I remember the events all too well also. Robbie had qualified a car for the Contos's in the Little 500, and I had just put his name on the Contos car. After hearing the news, I was stunned, as I know many were, to hear about his tragic passing. I received a call soon after from the Contos family, asking me if I would come to the shop and remove his name from their car. They simply couldn't bring themselves to do it. They had raced with Robbie for years and developed a deep connection with him, and couldn't bear to remove the last connection they had with him. I went to the shop and took the names off the car, nearly in tears myself; it was a very surreal thing.
The brief time I was with him at the shop prior to the accident still is in the back of mind. It was something that was difficult and emotional for me to have to do, and I pray that me or anyone else who loves the sport and those who participate in it ever has to go thru it again.

In my mind Robbie was one of the all-time greats, and a fine young man to boot. R.I.P. Robbie.

Robbie borrowed my arm restraints one night at Scotsburg IN. I still have those restraints. He was a great guy, I will never forget him.

He was my Hero. He use to come over to our house after work and would jump on the trampoline with me. Even with is gimp leg. He would tell me that real racecar drivers do not just show up with there helmet bags. I look up to him like a big brother. My Dad drove for Ron when Robbie was not old enought to drive. Our families were pretty tight. Robbie and I put the #5 car togeither that went down the backstretch at IRP Upside down. I was so bumbed out. That was the first car that I helped with from the ground up. My Dad still has the side pannel with both of there names on it. I remeber helping him move into his house in Brownsburg. He put me in the back of his Blue Chevy Truck, told me to put on is helmet and lay on the coach that was in the back of the truck. I was scared for my life because he had a hard time driving anything slow.:2: I would later end up with that same truck as my graduation present. I truly miss him and if I can get my own car back togeither you better believe it will be #47. NO REGRETS!

One of the worst nights of my life, I still have all my Robbie shirts put away never to be worn again. I have alot of 8X10's framed and hanging in my office, they go all the way around the room at the top of the walls, all are signed but 2, 1 is of Kara Hendricks next to her car at the Hoosier Dome and the other one is one of Robbie sitting on the nerf bar of the Payless car right after he had qualified it for the Little 500.......

Got one of them stickers from Lauren and its still on the side of the POS race van. RIP Robbie

Thanks John. Glad to know my small contribution to his legacy is still out there for others to see.

RIP: Robbie.....I still have a Robbie Stanley t-shirt...the Stanley's 44R Smokey's Stove and Spa car....

This is really hard for me to write. I have had tears reading these posts. I considered Robbie a great friend and a great race car driver. The reason it is so hard for me is that until tonight I couldn't even deal with it. I couldn't even open this post until tonight. I would just pass over it. I as a race driver have always had a hard time dealing with driver's losing their life or getting seriously injured. I just didn't know how to deal with it. So I pretty well just avoided it in every way that I could. I would always pray for the families of the lost loved one or the injured driver. But I could never go to the funeral home or the hospital for some reason I just didn't know how to deal with it. It has always eat in me up about Robbie and his family because I considered them such good friends. I have always regretted not going to see Robbie or being there for the family. But I can't take it back but I am so glad that I opened this link because this is a big step for me. I do not know if other drivers face the same thing I faced as a driver not being able to deal with that side of our sport. But to the Stanley Family I am so sorry for not being there for you at the time when you needed us the most. I think about Robbie and you guys all the time and think about all the great times at the track together. Love you guys and God Bless.

Wow....these are some incredible posts. Very emotional to read.