---------- Post added at 03:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:03 PM ----------
Longtime drag racer Jerry Newsome lost his 12 year battle with cancer yesterday morning Feb. 21. Jerry loved Mopars and campaigned this 440 6pak Challenger in B/SA for many years. When he was well and could work on his car it was among the fastest, if not the fastest, in his class. He was one of the first to put a Stock Eliminator car on its bumper while launching. His car always hooked with the front wheels way up in the air, even further than these 2 pictures show. He was a very tough competitor.
As tough as he was on the track, he was just as kind, considerate and sincere off of it, and was greatly respected by all of the other racers.
One time I experienced this respect. At a Div. 3 race he spotted a slower car. The slower car redlighted and Jerry took the green & broke a driveshaft on the starting line. While his car was being pushed back, racers were already in action, bringing an ATV & strap to tow him back to his pit just down from us. After he got back there were about 20 other racers ready to help fix it & get ready for the next round. The car went up on stands, guys under the car pulling the driveshaft, checking the tranny and rear end while Jerry was in his trailer getting his spare driveshaft. Other racers were charging his battery, cooling the car, anything to help out. Somebody took the driveshaft from him. It was bolted in & the car checked & ready for the next round. I saw Jerry standing in the side door of his trailer with a stunned look on his face. He said "I want to thank all y'all." He told me later he never expected all of the volunteers that helped. But he would do the same if he could.
His last race was the Houston race last year. They drove from their home in Kentucky so he could get treatment at a hospital in Houston. He was first in line at the track, even before the gates were open, so he could drop his trailer & go to the hospital for treatment, then back to the track a couple of days later. He was hoping to win his hard fought battle.
He is survived by his wife Barbara, sons Jason and Brian, daughters Kara and Tracy.
I'll miss him and I'll always remember him saying, "I want to thank all y'all."
