Lasker Has Renewed Sense Of Purpose
Published: Aug 16, 2007
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There was a time when Tampa's Gene Lasker had his eye on a national racing career in the World of Outlaws, but family responsibilities kept him closer to home starting in 1993.
During her birth, his daughter Jennifer was deprived of oxygen when the umbilical cord wrapped around her head, causing brain damage.
"Jennifer was everything," the 48-year-old Lasker said of his daughter, who died Feb. 6 at age 14 of pneumonia. "When she was born, I was just starting to think I was pretty good at this sprint car driving thing and was thinking about the future, the World of Outlaws and maybe moving north. But, we soon learned that Jennifer would be a dependent child all her life. I could be selfish or be a man and do what was right, so I gave it all up."
So Lasker continued to race locally over the years, and he now has a renewed sense of commitment to racing.
He is currently on top of his game, winning five of the 10 Limited Sprint events this season at East Bay Raceway Park, but his thoughts seldom stray far from his daughter.
"She was with me for 14 wonderful years," Lasker said, "I've been working long hours at the shop these last six months, trying to hide from it, but it'll find me. I think about how she used to sit and watch me work for hours. Then I'm bawling like crazy and missing her so much, I can't work."
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lasker moved to Florida at age 7 and he didn't step into a race car until his 30th birthday, but he won 59 Street Stock races within his first four years of driving.
"It was crazy back then," Lasker said. "I won the Street Stock feature at East Bay and it was the first feature of the night. Somebody mentioned Sunshine Speedway's Street Stock feature was scheduled late, and off we went. We didn't change the dirt tires, clean the mud off or anything. I started dead last and won. The Sunshine guys were mad."
Lasker's total of 131 sprint car victories say a lot about ability, determination and drive, but the 1977 Land O' Lakes High graduate always will believe he made the right decisions 14 years ago.
"God dealt me this hand, and I've played it the way I felt was right," Lasker said. "Now I can hold my head up high and know that I did the right things for the right reasons. And just maybe, he's paying me back by letting me win a few."
EAST BAY RACEWAY: Limited Late Models, Open Wheel Modifieds, Street Stocks, Outlaw 4's and 4-Cylinder Bombers return to action this week.
AUBURNDALE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Cody Pitts won the 100-lap Late Model race. Other winners were Jason Bertsch (Mod-Minis), Wayne Morris (Sportsman), Bobby Kelly, Jr. (Scrambler), James Wright III, (Strictly Stock), Eugene Davidson (Mini-Stock) and Bubba Edwards (Street Stock).
DESOTO SUPER SPEEDWAY: A.J. Curreli won the 100-lap Limited Late Models. Other winners: Nick King (Truck), Robert Crisp (Pure Stock), Gregory Krom (Street Stocks), Glenn Kelly (Mod-Mini) and Richard Shepard (Open Wheel Modified). In the return of Powder Puff racing, St. Petersburg's Donna Lowe took the Bomber win and Syndee Brown won the Pure Stock.
CITRUS COUNTY SPEEDWAY: Chris Thornton won the Mini Stock Challenge Series event. Other winners were Ron Heard (Southern Sportsman Series), Curtis Neumann (Gulf Coast Modified), Richie Smith (Street Stock), Bill Ryan (Pure Stock), Bobby Richardson (4-Cylinder Bomber) and Richard Dinkins (Thunder Stocks).
