It is with great sadness that I let you know that long time track worker Cherie Hilton died peacefully in her sleep last night.
She will be remembered as the little old lady who ran pit lane during the Player's/GM and Honda/Michelin series time frame and then later on took care of the competitor gate at Race City.
She was a dear friend and she will be missed.
When I know more details about a service for her, I will post it here.
Sue Wilson
Sorry to hear that. I remember her flagging when I raced in the Honda Michelin Challenge series. However, what I remember most were her incredible soups. When Sue and I first got together to organize the CSCC/WCMA driving schools we were on a very tight financial budget. We had the classrooms sessions on Saturday AM at the CSCC club house and then headed off to Race City for our 1.5 days on the track. We had 3 consecutive years of terrible weather, snow and rain and those bowls of soup were fantastic. Cherie would prepare these huge pots of soup and it was always consumed quite quickly. The third year we had the classroom at the Shepherd Community hall and I missed out on lunch for I was running around moving people and cars from the community centre to the track. Well the next year were going the same way & the soup and sandwiches were gone. However, Cherie comes up to me with a surprise . She remembered I had not found time to have soup & sandwiches at the previous year's school and, she & Sue, had set aside my own personal bowl of soup and sandwich. It's now almost 20 years later, I still remember what a very thoughtful and generous person she was. Cherie may you Rest in Peace. Gary Leadbetter
It's funny Gary, but until you reminded me about her soups I had completely forgotten that she did our lunches for so many years. She was an excellent cook.
Thanks for another great memory.