Episode 337
November 1, 2020
For some yet to be determined reason over 1500 words of this episode were not published earlier today. Sorry!
Track N Treat a hit
Certain aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic really rot, however, it may have forced folks to look for alternative ways of conducting business, church, or in this case Halloween. Why not use a racetrack on Halloween afternoon and have racers decorate cars and hand out treats?
Such was the idea hatched by Lindsey Walker and her parents, Dan and Sue Walker to give youngsters in the Scarborough area a safe outdoor environment to Trick or Treat.
How did this feat of organization take place in a compact 2 1/2 week time frame. No one better to tell that story than Sue Walker and her daughter Lindsey. Sue first, “About yesterday. Where do we even begin. Trying to find the words to even start to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and fun that we all witnessed yesterday is impossible.”
“Lindsey texted Dan 2 1/2 weeks ago and said, ‘You know what would be fun is trick or treating at Beech Ridge’.
“Dan came home and mentioned it to me. I said we should reach out to Andy {track owner of Beech Ridge} and ask.”
“We had a meeting with Andy 2 weeks ago yesterday and we were given the go ahead.”
BTW
Lindsey Walker’s phone number has been blocked in both of our phones.
As mentioned in Sue Walker’s comments above, the idea for Track N Treat began in Lindsey Walker’s vivid imagination. Walker is a Financial Services Specialist at Machias Savings Bank in the Portland area.Her work in the banking industry helped her with organizational and promotion of this ambitious idea.
She filled me in saying, “Yes this was my idea. I just thought with trick or treating being so questionable given the circumstances, we should host an event for people to attend where there was no question whether is was okay or not. We hosted 76 participants and approximately 2,700 trick or treaters.”
At the track
“Such a fun day, thank you guys for saving Halloween”, said Audra Wimert.
Matt Deering commented, “Me and my family thank you all for putting that surprise event on. Couldn’t have gone better across the board from what we saw.”
“It was amazing and made so many needed smiles on the kids’ faces and to feel ‘normal’ in these crazy times”, said Stacy O’Brien Ward! “Thanks to all of the people that helped”.
The plan is to have Track N Treat on the official Beech Ridge Motor Speedway calendar.
Kart racing sponsor passes away
Timothy (Tim) J. Cowett, 57 died November 1, 2020, surrounded by his family at his Caribou residence following a long battle with cancer. Northern Maine Karting Association (NMKA) members knew Tim as a loyal supporter of kart racing at Spud Speedway and as a sponsor of a single mom with her son and daughter.
Tim got to know the family when their father worked for Cowett at Cowett’s Auto Recycler and Parts (C.A.R. Auto Parts) in Presque Isle. C.A.R. Auto Parts began their sponsorship in 2015. The effort went beyond financial resources.
Team BAS (Bryan Searles Racing) based in Presque Isle; Maine was able to with the help of Tim win track championships at Spud Speedway in 2015-2018. Searles was also track champion in 2017 at Thundering Valley Speedway in St. Albans.
Cowett urged his brothers at Cowett’s Pit Stop and Cowett Auto Sales to provide prize money for the season finale at Spud Speedway September 9, 2017. The Cowett family with deep roots in auto racing were happy to provide prize money for the kart racers. Prize money is rare in kart racing and was appreciated.
Stephanie Ball, the mother of NMKA racers Bryan Searles and Ronnie Lynn Kelly, lamented the loss of Tim Cowett saying, “Of all the pictures I have, this will always be my favorite.”
“I was downstate with Bryan and Sis {Ronnie Lynn Kelly} had to defend Bry’s title at Spud Speedway. He picked up Sissy (usually it was Bry he took), took her to the track, dressed her in her gear, coached her through, manned her pit, obviously kept her smiling, and sent me this picture.”
“He also then packed up, took her back to town, hauled the kart/gear, cleaned the carb and the kart, then got it ready for the next weekend. He was a friend I didn’t deserve. He had no obligation to me or the kids, except maybe that God brought him into our lives for the reasons he more than fulfilled.”
“I can’t even begin to tell you how he cared for me and my children, the support he was in the hard times (and good), or how he never asked for anything in return. I called him infinite times crying or would show up at the shop at 06:30am with something broken, when all he wanted to do was drink his morning coffee!”
“We had some of the best conversations. He remembered small things and put up with my attitude that I so freely (and regrettably) gave. We didn’t always agree but no matter what, he was my friend. He said every time we talked that he ‘loved our little chats.’ I know I was a source of anxiety for him but he knew he could create a calm for me.”
“I’m thankful he isn’t in pain anymore. I know that my grief is less than that of his family, but damn, it hurts to lose a friend like him.”
Thank You Tim Cowett!
NHRA Champions’ trophies made by local connected man
Tom Michael Patsis, Cold Hard Art owner, Brownsburg, Indiana, graduated from Ellsworth High School in 2000. Patsis then attended and graduated from the University of Northern Ohio in 2003. He then began his career in the high-performance industry in the Indianapolis, Indiana area.
Patsis went on his own leaving his job as fabricator at Don Schumacher Racing in October 15, 2015 to continue building trophies and memorabilia full time using so called “racing trash”.
His latest project involved the building of the NHRA Pro divisions champions for the 2020 season finale at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend.
Winners of the NHRA Pro Divisions:
Watch this thrilling racing video from Road to Indy Champion Sting Ray Robb
We end this episode with a video from Sting Ray Robb the 2020 Road to Indy Pro 2000 Series Presented by Cooper Tires. The AIM Move of the Year took place at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin earlier this season. Robb had 7 wins, 11 podiums, 5 pole awards, most races led, most laps led, and only participant to finish all 485 laps in the season.
AIM Move of the Year video:
https://www.facebook.com/stingrayrobbracing/videos/370223287510904
Let’s go racing,
Tom Hale
Soli Deo Gloria (Matthew 5:16)