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
