Viper Days Friends Tribute to Blaise Alexander

[SAM Team]

The following is a note to my Team that I sent out this morning that I would like to share with you. As I was posting a couple of notes on the VCA board last night all this was taking place. In my notes I was trying to express what it means to me to make new friends and visit with some old ones while at the the Viper Days events. Now I understand why it is so important to say what is on your heart and share your feelings with others, today.

I just got off the phone a few minutes ago with Tom Daily's wife, Tria. For those of you who may remember him I got to know Tom through the Richard Petty Schools I have attended. Tom is an instructor and he is the driver who rode with me in the Viper when I had it on the track at the end of the day. Tom is an up and coming professional racer. Tom had called me on a couple of occasions about sponsoring him for an ARCA event and I told him when the time was right I would consider it. Tom had called Ron and me last Thursday and wanted to know if we would be interested in sponsoring a driver at Lowes Motor Speedway last night. This driver was his life long friend they had raced go carts together as far back as when they were kids. His friend had won the the Michigan Nascar Race a few weeks ago and was just looking for a little tire money to help with expenses, he assured me he would win the race. SAM Team in turn would be able to send about 20 people to the race last night, hang out in the pits, meet the driver and crew and get some advertisement on the car. The reason we gave Tom for not sponsoring this driver was because we would just be getting back from Watkins Glen Viper Days event and the uncertain state of the economy. Tom understood and said maybe next time.... The Driver was Blaise Alexander and he was killed at Lowes Motor Speedway last night while leading the race with only 4 laps to go.... Tom's wife said he was in Kentucky last night instructing one of the Richard Petty Schools and he cried like she had never heard him before for the death of a very close and lifelong friend. My prayers and heart go out to the Alexander and Daily families this morning and the days to come. This is truly my loss for I will never get to meet Blaise...there will never be a next time on this earth but my friend I hope to meet you in heaven one day, but not now.

With all this said count your many Blessings and hold your family a little closer today for tomorrow it is never a given. This is not a cliché anymore...

Do you know where you stand with our Lord if your life where to end today, I do and it gives me a Peace that money, security systems, safety equipment, weapons can not give me???? I know we have a lot of crazy and wild Viper guys and girls out there(just check the postings), think about this before you get behind the wheel of your passion again, before you take another step.....

May God Bless You.
Thanks,
Sam

Sam Kelly
"You must first Give in order to Receive"
President, SAM Group, Inc.
297 - G Garlington Road
Greenville, SC 29615
Office 864.286.6446 ext 10
Cell 864.915.1077
Fax 864.286.6449 www.samgroup.com

 

[-RUNNR]

Sorry to hear about the loss. It is always very sad when we lose a member of the racing community.

Sam's comments ring true. Hold your family close, pay attention to them today, not tomorrow.

And where do you stand? I know where I will be after I pass.

 

[viperdrummer]

Like others, I will be at the race on Sunday with a heavy heart. I work with some Cup drivers who I am sure are upset at last night's event. Alexander was an up and coming driver, who I believe was a former ARCA rookie of the year. He had also acquitted himself well in Busch races. I can only speak for me, but I am becoming weary of driver fatalities. It was only a few yrs ago that aonther ARCA driver was killed in Charlotte. It seems silly that this series, which involves lesser experienced drivers would not mandate head and neck restraints. And don't get me started about concrete walls. It seems ridiculous that all the new tracks model Charlotte . AS Smokey Yunnock used to say, "they build new tracks with new concrete walls and more drivers will be killed"--I'll get off my soapbox.