I can't tell you when I met Bob, but it was a long time ago. I ran into him many times during the 70s, as I travelled around the Northeast with the NEMA midgets.

I had a consulting gig in San Francisco in the late 70s. As a result, I was at the opening night of Baylands. After the heats, I headed for some food. I heard, "Hey Dick". Since I knew no one in Fremont CA, I ignored it. It was repeated. Then, I recognized the voice. It was Bob. I went back to his seat with him, and he introduced me to his host, a guy from Sacramento. It was only this past year, at the Kamp SprintWeek date that I realized, in the course of a conversation about Bob, that the "guy from Sacramento" is the guy I've known for the past few years as Mowerman. We live in a small world. :-)

Bob and I and some other friends made a bunch of trips together. The guy you'll see me with most often now was Bob's oldest friend, Henry Graham. He and I travel to the Chili Bowl and SprintWeek every year, plus as many more as possible. When you see Henry this season, ask him about going to Daytona with Bob, when both were in high school, with about $20 between them.

Nanci and I were scheduled to visit Bob in the hospital on our way to visit our daughter one Sunday, when Henry called to tell me that Bob had died that morning. Henry had spent the previous evening with him.

I'm not sure that everyone knows that Bob was part of Don McTavish's crew in the 60s, was at Daytona with him when Don was killed in '69, and never really got over it.

He was another of a long line of great folks that I've met chasing race cars.