RIP Larry Croft

[rock music] It was, it was several weeks ago that I learned of the passing of, um, a legend, at, at least in, in my eyes, and, and that's Larry Croft.

Uh, so I wanted to, to dedicate this episode to, to Larry and his memory.

And for many of you listening, that name, Larry Croft, it, it, it may not mean a lot to you.

Um, but for a select few that, that, that were a part of the racing culture that I grew up in, um, you, [laughs] you never forgot Larry Croft.

Larry was the, the track manager at Texas Raceway, um, when I was growing up.

Longtime manager at Texas Race- Texas Raceway.

Uh, he went on to, to manage at, uh, I think it was North Star Dragway in Denton and, and, uh, Thunder Valley Raceway Park in, in Noble, Oklahoma.

Um, but I'll best remember him, and I think, uh, Larry will be best remembered for his time, uh, at Texas Raceway in Kennedale, Texas.

So, and, and when Larry was there, like, I didn't know any different growing up.

Like, I, I grew up li- very figuratively and literally at Texas Raceway.

Um, so I didn't realize that, that this wasn't the way to do it, but Larry did it all.

Eh, that's not to, to undermine any of the, the rest of the staff at Texas Raceway, but on race day, you would walk into the second floor of the tower.

That was Larry's domain.

And Larry [laughs] would be running...

He was the race director, so he's, he's handling calls to lanes and, and orchestrating the whole show.

Running the timing computer, if memory serves, solo.

So he's entering dial-ins, double-checking on the scoreboards.

At, this is a time before auto-start.

He was throwing the tree manually, all while announcing the entire event.

[laughs] And that was...