[Capt Spaulding]

On a really sad note, a good friend lost his life a few weeks ago on a CBR1000RR. I still haven't really processed it. Ron Lunsford was the best semi-professional motorcycle racer I ever met. Some guys I met, Doug Polen, Freddy Spencer, Kevin Schwantz might have been ahead, but not by a whole lot. When I was running in a local club endurance series, he was our ringer. Without him we were good for maybe third in open production, second on a really good day. When he could make it we'd win. The tires would be corded, but we'd win. Yet, the story is he rear-ended a car. I can't get my head around that.

His dad owned what was probably at the time, the largest Honda dealership in the Houston area. Ron later bought the business from his dad and sold it probably a decade or so ago. He was always looking for a way to make a positive impact on the community. He pioneered several charity events in the Houston area, fund raising for pediatric brain cancer research and other children's medical conditions. He also provided support and guidance for a number of up-and-coming amateur road racers. One that most folks have heard of is Colin Edwards.

All in all, he was a first class human being who also happened to be blindingly quick on a motorcycle on a road course. Really miss you Ron. Vaya con dios, amigo.