Updated *** Statement regarding DREW LIPPOLT

This is very sad news. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Drew's family. It's difficult when a loved one is taken from us so unexpectedly. Our prayers go out to each one who knew Drew and to the family. If help is needed, please let us know. Tenna and I will be at Oak Hill this weekend working for CMRA, so if help is needed getting equipment back, or anything at all, please let us know, as we will do whatever is needed to help out.

To what town does Drew's things need to be delivered? Is there a trailer only, or is there a truck and a trailer? Do his things just need to be parked away from his home for a while? Jason, just e-mail me or PM me some guidance, 'cuz we can surely help get his belongings to where they belong.

Quote:

Originally posted by mark niemi:
Gosh,
I've been thinking about him all day. He really was a cool guy.
I went to RA about ten years ago with Slammin' Sammy Hopkins. That was the year Drew won on the two-stroke. It was a crazy brand and I'm trying to think of it.I wish someone would tell me.
Later that day Drew got rear-ended when his bike stalled on the line, but escaped unhurt.The starter didn't see him stalled and let the second wave go. Another rider could not avoid him and rammed into the back of him. I think that was in F1.
And I remember him riding the TWS short track doing sick lap times on a beat up old gixxer.His bike would be crappy looking in the pits, and he was always jackin' with it, but when he entered the track he would throw down some serious laps. He was a racer in the truest sense.
Mostly...he was just a cool guy.

Man I just read this news and I can't think straiht right now, so I can't remember what 2 stroke he raced. He used to race that and the old gsxr in V6. We had some really great races back then and he has always been a great guy on and off the track (mostly off lol).

You will be missed Drew. RIP

I know he raced an Armstrong 250 for a while...

That's it, I came back to post but you beat me to it L2.
That was one fast 250 too. Used to give my GSXR a good run.

Sad, sad news. My thoughts and prayers go to the family. God Speed to Drew.

As I have no idea what to say. I will give a little info. Along with his current family of racers Drew raced with/for Jerry Klawitter (sp) along with Douglas Pedrick who is also deceased. The group was always good for a laugh and help if needed. They were always on interesting machinery and had fun even while pushing it. Drew and Jerry have also been involved in landspeed record attempts and were building an interesting machine.
FAMVTE
God Speed

I also want to offer my condolences to Drew's family and friends, ya'll are in my thoughts and prayers. If there is anything that I can do to help please don't hesitate to contact me 832.293.3307.

Godspeed Drew

Chris

I hope this is appropriate. I wrote this to Sachi, but felt that it belongs to the whole CMRA community. Thank you all for being my brothers and sisters in this sport.

This is an open letter, Godspeed to Drew:

Dear Sachi Lippolt,

I am writing to you to express my condolences on the recent, tragic loss of your husband, Drew. I heard of his passing on Monday morning, and was immediately struck by the fact that this could very easily have been me instead of Drew. I feel the need to express to you why we follow this sport with such passion. We all know that death or injury is a risk of our sport, and we continue because we find it so rewarding that the danger is acceptable. I race motorcycles because it makes me feel so intensely alive. The way I felt when I exchanged vows with my wife and knew I’d found my soul mate. The way I felt when my son arrived screaming into this world to beat the band, and I didn’t sleep for two days from sheer excitement. It is a celebration of being human, and while there are other things in life that provide this exhilaration, they are few and far between, just like races are few and far between.

I personally do not want to leave my family without a husband and father, but I will not sit on the sidelines of life and take no risks. It is the cost of experiencing life as opposed to just living, and it adds to the richness of the reward. I believe that Drew felt the same way, or we would not have shared this passion for our sport. It takes this kind of dedication to spend countless hours working on the machines, then to drive twelve hours each way just to get an hour or two of track time. It is a sweet experience, and not to be missed. I’m not a stellar racer by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I may never get a podium finish. It’s a good day when I come in mid-pack, and I’ve had more than my share of “racer’s luck,” with mechanical issues, usually. I keep spending huge quantities of very precious time and a considerable amount of money to follow this sport just because I find it so intensely rewarding.

Drew and I never met, but I knew of him though many of our fellow racers. I feel that this is my loss; he was very well-respected and had been a member of our club for many years. I’ve been a member for three short years myself. I still feel like a new arrival at times, but I also feel like a valued member of the family. I would not have hesitated to help Drew with anything, and I would have felt free to ask him for help if I had a need as well. Such is the family that Drew was a part of through our sport, and we all feel his loss. He was one of our own.

Scott Bass
CMRA 742

Edit because after all that writing, I can't spell "this"

[img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif[/img] RIP & Godspeed [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif[/img]

This is hard for me to take in. I kind of always have in my head that as long as you don't crash into a wall or tree, or have the bike land on you that your gear will let you survive an accident. I'd really like to understand what went wrong here or was there just some fluke thing that caused this that couldn't have prevented it. If we get any more details on this, please share.

My thoughts are with the Lippolt family.