True hero of racing
Monday, November 1, 1999
By Stuart Dryden -- Calgary Sun
Calgary Sun photographer Stuart Dryden had the pleasure of
meeting and photographing Canadian race car driver Greg Moore on several
occasions. Dryden reflects on the loss of the racing star.
Yesterday, motorsports and Canada lost not only a talented
driver, but a true ambassador for this country and his sport. As a photographer
for the Sun, I have been lucky to meet many celebrities over the years. And one
unwritten rule I have is never ask for an autograph and stay away from talking
about what they do.
Last year, however, when Moore and his teammate Patrick
Carpentier visited the Sun, I had a chance to talk with him and broke both
golden rules. As an avid race fan since I could say "car" and having just
photographed the Molson Indy in Vancouver, I couldn't help but ask about the
speed that reaches over 325 km/h on the backstretch.
He laughed and said the speed didn't bother him. In fact he'd
like to squeeze more speed out of the car. As I talked to him, his eyes lit up
and you could tell this was passion -- pure and simple.
He truly did love what he was doing, and at the then-age of 23,
he was just bursting to tell anyone and everyone. We talked about his hometown
and he was genuinely taken aback when I gave both him and Carpentier some prints
of them in action in Vancouver. The pair sat admiring them with big smiles and
offered to sign some for me.
As I watched yesterday's crash on television, I was shocked and
stunned. I am sorry the world had lost such an outgoing, friendly and talented
person, and, although it's a cliche, he did die doing what he loved.
