|
RIP Kevin Olson
Just saw a post on facebook that Kevin Olson perished in a traffic accident. His companion Nancy is in critical condition. Prayers to the Olson family.
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
:22:
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
So sorry to hear about this. Kevin was a unique individual and will be missed.
|
This is terrible news. He was a legend and friend to many. Can’t believe this.
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
I'm devastated. I don't think Kevin was planning to race this year, but I was so looking forward to seeing him and hanging out with him at The Prairie. He's the reason Dave moved to Wisconsin and joined Badger, to race with KO and to race at Sun Prairie. He was bigger than life. He knew everyone and everyone knew him. We will miss him.
|
Sad to hear this. He is definitely one of those people that just seemed to always make you smile and laugh whenever you heard his name.
RIP |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
Terrible shame, I remember sharing some conversations with KO, just BSing or giving him congrats on an article in SC&M. The guy left his info for anyone to talk and chat about racing, or trying to chainsaw tree limbs without the minimum of a six pak in the belly, gotta stack the carbs you know. I told him thats why he got hurt the last time.lol..
We are all going to miss that monkey. ........................Still hard to believe |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
I wish the best for Nancy. I just saw the both of them at our local scrap yard about a month ago (a fitting memory, as the three of us had took a trip there when I helped him move just over 6yrs ago...I was thankful, and shocked, when he told them to write the check to my name...scrap price was low then...lol)
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
We decided to honor KO by putting his final victory on YouTube. He won this race on July 21, 2019 at age 68. Click below.
Kevin Olson wins at Angell Park Speedway |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
Originally Posted by Ray3: |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
Originally Posted by Ray3: |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
What a bummer... I saw him at Chili Bowl & he seemed fine (even wore a mask)
A lot of people in my world have gone lately... RIP Kevin |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
Originally Posted by revjimk: |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
Never has anybody ever been happier to win anything than when he won the Hut Hundred. This old midget fan had some happy tears that night too.
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
Hat off and placed over heart with head bowed while grilling tonight in the snow.
RIP K.O. And if may get out of character here, what a **** deal. |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
Originally Posted by Rapid Rick: Well that and him running the Chili Bowl in a t-shirt and open faced helmet |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
Gutted to hear about the death of Kevin Olson and the circumstances behind it. KO was a real character and made you laugh every time you ran into him. Tried to sell me the Monica Lewinski jewelry collection one year out at Ventura for Turkey Night standing by the front entrance with a trench coat on!!! Opened the other side to reveal about a dozen watches!! Kevin was also a very good racer and will be sorely missed by one and all. I won't know where to take my light bulbs to get refurbished now!!! RIP KO!!! You were one of a kind!!!
Bruce Eckel |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
I got to know Kevin through his son-in-law, Nick Landon. I got the distinct pleasure of crewing for Kevin at a couple of Chili Bowls. While everyone knows he was funny both in person and his writing, what many didn’t realize, when that helmet went on, he was all business. When I heard he won that last race at Angel Park, I was as happy for him as I would have been if I won it myself.
At Nick and Kati’s wedding, when he gave me my copy of his book, Cages Are For Monkey’s, he serialized as #11 because he knew my cars number was 11. And at the reception, I got to hear a few of the stories that didn’t make the book. I could go on, but right now, I’m devastated. Godspeed Kevin, you will be missed. Tom Paterson |
Very sad to hear the news of the great Kevin Olson’s passing. His sign at the Chili Bowl this year for his tee shirts was fantastic. If you measured a race car driver by both skill and character, KO would have been the king!
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
News story by WKOW 27 out of Madison, WI on Kevin Olson and his family.
https://www.wkow.com/news/he-was-my-...19b3cde96.html |
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
From our local paper -
RRS - Kevin Olson, one of the greatest auto racers to ever come out of Rockford, died Friday night from injuries suffered in an automobile accident in Janesville, Wisconsin. He was 70. His family confirmed his death on Facebook. His wife Nancy remains in critical condition in the hospital. Olson is a member of the United States Auto Club Hall of Fame and a two-time USAC Midget Champion and five-time champion of the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA). Local racer David Gough moved up from Go-Karts to Midget cars in 1997 because of Olson's influence. "Kevin was by far the most iconic race car driver to ever come out of Rockford," Gough said. "He's a legend in Midget car racing. Even in Australia and New Zealand, where he used to travel back in the day, everyone knows who Kevin Olson is. He was always someone you wanted to talk to everywhere you go. "My dad was friends with him. That's how I got my interest in Midget racing. He'd take me up to Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie to watch Kevin. Kevin was always a prankster. He had some kind of scheme going on all the time. T-shirts or stink bombs in the bathrooms after the race. He was always up to something." Olson won 47 races at Angell Park Speedway, the last in 2019 at age 68. The BMARA called Olson "a larger than life individual" in a tribute story on its web site, noting he was "known for his silly antics, quick wit, and eccentric humor." Olson even wrote about many of his best pranks in a book: "Cages are for Monkeys: Unleashed with Kevin Olson, Racing's Zaniest Hall of Famer." Olson loved to joke around, but he was always serious about racing, according to former rival Joe Corrigan of Loves Park. "What I remember about Kevin is everybody liked him," Corrigan said. "On the track he was relentless, but off the track it didn't matter any more to him. "There were two sides to Kevin. There was that fun side, but there was also a really serious side. Racing was his passion. When something is your passion, that's all you want to do. His whole life was centered around racing." Olson began racing for Corrigan's father, Lyle, in the 1970s and later raced against Lyle's two sons, Roger and Joe, in the 1980s. "When he was racing back then," Joe Corrigan said, "all the guys racing against him, they would all lie to one another and say, 'Oh, I'm not going to race there. That race means nothing.' But they then would all show up there because it was good competition." Olson raced for 51 years and was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1997 and the United State Auto Club Hall of Fame in 2016. Matt Trowbridge: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com; @matttrowbridge This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Remembering a legendary Rockford race car driver who died in Wisconsin auto accident |
I was extremely sad to hear of his passing he was one of the great ones. RIP KO and I hope you win all the races in heaven and have plenty of cold beer afterwards.
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
A friend told me one time at the Chili Bowl Kevin went to a taco stand in town and bought 100 tacos. In the pits he offered everyone he saw a taco.
|
Re: RIP Kevin Olson
This 99% based stock car show (not just nascar; seems more short track based these days); this WI based weekly started off with their first segment about KO, including an interview from Greg Wilke. The host, Slinger announcer Todd Behling, compared him like Dick Trickle was to the stock car world (I have often thought that too) -
http://ltnradionetwork.com/ |
Godspeed my friend. Thank you for the many hours of entertainment you provided. Never a dull moment when KO was around.
|
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 3:30 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
© 2005-2025 IndianaOpenWheel.com