A couple of weeks ago, I was stunned by the sudden death of Khalid Saif Al-Mesalam, known to many in the drag racing community as the Al Anabi photographer. I first met Saif (pronounced safe), as he preferred to be called, in Qatar. But I had seen him around NHRA…
Godspeed Ryan Varnes
AMA Pro Racing announced the tragic loss of American Flat Track competitor Ryan Varnes (24) and extended heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Varnes, a Pennsylvania native, was involved in an on-track incident in the American Flat Track Production Twins Main Event at Weedsport Speedway on Saturday evening. On-scene…
Godspeed Sandy Kosman
When it came to conversation, Sandy Kosman (with Joe Marasco at Atco in the photo above) qualified as “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” It wasn’t just his gray beard that brought to mind the Dos Equis advertising icon. When I lived in Brooklyn, running a SoHo art gallery…
Godspeed Shawn Gann, We’ll Miss you
As you’ve probably already heard, Shawn Gann has left the planet. We all knew he was from somewhere else anyway, so maybe he’s just punched his ticket back to where he came from. I first met Shawn when he won Pro Stock at IDBA’s 1999 Rockingham event. Here’s my full…
Godspeed Bill Simpson
One of the highlights of my PRI show this year was sharing Bill Simpson stories with Del Flores—a fellow former tenant of Lord of the Land Simpson. To know Simpson is to have Simpson stories. Neither of us knew that Bill had a second—and ultimately fatal, I guess—stroke on Friday.…
New Zealand iconoclast Laurie Webster passes
Steve Rice alerted us to the passing of New Zealand iconoclastic motorcycle drag racer Laurie Webster in a crash on his turbo Kawasaki Funnybike at Meremere Dragway. “To my racing family, please remember—although racing is a fun game—this really is a matter of life or death,” Rice said in making…
Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Mari Hulman George passes
Hulman & Company and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chairman of the Board Emeritus Mari Hulman George, who touched the lives of millions through her deep passion for auto racing, stewardship of the Racing Capital of the World and decades of compassionate philanthropy, died Nov. 3 in Indianapolis with her family by…
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