Clyde Ellis passed away

[myjones]

The next chapter of my families racing DNA story played out Friday night.
It brought to mind Dave Smith's passion for family that he expressed a couple weeks ago while giving me a lengthy plant tour and talking about who we all are in the world and the FF community.
"We are them going forward" is not just a phrase but how we should live our lives. My father passed away in April and was the other half of my exposure to racing at a young age. The Uncle above was Mom's brother so I got the bug from both sides of the family. Some of you may have seen Dad's story on the other forum including his (last ride)<> the casket towed to the graveside with his grandsons B-mod. Friday night the current owners of our
home track held the first annual Joe Berry B-Mod showdown in Dad's honor. Big purse, show-up money, a family suite for the event and shirts with Dad and his G-son Curtis's car on them. At the checkered flag they also had Mom present the trophy to the winner. The current owners of the track remind me of Dave Smith and so many others I have met here that have more class than any other segment of society I have seen in my lifetime.
Dale Berry Hemi33
Joe Berry T-shirt -2.jpg
dad rs.jpg

Last night was the second annual Joe Berry B-mod shootout at our home track Lakeside Speedway. Once again they asked Mom to give the trophy to the winner of the event and she agreed. It's not often you see an 85 YO trophy girl at a dirt track but she climbed the ladder down from the stands and made the presentation. The family suite and the one next to it was full of 4 generations of family and friends last night to watch Joe's G son race in the event. Dad's brother is still on the pit crew of the current track owner who's also a family friend so there was a friendly rivalry there as well. Neither of them won the race and my nephews car was trashed enough to leave the track hanging between 2 tow trucks so he has a lot to do before next weekend, he's fine just a bit poorer from the carnage but that's racing. Mom needed help down the ladder and asked me to go along with my daughter who's 6 months pregnant so we went with. I'll try to post up that pic of 4 generations giving away the trophy when I get it but here's the clincher. The winner held the trophy for the pictures then tried to get Mom to take it home because he thought she "might like to keep it" , THAT my friends is the "more class" that I mentioned in the above post and is still very true in the car hobby and racing teams. Mom told him "You earned it and Joe would want YOU to keep it" so he did.
As Dave Smith says, " We are them going forward" to which I will add, try to live up to the legacy.
Dale Berry