Dick on his Familiar Quad taking a minute to talk to John Grega
Kathie & Dick Beebe at WinstonIt comes with great sorrow to inform the West Michigan Racing community that one of the icons of Michigan racing passed away Saturday. Dick Beebe will be remembered for many things in the racing circles. From his award winning Marc Times newspaper to his Dealer's Choice race programs he did everything at full speed and great passion. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Beebe family.
Article off the Auto Value Sprint Series website:
Dick Beebe’s Final Turn
The Racing World Loses an Icon
The Racing World Loses an Icon
Belmont, MI (2/22/09) The racing world mourns the loss of Dick Beebe, who passed away Sunday morning after suffering a massive heart attack. Dick had been ill off and on for the past year, and has finally gone home for his final race.
Dick was born January 26, 1933 in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Paul James Beebe, Sr. and Alberta Isabel Wormeth. His entire life has been spent in and around racing. It can be said that racing IS his life.
Dick is survived by his wife of 10 years, Kathie Inwood Beebe of Belmont; step-mother Maxine Miller of Kalamazoo; brothers Paul Beebe, Sr., Jay (Marti) Beebe, and Susan (Bernie) Belkoski; children Cathy (John) VanReenen, Linda (Jeff) Bloom, Rick Beebe, Victoria (Tim) Thornton, Tim (Julie) Beebe, and Ted Beebe, 18 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Dick's involvement in racing began before he even started school. He started as a “gopher" for parts on his father's motorcycle race team. Over the years, Dick became his father's right-hand man, helping him to construct or rebuild several race tracks around the country, as well as promoting and officiating at these tracks. Some of the tracks he helped to construct are Galesburg Speedway and the Grand Rapids Speedrome 1/4-mile in Michigan; Pharr, Macallen, Harlingen and San Benito in Texas.
Dick was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame the same year as his father, in 1985. Pat was inducted in 1998, and son-in-law Jeff Bloom was inducted in 2000. He received several awards for excellence in media for the MARC Times, and for several other contributions to the sport.
Dick began lettering race cars at Galesburg Speedway when he was 14 years old, and ran Beebe Signs until he was in his 70’s.
Dick started flagging races at the age of 14. He is probably the youngest official starter NASCAR has ever had, officiating in that capacity during his first year of flagging. His three sons, Rick, Tim, and Ted also started flagging at 14 years of age.
When he wasn't working around race tracks - grading, building, working in the concession stands, or on the flag stand - Dick was trying his hand at racing. During motorcycle racing days, Dick competed in the last road race for motorcycles held at Catalina Island, California in 1958. He started 122nd in the event and finished 10th in his class. Quite an accomplishment considering close to 900 machines competed in that event! He has also competed on snowmobiles (with several wins and top-ten finishes to his credit) and karts, as well as various divisions of auto racing.
Dick's love of racing prompted him, along with his late wife of 47 years Pat, to start a weekly paper covering motor sports news in 1965. The MARC Times Racing News was closed due to the economy in 2008, but plans are in the works to revive the paper. Through the newspaper, the Beebe family has donated thousands of dollars to families of deceased or injured drivers.
Dick has always been a strong advocate for driver safety. In 1970 he formed the American Racing Congress, which established safety rules governing most of the tracks in the United States and Canada. Several of these rules are still used nationwide. He helped in the development of window nets for stock cars. Dick strongly advocates the development of better fire suits, roll cages, seatbelts, etc., and enforces the use of these safety factors at all race events he promotes.
Dick has served as an official for several organizations. Among those are NASCAR, USSA Sno-Pro snowmobile circuit, Superior Auto Racing, USAC, and CRA. He was president of the American Racing Congress for five years.
Obviously, Dick has served the racing public in every capacity - groundskeeper and builder, pit steward, announcer, starter, scoring and timing, track operator, promoter, photographer, reporter, and race participant. He continued to work for the betterment of racing in every aspect, right to the end of his life.
Cremation has taken place and services will be held Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 with visitation at 1 p.m. and a memorial at 2 p.m. (or in racing talk, qualifying at 1 and racing at 2) at Bangor Church of Christ, 214 N. Walnut St., Bangor, MI. Bangor is 25 miles west of U.S. 131 at the Bangor exit (38B). When you get into town, go south (left) 1 block and the church the first one on your right.
Due to his huge medical bills, in lieu of flowers, please make donations to Kathie Beebe, 4839 Pettis, Belmont, MI 49306.
