Please note, many of you have emailed me. I have a new email
address, and have
lost your addresses. Please email me again, link is at the bottom
of this page.
Personal
Memories
I have seen several
tribute pages of Tim on the web, and would like to add my own.
Below are a few
of my memories, pictures, and keepsakes.
After this are
some pictures found on the web,
and some of the
tribute pages links.
I have tried
to keep the dates as accurate as possible,
but can't be
really sure about some of them. If you remember any of this at a
different
time, please
let me know!
*
I started attending
races in 1980, being a Bobby Allison fan.
My first race
was at Rockingham. Dale Earnhardt was Rookie of the Year
Around 1982 I
noticed the young man driving the J.D.Stacy car # 2.
Really started
noticing him when he won the pole at Charlotte in 1983.
One of the prizes
for that was a new Thunderbird. Tim jumped in the car
and drove it
around the track! I soon begin to realize that this driver
was
extremely talented;
who can forget the wheels off of the ground at Riverside?
Not just once,
but every time through the S turns!
Soon I began
sporting the t-shirts and hats, and joined the Tim Richmond Fan Club.
One of the most
disappointing races I attended was in Rockingham,
Tim was second
on the pole, they dropped the green flag, he took off, but slowed
dramatically.
The coil wire went on his car.
*
I will never
forget 1986, the best ever for Tim.
He was on a talk
show on a Charlotte radio station on Oct. 1, 1986. They were joking
about his recent
breakup with a girlfriend. They invited callers, and I actually connected!
My being from
S.C., we discussed the Carolina Gamecocks. Tim was a big fan of
them, and a good
friend of Coach Morrison. He asked where I would be sitting at
the upcoming
race, and asked me to stand up on lap 44 and he would see me.
Silly, but of
course I did! I am sure at speeds of over 175 mph, he got a good
look...hmmm.
Tim had me as
a loyal follower throughout his career. When he begin to become
ill, I was, as
I am sure his other fans were, worried as to what was wrong.
I heard pneumonia.
I sent a get well card to the Ashland address.
When Tim returned
to the Winston in Charlotte in 1987 I remember when they
introduced him
in the driver lineup, the crowd stood up and went totally wild!
What a wonderful
feeling to have him back!
*
Things of course,
did not get better for Tim, or his fans. We were all worried,
and wondering
what was wrong. The character assassination by Nascar left
a very foul taste
in my mouth. To this day, I will not attend a race, and would
like to spit
on Bill France! A faked positive drug test! Nascar really botched
that one, and
can not be trusted for any other tests they may wish to administer.
*
Early morning,
August 13, 1989, and this is true, I was lying
on my deck watching
the Perseid Meteor shower. I saw a very large purple
and white
shooting star,
smoke trails, and the hissing sound, very awesome.
I thought about
Tim at that moment. It turned out to be very near the time that
he passed away.
I have never mentioned this to anyone, for obvious reasons.
Perhaps a goodbye?
*
The attitudes
of my fellow southerners when the Aids news came out, was so
bad, that I was
disgusted, and vowed to move away. Always planned to live
in Florida anyway.
Soon afterwards I moved. I do not miss the South, or the
backward ways.
Had Tim's illness come after Magic Johnson, things would have
been different.
Johnson became an icon, while Tim was shunned, and not
mentioned.
It is up to the web community of Richmond fans to make sure that
Tim is not forgotten.
He was one of the most charismatic, talented, and charming
drivers ever.
None will ever have the all-out racing talent that this man possessed.
This is a picture on a key ring that I bought
years ago at CMS.
I still carry this in my purse.
This was the last time that I saw Tim at a track.
Race Schedule from 1987 for fan club members
A picture distributed by the Tim Richmond
Fan Club
One of my favorite pictures.
This is from the Press Guide as well.
From the Atlanta Invitational program book,
1986
Here are some tee shirts and a hat that I have
kept.
I was reading the paper the morning of Aug.
15, 1989, and my then - husband was
watching CNN, before work. Below is
the headline that greeted me at the same time
that my husband snidely said, "Hey, Tim Richmond
died"
The item below is very precious to me, and
I would like to share it with you.
Pictures from the web:
Picture of Tim from "Amy's Pics"
***
Photo
from Tim Richmond Image Gallery I
"Did
they get you to trade
your heroes for ghosts?"
"Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd
We miss you so...
Tribute in West Palm Beach, Aug. 13, 1999
Ashland County Memorial Park, Ashland, Ohio
Web Tributes and Acknowledgments
A Very Special
"Thank You" to
Velda Wilson.
Without her help this page would
not be possible.
Another web space provider lost this page, and Ms. Wilson
had downloaded
all of it. She sent it to me so that I could
reconstruct
it!
Thank you,
Velda!
Please click
here
to read a wonderful article by Velda.
Top Photo from The Official Tim Richmond Home on the Web
Aug. 7, 2002
This page is property of Anita Pierce
Key West, Fl.
