On September 22, 2017 my wife Daphne, and mother to Cole and Peyton, passed away after a year long battle with cancer. It was her 50th birthday. She was one tough chick, and for most of that year she got stronger, better, and faster. In the end, new growth of the cancer she had been kicking ass against was just too invasive and aggressive to beat, but only for a few weeks. We spent the entire summer before this racing, traveling, and having fun. It was a fitting final summer to a life together that has been full of fun and adventure. This past summer gives me some comfort and wonderful memories, but also makes it hard to race her car across the country like we are doing now.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY OF CHAD AND DAPHNE… It is a tribute that will explain a lot.
In honor of that fun and adventure, the kids and I came up with a hair brained scheme to get Daphne’s wagon, Ethyl, ready to roll for yet another racing road trip. We were going to drive it from SoCal to Tulsa for the Throwdown in T-Town, and then off to Northstar Dragway in Denton for the Radial Tire Racing Association race, and then to Redemption 10.0 in Ennis Texas before driving it back to SoCal in time to do some laundry and jump in the Suburban for a ride to Las Vegas for the 2017 SEMA Show. When Ken Thwaits from Fraklin Road Clothing Company called and asked if I would race under the Franklin Road banner for Optima’s Ultimate Street Car Invitational in Vegas following the SEMA show, which meant the wagon needed to be there Monday night before SEMA, we were excited to add a 4th race in 4 weeks. And also a little overwhelmed.
We thrashed to make sure the car was ready to go, making upgrades that smart people would have waited to do until later, and ultimately got out of town with a car full of parts because we didn’t have time to make everything happen like we wanted. The trip to Tulsa was successful, although we had a fuel pump issue once we got there. We made arrangements to replace what we had with all new Aeromotive components once we got to my parents house near Dallas and also to complete a 4L80e swap before going to the races at Northstar.
We won True Street at the Radial Tire Racing Association Texas Small Tire Throwdown at North Star Dragway in Denton Saturday night! We couldn’t have done it without some divine intervention and help from Daphne above. I feel like crying every time I pull into the water box in this thing… I hope that never changes.
The purse was $1000 and we took the whole damn thing home! No split baby. Summit Racing Equipment here we come! LOL
We had Daphne in the winner’s circle with us, in the bitchin Mooneyes tank that Chico and the boys made us custom for her urn, and who our friend Tim McColgan lettered up for us.
I want to thank my mom, Judy Lanning Reynolds, dad Walt Reynolds, Lowell Enloe, Milton, and Cole Reynolds for thrashing all night and the following morning to get me to Denton. I appreciate it so much, and love you guys.
Thanks to our newly installed Holley Performance Products Dominator EFI ecu, controlling a Terminator Stealth throttle body, two stages of NOS Nitrous Oxide System, our Chino Hills Transmission built 4l80e with a dual clutch ProTorque converter, and our newly installed Aeromotive Fuel SystemsA1000 based fuel system, we were running good all day long.
Our BluePrint Engines Power Adder 400 LOVES the nitrous!!!
The win was awesome, and would not have been possible without some divine intervention, or Daphne pulling some strings from up above. It was apparently our day,
We swapped the 4l80e into the car at DuSold Designs last week, building a custom crossmember in Mike DuSold‘s shop, and then thrashed installing the Earl’s UltraPro hoses and fittings along with the new Dominator ECU, etc. We only fired it up and drove it under its own power 2 hours before arriving at the track which is a 50 mile drive away from Mom and Dad’s shop! Cause that’s how we role.
The True Street 30 mile cruise, which we laughed at by the way, was a breeze thanks to our bitchin RideTech Air Ride Suspension and Vintage Air, Inc.,
Special thanks to Ben Conant DJ Safety for my awesome helmet, belts, and safety gear. Impact Racing for the Accel head and neck restraint system I use, along with Edelbrock Performance, Spectre Performance, MandHtires.com MH Racemaster, Baer Brakes, Xs Power,
We also have to thank Westech Performance Group, Steve Brule, Steve Matusek, Bub Miller, Jay Ligtenberg, David Stoker, Stoker’s Hot Rod Factory, Mark Bowler, James Crosby, Shaun Callaway, Trevor Hayes, Derek Lamb, Scott Liggett, Scott Clark, Jeff McConnell, Sherry Larson, Bret Voelkel, Aaron Sockwell, and everyone else that I’m forgetting who has helped with the car at some point or another. Daphne would be so proud that her Ethyl did so well, and that both Peyton Rae and Cole were there for it.
This week we’ll cruise the car around Dallas, and then Friday we race again at the Redemption No Prep Series 10 in Ennis.Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational.
Who wants a piece of this big nitrous huffing bitch?!?!?!
Larry Larson, we’re going to have to do some big side by side burnouts together, cause this things loves to smoke the tires for a few hundred feet. I’m not sure I can back up quite as fast though. We’ll have to see.
This weekend we’ll be racing at the Texas Motorplex during the Redemption No-Prep Series 10 event in Ennis and then hauling ass for Vegas the next day. We’ll have tons of updates along the way, so stay tuned.
Below you see some of the photos we have so far, and promise to bring you more this week. To those who have stopped and said hello, who have offered condolences, and who have supported us through all of this, we can’t thank you enough.
My sympathies go out to you and family brother. Losing a great gear head woman and mother is hard. She is definitely riding over your shoulder. Good luck and keep the wagon rolling !
My deepest sympathy to you and your family. Keep the wagon rolling!
My sympathies also to you and yours.
I feared the day I would read about the passing of Daphne, I’m sorry for your loss. Thanks Chad for sharing all of your and Daphne’s adventures over the last few months…it was a great way to get to know Daphne and her passion for cars, racing and most of all her family. Thank you!
I offer my condolences to the Reynold’s family for the loss of Daphne, I would have liked to have met her.
Cancer took the life of my brother five years ago ( he was also a gearhead) so I know what you and your family are going through.
I’m sure Daphne was watching down on all the fun – she’ll always be part of this – R.I.P. – Hey Chad where’s the ’56 wagon on caprice chassis, from way back – didnt you all do that one??
Sitting in the driveway. Needs some rewiring, a posi unit, tires, back seats, and some maintenance. I want a turbo Ls under the hood too, but all of it has to wait until my blazer project is done.
Of course, my condolences to Chad and family!
I only got to speak to Daphne once after yelling out her [chat room] screen name, Slightly Wicked Chick, at the Blackhawk Museum.
But Wow, just Wow!, regarding the design of her urn! A miniature Moon tank?
‘Nice creativity on that, Chad!
Liked Daphne from the first time I met her on the 07 Power Tour, in Racine, WI. My condolences to you Chad, and your family.
DTB
RIP, Daphne. Condolences to you and your family, Chad.
Damn Chad! I got a tears in my eyes!!! RIP Daphne!!!
Cancer sucks. Too many of us gone way to early for no good reason. I remember when you first posted about her cancer, then as I cruised your site and saw her car and racing posts hoped it was gone. Wish I were right about that. I know having lost a parent as a teenager that there is no replacing mom or dad. I hope that you and your support friends and your children’s friends hang in there for them, and you and they process the loss in time. I was raised not to feel so I didn’t grieve my father’s death until I was an adult, was just angry for a long time. Love to you and them.
God speed Daphne
I truly hope that Peyton , Cole and Chad can always remember her with a smile on their face…..the best way to recall a lost loved one
TWCTTFMF
Very sorry for your loss. Though she has passed, she will live forever in your hearts. Every time you make a pass, she will be by your side.
Real bummer. So sorry for your loss Chad.
Chad and family, I was very sad to hear of the loss of Daphne. I too thought seeing her traveling to all those events that she had kicked cancers ass! You have a great family, friends and support staff starting with Ethyl to help you and your children thru this very difficult time of healing. May God Bless all of you!
Our condolences on the passing of Daphne. Thank you for sharing this story Chad, it\’s very inspiring, and I\’m glad you could be with friends here in north Texas last weekend
So very sorry Chad, it’s really a tragic loss for all of your family. When I hear things like this it always re-opens the wounds of the past. Just hang in there as grieving can be almost any emotion, but you must help your kids cause they really have a hard time processing such a loss.
We lost our daughter 7 years ago, and are raising her kids. They still go through loss to this day. You must love them know matter what, cause they’ll come back, remembering the love you had for them.
Rest In Peace Daphne