Racing Family needs your help!

Alan Piquette

I’ve been posting on here about needing a kidney, my numbers are dropping and I’m down to 12% usage of my kidneys. Talking with different doctors they all have their options on things but bottom line they all agree on one thing, I need a kidney sooner than later. One doctor even said that he doesn’t even think I would make it if I have to wait on the transplant list, he feels time is running out, and the way I’m feeling I have to agree. Then today I was flipping through channels and you hear about “Christmas Miracles” that miracles do come true, to be honest, that’s what I’m going to need a miracle, with having 0-Negative blood type, my chances drop even farther down the list and the miracle seems unreachable. If I can get this message sent around and happen to find that one person, again that ONE person that sees this to come forward, not only will they be saving a life (mine) but they will take part in a miracle because this is what it’s turning into, a miracle. Please like and share this as I only need that one special person to step forward and save a life. Please if anybody has any questions please inbox me here and I will answer any questions that you may have. I was told that Christmas time a lot of miracles are answered, let’s share this and hope this miracle can happen.

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NEAR HOFer Val Lesieur passes

 

Story courtesy of Bones Bourcier

The loss of Val LeSieur is going to rock a lot of racing people in the Northeast, and indeed up and down the East Coast. Across several decades he published Speedway Scene, which had to be the liveliest trade paper ever printed. It carried news and opinion, it infuriated the occasional track operator, it ran semi-regular pages of goofy photos and captions, and it tied together a region full of readers who considered it a bible. In my early teens I was one of those kids, buying the paper for 50 cents at Plainville Stadium, seven or eight miles from my home in Connecticut. Later I wrote columns for Val, and by age 18 I’d moved to Massachusetts to work for him full-time, cranking out a 48-page (later 56-page) paper on gallons of coffee, snacks, and at least one all-nighter a week. Every Monday-Wednesday it bordered on torture, but, looking back, it was a joy. I worked for Val in various editorial positions (and essentially lived with his family part-time) from mid-1979 through most of ’88, except for a very brief stint in 1983 when I mistakenly thought civilian life looked appealing. Among those who wrote for Speedway Scene in those years were Pete Zanardi, Buffy Swanson, Dave Moody, Phil Smith, Kevin Eckert, Bob Echo, Toodi Gelinas, Mark Thomas, Jack Flowers, Don and Joanne Davies, Charlie Langois, Gary Grim, John Brouwer and Dave Shippee, Kraze Korlacki, Bob Morris, and many more. Together with Bob Echo, Val created the annual Racearama trade show that, truth be known, was one of racing’s biggest parties. He and I ran up and down the road probably hundreds of times, to Martinsville, Daytona, Oswego, Syracuse, Islip, Pocono, and countless other tracks. It was my honor, back in 2011, to induct him into the New England Auto Racers (NEAR) Hall of Fame, as pictured. Val never had a dull moment, and to be in his orbit was to laugh a lot, yell a little, and move on to the next adventure. My heart goes out to his daughter, Valerie, who has known too much sadness. But, for a minute, let’s think of him and smile. He always signed letters, “Your pal Val,” and he wasn’t kidding. He was everybody’s pal. — Bones

Image may contain: Mark Bourcier and Val LeSieur, people smiling, people standing and suit

Treasurer Val LeSieur recovering

Treasurer  and HOF member  Val LeSieur has been under the weather since before the NEAR Banquet. Val  had been hospitalized for over a month until he recently underwent a surgical procedure. Things are looking much better, and he will be moved to a facility to complete his recovery. His loving daughter Valarie has been by his side and also has been helping fulfill his duties on the newsletter and membership. During this Holiday season, we want to wish both Val and Valarie the best, and offer our full support whenever needed. I am sure any cards of cheer, prayer cards, or Christmas cards would be appreciated by both.  They can be sent to P.O. Box 300, North Easton, Ma. 02356.

Please keep Val and Valarie in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days. We will try to keep you all advised. Thank you.