Thank you for posting that. I'm sitting here crying like a baby in my KO sweatshirt, watching Kevin work that bottom, and getting to hear Gap call the race and do the Victory Lane interview. What wonderful memories.
Originally Posted by revjimk:
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
He was killed in a car accident, allegedly by a drunk driver.
Originally Posted by Rapid Rick:
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.
Apart from finally gettting to meet him, the Hut 100 win is my favorite KO moment as well.
Well that and him running the Chili Bowl in a t-shirt and open faced helmet
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!!!
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.
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!
