buckaroo
Here kitty, kitty, kitty
This week, a young racer who faced both Brian Vickers and Jason Labonte at Caraway Speedway here in NC died when he was changing a tire on his skid-steer loader. Rusty Harpe, a kid who was in the high school graduating class of my wife's youngest, died while changing a tire on his skid-steer loader. Rusty was a great kid and was a pretty damned good racer. At 27, he was at the top of his game at Caraway Speedway, always near the top of the points. He began at Bowman Gray Stadium driving in the street stock series, and when he ran away with that title, he decided to move up and attended a course at Forsyth Technical Community College for racing, learning to not only build a race car, but how to set it up and drive. Rusty spent a couple of years at nearby Ace Speedway racing modified cars and then moved to Caraway and ran in the limited late model series. After two years there, finishing second and first, he moved up to the late model series where he faced both Jason Labonte and Brian Vickers.
Rusty was not only a good racer, but a husband and a father as well. I've spent many years watching Rusty race and though he had his rivals on the track, I've never heard a bad word said about him...ever.
Rusty had plenty of tallent and though he may never have made it big in the big times, he made it big in the eyes of those who saw him race. Rusty, may you rest in peace.
Rusty was not only a good racer, but a husband and a father as well. I've spent many years watching Rusty race and though he had his rivals on the track, I've never heard a bad word said about him...ever.
Rusty had plenty of tallent and though he may never have made it big in the big times, he made it big in the eyes of those who saw him race. Rusty, may you rest in peace.
