Lou Gasparrelli

Today we lost a great friend and competitor after a lengthy illness. Lou will always be in our hearts and minds.

Godspeed my friend.

RG

 

<a href="http://img15.imageshack.us/i/gasparellitafc.jpg/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1783/gasparellitafc.th.jpg" border="0"/></a>

Thought I would share this picture from Firebird Divisional TA/FC. Sorry to hear of his passing.

Kevin Knowles
Neese-n-Knowles

 

Lou will always be remembered

I also just heard that Lou had passed away. My thoughts are with the family as well. The last time I saw Lou was at Seattle last year. Don Eason hooked me up for a pair of -20 boots that Steve was replacing and we were able to get both Steve and Lou to sign them for me. They are proudly displayed with some other memoribilia on my shop wall and in a special place in my heart. For a great racing family to take the time to sign those for me is something I'll always treasure, to say nothing of the long chat I had with Lou. This is certainly a turning of the page in the alcohol classes and Lou will be missed very much.
Jeff Johnsen

 

One hell of a good guy. Lou was a very special person. We ran our quickest and fastest time in our funny car because of his kindness. He lent us a gear for our transmission and we went out and ran 5.62. When we got home I ordered up a new gear to replace his gear that was still in our transmission. When he got the gear he called me and was pissed. Not because I still had his gear in my transmission but because I replaced it with a new one. He felt guilty taking a new gear when he lent me a used. I told him it had magic and I was keeping it. He laughed and congratulated us on our runs that weekend. I will never forget that.

RIP my friend. You were a very special person.

Lawren and Ruth

 

Lou was one of the legends that I used to read about when I was growing up and that's how he will be remembered. . .A true legend of the sport!

 

What a Great Pic!!!

 

Deepest condolences to the Gasparelli Family, from George, Ken, Troy and Nathan Sitko.

 

Sorry to hear this. I bought some parts off Lou many years ago. A real stand up guy. Rest in Peace Lou.

Tom

 

I am so sorry to hear this news. My deepest condolences to Steve and the entire family. Truly an icon in the alcohol ranks for sure. I have a Indy yearbook from 1977 and the photo of Lou is classic. He and Moats could have been brothers what with the pork chop burns and all. I will try to scan the photo and post it. If there was ever a description for Family Drag Racing Endurance, the Gasparrellis are it.

Joe Percoco

 

Lou, RIP. Steve, our deepest condolences to you and the entire Gasparelli family.

Keeter & Ralph Ray

 

Steve;
As you can see, Lou has touched the lives of many people over his illustrious career, for me personally, his generosity was remarkable, whenever we went to a race and I saw we were pitted next to you, I was very glad because I knew I could walk over at any time of the day or night and either just shoot the sh*t or barrow an entire motor if necessary; and Lou and yourself would go out of your way to take care of us…no matter how busy you were..I just had to make sure when I returned it…it was sparkling clean ….from the entire Woznichak family, I offer our deepest sympathy and ultimate respect.

 

R.I.P. Lou, and my condolences to the entire family. All time great guy to race against and to deal with. Always had time to talk, and had a totally positive attitude. You will be missed. Chase

 

Thoughts and prayers to all the family and friends of the Gasparrelli's. We still run the throw-out bearing he gave to us in Rusk in 2004. And we too got the call from him when we replaced it with new one. He thought that wasn't needed. Great team, great family, great racer, great guy, and lots of great memories. He will be missed.

Kevin Hool
"The Ghost" TAFC
http://kandkmotorsports.com

 

Sorry for you loss

Sorry for your loss Ferro/Terenzio

 

Rip

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Gasparrelli's. I never had the pleasure of talking with Lou, and it sounds like that was my loss.
Marty Thacker & Crew

 

always smiling

You know I will always remember Lou as one of the true Nice Guys in the pits, always smiling. Never too busy to take a minute to talk and always willing to help with a part or some advice or just a positive word.

Louie will be missed by many and remembered always. Godspeed.

To Vicki, Michael, Steve, Bones, Ricky, Bob, Strand and the rest of the Gasparelli Gang, just know that he is in a better place now and no longer hurting, smiling down on all of us.

Team Thompson Racing

 

Godspeed Lou

my thought's and prayers are with Steve and the family as long as far back as i can go in my racing memory bank Lou was there. 1986 he saved my ass will never forget him

Chad Pilkington

 

My Dad wanted to make sure I told everyone that he felt so lucky to have such good friends and was able to do what he loved for so long...he said his life was better than he could have ever dreamed of because of drag racing and the friends he made in drag racing. He fought so hard to the end to keep going to the races...he loved it so much. Drag racing was him.

I cannot put into words how much all of you meant to him...

Dad wanted me to make sure he went out in his cherished BAE coat, a Gasparrelli Racing T-Shirt, and my 2000 World Finals medal around his neck...Classic Big Lou.

Thanks so much to everyone for the kind words...Dad's final pass to the Big Dragway Upstairs will be a good one...straight, true, and fast with no oil down...he hated oil downs.

Steve

 

Louie is one of those guys who everybody liked – always a tough racer and always a great guy. I remember how cool it was when he won the Winternationals, when he won it again, and when he got back in Steve's car after he thought his driving days were behind him and almost won Phoenix.