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| RACING SCENE - By Tim Kennedy |
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Los Angeles, CA. - Racing fans and fellow competitors were shocked
to learn about the untimely death of stock car owner/driver Del
Dalrymple, 49, of Fullerton, CA on Thanksgiving Day, November 22,
2007. The popular 1980s stock car champion driver at Ascot Park in
Gardena was known for helping everyone in the pits and for coming
back to prominence in racing after years of depression, homelessness
on the streets of Orange County, and from use and sales of illegal
drugs. Del rehabilitated himself with the help of the Victory
Outreach organization in Anaheim. Back on his feet and using his
metal fabrication and welding skills, Del returned to stock car
racing at Irwindale Speedway as a NASCAR late model owner/driver. He
used the colors blue and yellow and the number 07 on his Chevy Monte
Carlo as a tribute to the late Ivan Baldwin, the San Bernardino
champion stock car driver who moved to North Carolina and worked for
NASCAR Cup champion Bill Elliott. (Baldwin lost his life a decade
ago in a highway accident in the South.) During recent years Del has been mentoring former Oklahoma resident Candace Muzny. The attractive blonde stock car driver hopeful came to California to further her racing goals. Del met Candace at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield where she had leased a stock car. She could not afford the lease, so Del let her race in his car. They began competing together at Irwindale Speedway in 2005. Del provided Candace a late model car, his technical expertise and driving tips during the last three seasons and she progressed steadily. Now 27-years of age, Candace raced in the NASCAR Grand National West Series in a black and pink No. 01Monte Carlo twice in recent months (at Altamont and at Irwindale's October 19-20 Toyota All-Star Showdown). Del and Candace became engaged this year and the couple planned a wedding in Costa Rica in the coming year. Candace drove to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving to visit her family and her elderly grandparents in Arkansas. She wanted Del to accompany her again, but he declined because he had work to do and he wanted to attend the Wednesday night, November 21 USAC open-wheel practice session at Irwindale Speedway to seek sponsorship for his race team. He was in the pits that night making contacts and talking to friends. Del did not attend the Thanksgiving Night USAC races at Irwindale because he had important work to do. As usual Del tended to the needs of homeless persons on Thanksgiving Day. With his own homeless years never far from his mind, Del arranged with food markets for food donations to aid the homeless and for restaurants to cook the donated food. Del spent Thanksgiving Day delivering hot meals to homeless persons in Orange County and then he went home. He planned to have turkey dinner with friends that night, but he never arrived. Candace tried to reach Del by telephone and could not get an answer. She telephoned the Fullerton Police Department to check on Del. Fullerton PD officers went to Del's home the day after Thanksgiving and discovered his body while Candace was on the telephone with officers. It appears that internal bleeding had claimed his life, possibly from a brain aneurysm or bleeding ulcer, pending findings of an autopsy due within a month or two. MEDIA COVERAGE: On Tuesday, December 4, 2007 Orange County Register daily newspaper sports columnist Jeff Miller devoted his entire column to Del, his life, inspirational comeback and death on Thanksgiving Day. An earlier column in the OCR by Miller two years ago, and a story in the Fullerton newspaper, profiled Del's comeback from depression, drugs and homelessness. Miller concluded his December 4 column by writing, "Del didn't run out of life, only laps." Miller had detailed in print Del's battle with depression, drugs and life spent living on the streets. Born June 23, 1958, Del went to races early in life to root for his father Dal, a stock car racer at the half-mile clay Ascot Park and other tracks in Southern California. Del attended Buena Park High School and played baseball. His uncle, Clay Dalrymple, was a major league baseball player of note for 12 years starting in 1960. Del's parents divorced when he was young. He began racing at age 17 and his reluctant dad provided assistance for his racing endeavors. Del's blond girlfriend, Bobbi Lippen, was from a racing family and they had plans to marry. In 1988 Del turned 30. Within a few weeks that year his best friend died in a SCCA Trans-Am Series racing accident; a week later fiancee died in a highway crash, a mere week before they were to wed. Del fell into depression and twice tried to end his life by swallowing pills and by slitting his wrists. He never returned to the house he and Bobbi shared and he stopped racing the day she died. He turned to pills to numb the pain. Then he turned to cocaine and drugs dominated his life. His downward spiral increased in 1990 when brain cancer claimed his father. Del eventually lost everything, including his mother, a victim of Alzheimer's Disease in Texas. With the family home in Fullerton gone, Del slept in friends' garages as payment for doing chores for them. He also began moving drugs from suppliers to buyers on the street in exchange for a stash for his own use. Without a home from 1995-97 Del wandered the streets of Orange County. He ate surplus food thrown away by restaurants into garbage bins behind the restaurants and days-old donuts. Public rest rooms were luxury not always available. Del lived in an open lot in Anaheim next to the I-5 freeway at Katella and Manchester, less than a mile from world-famous Disneyland, "the happiest place on Earth." He slept between piles of dirt, out of sight for relative safety. On rainy nights, Del climbed into a dumpster and closed the lid to keep dry. He kept his few possessions in bags and moved about on a girl's pink bicycle that had been discarded. The OCR column in 2005 quoted Del saying he was always cold and lonely. He only related to other homeless persons living off the streets and alleys of Orange County. Then Victory Outreach of Anaheim entered Del's life and he had to give up his bicycle and whatever he possessed to receive the help of the God-squaders. "How would you try to eat a whale? One bite at a time," was a Dalrymple saying that also applied to his climb out of depression and back to a normal life. After living anonymously on the streets for about six years, Del spent two years in the Victory Outreach program as he recovered from his former life. He had to rise at 5:30 a.m, do chores, go to prayer groups, perform more chores, go to Bible study and meals at appointed hours. Such was his daily routine. By 1998 Del moved in with another person trying to reclaim his life. They rented a place and began a metal fabrication shop and lived at the site to save money. Del accepted every job available and began getting back on his feet financially. He built a stock car and returned to racing at Irwindale Speedway. He then built another car and became the mentor and later fiancee of Candace Muzny. Life was good again. Del and Candace had mutual goals and love. He paid his bills and had sponsors for his growing race team. Friends like Jesse James, of TV's "Monster Garage" show and owner of West Coast Choppers, helped him. Del said in 2005, "Everything I've lost I've gotten back ten times." He was thankful and said God had blessed him. In 2004 Del appeared in a Taco Bell TV commercial that was supposed to be a one-day job for $500. Del was picked for a speaking part and as a Screen Actors Guild member he made almost $30,000 from residuals when the Taco Bell TV commercial was used nationally. Del was known as a giver. He donated about 200 of his old racing trophies to the Special Olympics organization after he removed the nameplates so they could be given to participants in the Special Olympics. Del also supported U.S troops with "Support Our Troops" decals on his car. He put the name of a missing child on his race-car and the girl was found later in Korea. He spoke to churches, schools and to Make-A-Wish Foundation participants whenever possible. He loved people and had empathy for them and tried to help. "You do good things and good things will come back to you," was his motto. Del had lost family, friends and loved ones during his life. In 2005 Del and Candace moved into a house two blocks from his shop. Later they became engaged and planned a life together. The life Del had tried without success to end a decade earlier ended this year, ironically on Thanksgiving Day, just when he had so much to live for with Candace, racing and friends back in his life. Del knew the Figure 8 division at Irwindale needed more cars this year, so he built a Figure 8 car, a blue and yellow No. 07 of course. It raced twice at the end of the season with Robert Rice driving in the November 3 race. I spoke to Del in the pits several months ago and asked him how many racing cars he owned. He replied, "Four, but I'm putting another one together." MEMORIAL SERVICE: "A Celebration of Life - Del Dalrymple" memorial service took place on a sunny, 65-degree Sunday December 9, 2007 from 12:00 noon to 1:05 p.m at Irwindale Speedway. An estimated 400 friends and acquaintances of Del sat in the main grandstand at IS and honored the memory of the man who sank so low and climbed back to success in his life. As requested by Candace, everyone wore their normal race track attire "as Del would have wanted." A four-page booklet given to attendees contained five photos of Del, from a ten-year old boy to recent photos of Del in his driving uniform and with Candace and the No. 07 Chevy. Page 2 contained a 22-sentence poem written by Del titled "Who is God?" It began, "God is the fire, the wind, the rain and the light, the fire is the spirit of God that burns in your soul. The wind is God's breath that blows your fears away and makes you whole." Del's poem concluded, "God is for real; God is the fire, the wind, the rain and the light. God is everything, every day and every night, so ask God now into your life, DON'T WAIT for tomorrow might be too late." Page 3 contained words by Candace and friends about Del. They included the following: "He had a heart of gold. He loved and was loved or hated by everyone who crossed his path. There's no in between. Having him as a friend was like having an angel watching over you at all times. Always willing to lend a helping hand no matter if he met you five minutes ago or 20 years ago. Del always had a smile on his face at the track and was ready to play a prank on anyone anytime. Del lived his life with patience and courage and he'll always be remembered." Page 4 quoted Ephesians 3:16 "that Christ may dwell in you hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love." A pace car with a large checkered flag extended from the driver-side window was parked at the start/finish line facing turn four. Eighteen racing cars from various series were parked behind the pace car at an angle, also facing the wrong way. Del's No. 07 blue and yellow late model, his No. 08 late model, his Grand National West black and pink No. 01 that Candace had raced twice in recent months, and his new yellow and blue No. 07 Figure 8 car led the pack. Racing trucks, super stocks, mini stocks, modifieds, Figure 8 cars and Eric Hardin's No. 5 GN West car followed behind Del's four cars. Attendees signed a memorial book and viewed photos of Del at various ages and with various cars and friends. Candace and her parents from Oklahoma sat in the front row. Irwindale Speedway owner Jim Williams and IS GM Bob DeFazio attended, as did track emergency workers in their safety uniforms. Emcee Gordon "Lugg Nutz" Stewart, the IS pit announcer and a member of the "Speed Freaks" radio/TV show, handled the PA microphone at the front walkway and handed off the microphone to various speakers during the service. Rev. Mike Marks, of Raceway Ministries (Calif.), Rev. Joe Bubbico, of Racing with Jesus Ministries, Chaplain Howard Hart, with Motor Racing Outreach, spoke and gave readings from Scripture, including Psalm 23--"The Lord is my Shepherd….".Many speakers, one from North Carolina, wore racing t-shirts or jackets. They came from the audience and related stories about the Del they knew and admired. One speaker said Del gave a young boy with cancer a ride in his car around the track and it thrilled him so much his mom said her son talked about the ride until he died. ….. Del's niece spoke of him "as a wonderful man." After losing her brother Chris years ago, Del put together a mural to honor her brother. She read "The Race of life" and concluded by saying, "He would appreciate this large turnout today and to know how much he was loved."….. References were made to Del's losses in life, his drug use, homelessness and recovery. In lieu of flowers, donations were made into a container for Victory Outreach to help the homeless get back on their feet. ….. A speaker wearing a No. 07 t-shirt read a letter he wrote to Del upon learning about his death. He yearned for one more day together and he recalled the first day they met. He said, "we've all been touched by meeting Del. If all of us here today go out and touch others the way Del did, it would be a fitting tribute to Del." ….. A speaker who knew Del for 40-years said, "racing was his passion and love. He'd drive anything with wheels." One person who knew Del from his days at Ascot said J. C. Agajanian liked Del and let him race his Grant King-built No. 98jr sprint car with CRA at Ascot one Saturday night. ….. Speaker Tim McMillin said he met Del at Ascot in the 1980s. He said, "Del raced twice in 2002 and in 2003 his GN West car weighed 200 pounds too much so he cut 200 pounds out of it. He was always changing gear ratios, but he always got up on the wheel." He related Del running an R & D car and his use of the word "son" as in "Now son" and "Son, thank you." ….. A speaker named Marty said he was Del's doctor for awhile. He added, "My brother-in-law was starting a stock car team and Del dropped everything he was doing to help out my brother-in-law and his team." ….. The final speaker was Del's fiancee Candace, who said her father and mother were present from Oklahoma to honor Del. "I loved Del so much. He gave me a chance. He showed me how to race and it's hard for a female to race. He was such a jokester. He never gave me a dull moment. I thought we'd grow old together, have kids together and watch them go racing. I loved him so much. I don't know what I'll do without him. He's with God now." In conclusion, Candace invited everyone present to join her and her family at the Rockin' Taco Restaurant on Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton. Then the pace car and 18 racing vehicles took a reverse direction "Polish victory lap" around the Irwindale half mile. Two of Del's cars, the No. 07 late model and No. 07 Figure-8, driven by friends Rusty Stewart and Billy Ziemann performed smoking donuts in the infield to honor Del. The final words on the PA microphone mentioned that a memorial lap for Del is planned for opening night 2008 at Irwindale Speedway. After the service I spoke to Earl Scruggs, a long-time racing photographer at Ascot and other tracks, including Irwindale. He came to Del's service from his current home in Las Vegas. He said it was his photo of Del as a 10-year old on the display board. Earl had written out his tribute to his long-time friend Del, but he found he was too emotional to get up and deliver his thoughts at the service. I asked Earl for permission to include his insightful words verbatim in my written tribute to Del. He agreed, so Earl's words follow. "Del used to love McDonalds. One January a long time ago Del was towing a race-car for Jim Neal to Phoenix for the Copper World Classic. Myself and two other photographers followed behind in another car. When we got to Phoenix it was about 1:00 a.m. As we pulled into the motel parking lot to check in I saw Del drive to the other end. On the corner there was a McDonalds. Del pulled up to the drive-thru window with the race-car and open trailer and stopped. While we went in and registered, which took about ten minutes, Del was still parked at the drive-thru when we came out. I drove over and told him they were closed. He said, 'I know. I just want to be first in line.' So we left and went to the motel for a couple of hours of sleep. When we left the motel about 5:00 a.m Del and the race-car were still at the drive-thru. As we got to the track there were about 200 people in line at the pit gate and it did not open for about another two hours. About 30-minutes later Del walked along the line with a couple of bags handing out Egg McMuffins to people he knew and I'm sure some he didn't know. I've known Del since he was about 2-years old. I would see him in the pits after the races were over at Ascot or Speedway 605 (Irwindale) around his dad's race car. Sometime he was looking at the engine, maybe thinking how he could make it go faster or looking inside the car, perhaps picturing himself driving. But he would have to wait, after all he was only 10. When he did get to race he was 17 in 1976. He drove a Buick Skylark convertible in the Figure 8 division at Corona Raceway. But that only lasted about a month. He got hurt in an accident and couldn't race for a long time. When he did start racing again it didn't take long for Del and car owner Kenny Mann to start winning and winning almost weekly. Over the years Del had little tricks. He found that driving up beside the car in front of him on a caution flag would intimidate the other drivers. If it was first or 15th place they knew Del was behind them but wouldn't be there long. Just seeing him in their rear view mirror was enough cause for them to overdrive or make a mistake and Del would get by. Winning races was fun for Del, winning championships was more fun. But I've never seen Del have as much fun or be happier than he had been since he met Candace. Candace was Del's love. Racing was Del's life. Everyone at the race track was Del's family." RIP Del. (For images of Del and Candace see www.BCSportsimages.com or www.irwindalespeedway.com or www.ocregister.com/column/dalrymple-muzny-going-1935276-people-one. |
