[Jackie]

I will never forget the day I met Jim Harrington. I was about 13 years old and he was already one of my idols. He used to come to Maple Grove for all the high dollar bracket races and I loved to watch him race. This particular day he had no shoe polish and asked me if I could get him some, I was thrilled to do it. When I returned he asked me my opinion on his dial in, I told him and he took my advice, he dialed exactly what I told him. I was SO nervous that I would cause him to lose; he was far too good of a driver for that. He won that round and let me dial him every round that day, he made it to the final and it is still one of my most memorable days at the track. From then on, every time he came to Maple Grove & I was there, he let me dial him, no questions asked; needless to say I LOVED to see his smiling face roll in the gates.

The following year he came to Maple Grove with one of his cars and one of Anthony's to race. He told me that he may need help shuffling cars to the lanes if he went a lot of rounds in both cars. I looked at him and said " I can't help you, I am only 14" He started cracking up with his larger than life laugh and said "I had no idea." He then said "well you look old enough you can do it." I was both relieved and disappointed when he lost that day.

The other day when Shawn & I went to see him at the hospital, Happy Harry told the dial in story to Shawn and about his practice of letting me dial him in; he then told Shawn he had learned from the best and nodded in my direction. I told him I had been learning from the best, him for a very long time both on and off the track. Shawn & I were very fortunate to have enjoyed so many good times with Jim over the years. Heaven is truly a better place today after his arrival, our loss is their gain.

Tracey and the whole Harrington family, our thoughts are with you. Godspeed our good friend thanks for the smiles!

Shawn & Jackie Fricke