Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Longtime WERA Race Starter, “Airborne” Al Wilcox, 84, suffered a heart attack on September 13 at home in Trenton, New Jersey. Al was taken to a local hospital and had emergency surgery performed. According to his daughter Julie Smyers, “Daddy is doing pretty good and should be back home in a week to recuperate. He is my bionic father. All the doctors say he looks like he is 60!”

Al Wilcox was AMA National #49 Harley-Davidson factory flat track racer in the 1940s. He raced on the beach at Daytona and at tracks all over the nation. After his racing career, Al worked as Race Starter for the AMA for many years, then moved on to starting races for WERA in 1974. The Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Club, MARRC, honored him as a lifetime member in 1984. Al’s unique style of waving the checkered flag and jumping three feet in the air for the winner, earned him the nickname “Airborne” Al Wilcox. One of Al’s passions was rollerskating. Al was a master at the roller rink and could dance and perform tricks like few others. After knee and hip replacements along with doctor’s orders, the jumping and rollerskating had to stop.

He recently started the WERA National road races at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia on August 1-3. Unfortunately Al will not be able to make the WERA races at Summit Point on September 20 and 21. Look for him next year.

Cards and letters of encouragement can be sent to: Al Wilcox, 22 Vermont Street, Trenton, New Jersey, 08648-4537.

Roger Lyle
Wheaton, Maryland