Ode to Wib

 

When I was nine-years-old, I become fascinated with stock car racing.

At the end of our street there was a garage where they housed and worked on a car that raced at both Godfrey and Granite City speedways. It was owned by Charlie Whitehead. After some repeated requests, my Dad took me to both race tracks to watch the race car that lived on my street.

While I continued to be a great fan of the Whiteheads and their very gifted driver, Louie Janssen….there often was another driver and car that every weekend stole the show. It was a yellow modified that was driven by Wib Spalding.

I don’t recall Spalding ever losing. His 444 car was the fastest in the field EVERY night…and he was obviously a very skilled driver.

But the persona he projected was that of a guy who liked to win…..and then rub it in the face of the drivers he had just dispatched. Spalding would win….take the checkered flag for a trip around the track…then retreat into the pits where he would purposely rev his engine loudly….almost arrogantly…to celebrate his victory.

I never forgot Spalding. He was legendary.

Years later, I was working as a reporter for the Wood River Journal and learned of some side work I could do for the old St. Louis Post Dispatch. But I had to use a fake name so my bosses at the Journal wouldn’t fire me. I became Lin Bethel. I took my middle name----Lin----and coupled it with the original name of my hometown---Bethel----which of course became Bethalto.

I was constantly looking for feature stories, and I was told that one Wib Spalding had purchased the old Godfrey Speedway. Lin Bethel called him and set up an interview. I remember telling him that I remembered his prowess as a driver back in the day when he was the pilot of the 444 car. I got my story and didn’t think of him again.

That is until my mother told me she was dating a man who was the owner of a race track. When she told me she was seeing Wib Spalding, I was concerned. Was this guy nice enough to see my Mom?

In time, I came to understand his race persona and his personal demeanor were clearly two different people.

He asked permission to marry my mom while I sat on my front porch in Bethalto 24 years ago. That was classy…and yes….I blessed the marriage with the caveat he would promise to care for her always. He agreed and I had the unique honor of “giving my mom away” at the marriage ceremony.

He kept his promise. He loved my mom and cared for her for a quarter of a century. For that, I will always be grateful.

About three weeks ago, he decided to stop kidney dialysis knowing that it would only be a matter of time before he would die.

I’d like to think Wib will now get to race every day in heaven. Run to the front…..take the flag….and then rev his engine as he rolls through the heavenly pits. I hope that is what God has in store for him.

I didn’t get to say goodbye to Wib.

So I’ll take this opportunity.

Good bye, 444.

Thank you from your adopted family.

Signed,

Lin Bethel