I have many stories of G.
I haven't shared any stories yet as I'm still in shock. I simply can't believe it.
I've been thinking a lot about him and I know he would want me to keep telling the stories.
So I'm going to share the one about the first time I met him. Its a long story and one I will never forget.
It was 2005 and I had built my second USLMRA legal SP. George helped me with my first one through emails as I didn't know what was legal and he was the tech guy at the time. I only knew him by name. Not who he was.
Anyway 2005 I built the red SP with my first "built" engine. Mower never made laps, we loaded it and headed to Aroma Park Illinois. Not knowing what to expect.
We got there before dark the day before the race. We pulled in where there was room. It just happened to be next to George's pit. They were camping there just like we were. As I started unloading the trailer here came George. He just HAD to see what was in this trailer as I had never been to a national event ever.
Out came the mower. He said it was to shiny to be a racer.
Next came the golf cart (we brought it as we had room and didn't know how big the track would be!!) First thing he saw was the shiny paint and made some comment about that. Then he noticed the aluminum wheels and all I heard was "Tommy, Tommy, you have to get over here and see these wheels!!!! We need them on the mowers!!!" He was traveling with Tom Ast at the time. G proclaimed he was going to steal them off the cart in the middle of the night. He was greatly disappointed when he found out they were 10" wheels!!
So we hit it off right away.
He started looking my mower over. First thing he said was it wouldn't make it though the weekend. The tranny would explode. I had a foote in it.
My new nickname was "rookie"
So it started raining, so we started drinking................before I set up our tent.
So I set up the tent while G was building a engine for I think Allen Minaker in the pits.
We continued to drink as it didn't stop raining.
G commented that my tent looked more like tepee and not a tent. Told him it was all good and we would be fine. So we drank some more.
Then he introduced me to Bobby Cleveland...........which is another story!!!
So it continued to rain and it didn't look like we were racing early in the morning, so we continued to tell stories and...........well drink.
Off to bed. Then it really started to rain!
My tent fell over. We (wife was along and not impressed) crashed in the trailer with my buddy. Took the air mattress and pillows out of the tent.
Next morning we are sitting in the trailer as it is still raining and here came G. Pounding on the side of the trailer. "HEY ROOKIE YOU IN THERE? YOUR TENT FELL DOWN!!!"
We emerged from the trailer, and I caught a ton of flack from everyone. G pulled me to the side and asked why the tent fell down? I told him it was an engineering issue. He said it takes a big man to admit when he screws up and admired that I was honest about the situation, not making an excuse.
The race was rained out. So we moved on to Mendota. My mower still hasn't moved under power.
Get to Mendota and we are a ways down the line from the "big boys" in the pits. George is still making a point to tease me about being a rookie and have never raced my mower.
Race day was bad. I kept having belt issues.
George was right there offering advice, very good advice. And at the same time baffled that my transmission hasn't blown up yet.
By the feature I put my last belt on and George came over and asked if I was good to go. I told him yes and I was just going to take it easy and finish the feature. Run the outside. He said that was probably a good idea.
Well...........I got a great start (lemans starts then) and was 5-6 place out of what seemed 30 mowers. I couldn't lift, I had to run it hard. The changes I made to the belt worked, it was all good. Then G was right............boom goes the tranny!
As he is helping me push my mower back to the pits for the 3rd time he still had to get one more crack in. He doesn't even look at me as he is pushing and says..........."Rookie, your suppose to bring riding mowers to these events not push mowers!!!!".
We have been friends ever since...............................