We Did It! Shepard is home!

Wow! All I can say, is wow!

It amazes me that Jeff Shepard fans and the racing community in general have raised enough money to pay off his air ambulance bill AND physical therapy bill.

($17,000 + $12,000 = $29,000) Wow!

I beleive that this really helped the Shepard family. Im sure it alleviates alot of the stress of having the money issue hanging over them while trying to get through a difficult time anyway. Money can certainly stress you out and hinder recovery. If you dont beleive that, talk to me sometime.

Jeff certainly improved enough that he is able to leave the hospital in Baltimore and return home. He will still have to go to therapy several times a week, but being home is a huge improvement.

As I have mentioned many times before, even though I personally know those who didnt root for Jeff, they still came forward to support someone who provided years of racing entertainment. Last Saturday night, when Rahmer came into our section, even those who openly boo him, clapped and gave him money for Jeff.

It is also worth noting that money to help the family didnt all come from Central PA. Not only did racetracks all over the US raise money, but money was raised even in Australia!

Even though it is sad when the racing community has to come together like this, it is also why I love the sport so much.

There is no other sport like this.

Jeff Shepard update

Brad Vores website - http://www.ijustwannarace.com/ gives an update on where to send cards or letters of support to Jeff. Brad's update is copy-pasted below:


UPDATE 8/10/08 11:30am
Jeff continued to improve over the past 24 hours and is following all Doctors commands. They are keeping Jeff comfortable and relaxed with medication. We should know more about the extent of Jeff's head injury over the next several days. Please continue to keep Jeff and his family in your prayers.

Cards can be sent to:
Jeff Shepard
14809 Hanover Pike
Upperco, MD 21155


I suggest sending a card even if you are not a fan of The Jet's. (See previous Shepard post) Jeff is a dedicated sprint car driver that always thinks about his fans.

Short story:
If you were attending sprint car races at Lincoln a few years ago, you might remember the word war in victory lane between Fred Rahmer and Jeff Shepard. That alone kept me coming to races! Who knew that "The Fossil" and the "Mouth from MD" would keep something like that going for an entire season?

And....just as an FYI, Jeff Shepard is NOT the "Mouth from MD" - I am.

Fatality on Bay Bridge

If you click on the Title to this post, you will be taken to a video of WBAL News' coverage of this story.

I am only in my 30's, but I don't seem to recall ever hearing about an accident where a vehicle actually falls into the Chesapeake Bay. While this accident is horrific, the tractor trailer did fall into a shallow part of the Bay beside the bridge.

Almost 24 hours later, part of the bridge remains closed. When looking online at CHART, you can tell no one is really going anywhere.

If you don't have to go near the Bay Bridge, don't. It will probably be a mess through tomorrow evening.