Sending Off A Racer Who Passed Away With One Last Pass

Over the years, I’ve seen some incredibly touching ways that racers pay their last respects to their late friends and competitors. We’ve seen countless memorial decals on cars all over, moments of silence following poignant monologues from the announcer, and there has been many a parachute sprinkled with ashes for a final voyage down the track.

In Australia, they do things a little differently, and I for one absolutely love it. Not only did this fallen driver have his car literally towed down the track on a trailer, but in the other lane is quite the surprise. You can’t really see what’s about to happen when this video first starts, as it appears we’re just going to watch the late Frank Palumbo’s car make its final journey down the track on a trailer being towed by an SUV.

In the other lane, however, is a hearse, carrying Frank himself on one final journey down the 1320 at Sydney Dragway. As the Christmas tree drops, the hearse driver romps on the gas in a fashion that certainly made his passenger proud, squealing the tires on the hefty hauler as he sped away from the starting line. The crowd, which numbered 1,200 who came out to pay their last respects, cheered as the hearse and Franks beloved race car sped off toward the finish line.

I’m not entirely sure it would be safe to make a full throttle pass while towing a race car, so this wasn’t really about laying down big numbers on the track, but more about sharing a moment with the friends and family of a man who shared the same passion we all do for a sport that creates bonds that are often closer than actual family.

We send our sincerest condolences to Frank’s family and friends. While we may have never met him, we know all too well the pain of losing someone who is a part of our lives, even if we only see them at the track on the weekends.

 

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