I talked to Bob at King Motorsports today and we wound up talking about Jerome Zimmerman - Bob asked if I'd heard. Oh yeah.

Everybody in Wisconsin is hurting pretty bad. Jerry used to work at King before he joined up with Peter at Realtime. Most of us who follow World Challenge have seen him on the screen, and those of us who met him at the track all agree he was a good guy - even when he was busy, he was never too busy to be cool.

I was planning on going down to Sears Point this weekend, in part to talk to Jerome. My plans changed before I heard the news. I wish he was going to be there - I'd make the trip after all, it'd be nothing.

The teams have all hit the road for California, and they're going to race. They're going to go thru the motions with a bit less joy for sure. These guys are all racers, like Jerry was, and they'll all carry him there with them.

After I lost my Dad, I remember the race I ran for him. I didn't set out to race that specific race for him - it just kind of happened that way, I was at the gate and just in the instant before it fell I teared up and dedicated it. Everybody always says that "this race is for xxxx", but it's not just automatic like that. I hope that this weekend they all race, really race, in their hearts, for Jerome. I hope Peter can put in his earplugs, put on his helmet, and find some peace - and race deeper in the zone than he ever has. Same for Pierre.

I hope Scott can find some peace too. People come and go, and go around in the motorsports world. Todays friend and coworker is tomorrows friend and competitor. When the going gets serious the fabric of our relationships is pulled, sometimes pretty hard. Many of us have been thru this. When faced with a tragedy that dwarfs such matters, we find how much we really care about these friends and how much we need them. I've got some friends that really need to remember this.

These guys are all very serious racers - with a passion for what they do - all of them, drivers and crew. They are also just regular guys who take alot for granted as they go thru each day like we all do. Today we're all reminded again how fragile this great life is.

Scott, who is glad he got to know Jerome...

 

thoughts go out to his family and friends who will miss him most!

 

right on.

 

I feel like I missed out on never having met this guy, but my thoughts go out to his loved ones regardless.

 

RR98ITR,

I believe your post is one of the most thoughtful I have read concerning Jerome. I didn't know him personally, but I have gotten to know a couple of the RealTime guys over the last year and your post pretty much sums up how many people feel regarding the team and what they are going through right now. I work with the SpeedSport guys (Baxter & Foo) in World Challenge and they had nothing but good things to say about the visits they had with Jerome during race weekends and indeed, he will be missed.