Posted by KARLA BILLY on November 15, 1999 at 05:20:42:
FIRST ON BEHALF OF OUR SON AND MYSELF, I WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE RESPONSE YOU HAVE GIVEN, BILL KNEW HE HAS LOTS OF FANS BUT I DONT THINK HE REALLY REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE REALLY CARED ABOUT HIM.
I CAN REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY I RAN INTO HIM AT THE TRACK HE HAD BLOWN HIS MOTOR, WALKIN BY HIM HE WAS LAUGHIN' LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED, ALLS HES SAID WAS "THAT'S RACIN' KARLA". 9 YEARS OF SITTING THERE AT THE TRACK EVERY SATURDAY, I COULDNT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HEARD HIM SAY THAT, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT. HOW MANY TIMES I SAT THERE AND WATCHED HIM GET HIT IN THE INTERSECTION OR HIT THE WALL AND HE ALWAYS WALKED AWAY, UPSET THAT THINGS DIDNT GO THE WAY HE WANTED THEM TO, BUT NEVER MAD, HE LEFT THAT PART UP TO ME IN THE STANDS : )....I WOULD BE RAGING CALLING PEOPLE ALL KINDS OF THINGS, HE ALWAYS JUST SHOOK IT OFF, AND SAID "THAT'S RACIN KARLA". HE FELT SAFER IN THAT RACECAR THAN HE DID ANYWHERE ELSE. IM NOT REALLY SURE WHAT TO SAY OTHER THAN HE LOVED RACING, HE ENJOYED THE FANS AND OTHER DRIVERS, IT WAS SUCH A RUSH FOR HIM, EYES SPARKLING AFTER A WIN, SMILING FROM EAR TO EAR. I DONT THINK HE THOUGHT NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN IN THE #10-HUNGRY HOWIES CAR. AGAIN, THANKS AND I KNOW HES WATCHING OVER US, I CAN HEAR HIM SAY TO ME LIKE HE WAS RIGHT NEXT TO ME "THAT'S RACIN KARLA". HE WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED BUT NEVER FORGOTTON, HE HAS A PLACE IN MY HEART THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY. BILL, BILLY AND I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH AND I HOPE YOU ARE FINALLY AT PEACE. WE LOVE YOU, MISS YOU, AND WILL ALWAYS BE THINKIN' ABOUT YOU, YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE OUR SIDE.
I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY, OTHER THAN THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT, LOVE, AND PRAYERS.
HE WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED.
GO BILL GO