A lifelong racing fan known as the ‘Silver Fox’ died seconds after winning his final race in front of a crowd of shocked spectators.
Dave Sattem, 77, died after his 1933 Willys Coupe crashed at the finish line at the Woodburn Drag Strip in Oregon on Saturday, leaving a wife and son behind.
The Air Force veteran, who was days away from his 48th wedding anniversary, had recently won the track’s ‘Oldies but Goodies’ event when he lost control of his vehicle at high speeds.
‘One moment, my father and I were cheering him on as he won the finals in his class,’ spectator Brennen Hankins posted on Facebook.
‘And then he was over the wall, and first responders were hauling up the lanes to assist him.’
Wife Linda was at home in Stayton when she heard of the crash and has been inundated with offers of support from her husband’s many friends in the racing community.
‘He liked to help people. If they were just new to drag racing, he would try to give them advice,’ she said. ‘He was laughing, joking with people. He was always trying to keep people safe and enjoying the sport that he loved so much.’
Many took to Facebook to share their recollections of the man who acted as a mentor to generations of younger racers.
‘Our hearts are broken,’ wrote the strip in a post.
‘As most of you know by now, we lost a true champion. Our Track family is deeply saddened by the loss.’
‘Linda we are all thinking of you and your family at this most difficult time,’ wrote Vicki Shepherd.
‘Dave was a legend, loved and respected by us all. I think we all have stories to tell of racing with Dave.’
The racer’s widow stated that her husband had raced motorcycles before transitioning to drag racing, indicating that he had a passion of speed.
‘I wake up in the morning and think, ‘I don’t know. What shall I do? What should I do?’ she told kptv.com.
‘So many people have come out to support me, contacted me, brought me food, and I’m still dealing with all the paperwork that comes with dying,’ she said.
“I think I’m doing okay.”
‘He was a really outgoing individual. He had a wonderful smile.’
The racetrack intends to have a service for Dave at 8 a.m. on Saturday as the Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigates his death.
