|
Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
|
A Legend Passes – Mike
McCreary 1942-2004 |
|
|
|
September 24, 2004...Champion driver, car builder,
engine builder and innovator, Mike McCreary has succumbed to pancreatic cancer
after a brief two-month battle. “Mike left us this morning,” said his wife
Carla, “He was ready two days ago, but his heart was stronger than it should
have been.” McCreary’s heart could never be questioned. Perhaps no
other racer in history ever had the sustained desire and love of our sport as
he. He won sprint car races in cars of his own creation in five consecutive
decades. He built his own chassis, components, bodies and engines along with
those of countless other competitors. His Oval Chassis Research shop in
Placerville, California, has been the unofficial headquarters for more race
teams over the years than can be counted. Even though McCreary always placed championship caliber
cars on the track —he won the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) Drivers
Championship in a cageless sprinter in 1968, and again in a caged sprinter of
his own design in 1972— he could always be found helping fellow competitors
make things tougher on himself. He always had good advise for anyone in need of
some, and always seemed to have whatever spare part was required to get a racer
back on the track. Along with his own driving accomplishments, one of his
greatest satisfactions was repairing crashed racecars deemed junk, and putting
them back in the winner’s circle. “I can fix anything except a broken
heart,” he would laughingly say. McCreary is survived by his wife Carla, sons Michael Jr.,
David W., David Lee, and daughter Debby; his mother Lee, brother Terry and
sister, Valerie, as well as his grandchildren, Nicole, Ryan, Logan, Charlie,
Cormack, Chelsea, Kristi, Thomas and great-granddaughter Brizsay. Those who had the pleasure of racing against Mike will never for get him. Those racers closest to him, will forever race with him in their hearts. Godspeed friend…
|
