Posted by Carol
on 8/2/2002, 1:55 am
It is August 2, 2002. People are going to work, going about their lives. People are going to the races and some are towing their cars to the races.... some in big rigs and some on small open trailers. Some are... but not John or Ronald. Today marks the one year anniversary of John's last race. He had made that long tow from Beaumont, Texas to Eldora... a big, fast dirt oval in the middle of nowhere just North of the sleepy little town of Rossburg, Ohio near the Western border of the state. I wasn't there, but I imagine that by the time the B feature came around, the track had dried out and was it's usual dust bowl, with the drivers searching for that last bit of moisture up by the wall. John was leading the B feature, when he tapped the wall, and bounced back into oncoming traffic. This scene has been repeated many times at Eldora. It all happens so fast that no one can take evasive action. It was no ones fault. It just happened. Only this time, it took the life of John Bankston. It doesn't seem like it has been a year... but then, it seems like forever since we last saw John. Since we last saw that twinkle in his eyes... wondering what he was thinking. Since we heard that beautiful deep voice. Since we had the opportunity to thrill to his "balls to the wall" style of racing. Oh how we all miss John. A month ago, I was at an ASCS race, and there was a red #8 and a red #52 "duking it out" in the heat race. I could barely see through my tear filled eyes, but the #8 came from the back and passed the #52. Neither of them won, but they did have a good race. Was it dejavu? Was it a reflection of what is happening in another place? All I know is that it tore my heart out once again. We must go on... but I doubt that any of us will ever forget the thrill of having known John Bankston.
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