INDIANAPOLIS — Like a lot of men my age, the only time I ever look in the mirror is when I am brushing my teeth. It is an effective strategy when one goal is to deceive yourself about where you are on this journey.
It is always sobering when I read the regular SPEED SPORT feature Glory Days and realize that I was actually at the event being memorialized. I’m lucky. I have enjoyed reasonably good health and was fortunate to have a primary occupation that did not take a toll on my body. A few aches and pains are unwanted but are tolerable.
What is far more difficult at this time is experiencing the loss of people who have enriched my life. It has been a brutal stretch. In quick succession the racing community lost outstanding photographers Ken Simon, Jim Viviano and Dr. Phil Rider. I have so many great memories of each of these fine people.
Yet, one loss cuts incredibly deep. Lynn Paxton was as unique as they come. As I recently shared with a friend, few individuals have enjoyed a Hall of Fame career as a racer and arguably made an even greater contribution after hanging up the helmet. His understanding and appreciation of racing history was beyond compare.
More than this, his infectious personality made him one of racing’s great ambassadors. He was by any measure an absolute giant.
What made Lynn so important to me is also what makes the sport so great. I grew up in Kansas and did not have a ton of chances to see Lynn race. Yet, I did. Because of people like Hall of Famer Bruce Ellis I read about him from stories in Open Wheel Magazine and National Speed Sport News kept me abreast of his on-track performances.
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