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7/20/11, 1:01 PM   #3
Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
McInturff Racing
McInturff Racing is offline
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Join Date: May 2011
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I remember that fateful night well despite being 11 years old when it happened. I was staying with my grandparents that weekend and they let me stay up late just so I could watch the race on ESPN. When I saw the wreck and the coverage which pretty much let you know what the outcome was going to be, my heart sunk. When I heard he had died I broke out in tears immediately. Rich was, and still is, one of the drivers who I always looked up to. I was racing quarter midgets still when it happened and I had lost one of my hero's that night. To this day when I list off the names of the 3 or 4 drivers who inspire me to continue to strive to race a full size sprint some day (minis are awesome but within 5 years I will have a 360 or 410) Rich is still on the list. In fact, one of my prized pieces of racing memorabilia still is the program Rich signed for me at Eldora when my Dad took me into the pits and I met Rich for the first time when I was 8. I was so nervous and awestruck to me meeting one of my racing hero's I could barely lift my arm to shake his hand and almost couldn't get my mouth to work to ask for an autograph (my Dad wasn't going to do it for me. If I wanted it I had to ask!). After I finally mustered the courage to speak he even asked me all about my racing after my Dad mentioned to him that I was an aspiring open wheel driver. At 8 years old to be treated like "one of the guys" by a pro was sheer bliss! I still vividly remember every detail of those 10 minutes in heaven! Maybe I am odd for still having hero's at the age of 32, but if so, so be it. I am not ashamed to admit that 21 years after his death Rich still continues to inspire me now.
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Last edited by McInturff Racing; 7/20/11 at 1:02 PM. Reason: I can't spell!
 
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