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<div style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">This is a sad, but important story. It is one that will not be
news Blackhawk Farms, Grattan, and Road
America racer members on the FOT list. But for
those others, who may be unfamiliar, know that "Uncle Jack"
Drews was a very popular vintage TRIUMPH racing compatriot. He sure was one of my favorites. He is probably remembered best these
days for being the winner of the very first Kastner Cup (but also...for being Tony Drews' Dad). But back in the
day, he was one of several John Deere engineers
(like Bob Wismer and Joe Alexander), who became
active early on in Midwestern vintage racing. When he became active, Jack Drews brought his engineering and mechanical
skills, along with his earlier SCCA racing
experience. All were put to put to good use and readily shared.
Jack developed more than a few upgrades for
our TRs. Some were just simple improvements, while
others (i.e., the Southwick axle), were
major safety upgrades. But the sad part is Jack had a bum-ticker, and that was an ongoing concern. And then, so sad, on one hot,
August afternoon at GRATTAN RACEWAY, it or he gave
out at the very end of that long, ex-drag-strip
front straight. His meticulously prepared TR4 did
not even try to turn right, like it should have.
It went straight into the earthen bank at full
bore. Jack had passed me earlier in the lap, and so I was behind him, about an eighth of a mile back.
I witnessed this crash first hand, as the car hit
the bank with absolutely no hint of braking. It
then shot straight up in the air, and came down on
its boot. Maybe Jack had a heart attack. Maybe
he just passed out. But the impact, along with
the weight of Jack's helmet caused the severe
jerk that broke his neck. It was a sad, sad day, and
one I think of often. Others shared these
feelings, and by the very next Midwest vintage racing event a month later, many
of us racers had decals memorializing Uncle Jack on our
race cars. It was a simple decal, a 3 3/4" white
circle with black script and trim. It had his
race car number "59" in the center, with "In
Memory of" above and "Uncle Jack" below.</div>
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<span style="display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I just had a new stash of these decals
produced. If any FOT racers would like to have
one to put on their race car (all TRIUMPHs are race cars), send your mailing
address to me in an email, and I will try to get
them out as quickly as I can.</div>
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<span style="display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">As long as I have them, and I am able to do so,
there is no charge. I am most happy to do this for
my old friend "Uncle Jack" Drews. I miss Uncle
Jack.</div>
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