First, Good work Chip,
My name is Tym Tucker. We've never met but my wife, Missi, is Tom and Sherri Downing's daughter. Missi told me about this web site you put together so I had to check it out.

I met your dad when we moved to FL 6 yrs ago. When we first came down we lived with the Downings for a while. Bobby used to come over to play poker with us on Saturday nights, and was over on holidays and stuff. (Especially any time Tom needed help with anything)

To understand how strange it was when I first met him, you have to understand that I came from a drag racing family. I was wrenching on race cars as long as I can remember being alive. Things like jet cars, top fuelers, and funny cars were the most awesome things imaginable to me then, hell probably still are. When he used to tell us stories while we were sitting around playing cards on Saturday nights.

Like when they were basically inventing parachutes for drag cars and burning stuff up with jet engines while they tested them, let alone going 600 mph, I was amazed. I always wondered how he got connected to Walt and got into all that stuff, but I never asked. Hell, they were really going where no one else had before. I always wonder if I would have the balls to do it given the same circumstance. He certainly did. It seemed that, to Bob, it was like a non-issue, just something you did.

I'm just glad you did this web page for him. Actually I think there ought to be an hour long documentary on speedvision about the stuff they did. It's good to see that this bit of racing history is alive and well.

Tym