Monday, Feb. 13th marks 10 years since I lost my close friend and mentor Ralph Payne to cancer. There are still a lot of the old school air racing cadre around who appreciate Ralph's contributions to the sport, even if the new generation doesn't even know his name.
Ralph raced hydroplanes, was a regular name in the automotive 'speed shops' of Southern California in the hey-day, played at the Bonneville speed-flats, crewed for Clay Lacy, Leroy Penhall, Mike Geren & Ron Reynolds, and for many years was head wrench for the various race planes of the late Gary Levitz. He built/restored a couple of race Mustangs, acted as tech advisor in the building of the Sea Fury Blind Man's Bluff, was responsible for care and feeding of actor Cliff Robertson's Spitfire, and was Unlimited Class Tech Inspector at Reno, Mojave, and Miami in the late '70's and early '80's.
There is still a void in my heart left when Ralph passed, but I haven't done anything in racing over the last 10 years where he hasn't influenced me with a "What Would Ralph Do?" conscience. And whenever I have pulled a bonehead at something, I see him raising his eyebrows at me over the top of his mirrored glasses and hear his voice saying "Bradley, you know better than that..."
I miss that man every day, and I just wanted people to know that he hasn't been forgotten.
Ralph raced hydroplanes, was a regular name in the automotive 'speed shops' of Southern California in the hey-day, played at the Bonneville speed-flats, crewed for Clay Lacy, Leroy Penhall, Mike Geren & Ron Reynolds, and for many years was head wrench for the various race planes of the late Gary Levitz. He built/restored a couple of race Mustangs, acted as tech advisor in the building of the Sea Fury Blind Man's Bluff, was responsible for care and feeding of actor Cliff Robertson's Spitfire, and was Unlimited Class Tech Inspector at Reno, Mojave, and Miami in the late '70's and early '80's.
There is still a void in my heart left when Ralph passed, but I haven't done anything in racing over the last 10 years where he hasn't influenced me with a "What Would Ralph Do?" conscience. And whenever I have pulled a bonehead at something, I see him raising his eyebrows at me over the top of his mirrored glasses and hear his voice saying "Bradley, you know better than that..."
I miss that man every day, and I just wanted people to know that he hasn't been forgotten.
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