A DIRT EMPIRE TRIBUTE TO RICK ESHELMAN

Fame friend. And those don’t come around very often.

I hope that we can all take this tragic ending and use it to better ourselves. Say the things that need to be said. Tell people how important they are. Make sure that no one feels alone. In the world we are all we got.

COREY LITTON – ANNOUNCER DAKOTA CLASSIC MODIFIED TOUR

I had the pleasure to work with Rick two times in my career. The first was at a track in Florida in 2017. There were issues with the national anthem playing, so I walked over, grabbed the mic, sang the anthem, then went back to what I was doing. Afterwards, he talked with us about racing for at least an hour mainly about racetracks in the North Dakota and Minnesota area.

The next time was in 2020 at one of my home tracks. And come time for the main event, he had me call the entire race with him. Once the checkered flag flew, he said, “That was for what you did for me in Florida.” We again spent quite a while shooting the breeze afterwards and I was as amazed with his wealth of knowledge he had as I was thankful for him letting me call a race with him.

I had kept in contact with him in the years after and he was always there with advice, encouragement, or just to chat. I will miss that greatly. And I am incredibly thankful for every moment I got to share with Rick.

TRACY PASSE – DEER CREEK ANNOUNCER

The first time I met Rick, he was serious in wanting me to call some races with him, but I hadn’t even called races at regular shows yet. But that is how welcoming he was to the mic and to everyone. Over the years, he became one of my greatest mentors in this announcing adventure. A message would quickly turn into a call. His replies were always “thanks babe” or “thank you sweetie”. Again, the love he showed so many. And his love for pickles was epic! He loved the pickles from Deer Creek Speedway and I became his “supplier” and would hook him up at every opportunity. Sometimes it’s the little things that bring great joy, laughter, friendship, and love. I will forever be grateful for his encouragement, support, and friendship. May you enjoy your new job right where you were meant to be at The Rainbow Bridge Rick.