Dick was born January 26, 1933 in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Paul
James Beebe, Sr. and Alberta Isabel Wormeth. His entire life has
been spent in and around racing. It can be said that racing IS his
life.
Dick is survived by his wife of 10 years, Kathie Inwood Beebe of
Belmont; step-mother Maxine Miller of Kalamazoo; brothers Paul
Beebe, Sr., Jay (Marti) Beebe, and Susan (Bernie) Belkoski; children
Cathy (John) VanReenen, Linda (Jeff) Bloom, Rick Beebe, Victoria
(Tim) Thornton, Tim (Julie) Beebe, and Ted Beebe, 18 grandchildren
and 11 great-grandchildren.
Dick's involvement in racing began before he even started school.
He started as a "gopher" for parts on his father's motorcycle race
team. Over the years, Dick became his father's right-hand man,
helping him to construct or rebuild several race tracks around the
country, as well as promoting and officiating at these tracks. Some
of the tracks he helped to construct are Galesburg Speedway and the
Grand Rapids Speedrome 1/4-mile in Michigan; Pharr, Macallen,
Harlingen and San Benito in Texas.
Dick was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame the
same year as his father, in 1985. Pat was inducted in 1998, and
son-in-law Jeff Bloom was inducted in 2000. He received several
awards for excellence in media for the MARC Times, and for several
other contributions to the sport.
Dick began lettering race cars at Galesburg Speedway when he was
14 years old, and ran Beebe Signs until he was in his 70's.
Dick started flagging races at the age of 14. He is probably the
youngest official starter NASCAR has ever had, officiating in that
capacity during his first year of flagging. His three sons, Rick,
Tim, and Ted also started flagging at 14 years of age.
When he wasn't working around race tracks - grading, building,
working in the concession stands, or on the flag stand - Dick was
trying his hand at racing. During motorcycle racing days, Dick
competed in the last road race for motorcycles held at Catalina
Island, California in 1958. He started 122nd in the event and
finished 10th in his class. Quite an accomplishment considering
close to 900 machines competed in that event! He has also competed
on snowmobiles (with several wins and top-ten finishes to his
credit) and karts, as well as various divisions of auto racing.
Dick's love of racing prompted him, along with his late wife of
47 years Pat, to start a weekly paper covering motor sports news in
1965. The MARC Times Racing News was closed due to the economy in
2008, but plans are in the works to revive the paper. Through the
newspaper, the Beebe family has donated thousands of dollars to
families of deceased or injured drivers.
Dick has always been a strong advocate for driver safety. In 1970
he formed the American Racing Congress, which established safety
rules governing most of the tracks in the United States and Canada.
Several of these rules are still used nationwide. He helped in the
development of window nets for stock cars. Dick strongly advocates
the development of better fire suits, roll cages, seatbelts, etc.,
and enforces the use of these safety factors at all race events he
promotes.
Dick has served as an official for several organizations. Among
those are NASCAR, USSA Sno-Pro snowmobile circuit, Superior Auto
Racing, USAC, and CRA. He was president of the American Racing
Congress for five years.
Obviously, Dick has served the racing public in every capacity -
groundskeeper and builder, pit steward, announcer, starter, scoring
and timing, track operator, promoter, photographer, reporter, and
race participant. He continued to work for the betterment of racing
in every aspect, right to the end of his life.
Cremation has taken place and services will be held Thursday,
Feb. 26, 2009 with visitation at 1 p.m. and a memorial at 2 p.m. (or
in racing talk, qualifying at 1 and racing at 2) at Bangor Church of
Christ, 214 N. Walnut St., Bangor, MI. Bangor is 25 miles west of
U.S. 131 at the Bangor exit (38B). When you get into town, go south
(left) 1 block and the church the first one on your right.
Due to his huge medical bills, in lieu of flowers, please make
donations to Kathie Beebe, 4839 Pettis, Belmont, MI 49306.
