations major. She was heading home to pack, load her car, and make the seven-hour drive to Mooresville, North Carolina, There shed meet up with her friend to carry on toward Myrtle Beach.I cant believe everything that Dylan has done for me since we first met, she said. And I cant wait to get back to a racetrack with him.Dylan is Dylan Smith, aka Black Mamba, the 24-year-old racer who most recently created a social media buzz among NASCAR fans by winning the highly coveted Best Costume honors at Tony Stewarts annual Halloween party.He was dressed as Halle Barrys Catwoman.I told yall I wasnt messing around this year, and that trophy looks oh so good on my mantel. @halleberry ???? #HappyHalloween pic.twitter.com/OEuGiddQrP- Black Mamba (@DylanSmith34) October 27, 2016Erika and Dylan met on Oct. 21, 2015 -- at a racetrack, naturally.Newcome was a late-model racer from Columbus, Ohio, the daughter of a short tracker who, inspired by her trips to Columbus Motor Speedway, started driving her own racing machines at the age of 8. By 2015 she was voted that speedways Most Popular Driver.Smith was a resident of Concord, North Carolina, by way of Randolph, Vermont, where he landed after being adopted out of his native Haiti. He too loved his local racetrack, Thunder Road SpeedBowl in Barre, Vermont, and convinced his adopted father to buy him a go-kart at the age of 4.After wins at tracks scattered all over the American map, Newcome and Smith met in a hotel lobby in southeastern Virginia. Both were there as invited participants in NASCARs Drive For Diversity Combine, an annual talent-scouting event held at the legendary Langley Speedway, a four-tenths mile oval strikingly similar to Newcomes Columbus track.It was the night before we went to the track and there were 23 of us there. A lot of them had been to the combine before. I hadnt and I was really nervous, Newcome recalls. Dylan had done it before and he noticed I was being kind of quiet, and he immediately started talking to me. I was so relieved.At that combine orientation meeting, she was equally relieved to see that the nameplates for the assigned seats in the classroom had her sitting next to Smith. What she didnt know at the time was that hed switched those plates around to ensure that theyd be paired up.We just hit it off immediately, Smith says. I think what we know now is that our instant friendship wasnt just a coincidence.Racers are driven people by nature, but their business is one built on rejection; no is a constant answer, whether from a potential sponsor, a car owner, a would-be car owner or even a loan officer. The Drive For Diversity program is designed to help young racers step out of the shadows, but what happens past that initial push is up to the individual.Smith finished out 2015 but had trouble landing a ride for 16. Hes taken jobs working with other teams, doing everything from building race cars for other drivers to using his significant social media skills to help those teams with their PR efforts.Newcome went back to Ohio and resumed racing, but she couldnt shake a nagging pain in her shoulders. In August 2015 she had crashed into a wall at Columbus, dislocating her right shoulder and tearing her labrum. It seemed odd, though, because the wreck wasnt that hard. In fact, shed kept running and finished the race. And why was her left shoulder hurting, too? The next spring, during a visit to her orthopedist, she was about to leave but asked one last question about an odd-looking blood vessel in her neck. He sent her to have it checked out via ultrasound. On May 18, it was identified as a blood clot, odd for a just-turned 21-year-old.On June 2, 2016, Newcome was told that she had masses in almost every organ of her body. She was suffering from Stage 4 sarcoma, a cancer that aggressively attacks the bodys soft tissues.Now that were looking back on it, what sarcoma damages are things like your muscles, Newcome explains. So thats why my labrum tore so easily. I had been weakened and didnt know.She immediately began treatments that have continued to this day: chemotherapy, an immunotherapy drip and blood thinners to battle the clot. Shes doing it all while also being a full-time college student. When the chemo started thinning her hair on one side, she shaved only that side, leaving longer blonde locks on the other. But its the blood thinners that dont allow her to race, as thinned, freer-flowing blood makes racing too risky. For a moment last month it appeared as through that might no longer be an issue, but the clot returned and so did the thinner.Being in school gives me normalcy, she says. I really feel pretty normal. But cancer is all anyone can talk about. Its all anyone can see when they look at me. Thats hard. But Ive come to peace with it. Still, thats what makes encouraging talks and phone calls and texts so important. At my low points, I always hear from Dylan and he always knows just what to say. He always says we because were in this together.Really excited for this weekend, @dylonwilson really hooked it up with the @AmericanCancer & @WendellScott_34! #FearTheFade #CancerSucks pic.twitter.com/XAC508wmEO- Black Mamba (@DylanSmith34) November 16, 2016Last month Smiths call was even more enthusiastic than normal. Hed been kicking around an idea for a while and it was starting to come together. While Dylan had been encouraging Erika during her treatment, shed been returning the favor, pumping him up during a summer when he hadnt turned a single competitive lap on the racetrack.I havent raced all year and its driven me crazy, Smith said earlier this week, en route to work. So I thought, if Im going to race only once this season, then Im going to make it count.He secured a late-model car he could race from one of his employers, racer Travis Millers father Matt and team co-owner Chris Florian. Then he went looking for support. He used LinkedIn to track down the national marketing director of the American Cancer Society, who just so happened to be looking for ways to reach out to blue-collar cancer victims about services such as its transportation-to-appointments program.Smith also reached out to the Wendell Scott Foundation, run by the family of the late NASCAR Hall of Famer. Wendell Scott, the only African-American to win a NASCAR Cup Series event, is Smiths hero and the family has become one of his biggest supporters. Scott died in 1990, killed by cancer.Smith set up a GoFundMe page titled Beating Cancer 1 Lap At A Time, promising donors that any money raised and all winnings from the Myrtle Beach 400 would be split between the American Cancer Society and an account to help pay Newcomes mounting medical bills.I couldnt believe it when he told me what he was doing, she said Tuesday night. But thats Dylan. Thats the kind of person he is. Hes so unselfish and hes so positive. I knew I had to go with him this weekend. Just being back at a racetrack again, theres no more positive atmosphere than the racetrack. And working with the American Cancer Society to let people know about sarcoma. This is all the best medicine I could possibly think of.On Thursday, the dude with the fade and the girl with the half-shaved head traveled east toward Myrtle Beach on a mission. In the front seat were two reunited friends. Behind them was a towed late-model race car, painted baby blue with a big white 34 on the side. Its modeled after the rides of Wendell Scott. The duo racing it will do so fueled by one of Scotts favorite sayings.Wendell always said, When it gets too tough for everyone else, its just right for me, Smith explained. That sounds like my friend Erika right there. Nike Dunk Low Womens .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. Nike Dunks Clearance . 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DENVER -- Tampa Bay had five chances to bring in the tying run from third late in the game.Four strikeouts and a ground out later and the Rays were on their way to a 7-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Monday night, extending their road skid to 11 in a row.Weve got to find a way to get those guys in, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. The guys know that. Theyre doing everything they could to get the big hit, the big fly ball, it just didnt happen.Tampa Bays 11th straight road loss is the third-longest streak in team history. The club record is 13 in a row in 2002.Drew Smyly (2-11) had another rough outing, surrendering five runs in five innings to remain winless over his last 10 starts.I didnt pitch very well today, Smyly said. I got behind a lot of hitters. Its hard to pitch when youre behind in the count.Trevor Storys 22nd homer of the season in the fifth gave the Rockies a 5-1 lead. The bullpen made it hold up to make a winner out of Tyler Anderson (2-3), who ran into trouble in the seventh and surrendered three of his four runs.Reliever Adam Ottavino got two outs in the seventh with the tying run on third. Jason Motte allowed a leadoff triple to Evan Longoria in the eighth before striking out the side.Adrenaline is kind of what drives me, Motte said. I love those situations, not that I want to go out there and do it every single time.Ottavino looked like his old self in his most meaningful performance since being activated from the 60-day DL on July 5. He missed most of last season after Tommy John surgery.We were able to do a good job, Ottavino said. Motte did a great job behind me. That was the story of the game.The Rockies added two runs in the eighth and Carlos Estevez closed it out in the ninth for his sixth save.Storys homer gave the Rockies a four-run cushion, which appeared more than enough for Anderson. The lefty surrendered an RBI triple to Longoria in the first inning -- after a 32-minute rain delay before first pitch -- but settled in uuntil the wheels came off in the seventh.ddddddddddddIn the inning, Tim Beckham had an RBI triple, followed by a run-scoring single by Luke Maile and an RBI double from Nick Franklin.Exit, Anderson. Enter, Ottavino.With a runner on third, Ottavino struck out Logan Forsythe and got Kevin Kiermaier to ground out and end the threat.Then, it was Mottes turn. After Longoria lined a triple to the deep center, Motte struck out former Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson swinging, followed by Logan Morrison and Steven Souza Jr. on called third strikes.Unbelievable, said Anderson, who allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings for his second straight win. If you want to win games, you have a bullpen like that.TRAINERS ROOMRays: INF Steve Pearce (strained right hamstring) is expected to be activated from the DL on Tuesday. ... RHP Chase Whitley threw a scoreless inning for Class A Charlotte on Monday in his first game since Tommy John surgery early last season. In the same contest, RHP Brad Boxberger (oblique) allowed a homer in an inning of work.THIS & THATIt was Longorias first career game with two triples. ... The Rays are now 4-9 against Colorado at Coors Field.FAMILIAR FACESDickerson never really got to say goodbye to his Colorado teammates after he was traded to Tampa Bay on Jan. 28 for reliever Jake McGee. So Dickerson wandered over the Rockies way Monday.It was pretty good to say, `Whats up? and be able to see old faces, said Dickerson, who didnt start. Im pretty close to all of them. It will be cool to compete and play against them.McGee felt the same way about his Tampa Bay buddies.I have a new pitch Ill show them, he joked.UP NEXTTampa Bay lefty Blake Snell (1-4) makes his first interleague start Tuesday at Coors Field. Righty Tyler Chatwood (8-5) will take the mound for the third time since returning from the DL with a strained back. ' ' '