Episode 112
June 26, 2016
Russell Bugbee October 4, 1955 – June 21, 2016
I know it is a cliche that a person is known for that little dash between their birth and death, however, the passing of Russell Bugbee is such a case. I met him many years ago when my Caribou FFA students and I built and campaigned a modified pulling tractor. I think Russell had built a mini-modified and was showing up in most places where we were those three years in 1979 to 1982.
Once my students and I got out of modified tractor pulling our paths would only cross a few times like at the Northern Maine Fair or other local pulls. I am not familiar with what Russell did those years except what his obituary stated. I will not try to fill in those blanks, rather will interject some words from folks who were near and dear to him.
Jessica and Lynwood Winslow
“We said goodbye to a Northern Maine Fair Board Member and a great friend this week. Russell was special to many here in the County and across the state.”
“He was so much more than just Truck & Tractor Pulling and he will certainly be missed in so many aspects of our fair”
“Russell, ‘Thank you for your dedication to this organization, the Fairgrounds will never be the same without you!'”
Nephew Peter Joseph Deschaine Comments
Tom Drew, a dairy farmer from Woodland, was recruited as the track announcer for the tractor and truck pulls and was a good friend of Russell’s and had these comments:
“Over the two-way radio~’Tom! Call for a driver’s meeting at end of the track.'”
“(me) Driver’s meeting at the end of the track…..hurry before Russell blows a gasket.”
“Over the two-way radio~ ‘Tom! Announce that it’s time for the national anthems! Tell them, to stand up and remove their caps!'”
“(me) Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the national anthems. We ask you, please remove your hats and keep the rest of your clothes on! Thank you!”
“Over the two-way radio~ ‘Tom! He didn’t make it past the 100 foot mark. Tell them…. he gets to do it over!'”
“(me) Well folks, as long and they don’t go over 100 feet, they can start it over.”
” Folks! Russell couldn’t carry a note in a bucket! The only thing, I can tell ya about Russell Bugbee is if you walk a mile in his shoes your feet are gonna stink!!
” Over the two-way radio~’Keep it up, Tom! Keep it up! I’ll get even!'”
“(me) That’s a pull of 313.63 feet!……IS HE GONNA KEEP IT!!??
“Over the two-way radio~ ‘He’s gonna keep it Tom!'”
“Over the two-way radio~’Tom! Holler for a wrecker! Something let go!'”
“(me) We need a wrecker in aisle 1!”
“Over the two-way radio~’Tom! Don’t forget to thank them for the use of the tractors on those drags and that other equipment!'”
“And I would thank them! I’m gonna miss that!….I’m gonna miss him!”
“Last night this gentle giant of a man, went to bed and never woke up. I’m wondering if he knew how much he meant to everyone?”
“Life sometimes has a not so funny way of showing us time doesn’t wait for our convenience. “
“Call someone! Let them know what they mean to you! Do not take precious time for granted! Life’s moments are valuable. All bad days come with good moments. Recognize and embrace them! Build off of them! We are here today. Not sure about tomorrow?”
“Last night Russell Bugbee was called home to a driver’s meeting. No doubt he stood for the anthems, he didn’t need to be told to remove his hat and he gave a test pull. Full pull it was determined!”
“He was probably asked, ‘Are you gonna keep it?’ He kept it!…..he kept it.”
“He taught me, that the measure of a man is definitely not the distance of the pull, but more about how gracefully he brushes himself off and holds his head, while he rehooks the chain in life. He will be missed by many. Over the two-way radio~RIP Russell Bugbee”
RYAN Motorsports Wins Number Two in 2016
Ryan Messer of Harvey, New Brunswick took his second feature race of the season in the Late Model Sportsman class at Speedway 660 in Geary, New Brunswick. The fifteen year old came off a couple of rough weekends where his car was damaged in on-track incidences.
Jere Humphrey’s Last Chance Motorsports Four Day Motorsports Events
Don’t forget the Houlton Fair is the place to be if you want to participate in or watch local motorsports events as Last Chance Motorsports presents four days of action in conjunction with the Houlton Fair.
Events include Jeep Jamboree Friday, Demolition Derby Saturday, ATV & UTV Drag Races Sunday, Tuff Truck and Show N’Go Long Jump Challenge on Monday. For more information go to Last Chance Motorsports’ Facebook page or www.houltonfair.com
Miscellaneous Motorsports Around the States
Tony Wins!
You have to watch the video of the last lap at Sonoma and look at the words of Tony Stewart at the press conference here courtesy of Chevy Racing:
“Well, I’ll go back a lap before because I think that set up the last lap, to be honest. When I went down in (turn) 7 the second‑to‑last lap, I wheel hopped it pretty big and Denny got right to us there.”
“We held him off through the rest of the lap and the first half of the last lap, and then he was really close to us off of 4, enough that I knew I couldn’t help but cheat the corner.”
” I gave him the whole outside. If he wanted to go around me on the outside, I was going to give him all the room he wanted but I wasn’t going to give him the inside.”
” But I went down and wheel hopped it again, and he saw it from the lap before and he knew he needed to take advantage of that. I assume he did. He got us there.”
“But when he went by us, that was probably the one thing I was most proud of is I didn’t panic and jump in the gas and spin the tires real hard trying to stay with him and just trying to get off the corner like I had and just tried to stay with him through the corner there and get through 10 and thought maybe we could stay close enough that we could have a shot back at him.”
“When he went into 11 I was probably more surprised than anybody. I couldn’t believe ‑‑ as good as he was braking into 11 all day, I couldn’t believe he missed the corner.”
” They said he wheel hopped it, but I was shocked that the door was open like that. You can’t crack the door open with me on the last corner of the last lap and expect me to not take it. I’ll kick the door in or drive a bulldozer through it to keep it open.”
“When you’re in a scenario like that, I don’t know if I’m going to get another scenario or opportunity to win another race the rest of the year. We’re going to try, but knowing that that could be the difference between making the Chase or not making the Chase, I wasn’t going to be cordial in the exit of the corner and I roughed him up pretty good.”
” If it has been a street fight, he’d have had two black eyes after that. I used him up pretty hard. Probably one of the best parts and one of the parts I’ll probably remember most about this race was before I got to victory lane and Denny leaning in there and the first thing he says is I’m so damned proud of you.”
“That meant the world to me. I mean, I told him right after that, and I said, you know I had to do that, and he goes, I know.”
Next week my trip to Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont and conversation with the legendary Ken Squire and Phil Scott the racing Lt. Governor of Vermont. I also interviewed hill climb racers in Huntington, Vermont.
Let’s go racing
Tom Hale
Soli Deo Gloria