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PERRIS
AUTO SPEEDWAY MOURNS THE PASSINGS OF
SPRINT CAR FAN SHAWN McDONALD AND PASSCAR
DRIVER BRYAN McWILLIAMS
By Scott
Daloisio
(Perris, CA, June 30, 2020)
Perris Auto Speedway promoter Don
Kazarian and the entire PAS staff is
mourning the deaths of the “World’s #1
Sprint Car Fan,” Shawn McDonald, and past
PASSCAR driver Bryan McWilliams. McDonald
passed away early Monday morning and
McWilliams passed away late last week.
McDonald was a
longtime fan who sat upfront in his
wheelchair just to the turn four side of
the start-finish line. McWilliams had a
brief career racing PASSCAR Factory
Stocks. Afterward, he was a fixture at the
track cheering on his nephew Ken
McWilliams and niece Alyssa Smith from the
grandstands or helping them in the pits.
“We lost one
of the world’s greatest sprint car fans
today,” a somber Don Kazarian said on
Monday. “Everybody at the track knew and
loved Shawn. Fans came by to greet him at
every sprint car race in the section of
the grandstand that is named after him. It
was a yearly tradition for fans to
serenade him on his birthday. Once the
races were over, he would visit the pits
and win or lose, the drivers would stop
what they were doing to go over and talk
to him. They loved him and likewise, he
loved them back.”
Here is a
video of the Perris Auto Speedway fans
singing “Happy Birthday” to Shawn McDonald
in 2008. https://bit.ly/3ge0RJ5
In 2013,
Kazarian named McDonald “Grand Marshal”
for the Oval Nationals, which is the most
prestigious traditional sprint car race in
the nation. Normally the selection process
for that honor takes some time and some
arguing. That was not the case the season
McDonald was honored.
“Every year we
sit around a table in the meeting room in
the office and everyone throws out names
on who they think the Grand Marshal should
be,” Kazarian said. “We go back and forth
explaining why this person or that person
should be the choice. It usually takes a
couple of weeks before the final decision
is made. In 2013, we were having the
discussion, and somebody threw Shawn’s
name into the mix. The decision-making
process ended right there and then.
Everyone agreed that he would be the Grand
Marshal that year.”
On May 30,
1996, McDonald had surgery to insert a
pacemaker. During the surgery, his heart
stopped beating and it took doctors
45-minutes to get it restarted. The lack
of oxygen caused a brain injury that left
him unable to walk, talk or eat. And
doctors initially said he would not last
the night. He not only made it through the
night, but he tacked on another amazing
24-years.
Chris Kearns,
the USAC West Coast Competition Director
and a friend of McDonald’s, perhaps summed
it up best when talking about him on
Facebook last week.
“Before anyone
complains about ANYTHING, think of this
guy,” Kearns posted. “He is an absolute
inspiration, and honestly I feel he is the
true meaning of a hero. I have never in my
life seen someone that has endured and
lost SO MUCH yet have such an incredible
spirit. He has a better attitude,
personality, and sense of humor than
anyone I've ever met. I'm sure Rickie
Gaunt and everyone else would admit, Shawn
McDonald is the real Superman. I have to
confess, when I saw him at the races, the
first thing I thought is, ‘Oh shit, Shawn
has his computer screen’. For those that
don't know, he is also the best shit
talker I have ever encountered!”
“Bryan
McWilliams did not race a lot,” Kazarian
said of the PASSCAR racer. “However,
before he started and after he quit
racing, he was always there to support his
family in any way he could. We would see
him in the pits helping with their cars.
At other times in the press box, we would
look down and he would be cheering them on
from the stands. He was easy to find as he
always had a big smile on his face and was
always laughing. Just a really good guy.”
“Nothing ever
seemed to get Bryan down,” longtime Perris
Auto Speedway announcer Scott Daloisio
said. “He was always very upbeat and loved
being at the track. He always had a
friendly hello and a big handshake. After
you got past the greetings the laughs
would start. It was fun seeing him before
the races because he was always so happy.
Racing was a natural thing for him to try
with the racing heritage of his family.
Whether it was competing, helping, or
watching, he always had a good time. A lot
of people on both sides of the crashwall
are going to miss Bryan in a big way.”
To keep up
with all the latest Perris Auto Speedway
news, photos, gossip and receive special
offers, please click on the following
links:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480?ref=hl
Twitter:
Perris Auto Speedway on Twitter.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/perrisautospeedway/
Website:
http://perrisautospeedway.com/
Perris Auto
Speedway is conveniently located on the
SoCal Fair and Event Center (home of
October’s Southern California Fair),
approximately one-hour east of Los Angeles
and one-hour North of San Diego. To get to
the track, take the 215 freeway, on the
Ramona Expressway and go three miles east
to the fairgrounds. For directions on
MapQuest, the address to enter is: 18700
Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is
92571.
Perris Auto
Speedway wants to thank its corporate
partners for the 2019 season. Ahern
Equipment Rentals, All Coast Construction,
Battery Systems, Budweiser, Bud’s Tire
Pro, Chris’ Hauling, City of Perris,
Communication Innovations, Daytona Boat &
RV Storage, Ed Moore Bullet Proof
Driveshaft, Flowdynamics, HD Industries,
Hoosier Tires, Inland Rigging, Living
Water’s Hospice, LKQ Pick Your Part,
Luke’s Transmission, Pepsi-Cola, Pole
Position, PrintItNow.com, Rainbow Bolt &
Supply, Rugged Radios, Shaver Specialties,
Square H, Sunoco Race Fuels, Trench
Shoring, Upland Rock, Varner Construction
and Vista Paint.
Video and DVD
productions of all racing sprint cars
events at Perris Auto Speedway are
available from Loudpedal Productions. For
more information on these productions you
can contact them by calling (805)
844-3854, E-mailing
mailto:trtruex@gmail.com or you can visit
the website LoudPedal Productions.
DVD’s of all
the PASSCAR/IMCA racing and Nights of
Destruction at The PAS are available from
Fourvideos. For more information call
(714) 225-9500.
racesatthepas@aol.com is the only
authorized Internet address to issue
official media news released from The
Perris Auto Speedway or Oval
Entertainment. |
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