C.W.
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In Memory Of Larry Damitz
You can never take life for granted. Tomorrow is not promised. Today, our racing community is mourning the passing of Larry Damitz. They called him "The Sundrop Kid" though he was 87 years old. He was also the Antioch Speedway Limited Late Model champion for the third straight year and fifth in the last six years. He had a pair of Merced championships during that time as well.
Larry was an icon, a role model, an inspiration. Drivers seem to come and go through the years, but he was still there. From the era that gave us Leroy Geving, Johnny Franklin and Gene Dudley to the era of Mike Chisholm, Lee Olibas and Jack Dempsey to the era that gave us Jim Pettit II, Ed Sans Jr. and Bobby Hogge III and into the current era, Larry has been there. He's beaten them all, and he's done it with class.
Larry was not braggadocios. He was one of the nicest guys at the track, but he was reluctant to talk about his accomplishments. His presence at the race track was a testimony to his love for racing. He didn't do it for points and championships. He won a lot, but he didn't do it merely for the wins. He did it because he enjoyed it. He liked being a part of the community. He liked working on race cars. He liked being at the race track with his friends.
I realized over the past few years how we should appreciate what he was doing out there. Most racers would have retired 20 years before he did, and there he was. He was planning to come back again this season. It brought a smile to my face to see him do it and do it so well. There was no decline. He was the champion his last season at the track. He went out a champion.
He ranks in the Top 10 on Antioch's All Time Win List and is second only to Mike Gustafson in Limited Late Model wins. He won an amazing 10 Late Model features in 1986 at Antioch. Going over my notes, he won two Super Stock and four Late Model championships at Petaluma and ranks high on the win list there. He won 11 Super Stock features at Chico one year and won championships at Vallejo. I mean, everybody knows how good the Hardtop racers were in the 1960's, and Larry beat them all for his first championship.
I'll tell you my biggest failure in racing was that I was unable to convince John to start the Hall Of Fame at Antioch Speedway in 2000. I know Larry knew how much he was loved and how important he was to our sport, but it would have been nice if we had acknowledged that officially. Not just him, but other legends who are still with us. People like Larry were the ones who made others want to go racing. He was one of my racing heroes and my dad's as well.
To be honest, one of the reasons I hated coming up here is because I wouldn't be seeing Larry race. And, if I ultimately don't leave the sport when I move my life forward, it's hard for me to imagine I won't be back there at Antioch Speedway one day. If/when that day comes, I won't get to see him race.
To the critics, let's see you wheel a car at 87 years old the way that man did. There may have been a bump here or there, but the man could drive the wheels off of his car. The Limited Late Model division just became a wide open championship, but the racers, even his critics, are still sad. They may win a race, and somebody else will win the championship, but they won't have to earn it by beating the legend himself.
I can't imagine what awaits us beyond this life, but I'm pretty sure that if there's a race track there, that's where Larry will be. He'll be out there racing Del Quinn, Leroy Geving, Phil Pedlar, Gary Pacheco, Mike Chisholm, Vern Willhoite, George Steitz and so many other greats who are no longer with us. And no matter what, win lose or draw, he'll have a smile on his face. He'll be doing what he loves to do. We should all be so fortunate to find that thing we love that makes us happy and be able to enjoy it for as long as he did. For those of us who are still here, racing won't be the same without Larry Damitz.
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