-NEVER GIVE UP- story by Sam Frazier
Racers are a funny lot. Faced with engines that refuse to run right, a chassis that just will not hook up, crashes, money problems, and a host of other adversities, they continue to come out and try their hardest to win a race, indulging their obsession for the sport of auto racing.
They never give up, and they never stop dreaming of the "big win", no matter how bad things may get. In the face of disaster they motor on, maintaining an aura of strength that attracts people to them like a magnet. While most teams can say they have some of these qualities, few can hold a candle to the tenacity, toughness, and compassion of the Delarye Race team.
Driver John Delarye of Sturgis Michigan, has been racing since 1988, after being introduced to the sport through a neighbor Tom Pearson owner of Shade Tree Auto in White Pigeon Michigan, he truly gave the delarye race team there start.
Tom showed them how to build there first race car and some of the basic knowledge it takes to run a race team.
John drove in the Bomber class that year at Mottville Speedway, formerly known as Southwest Michigan Speedway, then took a couple of years off to pursue other interests. John returned to Mottville in 1990, racing in Enduros. "I don’t think we ever finished an Enduro," john recalls with a chuckle.
The next five years saw John racing Street Stocks on and off, still at Mottville. John was joined in the early 90’s by older brother Jim, who had been attending Ferris State University.
Says Jim, "I kind of drifted into it, as kids our father was always working on cars at home when we were young, Mottiville was right down the road, and everyone went there. It just seemed natural.
Jim drove Mini Stocks a couple of times, but was there primarily to support John and the race team. John was a dominate force in Street Stocks, but he was ready for more. In 1995, Delarye Racing moved to Kalamazoo Speedway, racing in the Limited Model class. "We were mainly in the "B" features," John said. "the car wasn’t really a true Limited Late, but was considered too much for the Factory Stocks.
After making some revisions to the car, the Delarye’s continued honing their on- and off-track skills, racing a couple of races in Angola, Ind., during 1996. By 1997, John’s talent behind the wheel became evident when he finished second in points in the Sportsman class at the Angola Speedway. ‘We won four features and set several fast times." John said.
The championship that season was a race fan’s delight. It was decided in the last couple of laps of the last race of the season. It ended with John crashing, losing the championship by a mere five points, a heartbreaking loss to the up-and-coming team.
Married to his wife Dawn, since 1991, and the father of a growing family, John returned to Kalamazoo Speedway in 1998 after being offered a Super Late Model ride by Jim McKenzie. The Delarye team and the McKenzie became one. Also coming on board in 1998 was Jason Mullins, who joined the crew, where he continues assisting his friends and teammates.
John’s rookie season in a Super Late was a memorable. At the request of car owner Jim Mckenzie, John did double duty, racing full schedules at both Kalamazoo Speedway and at M-40 Speedway, located in Jones Michigan. The exhausting weekend schedule did not seem to affect John, except maybe to demonstrate his driving talent.
John won top rookie honors at both tracks, finishing sixth in points at Kalamazoo, and second in points at M-40. "He’s about as smooth as they come," says Gary Howe, who not only owns Kalamazoo Speedway, but also raced against John for several years prior to purchasing the track. "He doesn’t tear up a lot of stuff."
The Delarye brothers became car owners in 1999, building their own Super Late Model, based on a Troy Dillion chassis. John chose the car No. 18 for the car, in honor of his wedding anniversary. The motor was built and sponsored by Rob Morris, who provided other assistance to the team, along with some unintended comic relief. For the first race of the 1999 season, Morris wore what he called his "lucky" pink shirt. The rest of the crew razzed him unmercifully, convincing Rob that the shirt should never be worn again. However, this was not the end of the saga.
The very nest weekend, Rob of course had abandoned the pink shirt. But what Morris did not know was that the rest of the team had raided the local Goodwill during the week, purchasing every pink shirt they could find.
"Some of the shirts were women’s and had lace on them," John and crew member Jason Mullins recall, laughing.
When Rob arrived at the track without his lucky pink shirt, he found the rest of the team decked out in the various pink shirts they had acquired.
The Delarye team bought one of Tim Curry's new Finish Line cars for the 2000 season, wow what a good car right out of the box, said John with a smile. We planning to run a partial schedule of about six races that year. Things were going well, and everything seemed to be going according to plan. Suddenly the world around the Delarye's like a multi-car pileup on the last lap of a championship race.
Not long after the 2000 Kalamazoo Klash(an annual 200-lap race), Jim and Michelle Delarye entered a race where the stakes were the highest, and the entry fee was every parent’s nightmare: Dylan Delarye, their toddler son, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia(ALL).
"Dylan was getting strange hard spot under bruises," Jim said. "Then he started getting little spots on his legs."
An alert pediatrician picked up on the clues and referred little Dylan to a specialist, where the diagnosis was confirmed. The entire team rallied around the youngster, a beautiful child with a sunny smile who liked racing and playing on the beach at Lake Michigan.
Delarye Racing scaled back their race schedule for the 2001 season, limiting the season to three or four races, including the Kalamazoo Klash. With a $10,000—to-win purse, the Kalamazoo Klash is one of the biggest races in Michigan, drawing talented Super Late drivers from several-state radius. John led 194 out of the 200 laps, only to have his hopes for an impressive win crushed. With only six laps to go, a head gasket blew, bringing the race to a heartbreaking end. Dawn couldn’t watch the end of her husband’s ill-fated race.
"I had to leave," she recalled. "I was too upset to stay for the end."
The abbreviated schedule made it easier for Jim and Michelle to make the two- to three-times-per-week trek from White Pigeon to Kalamazoo for Dylan’s chemotherapy treatments, a round trip of 80-plus miles. It also allowed Jim to spend time with his infant daughter.
Dylan and his family received assistance from the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, easing some of the financial burden. The Foundation provided help with mileage and other funds, gifts and toys for the children, including Dylan’s sister, Courtney, and emotional support for the frightened parents.
Kalamazoo Speedway also stepped up to the plate, hosting a 50-50-raffle benefiting the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan during the Inaugural running of the "Intimidator 100," a race honoring the memory of Dale Earnhardt. The track donated half of its share of the raffle proceeds to the foundation.
"They’re an all-around good group of people," Howe said. "We were glad to help."
When Dylan’s condition allowed, track officials gave him rides around the track on the "mule," a four-wheeler used by the staff.
"We’d get there late on tire days, about 8:30 p.m. or so, and Donnie and Nate (two members of the track staff) would let Dylan drive the mule around the track." Jim remembered, a father’s pride evident. "He got pretty good at it. He’d go around wide open. It didn’t scare him at all."
Good times such as these were cherished and appreciated by the entire Delarye team.
Dylan continued his fight for life, displaying strength that many adults wished they possessed.
"Dylan was in a race without knowing he was," Jim said quietly, his pain still fresh.
Unfortunately, it was a race he wasn’t able to win. In November 2001, little Dylan passed away, overwhelmed by an infection. He was not yet 4 years old.
"I have a different view of hospitals now," Jim said, sighing sadly. "On one side there are the births, and just a few feet away something else."
The "something else" is painfully clear, needing no further clarification. Although the Delaryes are clearly a family in mourning, they are not bitter, and they find positives to help them cope with their loss.
"Racing has helped a bit to focus my attention elsewhere." Jim said.
Brother and driver John Delarye gave up his No. 18 for the 2002 season, changing the car number to 1, incorporating Dylan’s name into the design. Dawn designed the new scheme in honor of her tiny nephew.
"I originally designed it with angel wings," Dawn said. "The decal maker couldn’t get them to fit on the side of the car, so we had to leave them off."
Smaller decals on engine owner/builder Rob Morris’ car depict the DY1AN scheme, complete with the original angel wings. Jim came up with the "Leukemia – Race for the Cure" theme, which was incorporated after he talked to representatives at the Children’s Leukemia Foundation (CLF).
The Delarye team’s strength and compassion is further evidenced by their commitment to the CLF. Jim carefully banks winnings during the race season, and writes an end-of-season check to the foundation.
"We’ll donate part of our winnings as long as we race," Jim vowed. "our goal is to help other families who are going through what we went through the last couple years."
The racing community and family friends have also demonstrated their support. Kalamazoo Speedway hosted another 50-50 raffle during the early part of the 2002 season; another one is planned for later in the year, with part of the proceeds going to the CLF. During this year’s Klash, a friend stopped by the Delarye pits, giving Jim a large check. Jim banked this generous donation and sends checks to families he and Michelle know of through the clinic in Kalamazoo, or to those he finds through newspapers or other sources.
In addition, Michelle, coping with her grief in championship form, purchases toys throughout the year when she sees something suitable. When she gets a box full, she puts stickers commemorating Dylan on the toys, and delivers them to the clinic where Dylan had his treatments.
"Every time a child gets a treatment or a test, he or she gets a toy," Jim revealed. "That way, there is something positive for the child."
As for John and the team, they continue to race. The 2002 season hasn’t been as kind as John and Jim would like it to be, even though they are in the top 10 in points, and have won two heat races and one "A" feature race. Stubborn, yet minor handling problems, along with a couple of on-track incidents have caused some frustration for Delarye Racing.
"Qualifying is what’s hurt us the most," Jim said.
Although they are racing a full season this year, Delarye Racing is leaning towards a limited race schedule for next season. Both John and Jim agree that family is far more important. Michelle is expecting a child in early 2003, and Jim understandably wants to spend more time with his family. John, too wants to spend more time with his family, pursuing interests in camping and mushrooming in the northern Michigan woods.
Is this the end of the Delarye Racing? Not by a long shot. This is merely a hiatus. As far as looking toward the pro circuit, Jim and John have a slightly different perspective than some other drivers.
According to John, "It’d have to be an offer I couldn’t refuse. I’m addicted, but not that bad."
As for Jim, he feels that John is still young enough to go pro, should he want to and if the right package comes along. For himself, though, Jim is hesitant.
"Even if the ride and the money came along, I’d have to really think about what was involved," Jim said thoughtfully, his mind clearly on the needs of his family.
What does the Delarye team hope for?
"We dream of winning a track championship." Jim declared without hesitation. "Will we? I don’t know, but we won’t give up."
When asked for any last thoughts, Jim paused, then replied emphatically, "Keep dreaming, and never give up hope."
