Dean & Tony Roper Bench - Fair Grove, Missouri
N 37° 22.998 W 093° 08.994
15S E 486729 N 4137405
Even without knowing anything about the Ropers, the bench makes it obvious that they were affiliated with car racing.
Waymark Code: WMGW7Z
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 04/15/2013
Views: 2
Dean & Tony Roper, father & son, were both Fair Grove natives who loved the racing oval & who both died doing what they loved.
Tony actually died first, at the age of 36, in 2000. He was driving in the Craftsman Truck Series races, when he died as a result of a crash at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2000.
His father was 53 when he died, also on the racetrack; however, his death was not due to an accident. Dean suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead after his car rolled to a stop in 2001 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Among his many achievements, Dean was the USAC stock nation champion driver in 1981-82-83.
There is no dedication date on the bench, nor any indication of who erected it. It does, however, sport a pair of checkered flags next to the names. It is found in a portion of Fair Grove's park which contains a few other memorials and dedications. The bench appears to be by far the newest in the group.
(The biographical information contained herein was obtained from Dean Roper's obituary and the NASCAR Heaven web site.)
Where is this bench located?: Located on the south side of the park adjacent to SH 125 in Fair Grove, just before you get to the covered bridge.
Who is this bench honoring?: Dean & Tony Roper
|
Visit Instructions:
To log this waymark you can take a photo of the entire bench. You may have yourself (Sitting of course) or your GPS in the photo. A photo is not required, but encouraged.