30 replies to this topic

[MSwiss]

"... even less important than slot car racing".

Is that even possible? LOL.

I throw lines like that in once in awhile, just to see if anyone is reading my posts.

[MSwiss]

Yesterday I received this nice email from Csaba's wonderful first wife, Catherine.

Csaba met Catherine while studying architecture in Paris.

Her parents and siblings put up the US slot racing contingent, at their various residences, during a J.P. Van Rossem event in Paris.

With her permission, I'm going to post it, to show Csaba's fight to very end.

 

Hello Mike,

I just read what you wrote on OWH's slot car Talk. This brought tears to my eyes and I wanted to let you know how grateful we are for what you wrote and for the response it got. The pictures on the site are great!

I am Csabas ex-wife, Catherine. Csaba's slot car days were so long ago that it is unfortunate that I didn't reach and contact any of his slot car friends and most of all, we were all so overwhelmed by the stroke that we reached out for people who were immediately known to us and who had direct and constant contact with Csaba. I'm so sorry I didn't let you or anyone in the slot car community know.

As you said, Csaba was a competitor. He was a fighter. Never in his life did he quit on anything, and after his devastating stroke, he didn't either. He fought for his life first, then he fought to get better. His stroke left him completely paralyzed on the right side, and unable to speak or swallow. For 15 months, he fought every second of the day: every gesture, every eye and hand movement, every movement of his lips was a struggle. I have never seen someone try so hard.

He had a second stroke in March of 2012 but kept coming back, in Csaba's typical fashion. His daughters, Oriane and Csilla, and I all worked with him to help him regain some quality of life. Although we had been divorced for ten years, we kept in touch and after the stroke, I spent many hours with him at the nursing home, working with him, helping him to put twelve-piece puzzle together! Yes, he struggled to put together a twelve-piece puzzle. What a heartbreak when you know how brilliant a mind Csaba was.

In the end, his body was too exhausted and he could no longer stay with us. He passed away on February 15. I wish his slot car friends could have been there to help him along his very difficult fifteen months path.

Again, I'm so sorry and I am so grateful that you wrote something about him.

He leaves a very big hole in our lives.

Thank you again. When I return to Chicago, if you don't mind, I would like to stop by your shop and say hi.

Take care,

Catherine

[Dennis David]

That was nice. We all live such busy lives and it's too easy to lose contact with people we once knew. Something to be said for living life a little slower but enjoying it more.

[Mr. M]

This is Csaba at the Nats, Andy's Hobbies and Cones in Detroit, sacrificing himself to slot racing. Actually the back story is that the lap counter was getting goofy with missing laps during one of the non-pro qualifying events. Csaba jumped in to extend the dead strip length. I took this picture with my Canon AE1 and found it while going through some boxes after moving.

 

He was always willing to help the little guys and was much more approachable than many of the pros. I personally witnessed one of his beratings of the tech guy who wanted to engrave one of his chassis at the Nats. It was a long discussion that ended with a very small light mark.

 

[spiette]

The floor must have been disgusting, he's got shoes on.

[MSwiss]

 
This pic of Csaba, on Jerry Kulich's first Hasse King, just came across my phone.

The Grand Raceway logo in the background was most likely hand-painted by Csaba.

I like the No Smoking sign.

Mike "Crude" Stephens must not have been able to read. LOL.