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Dave Lawrence passed away in his sleep Saturday, June 17, 2006. We were devastated to hear the news of Dave Lawrence's passing. Dave touched the lives of so many people, he can never be replaced. It will never be the same at Delaware again, it can't be. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Heather, Kris, Jordan and the B.T. Racing Team, they have lost a wonderful husband, father, and friend.
How I Remember Dave Lawrence ... Growing up around the track, Dave Lawrence was a name I knew. I knew his reputation as a great racecar driver. What I didn't know, was that he was an even better person off the track. I learned that very quickly when I entered the Street Stock class three years ago. Right from the get-go, Dave went out of his way to make the transition to the full-size racecar as smooth as possible. He was, and will continue to be, instrumental in my development as a racecar driver. Dave had a huge amount of knowledge and experience, and an even bigger heart. Dave's first instinct was always to help, and he helped what seems like just about everybody in the racing community, myself included, on many, many occasions. Dave was a great person, father, husband, friend, and driver. He earned the friendship and respect of everyone he touched. He was a positive influence on me, both through his sharing of knowledge and experience, as well as just being a person I could watch on any given Friday night to see how a great driver behaved and carried himself. He was a mentor and role model. I have nothing but extremely fond memories of Dave Lawrence, and I'd like to share a few of those with his friends and family.
One of the greatest things about Dave, was that he'd personally experienced all of the ups and downs in racing. There wasn't anything that could happen he hadn't already been through, and his experience was invaluable to me. I remember when I started my first Feature Race ever in the Street Stock class. I had visions of glory that were crushed when I piled the car up hard into the inside wall coming out of turn two. Man, was I ever disappointed. I doubted myself; I was in way over my head. Maybe it was a sign that I wasn't cut out for this racing business. Nothing anyone said seemed to help, until I talked to Dave. He came up and asked me what happened. I tried to re-create the crash with my hands and words, and he listened intently. When I finished, he said to me, "You had to hit your first wall sometime. We've all done it. I did it my first year too. What's important is that you learn from it." He then proceeded to tell me what I did wrong, and how to prevent it in the future. Just hearing someone as talented as Dave sympathize with me, and say that he'd done it himself, a track champion, really helped. I took that instruction to heart, and haven't made the same mistake again.
Dave also wasn't the type of guy to figure something out that worked on the track, and keep it secret. He liked to share information with others, and help people improve. We couldn't all be as good as him, but he wanted us to compete. I still remember a time during my first year when he noticed something about my racing line in practice. Afterwards, he took me over to the entrance to turn three, and asked me how I entered the corner, both with my hands and the brakes. I told him, and he then told me how he did it, and suggested I try it. The great thing about Dave was that he never tried to force feed you anything, he just liked to offer helpful advice. If you took it, great, if not, that was great too. In this case, he told me to "Try it. See what you think. If you like it, use it. If not, just throw it away and do what you are comfortable with." So, I did, and darn if it wasn't much more comfortable, and quicker!
After my rookie season, our race team was in negotiations with Dave about purchasing a new racecar from him. I was out at the BT Racing shop one day, looking at the new car, talking about my rookie season, how it went, etc., and he gave me a simple compliment that I will never forget. He simply said "I think you're a heckuva driver." Hearing that from anybody would be flattering, but from Dave Lawrence, it carried some extra weight. Dave was that type of person. Always making people smile. He had a contagious laugh, and he could tell a fantastic story! I'll miss his racing stories. He was friends with so many people, but when he talked to you, he made it feel like you were special, you were a good friend of his. I always appreciated that.
I have another good memory when I was talking to Dave after a feature race. I finished one position ahead of him that race, but he was definitely quicker, and all over my rear bumper. On one lap, he got a real good run on the outside, I drifted up the track a bit coming off the corner, and pinched him a bit, not giving him enough room to carry his momemtum down the straight. I felt real bad, I knew he was quicker, and I wasn't trying to block. I figured he was probably really ticked off, so when he came up to me after the race I immediately apologized, and asked if I'd given him enough room. He laughed, gave me a playful slap in the shoulder, and said "Nope, but this is racing. You're not supposed to."
I've discussed it with Darrell Lake on numerous occasions, and we both agree that the sight of Dave's #28 machine in the rear-view mirror was hands down the most intimidating of all the cars. Dave was a clean racer, and we both knew he'd never wreck us or do any damage, but seeing him close in on our rear bumpers was just down right scary. He had so much experience, you just knew he would work your bumper with all the tricks he knew, looking for an opening. One of his favourite things to do was pull up behind you, then settle into your blindspot, so you knew he was there, but you couldn't see him. Man, was that ever un-nerving! He'd sit in that spot until you would slip up, miss an entry into the corner, slide up, and off he'd go underneath, often with a quick wave of his right hand as he went by. Man I hated it when he did that, but I couldn't help but smile as he waved on the way by. Then tucking in behind him, and watching him work his way through traffic, inside, outside, was amazing. The car was Dave's pencil, the track, his canvas. It was fun to watch him drive.
So many good memories, Dave was always so good to me. One day I was out at the BT Racing shop, picking up a part, and I took him aside to really say thanks for everything he'd done for me over the years. I finished by saying I was really grateful, and he stopped me and said "I know, I can tell. You just go out there and win and I'll be happy". The thing about it, was that as competitive as he was, what Dave said was probably true. He loved to help people, and then see them do well as a result. A truly selfless man. Knowing this about Dave made me thrilled to hear that his son Jordy won his first career Feature Race in the JRL on Wednesday night because I knew how happy and proud Dave would be.
My heart goes out to Heather, Kris, Joe, Vic, Duane, the BT Racing Team, Little, as well as the rest of his family, friends, and the entire racing community. We've lost a great one. I'll never forget Dave Lawrence. I'm so glad I got the chance to meet him. To me, he and his BT Racing family were what racing at Delaware Speedway was all about. He will be missed.
Thanks Dave!
Andrew PerkinsStreet Stock #3 June 2006 |
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