Dave Byrd and Bob Strandwold Racing completed their reunion this last Saturday, August 8th, at Stockton 99 Speedway in the "Don Conti Memorial 99" in memory of their good friend as part of the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series.
Things started off a little slow for the weekend due to a limited amount of tires to test on. Qualifying was “o.k.” with Dave qualifying 9th, turning a 13.340 second qualifying lap. Things got going in the main event with Dave working his way from his ninth starting position up to 5th. Dave was working traffic on lap 75 and was planning a move on fourth place when he had a run in with a lapped car and cut down his right front tire. Two pit stops to change the tire and re-adjust the front suspension took Dave out of contention and resulted in a seventeenth place finish.
“This obviously wasn’t the finish we were after, but what we have had is a great night spent with a lot of good people remembering a great friend and that is more important than anything to me”, Dave was quoted as saying. “It’s been about three weeks since the accident and the Conti family has had some tough things to deal with. Tonight a group of about 25 of Don’s family came out to the track and spent a night celebrating something that was Don’s passion! Hopefully that will help start some healing.”
In addition to celebrating Don’s life, efforts have already been started in naming a city park after Donald Edward Conti and there are plans to make sure that future entrepreneurs like Don will have scholarship help in his name at his alma mater Fresno State.
Dave will race on starting this Saturday, August 15th when he returns to his newly re-kindled relationship with Stockton 99 Speedway for twin 50’s of fun in Rodney Quall’s #78 Western Late Model.
The next race on the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series takes place on September 5th, 2009 at Madera Speedway in Madera, California.
Dave Byrd’s special memorial racing tribute to Don Conti was brought to you and supported by generous help from Conti Material Service, RH Motorsports, Bob Strandwold Racing, “LA” Fever Logistics, Kevin Daley, Jim and Pam Garcia, Faith Bumper Service, Kenny Whalen Racing, JLM Motorsports, Mike Kanke and his RPM Motorsports team, Jim Pettit Racing, Leadfoote Jim Foote and Fred Lind Racing.
