A Heavy Heart Can’t Slow Down Roger Lee

http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/featured/a-heavy-heart-cant-slow-down-roger-lee/

BEAVER DAM RACEWAY REPORT: Aug. 10, 2013
 
By Nicholas Dettmann

BEAVER DAM, Wis. - The legacy of Richelle Struck won't be far from Roger Lee's heart. 
After a two-month absence where he barely survived a horrific ATV crash, Lee swept the grand nationals division at Beaver Dam Raceway, winning the heat race and the 20-lap "A" main Saturday.  It was almost too perfect for it to happen this way.
In both races, Lee was a driver on a mission, quickly slicing his way through traffic to get to the front. In the feature, Lee started 10th. He was fourth after three laps and was in the lead after six laps.
"I wish Richelle could be here to see this," Lee said.
After taking a couple moments to collect himself, Lee drove down the front straight with the driver's side facing the crowd. He stuck out his hand and saluted the crowd. The large crowd was on its feet and cheering. It would've made the world's toughest person cry and there were some moist eyes.
"It meant a lot," Lee said. "It was very nice to see."
It was like he was supposed to win.
"The car felt perfect," Lee said. "It was the best the car has ever felt."
Lee, the defending track champion and winner of two of the past three titles, and his fiancee, Richelle Struck, were involved in a scary crash in Iron County near Saxon Harbor. According to WAOW-TV in Wausau, Lee, 44, was the driver of the ATV and Struck, 42, was the passenger. Two teenagers, who were sons of Lee and Struck, witnessed the crash and said they saw Lee and Struck come down a hill after reporting Lee said he was having trouble with the brakes. Lee was unable to slow and negotiate a sharp curve and, according to the Iron County Sheriff's Department, Lee and Struck went over a cliff with their ATV.
Lee suffered numerous injuries, including a fractured skull, fractured sternum, fractured ribs, fractured pelvis, broken cheek bone, broken eye socket, bruised spleen, bruised lung and the list went on. He was in the hospital for five days and underwent two surgeries. Struck lost her life in the crash. She died of blunt force trauma, according to the Iron Country coroner. Lee said Struck had a torn aorta.
Saturday night was Lee's first night back in a race car since the tragedy. He was cleared to return to work five days earlier.
"A lot of emotions," Lee said about returning to the track Saturday night and then winning the feature.
It was almost an omen for him to return on this day. He came back Saturday the 10th because his car number is 10. Plus, his late friend, George Scheffler, died in an ATV crash in 2010 and he had the No. 10 during his racing career.
"I heard her the whole race," Lee said. "I was talking to her while I was driving. Everything just opened for me."
With the way Lee moved through the field, it almost looked like he had some assistance. He sought her advice on how to win the race, especially when the feature had a green-white-checkered finish.
Lee and Struck knew each other for more than 10 years and had been engaged for 2 1/2 years. They had just moved in together two weeks prior to the accident. They were aiming for a winter wedding date.
"I told her I was going to win this race for her," said Lee, who now wears Richelle's engagement ring on a necklace.
"I don't think there's any way to describe it," he added. "She was my best friend for 10 years.
"I knew she would've wanted me to keep racing."
It wasn't easy, though, getting back in the car as Lee was trying to do something to help get back to some kind of normalcy.
"I was very nervous; I was more nervous than ever," he said.
Not a day has passed where he hasn't asked: Why her?
Parts of his memory is still cloudy when trying to recall the details, including how and when he was told Richelle had died. He vividly recalled it taking place on the Flight for Life helicopter as he kept screaming for Richelle, desperately wanting to know if she was OK.
Without any surprise, the past two months have been nothing but "hell" for Lee.
"I just keep thinking about her," he added. "It's the worst thing I could've ever imagined."
He wishes it was him who died and not her.
In addition to wearing the engagement ring around his neck, he has a decal on the car that says, "In Loving Memory of Richelle Struck." He also has "Give It All We Got Tonight" etched on his dashboard. It was the couple's favorite song by George Strait.
Kenny Richards and Todd Ascherien, the two drivers battling for the division championship, finished second and third, respectively, in the feature. Normally, Richards has no problem finishing second to Lee because Lee is such a savvy veteran, a tough driver to beat. On this night, there was no exception.
"Roger needed this," Richards said.
"I'll finish second to Roger any day," he added. "Roger's a veteran racer. He's one of those (drivers) when you finish second to him, it's like winning."
Everybody at Beaver Dam felt like a winner because Roger won.
At the track, Struck helped with the car setup, cleaned his helmet and was always there to give a good luck kiss before Lee went on the track.
While it was hard to be back at the track, it was a bit of a relief.
"It's nice to see all the drivers again," Lee said. "I have to thank (the drivers and fans) for all their support."
Lee is still battling soreness with his chest and ribs. He had no idea what to expect in his first night back.
"I wasn't sure if I could finish the race," Lee said. "If I couldn't finish it, I'd just pull into the infield."
Struck wasn't going to let him.