On May 19, a young member of the Shawano Speedway racing family passed away. Seth Henry was a great friend to many racers, as well as a go-kart racer, ice racer and enduro racer himself.
Seth was a fine young man liked by many. His racing roots run deep. His grandfather Bob Maas was one of the front-runners at the track back in the 1960s and early ’70s; his uncle Robbie Maas is a multi-time track champion at the Shawano Speedway.
Saturday night, no less than seven racers carried the black flag to honor Seth’s memory. Many members of his family were also at the track. The night also carried additional significance being Memorial Day weekend.
The Caroline VFW Color Guard presented the colors and cars carried black flags in honor of our military along with those carrying black flags for Seth. It was hard to find a dry eye in the house, mine included.
The night was also part of the Kim Parsons Memorial Trophy Tour, which honors Kim Parsons, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 21. Her father, Steve Parsons, a longtime racing announcer, put together the tour as a way to honor her memory and support a great cause. She was an organ and tissue donor, and the tour is to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.
Nick Anvelink secured one of the trophies with an exciting last-lap pass to win the Late Model feature. After the night’s events, Nick was joined by members of Seth’s family, including his mother and siblings. In a random act of kindness often seen at race tracks, Anvelink gave the impressive looking trophy to Seth’s younger brother, Tristan. This is a moment that will be remembered many years from now by Seth’s family and by Nick.
It is nights like this that draw people to the local racing scene. Drivers and fans supporting a grieving family, our nation’s military and a very worthy cause. In my humble opinion, it is why generations of fans keep coming back and why fans are so passionate about this sport.
One of the biggest nights at the track is the annual “Racing For A Reason” night, this year held on July 11, but If you look closely things like this happen nearly every race night. Take a close look next time and see for yourself.
See you at the speedway.
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