Ross Wece digitized the 2,130 note cards left behind by the late announcer Rick Eshelman and posted them on his site Wece’s Pieces. The note cards serve as a testament to the effort that Eshelman put into his craft.
“I view Rick’s note cards the same way I view the rest of the documents on my website — they are a unique look into the history of our sport at a certain period of time in history,” Wece said. “Rick was unique in his style and delivery. It is horrific that he left us so suddenly. His work was impressive, and his legacy needed to be preserved.”
Wece serves as the World Racing Group’s Creative Director, Video Content. He worked alongside Eshelman at WRG for eight years.
“When word got out about Rick’s passing, I let it be known internally at WRG and publicly that I wanted to track down and preserve his note cards,” said Wece. “The cards were located and delivered to me in Charlotte.”
Wece grew up in Southern Illinois, where his grandfather and uncle raced. After completing college in 2010, he brought his learned videographer skills back home to the dirt tracks he once spectated at.
In addition to the note cards of Rick Eshelman, Wece’s website also features racing programs from disciplines from all across the motorsport world.
“I’m a huge fan of old motorsports event programs,” Wece said. “Since 2018, I have digitized every page of more than 450 programs. The digitizing of Rick’s cards is a unique and special departure from the usual programs I digitize.”
Wece hopes to add more material to Wece’s Pieces, in the spirit of preservation.
“People are always coming up with interesting printed memorabilia in attics, garages, and tag sales,” Wece said. “If you find an old program, reach out to me. If I decide I want to digitize it, I can do so and mail it back to you.
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
