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IndyDuq
04-29-05, 02:44 AM
Hi all.

I’ve never spent any time on forums but John always talked about how much he enjoyed Off Camber and all of the participants. I thought that I would share my story with you folks. I met John & Sue many years ago at an after work bar. We instantly discovered a mutual passion for open wheel racing. The next thing I knew John had talked me into meeting his gang at Milwaukee. Needless to say I had a blast and it became an annual event! We continued to meet at Milwaukee and sometimes Road America or Mid-Ohio and if nothing else, occasionally at my house for races.

The coolest thing about John was that he was a guy who knew racing… not just someone who was able to recite book facts and records. I remember that after watching in amazement as J.P. Montoya blew through turn four at Milwaukee lap after lap with opposite lock in his rookie year (you can’t drive like that at Milwaukee!), John could tell you in detail how Jimmy Clark (or Jimmy Bryant for that matter) “pitched” his car into the corners there. John lived and breathed racing. I remember him telling me that when he was a young man, that during practice at Indy, all of his friends were partying in the infield and he was the “nerd” in the stands with the stopwatch.

John was a good man and a good friend and I will miss him greatly. I was looking forward to seeing him at the speedway next month. Damn... life sure isn’t fair. 54 is just way too young to leave us all behind.

May God bless and keep John. I hope and imagine that he is somewhere now happily bench racing with Clark, Bettenhausen, Vuckovich, Fangio and many others.

While we’ve all lost a good friend, please spare a thought for Sue, Nick, and (mom) Fairy, they are suffering the loss of husband, father, and son.

John Duquenne

Warlock!
04-29-05, 07:35 AM
While we’ve all lost a good friend, please spare a thought for Sue, Nick, and (mom) Fairy, they are suffering the loss of husband, father, and son.Definitely will do.

Thanks for sharing, John...

RaceGrrl
04-29-05, 08:18 AM
Thank you for that post. His family has been in my thoughts since we heard the news. John was a good man who will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. I'm sorry for your loss.

These things are certain: races won't be the same without him, but there will be many, many toasts to his memory this season and in seasons to come.

JT265
04-29-05, 08:34 AM
Yeah, thanks for sharing. And grrrrrrl's right, lots of toasts, now and in the future.

Jervis Tetch 1
04-29-05, 10:04 AM
Thanks for sharing your story.

oddlycalm
04-29-05, 02:48 PM
The coolest thing about John was that he was a guy who knew racing… not just someone who was able to recite book facts and records. Exactly right, 'bird put in the time at the tracks over a lot of years, and had the intellect and common sense to put the picture together. Bottom line, he knew what he was looking at. The together with his sharp wit and humor made him a very special guy. He was a very skilled writer, and it's a shame no publication ever spotted his talent, as then a legacy would exist. As it is, we are lucky to have had him among us. :thumbup: Thanks for coming here and sharing your thoughts with us John.

oc

JoeBob
04-29-05, 03:57 PM
He was a very skilled writer, and it's a shame no publication ever spotted his talent, as then a legacy would exist.

It does exist, you just have to know where to look. :)

Here's a start: http://www.offcamber.net/forums/search.php?do=finduser&userid=48
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/search.php?s=&action=finduser&userid=201