The Passing of a Hard Core Slot Car Racer

[Mayberryman]

I sometimes wonder how we will be perceived and remembered (if we are) when we leave this life. Not only as a person but, if we race slot cars, how we will be remembered by the people that we shared driver panel space with over the years.

The reason for this post was that On Tuesday, at a visit to my local track, I was informed of the passing of a long time and passionate slot racer. Unless you have raced in the Virginia area you will most likely never have heard of the name, Junior Hubbard but in my 50 year association with slot car racing I have never met a person with more passion and in your face emotion while participating in a slot car race, yes even more than Jay Kissling in his prime.

I met Junior and his brother Bubba, now tell me that these are not two good old boy racers, in the early to mid 90s when Junior was running slot cars at tracks in the Richmond and surrounding areas and Bubba was racing 1-1 Late Model Stock Cars at Virginia and North Carolina Tracks. I dealt with Junior as a fellow racer, track owner and honorary track bouncer. Junior won races, lost races and was even told to take breaks from coming to some tracks by the owners. All through the years Junior accepted his flaws, worked on them and at every chance possible brought his beloved fleet of red #12 cars to run at any track that had two, four or eight lanes. Yesterday I spoke with a home track owner that holds races as well as sells slot cars and decals and I informed him of Junior's passing. This man told me a story of Junior and his last couple of races. Junior had cancer of the throat and it was not an easy passing, however, after he could no longer drive a real car he had his beloved father drive him to this track and race two more times, this was how important slot car racing was to this fairly young man of about 45 to 50 years of age. Some people loved Junior and some people had quite a different emotion about him and I guess that I felt both at different times sometimes both on the same day.

So remember the way we act and treat others will outlast us and is how we will be remembered.

Good Speed Junior, I know that when you get to where you are going the first things you will look for is a place to race and buy slot cars, a place that sells red paint and a decal maker who can make white #12s.

[HomeRacingWorld]

Rest in peace. Never easy to lose a friend. Thanks for sharing this great story with us.

[moparjenny]

Very sad, indeed. Junior sadly left us about a month ago. He was almost an uncle to me.

Mayberryman, you mention you raced and dealt with Junior (and Bubba, who I haven't seen in years) in the '90s at commercial tracks. Did you ever go to Indoor Motorsports?

[Mayberryman]

[moparjenny]

So I've heard. I haven't been out there yet, though. Maybe I'll make a stop there when I'm home in a couple weeks.

I used to hang out behind the counter at the original IMS -- not working, just hanging out. :) If you knew Junior, you probably knew my dad, and thus you knew me. ha

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[Mayberryman]