[LEADERS EDGE]

Mrs. Vogler is a strong women. Most people forget she lost her husband and Rich got hurt at the Hut in the same year as well. People forget how bad he got hurt and came back.

The thing about racing with Rich was this: You found out immediately how bad you wanted to do it when running with him. The group of midget guys in the midwest in the Mid-Late 70's early 80's: Sleepy,Bob Wente Sr.,Danny Frye Jr., Kenyon,Lotshaw, Lonnie Caruthers, Nuckles Bros., Schrader,Olson,Knepper,Bigelow etc... were battle hardened racers and one of the reasons the competition level was so tough was because of Rich and the level he made you drive at. The new guys were going to be tested to see if they had what it took and the old guys to see how bad they still wanted to do it.

You knew two things A) If there was a race anywhere on a given night, he was going to be there(Unless another show paid more.) and B) He was going to drive whatever car he could and even if it was the biggest box there he was going to make it go fast. Faster than anyone else there could. The last time I saw a LTC Midget with VW win anywhere was the late 80's at South Bend at a WWAR Midget show when he just killed the field. There were nice newer cars there as well, but he was gone.

The odd thing with Rich was that it seemed as if his competitive drive was so internal and within himself that even when he was angry he never went after any one driver (That I can think of) physically. Many went after him, but I never saw him go at anyone else, even when confronted. He often did some things that cost himself positions or tore up eqipment because he was mad, but never anything too confrontational in the pits.

I knew he would ***** to the officials or pit drivers against each other by dropping notes in each ones ears and things of that nature, but I always felt that was just more gamesmenship to Jedi Mind F*** people to use to his advantage later.

I honestly don't believe, and I say this with all regards to the likes of Foyt and Stewart, I honestly don't believe that anyone wanted it worse and I honestly don't believe there is another person who has ever done it that wanted to do it worse than Rich and was willing to lay it all on the line at every momet of doing it. There were many drivers with more talent, but none have ever been able to mix talent and desire together the way he did.

I just wish I could have been a "fan" of his, but when you raced against him(or in my case, had family race against him) he competed so hard that it is hard to be objective. Thats good though, because thats what it should be like. No feelings other than just pure respect.

Rich died at the age of 40, which is my age now, but a guy like Rich lived 10 full lifetimes compared to a guy like me. To think of all he did in a 40 year span is amazing.