For the Love of Racing

Although it was only a few hours, I think now that the drive to Greensboro, North Carolina was the longest drive of my life. My own pain was eclipsed by the thought of the pain of a mother and father and a baby sister who just lost a part of themselves with the loss of Chris. What would I say to them, this family that was in the worst place in their lives? I did not know, and for hours my mind raced to think of something. "I am sorry" just didn't seem be enough.

Alas, that is not what this story is about. I want to tell you about family. One like I have never seen before. One that banned together to supported not only each other, but everyone else who morned the loss of one of the most incredible people I have ever had the pleasure to know.

Clista Stevenson is Chris's little sister. Only a couple of years separated the two. They were very close. Chris never really called her by name, she was referred to as "Sister" or the occasional "Cletus"

When I walked into the funeral home I was speechless. Clista had prepared the most incredible memorial to Chris. There were two big tables covered with memorabilia and photos. A big framed picture of Chis racing at Road Atlanta the weekend of Cycle Jam in the center, a national championship trophy beside it. Small model motorcycles filled the gaps between photo's Chris's new Harley and a plaque congratulating him on his custom Harley Davidson. A hat with a big 422 on the front, the number on the R6 that Chris so proudly raced around the track.

Between the two tables stood a large magnet board adorned with pictures of Chris from a small child to recent photo. Every picture show the love for life that this man had. Every picture, no matter where or when it was taken showed the reason everyone who knew Chris could help but like him. With hair without hair, racing, in a fish market, with his family, at weddings, it didn't matter, in every shot you could see him and could tell that at the moment that picture was taken he was enjoying life.

A WERA schedule for Cycle Jam was pinned up next to the pictures and a print off of Chris's Myspace "about me". "I'm a pretty traditional guy in most aspects I suppose." is how it began. Truer words were never spoken.

Alongside the table was a lone chair. Draped over it were the leathers and helmet scraped and scuffed from get-offs over the years. They seemed hollow, missing the racer that filled them weekend after weekend. The closest I felt to my lost friend was kneeling in front of that chair holding onto a baby sister wishing her big brother and was still there with her.

Beautiful flowers showered the rest of the room to offer condolences from friend and family alike.


The viewing was schedule for three hours, and even at that seemed not enough. The line of people led through the entire funeral home and out the door. People came from everywhere to bid goodbye to Chris and to offer their sympathies to his family. I have to tell you, I had never witnesses strength in human beings like I did that night. Roy, Vicki and Clista stood there in front of the casket and greeted every last person that came to the viewing. They stood strong and thanked every person, hugged everyone who offered or needed a hug. Some introducing themselves for the first time, some sharing a memory of Chris with his mother, father and sister, but all treated as if they had know one and other for years and years. I sat and watched as person after person, group after group of the seemingly endless number of people came through that line. I watched in awe as that family held it together throughout the viewing.

Once everyone had gone, they stayed to spend a few more moment alone with their son, to look at the memorial that Clista prepared, to reflect.


On Friday, I followed the long black cars as they took the family to the funeral home. The parking lot full of motorcycles and cars alike. Chris's entire family moved into the back for family prayer everyone silently moved into the chapel. We were all there to say goodbye to Chris, everyone of us wishing we weren't. As the Family came in, music played. Songs that Chris himself would have chosen. The pastor said a few words and they played another song. A WERA representative came to say a prayer and then they played another song. What happened next will amaze me for the rest of my life.... Vicki Stevenson, Chris's loving mother with his father Roy beside her stood up Beside the casket of her son and spoke to the crowd that filled the chapel and spilled out to the hallway into the adjoining room. She spoke to us about Chris and Clista, and there lives. She spoke of the great times they had. She spoke of God and the bible. She talked about the love she had for her children and the love everyone had for Chris. She thanked each and every person for coming and their support. She told everyone that it meant a great deal to them and that Chris would have been liked it that everyone came to say goodbye. She let everyone know that if there was ever anything that her family could do for them, do not hesitate to ask. She talked about her only son, about his love for laughter and ability to share that with so many people. She spoke her son's love for dogs and his dogs Deuce and Dixie. I sat crying as did most of the people in that room while she told a story of Chris Stevenson. The room gave a small laugh as she talked of Cracker Barrel and his love to eat. It would seem that you can not talk about Chris without laughing at some point. She is a proud mother of both of her children and having the pleasure to be a part of both of their lives, I know why. Vicki spoke of racing. The very thing that took the life of her young son. She spoke of Chris and the love of racing. She spoke of trophies and podiums. She spoke of him being a winner no matter what place he came in. She spoke of Chris. She spoke of all of this and more to a all of us. Most of us crying the entire time. She didn't. She held it together for the entire eulogy. She stood there with class and composure throughout the entire thing. Everyone was expecting her to break down at any given second, but not Vicki. Were she got that strength I will always wonder, but I am sure that Chris was there to help her. A pillar of strength. I could not believe it. I heard people as the chapel cleared saying that there was no earth that they could have done that, and that they too couldn't believe the strength of that woman. She is an amazing person. They are all amazing and I am a better person for having known the Stevenson family.



Roy, Vicki, Clista, Chris I want to tell you that I admire you, I admire your family, your strength, you perseverance. I want to thank you for the time in your lives that you shared with me. After the past week, it comes to me as no surprise that Chris was such a wonderful person, as you are what you come from. As you were blessed to have a son and a brother that was who he was, he too was blessed to have a family that is as you are. I will always cherish the time i spent with him and the things I learned from him. I will carry with me in my heart the memory of Chris, for all time.


Gary Hall

 

Thank you for sharing.

Great job.

 

Thank you.

 

Gary, thank you for sharing, that was awesome. Chris was an awesome man.

 

thanks gary. you are right about everything about my aunt and uncle and clista. We will all miss him deeply

 

Pooh, I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

thank you guys for the thoughts and prayer, it meant alot to us

 

Thanks for the story. It was a sad situation but an awesome tribute to Chris' life it sounds like.

 

with tears in my eyes, thank you Gary. I was uable to attend, but that was almost like being there.

Pooh, im sorry for your loss. Keeing you guys in our thoughts and prayers, still.

 

WOW CROSSEDUP1 - I was going to send an email to our race friends telling about Chris's amazing funeral, but you said it all - and beautifullly! That is a family to be admired. There's no way I could ever do what Vickie did. I hope everyone will remember them and continue to pray for them though. They will certainly need it. Oh yes - I hope the plans for the memorial lap at Carolina go through because I want to video it for them (if someone will be so kind as to bring a child to show me how to work it!).

 

Very nice.

 

Thank you Gary....

 

That was written so well. Brought tears to my eyes the whole time reading it. What a special family.

 

That's what I was thinking.....it was like being there.

 

Thanks Mr. Mic. I don't think I did it justice though.

 

You're welcome. But you shared your view with those of us who couldn't be there and that was certainly more than we had and we appreciate being included. I know that everyone who wasn't there wishes they could have been and were at least there in spirit. I know it was on my mind all day.

Thanks.

 

Bump one time for an old friend. We still miss you. Wherever you are I know you are going fast, and probably helping someone else go faster too.
5 years it's been, but we remember you, Chris. We will always remember you.

 

Here's to our friend. Chris you are thought about often. And yes, you are certainly still missed and always will be.

I had the pleasure of owning a bike that Chris rode (I think) in the Endurance Series with Danny Arturo and Chris Normand. It was an SV650. I sold that bike last year with the 422 tribute stickers on it. His spirit still rides on with all of us.