My Dad Popped The Chutes For The Last Time Tonight

Sorry for your loss Cooter. We all dread that day.

Judging from just a few photos, your Dad lived the life most of us would envy.

Hoisting a few drinks in his honor tonight.

Always sad to hear another racer has passed.  Condolences to you. Racing won't be the same without him, but it shouldn't. Still miss going to the track without my grandfather. 

Sorry for your loss..

Looks like dad was a trend setter and great that he lived a long life in a very dangerous era in motorsports. Congrats to him on a life well lived. 

Cooter, I'm very sorry for your loss. Looking at the pictures and locations and times, I think there is high likelihood that he and my uncle crossed paths at some point.

Godspeed.

Thank you to everyone here.   Everything is really raw right now, so I'm not sure how much I will be posting.   Maybe just a little, maybe not at all for a while, maybe a flood.

I have been writing to someone who is pretty well known who "gets it".   I reached out cold to him, and he has lent an ear.  He doesn't know me from Adam, and I am really grateful that he replied at all.    At this point it seems to be the easiest way to open up about my father, and I will always have the sent emails that I can edit to share as stories here.    I'm not sure whether it is easier because he doesn't know me, that he doesn't owe me anything, that he truly is an avid historian of vintage drag racing, or the fact that emails feel more private for raw emotions.   Maybe it is a combination of all of that and more.  Just understand that I do want to share here, but I am not able to right now.    I break down every time I write anything about him.   

I'm doing my best.

I also REALLY want to respond to most every comment, but I am truly not able to right not. 

Just want to say thank you again.

Here's a photo of my mom with Lonnie Denison of the team.   I knew him as "Uncle Lonnie".    When I was very young my parents would ask me in front of other people what I wanted to be when I grew up.   I would say "I want to be big and fat like Uncle Lonnie"

I have no idea if I was coached to say that or just coached to repeat it for entertainment.   But check out the push car.

Cooter I’m too new here to know you well, but I feel for you brother.  I’m sorry.

I’ll pour one out for your dad tonight, and imagine he’s in a better place. A place where the air is cool, the track is always prepped, and you can’t red-light no matter how hard you try.  Godspeed Willy...

Sorry about your loss.

I saw Freiburger on I-gram mentioned the wake in Burbank, IL on Monday.  Another south side racer - those pictures are the best.  

I too would love to hear the stories.  

Eventually it happens to us all.  Sounds like he had a hell of time getting there though.  Congratulations to your Father for riding this life so far and so fast and Condolences to you and the rest that he left behind.

I’m so sorry for your loss. As others have said it sounds like he lived his life to the fullest.  Thanks for sharing his story with us.

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

He was the person I was talking to about my dad.   I also asked him to make a mention of my father's passing, as I don't have contact info of everyone he knew, or even knowledge of who is still alive from back then.


I'll update the thread I started about him when I can do it without fear of damaging the laptop with my tears.  I see the photo links are all dead, so I'll have to do something about that, as well.

Sorry for your loss.  I would love to hear and see more about him.

Quick tip for the photos:  do not hotlink them from somewhere, just upload them from the file (you should be able to just drag them into the page also).  If they are already on a web page, just copying and pasting should work.  That way the images should never get lost.

In reply to aircooled :

I am uploading them now when I post new ones, but the older ones were shared from FB.   Worked for 10 years until they changed the format.

I'm terribly sorry to hear this, and your family is in our thoughts and prayers.

Ohh man.   I'm sorry.  

Saw this on IG tonight.  Your dad is a legend man. 

I saw this thread soon after it was first posted.

I wanted to reply, but it hit a little too close to home, so I had to wait a bit. 

I'm sorry for your loss, and very grateful for you sharing your dad's history with us.

Thoughts and prayers to you and your family....

My condolences to you and your family.

A friend dropped off a magazine that my father told me about, but I hadn't seen in person.

I believe Snag O'Donnell was the driver for part of the time in the mid '60s, but I really don't know if he continued to drive after Arlasky left the team. 

After reading this thread I have a better appreciation for these cars. Just wild!

Im sorry man, especially so about the way it happened with covid right now. You sure love and respect him and I’m sure you’ve always done the best you could for him. And I bet that meant worlds to him.