[nonwing]

First of all, special thanks to Aaron Mosley for letting me “Wheel Pack” his sprint car last Saturday night at Lincoln Park Speedway. And when you consider the amount of time, effort and money he has in his beautiful red #27 sprint car, it would be a tough call to let anyone else drive his car. It says a lot about what kind of guy he is to let this cancer / chemo boy, climb into his car and relive some of my younger, healthier days.

This was the first time I had sat in a sprinter since just before I was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2002. But, after I got all of my gear on and walked out of his trailer, I imagine I was standing up a bit straighter and had my chest puffed out a bit. I was back in my element for sure.

Aaron and I talked a bit and then he went down to explain to the track crew that we wanted to go out as early as possible. This way I could get as many laps as possible. Aaron came back and said, ”Let’s go George and by the way, if you don’t stand on it at least once, I’m going to tell everyone you’re a chicken!” I said with a big smile, “Ok, it’s your race car!”

I get pushed off and waited until the water temp came up before I stood on it and declare myself “Not a Chicken.” One funny thing is that while I’m idling around, I noticed a huge rock in turn two. So I motioned to one of the track guys to go over and gather it up. That thing was at least the size of a soft ball if not bigger! Then the water truck came out and he waters the very top at both ends. So now the track is dry as a bone down the straights, muddy – greasy on the bottom and now greasy on the top. So if wanted to stand on it, I needed to be a little cautious, but I was ready.

I gassed it up a few times, not very pretty, but all things considered I got to hear that big 410 come to life, slam my head back in the seat and get ‘er side ways a few times before bringing it in so Aaron could get his own laps in the car. It was an absolute blast. It is so hard to explain the thrill of driving one of those beasts and it was awesome to be back behind the wheel.

Special thanks to The Lincoln Park Speedway’s track crew, they were great and gave me plenty of laps to get my itch scratched.

I obviously could not hear the PA, but I hope Brad got a chance to bring up the fact that I’m still struggling with colon cancer. In addition to my fun, I also wanted to take the opportunity to create more awareness for this awful disease. If anything else came out of Saturday night’s deal, was getting colon cancer more exposure so people will think about prevention. Because, if you catch it early, you have an excellent chance of survival. The last thing I want, is for anyone else to have to endure everything that has affected my family and me, the past 8 years.

Thanks again to everyone who gave me the opportunity. That night will stay with me for a very long time!

George Wilkins

[nonwing]

Originally Posted by trackaddict Your are an incredibly courageous man and I would love to meet you. This brings tears to my eyes as I have lost my father to cancer 19 years ago and my mother-in-law 10 years ago. Joe Spiker is my brother, so I work the payout window every Saturday. He has generously agreed for LPS to host a Cancer Awareness and benefit night for the Putnam County Cancer Center. This will be August 28. Early detection is the key to a better prognosis, so by having this Awareness day, we can help others. I wish you the best and please stop by my window at the pit office next time you are at the track. Millissa Posted via Mobile Device

Millissa,

Thanks for letting me know your thoughts. You are very kind. I am also very sorry about your losses. My parents are both gone. My Mom died of breast cancer in 1987 and then my father passed away with a heart attack in 1994. So I feel for you. My parents were literally my best friends and I miss them everyday.

On the other hand I'm excited that Mr. Spiker has decided to have a cancer awareness day on August 28th. What a great gesture. I'm sure he has an awful lot going on, so adding this to his already full plate is awesome.

I have a personal goal of living to see both my kids graduate from high school. That means I need 10 more years. It's a daunting idea, but I believe you have to have goals in life. The other goal I've had is to bring as much awareness to colon cancer as I can. I haven't been doing a great job of it for the past year or two, but Saturday night got me back on track. Uh, so to speak... :2:

If there is anything I can do to help with the 28th, please let me know.

And thanks again, Saturday was a lot of fun.

George Wilkins