Bob Olthoff's Last Lap

[Hal Copple]

Bob Olthoff passed away early Sunday morning, after a stout fight against an illness that that finally got the better of him.

He was my friend. About five years ago, i first drove the hour north to visit and see if there was someday going to be a way to own a replica of the car i had wanted since in was in High School. A year later, i drove my own car home. In the four years since, i have driven up far too many times to count, and Bob always made me feel welcome, and in time, i began to feel like i was part of his family, a familiar trait i am sure familiar to many of his friends and clients.

He was always there to give me advice in my relentless quest to tweak and modify my SPF. Once, when I managed to get my Holley so far out of whack that he had to tow it down the hill to his shop, out in rural NC, he told me that since i was going to mess with my carburation, he was going to teach me how to do it properly. He taught me many things, and gave precious in-car race track teaching to both my son and I in our SPF.

I learned to always ask his opinion before i undertook some new plan with my car, and he freely gave me advice to make it work well. Once, when i stripped a distributor gear late at night, and showed up past midnight with my car on a flatbed, he came to the shop, and diagnosed the problem, and told me to come back the next afteroon, and it would be all made good again.

Along with other enthusiasts, we would come up on Saturdays, and after the vistors had left for the day, we would sit down in his shop, and listen to his stories of what racing was like back in the old days. Racing against the Ferrari's, the motorcycle jaunts with Jimmy Clark, his Shelby driving, and on and on. His glass cases in his showrooms are filled with countless trophies.

Bob spent his life around cars, and was a works race driver for MG, and other race teams.

But most of all, he was my friend, and i will miss him greatly. Bob leaves behind is wife Baby, and his son Dennis, and so many many others.

Wishing you nothing but sunny warm days, top down, for ever and ever, Bob.