It was Wednesday January 12, 2000. We were heading to the first race in the SCORE series, The Laughlin Desert Challenge. We left Salt Lake City, Utah around 6pm. It was a trip we where all looking forward to and in great spirits, we laughed and joked the entire way. We arrived in Laughlin, NV around 3:30am sore from laughing but also a little startled by a traffic accident we saw just before we hit town. We were not going to let that or anything distract our focus though, we were determined to have a great time and looking forward to the days to follow.

The next morning we were all revved up with anticipation waiting for the opening ceremonies - The Pit Crew Competition and Laughlin Leap. Arriving a little early, we took our seats in the grandstands. The Pit Crew competition was entertaining but what we really wanted to see was the Leap. When the first car went over the jump, it was obvious the cars would not be flying as far as they had in previous years. No problem, we were having a great time just the same. We kept pretty much to ourselves in the stands, but there was one person who started talking to us. After chatting for a few minutes he introduced himself as Larry Deaton. We then introduced ourselves as “The Utah Boys” Bo, Randy, Aaron and Anthony. Larry’s response was “Idaho, what’s in Idaho?” Within minutes, his humorous, outgoing character hit overdrive and we were all laughing and having a better time than before. When the competition was over, Larry invited us for drinks at the Colorado Bell. We ended up at the Boiler Room, where we had dinner and drinks to really bad Kareoke. When it was time to pay our bill, Larry refused to let us and insisted on picking up the tab for us all. After arguing about it for a few minutes, he just snuck off and paid it. With Larry leading the way we decided to go dancing at the club known by racers as “Dead Man’s Curve” at the Ramada Express. At the end of a long night of non-stop laughter and getting to know our new friends, Larry asked if we would be interested in coming to his pit the next day and lending a hand. Well, being a spectator is fun but being a participant…. hell yeah!

The next day started a little rough, but we made our way to driver’s registration where we were to meet Larry and his team. He greeted us with a smile but was obviously very focused. Larry now had his “race face” on. After receiving a pit pass for team #125, we headed to contingency row to see the spectacle of race cars and vendor booths. When we had finished checking out the competition, we decided to go to the pit. Larry was out testing but pulled up a short while later. The first thing he did was flip up his visor and say “Hey boys, ya made it.” With testing behind him and the “race face” off, he was the same charismatic person we had met the prior night. After a bit of socializing, we pitched in where we could to help prepare the car for the next day’s race. When the work was done he and the crew thanked us for the help and declined our invitation for another night on the town but added, “Drink one for me”. We did.

After yet another long night, we woke up and headed to the course with barely enough time to see our top pick Larry Deaton #125 leave the line. We watched him race through the infield and start the desert section of the course. We then anxiously headed to the top of the pits where we would have a good view of him come though. He came through just screaming by as we all greeted him with thumbs up and cheers. We decided to keep our spot and wait for him to come through on his second lap. Whoa! He looked even better, #125 was definitely a contender for the victory. After waiting an unusually long time for his third pass, we went to his main pit for information. When we arrived, his crew was trying to get him on the radio with no luck. The SCORE officials knew only that there had been an accident with minor injuries. The once lively crew now had straight faces and the concern was obvious. We patiently waited for word on the radio when then the SCORE Medical Director came over the speaker and asked for the family and crew to meet him at Needles Highway. We stayed at the pit waiting for word, still very optimistic. An hour and a half had gone by when the cell phone rang, then, we were given the horrifying news that Larry had passed away from injuries sustained in the accident. Everyone was in shock with a sense of disbelief. In a daze for the rest of the day, we waited for the races to end so that we could assist in retrieving his car. From the time the bad news came to the end of the day we stayed relatively silent, hardly talking to each other, I am not sure we would have known what to say anyway.

We had known Larry Deaton for less than 48 hours but he left an impression that will no doubt last the rest of our lives. He was the kind of person everyone should have the opportunity to spend time with. We are thankful for the short time he shared with us and the generous hospitality he showed four guys from Utah.

Racing in his memory,
“The Utah Boys”

Bo Brunyer - Randy Potter - Aaron Gourley - Anthony Lewis