Nelson Ledges Chaplain’s Notes                  FEBRUARY 2008

TOGETHER

It’s February, the month of St.Valetines day and all that, the time when lovers spend a romantic evening together. My wife Joy and I spent a quality evening in my CTS driving to Troy to visit my mom and dad. But she did get to come together with some awesome Mitchell’s dark chocolates. (Mitchell’s Candy is on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights and I also highly recommend them.)

The biggest coming together this month is the IRL-Champ Car merger. After supporting Champ Car for all these years, it is tough for a road racer like me to see the “Oval Track Series “ win. Obviously, for years it has needed to be one series. Another almost all oval track series, the 800 pound Gorilla of NASCAR, has taken over as the face of racing in America. But there will be a huge loss towards the end of June, at least for this year. The Grand Prix of Cleveland is the highlight of summer in our town. The city never looks better than the view back up the hill towards Terminal Tower or out over Lake Erie. Mike Lanigan of Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing has been the promoter for the last three years and has done an incredible job make an amazing festival of speed. Burke Lakefront Airport is one of the most exciting road courses in the world and the last half of the 1987 race with Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, and Bobby Rahal trading the lead on almost every turn, let alone every lap, was as good as it gets. I have been to every race. There will definitely be a hole in my summer this year. It is my prayer that next year the race returns.

There was another get together this month at the NEOHIO region awards banquet. Nancy Schillace and Rob Piekarczyk were honored for their work with 500 Smiles. Nancy arranges for racers and race cars to visit children’s hospitals and children’s homes. I have been a part of several of those visits and it is a blessing to be able to put those smiles on a hurting child’s face.

It was also great to see Al Beasley Sr. honored for 45 years as a member. He was always a racer’s race and also a fine Christian gentleman.

Finally, we had one more result of getting together this month. The night after the banquet, Lisa Hinkle went into labor and at 12:50 pm on February 17, Anna Pauline Hinkle made her first appearance. She was early. Isn’t that the same as fast? Looks like John and Lisa may have third generation racer on their hands. Congratulations on your gift from God.    

God Bless,

Chaplain Gray   

chapnlrc@aol.com