55 replies to this topic

[9lives]

Jeff,

 

John Hegedus here. How are you? I miss you and your great satire on life... you helped me so much... fixing my cars... installing motors... adjusting bodies, etc. I would welcome a call from you at (562) 343-2186. You are exceptional...

 

I never met Mr. Sterrett, but I'm sure he was a fine man... after all, he was a slot car racer, and from what I can tell, he gave a lot to this sport...

 

John Hegedus 

[9lives]

Haruki,

 

John Hegedus here. I wanna [sp/syntax] in Japan. Tell me how. Have you ever raced in the Fall Brawl? Please advise. I have a plan.

 

Donna extends her regards. 

[86ed once again]

RIP, Paul.

 

Many of you guys remember Paul for starting D3, I remember him from SoCal USRA Div 2. He helped many of us kids in SoCal throughout the 2000s, myself, my brother, Ross Brothers, etc. Later on he helped create D3.

 

Then when I started racing wing cars, he was the go-to glue guy for everyone at Buena Park. In 2005 he was my glue guy for Spec 15 in which I took first. It wasn't an uncommon to watch him glue four racers in the same race at the Western States, Boola Bash, and Buena Park 500 races, and local BP monthly races.

[Howie Ursaner]

I am extremely sad to hear this news. I met Paul when i started to race slot cars again due to his creation of Retro racing and the Checkpoint Cup. I owe a lot to Paul who was extremely passionate and giving.

 

I feel a great loss here, and he will be missed. 

[Half Fast]

RIP to a pioneer of Retro slot car racing.

 

The chassis at the first Retro race, almost 11 years ago, would not look out of place today. That's a good thing.

 

You did well, Paul. 

[Bryan Warmack]

Below is a picture of one of Pauls first Retro Can-Am Car in 2006.[/size]

John,

Paul's car that you pictured was the inspiration for the Warmack D3 Retro Can-Am kit that helped many racers get the Retro scratchbuilding bug!

[usadar]

 
Paul built this beautiful Jail Door car for me, when I started racing Retro at Buena Park Raceway in April, 2010.
 
RIP, Paul.

Haruki

[Jeff Buyer]

Paul was a key part of the success of the hardbody racing program that we started at BPR in 2003. He was always willing to help a fellow racer.

My condolences to his family and friends.
 
JB

[Mr Dynamic]

Sad news indeed.

 

Paul's racing was legendary. Odin will surely have a place for him in slot car Valhalla!

 

Here he is giving me the look... RIP.

 

 

 

 

I will miss his company...

 

Jeff Bell

[Cheater]

Yelled at the marshal again, huh, Jeff? LOL.

 

Thanks to Rich Vecchio for reminding me about the two 1/32 slot car conventions and that Paul was at both of them, as was I.

 

I then remembered In the TSRF race at Rad Trax (I think), where Paul and I battled for the win. He ended up slightly ahead of me on the track but on PdL's weight-based handicap formula, I was awarded the win. One of the few highlights of my racing career...

 

A very fond memory of Paul, it is.

[tonyp]

RIP, Paul.

[Jay Guard]

I raced many times with Paul when I lived in California. He was a great racer/builder and an all-around good guy and was basically the father of Retro racing as we know it today.  

He will be missed by all that knew him.

RIP, Paul, at that great slot car track in the sky!

[Mike Who?]

Very sad news...
 
Paul was so helpful. I personally owe a lot to the man for all his help and support. So many races where he was watching my boys, especially Gavin, while I raced. Gavin sleeping in his arms, etc.

Paul was the D1 glue man as stated by others and damn good at it. I can't recall him ever saying no, he just figured out a way to get everyone done in the time allotted.

Paul... So much too say but so damn sad.
 
RIP, Paul.

[Mark Wampler]

There are so many  stories of Paul's eagerness to help. That includes me. 

Early on in the D3 days, I was at Buena Park in the pit checking a gear mesh. As I was rotating the tires forward, he passed by and noticed. "Why are you turning your tires like that"? (??) "You spin the tires backward to check for gear mesh."  

Lesson learned. Thanks, Paul!

[eshorer]

No question that Paul was a big part of my getting back into racing ten years ago. He was always willing to lend a hand, eyeing my cars, and performing a magical tweak and twist here and there.

He will be missed.


Eddie

[Dennis David]

This is really sad news. I never met Paul but of course knew of his many exploits and that at one time he seemed to be the man to beat in SoCal. His work in establishing Retro was invaluable and we all owe him and the others who were there at the beginning of our current Golden Age in commercial racing a big and lasting thank you. The numbers don't tell the whole store of what Retro has accomplished. Slot Car racing as a hobby may still die but not without a fight as Paul showed in his own life. We who love slot cars are richer because of him. 

 

May God Bless him and his family.

[Bryan Warmack]

I went back and checked out some old photos I had and came up with a couple of early Paul Sterrett pics... from May 2007, coming up on TEN YEARS!!  These pics are from Keith's BPR race reports.

 

 

An early race on the Kingleman... Paul, Mike Kravitz, Doug Matthes, Mike Steube, Mike Brannian, Kyle Matthes, Bryan Warmack, Yoshio Akyama.

 

[Jim Lange]

Godspeed, Paul. RIP, my friend. 

[Cheater]

A video posted to YouTube by Nesta, with Paul and Mike Steube.

 

 

(Thanks to Nesta and Rob Hanson for pointing me to this video clip.)

[Tom Eatherly]

Greg,

 

Thanks for putting that video up. What year Checkpoint was that?

[Cheater]

Tom,

 

I don't know. It has to be a few years back, as I don't think Steube has been at the recent Checkpoints.

 

FWIW, Nesta has posted three other clips from this interview at whatever Checkpoint it was. Click HERE.

[Howie Ursaner]

This is one of my best moments in Retro racing. Paul was "The Man" and was behind the movement that made this all happen. These were magical times and there was a lot of love going around. It was amazing.

Thank you, Paul!

[smokie]

"Power's coming on... NOW!"

 

RIP, Paul...

[Ecurie Martini]

I'm going to apologize in advance if time and an aging memory has caused me to get this wrong but, recalling the last "Slot Car Convention" that I attended, Buena Park in '05 (?) - we had a pick up race on a small track at the back of the shop - for older 1/32 open wheel cars as I recall. 

Paul did not have a car so I loaned him one of mine - a 4CLT Maserati fitted with a hot black can FF 050 motor - he drove the wheels off it - far, far better than I could have done, and won the race handily. 

He said he would love to have the car - I'm sorry I didn't give it to him.  It has never been driven nearly so well since then.
 
EM

[rvec]

Hey Greg,

You and Paul also battled it out in the 2005 1/24 TSRF race. Both of you were racing Lexan cars while I was racing a hard body Porsche 962. In the end it was Paul, you, and me for first through third respectively.
 
Here is the link LINK. Scroll down to the 1/24 TSRF race.

Those were some good times.

Rich