Where's Jimmy?

Yes, I know it has been quite a while and also quite a season. Several people have really gotten on me for not updating like I promised I would. This is not an excuse, but this season, especially the 9 races in 13 weeks has been a real grind for me.

All of you out there have made it easier nonetheless, and I have a few entertaining stories to tell and people to thank from Portland to Assen. My summer art rush is quite over but I am working hard securing holiday orders. I spent most of my evenings in my hotel rooms in Cleveland, Mt. Tremblant, Toronto and Edmonton trying to get my latest litho "Lights Out" to market by San Jose.

Those of you interested can find it at http://www.jimswintal.com/ and it features our first standing start earlier this year at Portland. (When I get to it, that will be my first essay recounting the summer.) My website will not allow coupons, but for all of you reading, if you type "Lights Out" in the "comments" box on the payment page, I can REFUND $5.00 back to you off the $25 purchas price... a deal for the holidays?

After the cancellation of PHX (which in the long run should be a good thing due to the circumstances we were up against,) CCWS finds itself in another gloom and doom period. Yes, been there and done that, quite understandably. But I will tell you that Tony Cotman is an extremely creative and resourceful guy and I will give him one off-season period to "reboot" the way our office does things. He has shared with me plenty of thoughts and ideas for the 2009 let alone 2008 seasons and I can say that most of them are astounding... so let the doom and gloomers "blow" as my Mother used to say...

Eric Gagnon and I shall be doing an other installment of the "Overheard at the Track " podcast next week where we will be discussing some of these things. If you have not been listening thruought the season, shame on you! But you should be able to find them all here: http://www.overheardatthetrack.mypodcast.com/

Have a listen sometime if you have not heard them and re-live all the controversy and Bulls**t of the colorful 2007 season.

TTFN...

jhs

Nick Fornoro 1920-2007

Hello all:

My predecessor on the start stand, Nick Fornoro, passed away yesterday. I want to share with you my thoughts about Nick as I related to his daughter-in-law Anne in an email I sent to her earlier today:


Hi Anne, and please let me say I that I am really saddened for this huge loss to your family.

Please feel free to share this with them. I am sure you will be getting many emails, so please toss it on the pile, as Nick has so many people that love him.

I am attaching a scan of an item I just came across a few days ago in my storage files, and I'll fill you in on the story.

Several years after Nicky left the stand, we found ourselves down in Surfers Paradise in the middle of a long and rainy Friday morning practice session. Tom Michaels and Jim Murphy of the Champ Car Radio Network felt things were a little slow and that they had to needle me a little. Their broadcast booth was very close to the track and about halfway through the session, this sign as well as a few others calling for my ouster showed up in their window and we all had a good laugh over it.

I don't know when Nicky lapsed into his coma, but I happened across this sign sometime while he was in it. It is amazing timing that I would find it now after so many years, maybe about ten, since I had seen it last.

I find that every significant person in my life that has passed away somehow leaves me some sort of "message" or sign that they are just fine where they currently are, usually in some sort of amusing way. I also believe everyone who leaves this world does, and continues to do so, just so long as you look carefully and leave yourself open to the beauty of the possibility. So please share with your family that this was Nicky's way with me and I am so pleased that he did. They in turn should all look for something from him in some way as well.

I realize Nicky was still here when I found this, but it just points out how large and how powerful a soul he possessed. He could do amazing things, and this is just one more. Frankly, if he felt he had to leave signs for all that cared about him, then he needed to get going on it early, as it would be a huge task!

I can assure you that though he had been away from the series for a while, we still bring him up and talk about him, whenever something reminded us about something he did, or the type of person he was. Just last race in Holland, someone asked about the start stand, and I spent a few minutes recounting what it was like to do a race with Nick, and all the interesting and entertaining phrases and mannerisms he used to get through a race. He was a master storyteller and observer of human nature. He took needling and happily gave it back. Those of us in the series that knew him and worked alongside him learned quite a bit about how to get along with each other and our own selves.

Thank you and God Bless you and your family for sharing him with us. In the few brief times I met you all, you demonstrated you are obviously a family that loves, cares, and looks after each other. To live on in the way Nicky demonstrated for all of us will be his greatest legacy.

Please take care,

Jim Swintal