Celebrate life
by Aaron “AJ” Seaholm
aseaholm@gmail.com
This month we celebrate the lives of racers lost. It seems these articles have been far too frequent lately. We lost Dave Gavin and Lee LaValley in September. Both were great members of the RC Pylon Racing family and each has left a giant void. Cherish time together, be in the moment, and celebrate the bonds we build.
Dave Gavin
Dave Gavin was a driving force in Southern California RC Pylon Racing. I knew Dave from the Phoenix races and was fortunate to spend many years getting to know him. He was a quiet, humble, yet extremely talented man who somehow made you feel better every time—a better racer, a better friend, and a better person.
Here are a few National Miniature Pylon Racing Association (NMPRA) forum quotes from those who knew him best.
“Dave was a great friend to everyone who was blessed to know him. He always gave of what he had, and was loved by all.”
—Chuck Andraka
“Gentle mannered, humble, passionate about racing, happy, generous, loved by all who met him, always ready to lend a hand when needed.”
—Mario Salazar
“He was such a positive influence supporting the Pylon Racing community and a joy to be around. I’m going to miss him ‘big time.’ He turned me on to the blues guitar master, Joe Bonamassa, so I’m going to put on some [music] by Joe. Thinking of you bud!”
—Tom Hegland
Rest in peace my friend.
Lee LaValley
“I’ll never forget him coming up to me this year (at the Nats), and saying, ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but I was just chatting with your wife … you out-kicked the coverage so bad on that one, it’s ridiculous!’ He was right!”
—Gary Schmidt
Gary’s story perfectly captures Lee. He was fun to be around because of his great sense of humor and thirst for laughter. Besides giving Gary a hard time, he was also saying how happy he was for the new couple.
This drew us all to Lee. He cared deeply about people, especially his family. He was so proud of Collin, Alayna, and the life he had built with Deann.
Lee designed and built an AR-6 and many versions of Q-500 racers. He was a talented modeler and had progressed to being tough on the racecourse, but those things always seemed secondary. Lee was more about time off the racecourse—telling stories, sharing a cold one, and creating special memories.
The LaValleys visited the Black Hills a few years ago and we spent an amazing evening together. It’s hard to believe it was our last. I could fill up 10 columns with stories of my time with Lee. Instead, I think Dan Kane said it best: “Go Pack!”
Mike Tallman Legacy Pylon Race
The Mike Tallman Legacy Pylon Race, held September 16-17, 2017, was once again a tremendous tribute to Mike’s legacy, not to mention that the racing just keeps getting better.
It is bittersweet seeing Wichita, Kansas, alive with nearly 30 Q-40 contestants and Mike not there to share in the success.
We got it right, though, and inducted Mike into the NMPRA Hall of Fame. Dub Jett led the ceremony to perfection. Each of us told “Bear” stories for nearly an hour. Mike’s wife, Vernell, accepted the award after many laughs and tears.
From the first round of racing,
Danny Coe was the class of the field and steadily took down all of the top competitors. He finished perfect after two days and nine rounds of close racing. Congratulations to Danny and his caller, Duane Hulen, for the victory at a special race.
A shout-out goes to Jason Duda for a blazing-fast 1:01.02 to take fast time. It’s great to have you back in the mix.
Q-40 (AMA Event 422)
Name Time Points
1. Danny Coe 1:03.12 27
2. AJ Seaholm 1:03.40 25
3. Rich Beers 1:04.39 24
Fast time: Jason Duda 1:01.02
Special thanks go to Ben Hobbs, Lonnie Finch, Moe Vereecke, Joe Hodges, Vernell Tallman, and all of the volunteers who make this race a reality. It is a must-attend event for me at a special place.
Ride Along
The Mike Tallman Legacy Pylon Race was Neil Martin’s second Q-40 race, after three rounds in Denver and slightly more than a year of total RC Pylon Racing experience. Neil and I arrived at the field Friday morning for
trim flights and practice.
Lonnie brought out an Eddie Jump Dago racer that he had prepared for Neil. Sure enough, it was one of Lee LaValley’s old airplanes. Keep in mind that this was only a couple of weeks after Lee had passed. Test flights went well, and the 20-year-old design flew perfectly. Neil decided that the Dago would be his primary aircraft for the weekend.
Neil flew well for the five rounds on Saturday. In addition to the great flying, the breaks continued to go his way heat after heat. If he didn’t win outright, some bit of luck would miraculously arrive just in time. I couldn’t help but think something special was going on with that metallic-green Dago.
Neil won four out of five races and was tied for second place on Saturday evening. He earned every point, but I know we had help. Wichita, Kansas, is a special place.
Fly hard and have fun!
SOURCES:
NMPRA
www.nmpra.org
2017 Nats video
air.modelaircraft.org/2017-national-aeromodeling-championships
