03/17/2026
This past Saturday at Kennedale was as difficult a night as I can ever remember at a race track. And I’ve experienced LITERALLY thousands of nights at the track.
But, before I address what took place on Saturday, I want to rewind to Friday afternoon at Kennedale. I took my daughter Tori to the races for the first time in a couple years. She asked to go, and these days I can’t take her to events on most weekends because I travel by air to all but a few events a year. This being a “home game” that was an hour and a half from our house, I was glad to have her come along.
When we went into the pits, I introduced Tori to many people on Friday night. But now two encounters stand out.
“Tori, this is my good friend, Jerry Myers. We call him ‘Daddy’…”
“Nice to meet you, Sweetheart”, he said with that big, booming, gravely voice of his. Jerry spent the next couple of minutes talking to her directly, asking her questions, and engaging with her. And, as Jerry is prone to do, he left an impression.
A few minutes later, Tori and I were walking through the pits, and Billy Hurt comes up and says, “Hey, Dean. How ya been?”, with that big smile he’s known for. We chat for a second, and he turns, looks directly at Tori, and says, “I hope you guys have fun this weekend”. He fist bumps me and we part.
28 hours later, tragedy struck both men.
Tori’s trip to the track was only supposed to be on Friday. However, she enjoyed it so much that she wanted to go again on Saturday. It surprised both her Mother and I. How we wish she hadn’t decided to go.
What transpired on Saturday signaled the loss of her innocence, I expect. She was fully aware of the tragedy that transpired before our very eyes. And it happened to two men that she had just met.
When your child says to you, “Dad, that’s Jerry? He was so sweet to me”, or “Dad, do you see that?”, and, “Dad, do you hear that?”, it breaks your heart. It made me fear for her emotional well being. But, she is a very resilient 13-year old. She told both her Mom and I repeatedly to not worry, that she “isn’t traumatized” by what she saw and heard. I am still not sure how that’s possible. I am definitely traumatized. It was a night I won’t ever be able to erase from my memory banks.
Billy was an acquaintance I knew only in passing. But, as everyone who knew him could attest, he never met a stranger. He was always pleasant and kind to me.
I am saddened by his passing. The world needs more guys like him.
As for Jerry, he’s laid up in a hospital not far from where I live. I just had to go see him today. He’s my friend, and I want him to know he’s loved by us all. But truthfully, I am just paying it forward from when I have been laid up in a hospital in a strange town (twice!), and it was the friendly faces that came to see me that kept me going when all seemed lost. It’s the very least I can do to offer the same to him.
Jerry has a long road ahead, but I fully believe he will recover completely and be back to the track doing what he loves. And we can all be thankful for that.
Jerry is a loved and respected member of our racing fraternity and it won’t be the same without him around for the time being.
Get well, Jerry. We love you.
Rest In Peace, Billy. Thanks for all you did for the good of our sport. Godspeed, friend. 🙏🏼 🏁
