I am very sad to report that long time LSR racer (and current record holder in AA/GALT) Lionel Pitts is in the hospital and will be moved to Hospice Care tomorrow here in Vancouver, Washington.
Lionel has been fighting cancer for the past several months and seemed fine until recently.
His daughter Cathy has requested no phone calls but I am sure a few prayers would be appreciated.
Bob Drury
I will post any updates as I receive them................ thanx, Bob
Well, d@mn! In my prayers.
Mike
Our thoughts and prayers are with Lionel,
A marvelous quiet man.
Prayers for you Lionel.
FREUD
I regret to post that Lionel has passed.
Godspeed Lionel you will be missed. :cry:
Josh
Lionel Pitts, it was a honor to know you and your place in LSR history. RIP my friend and God Speed :-(
Godspeed Lionel... :cry:
He deserved a Blue Hat. Circumstances denied him.
He was a dedicated racer.
He was a gentleman.
We were favored by him at the Bonneville NW Reunion.
All of us have lost a friend.
FREUD
I wasn't going to post until Dave had a chance but now that word is out I would like to tell you about my fifteen year friendship with Lionel.
We met over Tires. Yes, F*cking Tires. Mickey Thompson 30X9X18 Landspeed Tires to be precise.
From there our bond was formed. Hundreds of lunch's, many hundred hours of Him helping my sorry Acura trying to campaign a underfunded LS car, working on my car, truck, trailer, shop, you name it, Lionel was at my beck and call.
He wouldn't let me pay him so I had to hide money in his truck or jacket pocket.
When I became the first racer to arrive at Speedweek with both my racecar trailer and my tow vehicle on the end of a hook, Lionel helped pull the truck motor, hauled my Acura into SaltLakeCity to pick up a new truck motor and stayed with me for two days out on the Salt AFTER EVERYONE ELSE WAS GONE.
What a sight, Lionel, me, my entire pit still set up and nothing in any direction but white salt.
Then without bitching one time, he followed me home to Vancouver before He drove the last 25 miles to his house.
For this he would take no money, all he got was a lousy thank you plaque that I had Slim whittle out.
Lionel was a man of few words... in fact almost NO words but I don't think anyone who ever met him could possibly have anything bad to say about him.
My heart is broken, and it has been an honor to be his friend. I only wish I had been a better one to him.
My sincere condolences to his family and especially to Dave MacDonald who was Lionels brother from a different mother.
Bob Drury
p.s. I bought ALL the lunch's so that I could sleep at night......
Lionel was one of the best....Bob--you said it all. I know I will miss our chats on the Salt and at the Alley Nights the Slo Pokes Club had here in Southwest Washington. Even though I did almost all of the chatting....God Speed to a man who made a big impression with Deeds, not Words.....
When i found out these two guys only had one firesuit between them I wondered how they got along so well. From the moment I introduced myself there began a wonderful friendship with Lionel Pitts and Dave Macdonald. Dave hunted down fuel records and Lionel focused on the gas numbers so the single firesuit was enough.
They spent time one evening, dog tired but understanding I needed the failing light to photograph the car properly -- to do it visual justice and pay homage to their fine efforts. The photo posted here is a joke, of course, because in 50 years they NEVER had a fight. NEVER. EVER.
Chew thoroughly on that point for a moment.
That is friendship.
That is partnership.
That is unfailing respect.
All racing teams should be so lucky as to enjoy such a relationship.
Lionel and Dave worked at it. They always gave to the partnership a full, hearty measure of effort fueled by desire to help each other - not suck up benefits for themselves at the expense of the other. In doing so they enjoyed a friendship most of us will never experience.
Always welcoming, always breaking into a quick smile when we met after so long, I am halted in my thoughts that Lionel will no longer wave back at me from the starting line. I see him still -- either pushing of Dave, or in his orange uniform of speed, hurtling off to join those who await him well past the 7-mile shut down. . .
May the Lord Bless You, Keep You, Shine His Light Upon You. . . .
Thank you Louise, that is a wonderful summation of their 50 year partnership.
I spent many hours sitting with Lionel during his last five days and I consider that a honor. The last thing I did before I left His bedside and his body was to stroke his hair back and put his 200 mph hat on his head. It is how I want to always remember him... quiet, gentle and dignified. Shirt ironed and pants pressed... even at Bville.
Bob
Bob
Thanks for your kindness and friendship to Lionel over the years.
So sad to hear of Lionel's passing. Freud had prepared me for this earlier this week. I feel that I had a great relationship with Lionel and Dave over the many years of Bonneville and El Mirage competition. We had disagreements, as so often happens in impound, which usually turn into valued friendships. Both Lionel and Dave were very kind to Joanie and she has remarked that the team is one of her favorites.
Our prayers are with Lionel's family and friends along with a special prayer for Dave.
DW
Bob, very touching gesture on your part. Just reading it brought a tear to my eye. Never got to know Lionel personally but in my brief
encounters with him and Dave at the starting line, both are first class gentlemen. God speed Lionel.