It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Lee Gilbert's passing on December 1, 2021.
I, like many of you, have known Lee for a long time through our sport. Lee has stories of success dating all the way back to the '60s when he would pay his rent with the winnings of slot car races (a real pro!). To this day he could still make the podium. I first met Lee back in 1985 when I was barely a teenager at our local raceway. Skip ahead 25 years to our current raceway Lee has been a good friend to me and a great supporter of Pacific Coast raceway.
There was always much to be learned from Lee, slot car and life in general if you took the time to listen. Lee has probably clocked more hours than anyone else at PCR working on customer cars.
At the ISRA North American Championships held in Mineral Ridge, OH, Lee was dubbed "The Eurosport Zen Master" a nickname that was deserved but didn't seem to stick.
It didn't matter if you were the best racer or the worst, he did he best for everyone, simply because he loved the sport. I feel lucky to have had him and his support for the past 12 years, I am certain our local racers feel the same. I've been lucky to have traveled the world with Lee to races all over and to have met so many people who had so much respect for him and his accomplishments.
Lee exploded onto the national scene with a series of building articles published in Car Model magazine in the early 1970s. Some builders still refer to these articles today,
Lee marketed racing products, parts, and complete ready to race cars under his "Speedshop" brand.
In addition to his lifetime of achievements in model car racing, Lee is survived by his two daughters and a granddaughter. Lee was a great person, a dear friend, and many racers will miss him.
There will be a gathering to honor Lee in the near future and I will post here when there is a firm date set.
