I was told this morning that Anthony Sloan from Yeti Cycles passed away yesterday evening. I met him only a handful of times, but he was always courteous, smiling, and full of cheer. I’m sorry to hear that he didn’t have more time to enjoy his passions and my condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues at Yeti.
The news of Anthony’s passing took me to a bit of introspection as I thought about how fleeting life can be. As I hear the background music of screaming motors going around the track, I’m feeling both grateful for the unbelievable experience that 1 Lap provides as well as (oddly for the first time this week) the fear of dying. As morbid as it was, it was also quite eye-opening to really think it could all be over in a flash.
This week has been an eye opener in the sense that I’ve experienced things that so few will ever have the opportunity to do, much less see. I’ve met people from all walks of life with such a diversity of experience that it’s hard to relate to their daily lives, but at the same time we have so much in common. 1 Lap, it turns out, has such a rich history and such a diverse slice of the social spectrum, it’s hard to believe it nurtures so much comraderie. Yet every “lapper” seems to understand why the others are there. It spans much more than just fast cars and race tracks……..it encompasses competition, friendship, and conflict in such an intensely short period of time, the event becomes more than just the sum of it parts.
Today’s events had us in Pennsylvnia for our last road course. I was up first and still very skittish from the experience at CMP, I was content to just roll around the track at 7/10ths. It’s a short circuit, but challenging due to its many blind corners and hilly terrain. My run was mediocre as I came in 43rd, but I was happy just to keep the tires on the track! Sebastian was up in the afternoon and he came in with a much more competitive 33rd.
With the event coming to a close, I’m definitely looking forward to going home to see Diana, eat some home cooked food, and sleep in my own bed. This evening we’re headed back to South Bend, IN where it all started. The word has it that there is an informal gathering at the hotel where most of the 1 Lappers will share stories of the week and throw back a few adult beverages.
A toast to Anthony.
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