20 replies to this topic

[Richard Jenkins]

Tragically this wonderful, positive and authoritative historian and valued, long time TNF member has died whilst in the Dominican Republic.
A go fund me is being set up by his daughter to help get his widow Jean back home.

https://www.gofundme...cf share-flow-1

For those not familiar with Tom, his motorsport experience was extensive:

https://www.daltonwa...gory-s/1959.htm

RIP to a valued contributor and a good man. It would also help if people could spread the word to help Jean.

[E1pix]

Oh, this is terrible news to awake with...

[Ray Bell]

Tom did a presentation about the creation and history of Road America at the IMRRC in 2012...

 

His close association with Elkhart Lake's fabulous circuit is why he posted as 'RA Historian'. On that day in 2012 he was good enough to let me intrude on his time to present the F5000 Thunder book, while prior to and after the presentation we all enjoyed his company.

 

Sadly, I'm getting all too used to hearing one after the other of the people I met on that trip have had their personal chequered flags, it's rather dispiriting. RIP Tom.

[Dave Ware]

Damn, I always enjoyed and paid special attention to his posts. He was one of perhaps a half-dozen whose opinions and knowledge were somehow more special to me.
My condolences to the family in this sad time.

[JacnGille]

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Tim Murray]

I’m very sorry to read this news. Tom was a well-respected contributor here over many years. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[Allen Brown]

Oh this is terrible.  Tom was a great guy and a huge fount of knowledge about motor racing in the midwest.  He was THE Road America historian of course, but his knowledge went much wider.  He was also very generous with his amazing photo archive.  

 

Please do consider helping Jean with the costs.  

 

https://www.gofundme...s-medical-bills

[GMiranda]

R.I.P.

 

I saw the news today on Facebook, but I didn't know he was RA Historian.

[LittleChris]

How sad. RIP Tom

[B Squared]

This saddens me greatly; Tom was another friend I met through Michael Argetsinger and I shall miss him. He was always at the Dresang's year-end Christmas party at their race shop and although our timing meant we didn't see each other in December, we talked at length shortly after New Year and I'm so glad we did.

 

This has been one tough week - a 20-plus year friend was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer: another 30-year friend living the good life in Naples, Florida died from a heart attack at 62 and now Tom.... RIP my friends and get well to Greg.

 

The years that Michael was around were some of the best of my life, it's sad to see others having time catch up to them too.

 

Tom, Michael, Paul Powell and Paul Medici at Michael's home, around 10-12 years ago

 

At Watkins Glen and the IMRRC as mentioned by Ray above in 2012. Bill Green (Watkins historian), Michael, Don Capps, Ray and Tom

[10kDA]

Sorry to hear this sad news. R.I.P. Tom.

[racinggeek]

Ah jeez, very sad news. Chatted with him numerous times at RA in the media center and when we crossed paths in the paddock. Generally friendly and willing to spend a few minutes with a fellow racing and racing history enthusiast. He definitely will be missed, greatly. RIP

[DCapps]

This saddens me greatly; Tom was another friend I met through Michael Argetsinger and I shall miss him. He was always at the Dresang's year-end Christmas party at their race shop and although our timing meant we didn't see each other in December, we talked at length shortly after New Year and I'm so glad we did.

 

This has been one tough week - a 20-plus year friend was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer: another 30-year friend living the good life in Naples, Florida died from a heart attack at 62 and now Tom.... RIP my friends and get well to Greg.

 

The years that Michael was around were some of the best of my life, it's sad to see others having time catch up to them too.

 

 

 

 

At Watkins Glen and the IMRRC as mentioned by Ray above in 2012. Bill Green (Watkins historian), Michael, Don Capps, Ray and Tom

 

As much as I loved to ruffle Tom's feathers at times, I genuinely liked Tom and had a number of great exchanges with him over the years.

He was very helpful on more than a few occasions when I was puzzling a few things out, especially regarding Mister Braeuser in particular and Road America in general.

Tom was part of the incredible Brain Trust that developed and prospered here and then shared their knowledge with many others, opening more than a few doors as a result.

I can't help but look at this photograph and sigh...

 

Farewell, Tom. I will certainly miss you and then of you every time I look at one of your nooks on the bookshelf.

 

HDC

[B Squared]

Sheboygan radio WHBL remembers Tom:

 

Official Road America Track Historian “Leaves a Legacy That Will Forever Be Remembered” | 1330 & 101.5 WHBL

[Michael Ferner]

So sorry to read this!

 

 

 

Tom was one of the good guys on this forum; he will be missed!

[E1pix]

As posted on a US forum:

The longtime and respected racing reporter, authoritative historian, and lifetime enthusiast Tom Schultz died a week ago in the Dominican Republic, and the family is simply trying to bring him home.

Tom was the “official historian” of and for Road America, publishing a book of the track at the turn of the century, and a second biographical recounting of the career of driver Augie Pabst. He also spent almost every annual vacation working at the SCCA Runoffs to cover the events for Sports Car magazine, a work of strictly passion over profit.

A GoFundMe was in the process of being set up by his daughter Kris to cover $15,000 in medical bills accrued before returning to the US for treatment, his wife Jean there with him, but tragically Tom passed before the account posted.

The GoFundMe is now a recovery effort to cover the medical bills before the Dominican Republic will release Tom’s trip home — plus $50,000 for a scheduled medical transport that was apparently too late to cancel. While Tom was not a man without means, how many of us could cover such expenses under these terms?

It is unclear whether that transport will be used at all, but regardless, payment is being demanded.

This would be an unbearable situation for any of us. Please donate if you’re able.

https://www.gofundme...cf share-flow-1


Personal Note:
A then-fellow Milwaukee Region SCCA member, I received a letter from Tom after I published a magazine about the 1975 Runoffs, stating he wanted to cover SCCA races in future issues. I already had a writer signed on, so reluctantly declined his offer as his enthusiasm was clear and contagious, but regardless, at 15 I decided to move on to other pursuits.

I next ran across Tom eight years later when we both reported for On Track, and then read him when he covered the Runoffs. It was wonderful to see he’d pursued his passion, and his Runoffs reports were a gift to SCCA members for decades.

Some twenty years on, I was referred to Tom when he and Jerry Entin started a forum feature on a mutual Hero, asking for photos to support it. That call has had me active on that forum since, where he was an incredible fountain of history and ensuring that history stayed true. Another gift to racing.

In the last two years, I bought some images from Tom of our lost friend Eddie Miller, and of a friend’s newly-acquired Anson Super Vee we’ve tried to document. Tom was most gracious in all aspects of the process, and I raised his fee in knowing he was undercutting himself to support racing.

I wonder just how many times Tom has done that, for how many, and hope racers can now help in support of Tom’s efforts over 50 years.

RIP Buddy, and know your passions and your work were as well-placed as they were respected.

[B Squared]

My brother, who is a life member of the Ferrari Club of America, recently gifted me with all of his Prancing Horse magazines which go back to 1973. Our late friend, Larry Nicklin, was one of the founders.

This morning I grabbed number 187 out of the stack at random. It is from the second quarter of 2013 and in looking through the index I saw Tom's name as a contributor. Pages 38, 39 and 40 features some of Tom's Ferrari photos from 1960 through 1979, at Road America and the Canadian Grand Prix.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Tom's name this morning, I thought maybe some of you might enjoy the remembrance too.

Edited by B Squared, 03 October 2024 - 11:02.

[E1pix]

You’re darned right some of us enjoyed reading this, Brian.

I’ve wondered how his wife’s doing. I never knew her and we contributed, but also hope she got enough from the GoFundMe — if I’m right that it was that particular crownfund. Those things are far less about the money, but far more about knowing people still care about each other.

Lest we forget this week is Runoffs week — at Road America this time — and I’d like to think Tom is there and probably under a shade tree in Canada Corner. We were supposed to be racing in it ourselves, and he was genuinely excited about that.

That event (though at Road Atlanta then) brought Tom to me nearly 49 years ago, and he reported on it a good 40 years past when I stopped.

We’ll have the races on all weekend, starting tomorrow. So whether intentional or nor, Brian’s timing is spot on today.

RIP, RAH.


EDIT: Here’s the link for “voice-only” qualifying, but this weekend will be video coverage.

It *may* even be Live on YouTube, Search “SCCA Runoffs 2024.”

https://www.scca.com...#other_sessions

Edited by E1pix, 03 October 2024 - 16:00.

[B Squared]

Totally by chance Eric; with Tom's love of the runoffs, the timing couldn't have been better to remember our friend.

As I texted my brother this morning, what are the odds of grabbing one random magazine from a stack of 200 (he's in his 51st year of membership - quarterly publication) and finding something about somebody I knew and cared about?

[E1pix]

I’d like to think none of it is coincidence.

We were *very excited* to hire him to shoot our RA Runoffs. He was a far better writer than photographer, granted, but it was more about our teaming up on a racing — and specifically, a Runoffs — dream that first brought us together in March, 1976.

Someday I’ll scan and post the letter he sent me way back when. I know I still have it, and his enthusiasm for the pen was even obvious then.

Bless You for always respecting the Lost, Brian — that’s as admirable as it gets.

[GreenMachine]

Sad to read about Tom, taking the chequered flag is sad enough, but the circumstances make it doubly so.