Saturday April 5th Weekend Update

Hi everyone, I am away today spending some time with my girls. I was just sitting here thinking about my dad. I am so thankful for the time I have been able to spend with him, and when I am not with him, I worry about him and miss him so much.

Dad and  Emma, napping.

I was looking through and replying to some messages, if I am not with dad when I get them, then I send them to him and Becky by text. I love to read them to him and talk about whoever it was that sent the message, he knows a lot of people that I have never met and the love and support from everyone is wonderful! I may not reply to every message but we see them all and appreciate them. 

Recently dad and I were talking about his racing days. I really wanted to get more information about those days but I will have to rely on others to help me fill-in the time line, (hint-hint Buck Johnson, Lamar Walker, Phil Fowler, Mike Calinoff, Pete Pistone, Calvin Humphries, Hop and so many others that I have not named). Dad did mention to me however, that I should contact Jayski, he had a site and might be able to help.

After reading a link that Jayski had provided me, I couldn't help but think back to the racing days. All I did then was worry about my daddy being in a bad wreck and getting hurt. I never would have thought that something like this could happen unexpectedly and so suddenly. I know that none of us are promised tomorrow, it's just so sad and breaks my heart to see my dad have the problems that he has had and the medical complications are so bizarre. But then I remember that I am not not the only one to lose a parent and wonder if I am being selfish for feeling this way, but it's so hard to accept the hand he has been dealt.

Getting back to racing, I do wish that I would have embraced the racing life a little more. My sisters (Deedra and Jody) which I have not mentioned much but are always close to my heart, spent a lot of our days at the race track. It was very different as a children/teens, especially being girls, spending our weekends at the racetrack. If it was still during the school year we usually spent the weekend with Maw-Maw Jo, Aunt Judy or our Great-Aunt Mae. I think Mae probably had it the worst, by the time she was in-charge of us we were older much meaner teenage girls. For so many years though, mom and dad used to sneak us into the race track, we would hide under blankets or whatever we could find in the back of the car at the time, rules were, you had to be over 16 to be allowed in the pit area. Once in the pit area we would have to hide out in the race truck all day. As a parent I can understand why the brought us, it was hard to be away from your family so many weekends and not to mention that three girls could wear out their welcome other places.

Some of the things I remember most about those race days is all of the adventures getting to the race tracks because something always broke down. No worries though, lots of on-board mechanics to fix them, thanks to dad, Little Bill, Rusty Lawson just depending on who was along for the ride.(I am mixing several years and race divisions of memories). Then when we got to the track there was always a problem, dad would either wreck the car during practice or something mechanical would go wrong, or an adjustment needed to be made and they would stay up all night working on the car to get it ready for race day. Dad mostly depended on volunteers for 'pit crew' and he funded a lot of his racing with the help of, very few but much appreciated, local sponsorship. The very one time that dad absolutely 'blew the field away' because of his relentless hard work and persistence, NASCAR tried to accuse him of cheating! (So many things have to come together to make the perfect race car). That was the year I turned my back on the sport forever. I felt that because dad didn't have a big corporate sponsor that they (NASCAR) didn't like it when the 'underdog' could race right along with the big guys. It seemed like racing had become all about money. Dad stuck with it for a few years after that, I went my separate way as an independent teenager and spent my free time playing in a country music band. But that was the great thing about my parents, they supported me no matter what I chose to do.

I am sure Deedra and Jody and so many others could share their experiences during the many years spent racing with dad. There are so many years and so many tracks that I can remember going to such as Daytona, Talladega, Richmond, Bristol, and Charlotte over the course of many years (can't forget about Hickory Motor Speedway) and lots of great memories and the many ups and downs being in a race family.

After dad retired from racing he continued with his full-time business in the salvage industries and has three salvage yards and other business interests that he had maintained full-time up until this tumor was discovered. We would have never thought that a simple prostate surgery could have triggered the massive problems that he now faces, the terrible affliction of cancer.

As I pray for Dad, Becky, Ethan, Matt, Alex, Deedra and Jody and our families and extended families, as well as his dad Gerald, and his brother Bobby and their respective families, dads cousins, aunts and many living relatives, I also pray for so many others that have been close to my dad and have known him over the years, this has been a difficult time for everyone. I know that he loves and appreciates each and everyone of you! He is a good man, with a great big heart, he is my daddy.

Please be sure to read the link I reference from Jayski, it's; Jasyki's Tallegda Experience.

Don't forget about this Saturday April 12th, we hope that dad can get behind the wheel on the race track at Hickory Motor Speedway, if he is able. Please keep checking the site for updates this week, we will let you know more details closer to this Saturday. 

There are so many of you that I would like to thank for all of the ways you have supported dad's family in Lake Wylie and our family in Shelby, you know who you are and we appreciate all you have done, no matter how big or small it was a big deal for us.

There were a lot of race comments posted today in various places on the site, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we have and encourage you to write more.

Dad has had lots of visitors today and we expect more tomorrow (Sunday). After tomorrow we would ask that you please call or text before you come by. We have a busy week and his family needs some special time with him as well. 

Contact information: 

 Becky Standridge cell #256-710-1518

Dad's home address is: 721 Anchors Bend Cove, Clover, SC 29710