Ralph and Toni were good friends with Paul and Virginia Sawyer.  They used to ride to the races at Strawberry Hill Racetrack at the Virginia State Fairgrounds in Richmond together.

A year ago, my husband and I had stopped at a small diner outside of Richmond to have lunch, when a man pulled up outside of our window and parked his car.  I looked up and said "that's Paul Sawyer!"  I got up and went to the door to meet him, and when he looked at me he said "you're Ralph Rose's daughter.  I'm Paul Sawyer and I'm 86 years old!"  I nearly fainted, but managed to keep up a decent conversation with this dear man. 

 

Paul passed away last year, but his legacy in racing continues on with the beautiful Richmond International Raceway, as well as his son Bill Sawyer's Virginia Motor Speedway in Saluda, VA.  We had the pleasure of attending a race there last summer, and it has the same professional characteristics of a dirt speedway that a young Paul Sawyer started all those many years ago.  Like father, like son.