POSTED December 24, 2001

Sunday, December 16 I checked our bulletin board on the web site about 10 a.m. and was shocked to read Rita Courtney's message that Raymond Beers had been killed in an auto accident Saturday night! I called Tom Pearson at once and he knew nothing about it at that time. About an hour later Tom called me with the details. For those of you who do not know the details, Ray was a passenger in a truck carrying 3 people. On Featherstone road near Engle road 3 deer came to the road and the driver swerved to avoid them and Ray was thrown from the truck and died instantly. Ray was born January 15,2026 in Vicksburg Michigan and lived all his life in the Mottville area. He had raced at the Mottville Speedway for many years, including the 11 under current management. Ray leaves behind his wife, Sue, who has driven herself in the past. Also a son and 4 daughters including Brittany Beers, who disappeared September 16, 2025 and has never been found. Ray was buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery in Sturgis on December 19. A plant was sent to the funeral home from the Mottville Speedway track officials.
Ray was really some driver! He could take a "piece of junk" race car that another driver was finishing dead last in and make it a winner! There was never a car that was too fast for Ray! According to Rita a lot of the Mottville Speedway gang was at the
visitation including Rita, Shelly Lauderdale, Eric Root, Terry Kline, Marty Andreade, the Wilburs, Becky Moore, Fast Eddie Hummel and Tom Dowling just to name a few! I regret I could not be there but I was in southern Indiana on a long planned business trip. But my prayers were and are with Sue and the family and Ray will be missed at Mottville!

On a far more pleasant note I took 8 days recently to view race tracks in mostly southern Indiana and northern Kentucky. I started off with Bunker Hill Speedway and Drag Strip in Bunker Hill, Indiana. This is a 1/4 mile dirt oval. Saw the historic Salem Speedway again and they have added seating and a wonderful tower for press and fans which goes high in the air behind the grandstands! You know they really fly around this 1/2 mile paved
oval and it is close to the twin of Winchester. Went to Ripley County Speedway which turned out to be the Ripley County Fairgrounds! The announcer uses a table at the top of the enclosed grandstands! 1/4 mile dirt and pretty basic! Also saw the Florence Speedway in Kentucky. It was unlocked and I got to walk all over the place and see the 1/2 mile clay track and nice announcing tower. Picked up some security ideas for buildings also! They charge $12 for adult admission so the fans at Mottville are really getting a good deal at $10! Saw Twin Cities Raceway park near Vernon, Indiana for the 3rd time. It is a 3/8 mile clay track which changed ownership this past season and the new
owners have really made great improvements. To get to the track you first must go under a very narrow railroad underpass!
But the highlight of the trip was my first visit to Kentucky Motor Speedway! The 1.5 mile paved track is truly awesome! I spent several minutes admiring it! It opened in 2000 and looks brand new! Beautiful seating area and suites area and press area! It really looks fast-like a Berlin only 3 times as big! Went to the gift shop and found some neat items and some of them were on sale!
In a couple of years I hope to say I have seen every race track in Indiana! I only have about 6-8 that I have not seen now! 

I have been promising to say a few words about our track officials and here is the start! Lillie Pearson has been with me all 11 years! As you hear me announce each night she is "our longest continuous track official, been here all 11 years of current management!" She started out in the novelty-photo booth and then went to the ticket booth and ended up selling tickets, pit passes, 50-50 drawings, photos and you name it! Lillie is very dedicated and has only missed maybe 4 nights in 11 seasons! She is also as honest as the day is long! Her husband, Tom, has been our pit steward for 10 1/2 of the past 11 seasons and several years before that under Ralph McGlothlen. Tom also provides the wrecker service at the track. Tom has always been my "right hand man" at Mottville and he and I make most of the calls on the track. Tom also does all the tire changing. He also helps out by being one of the top "handy men" around when it comes to fixing things! He has been known to pull shrub and tree roots out with his wrecker and drag the pits and parking lot. He is a fixture at the track on Thursday nights for practice! I run most of my ideas by Tom before trying them! The Pearsons are both as honest as the day is long and loyal and we are most fortunate at the Mottville Speedway to have both of them! Hope they are around for at least as long as I am and I hope to be around a long, long time! 

Next week I will talk about Rita Courtney and Shelly Lauderdale! Until then I want to wish everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you really enjoy it because as we found again last week life is far too short and most precious!