Erik Tomas' Raceline Radio Network 'Tomas Tales'
So I sit here trying to figure out how to start this TT.
Getting started writing something is not usually tough for me at all, but this time is different.
So it starts with the stunning words: We’ve lost John Massingberd.
The man who used to drive trucks and sell booze, who decided to do something about the pathetic coverage of Canadian auto racing on television and radio in this country, the man who plucked me away from morning sports in Toronto to launch Canada’s first nationally syndicated motor sport radio program, my full-time bill-paying job for the past 15 years, lost his battle with ALS.
John leaves in his 54th year. He was a year younger than I was.
I cannot believe it was this terrible disease. When John’s brother Paul broke the news to the staff, I rifled off the proper name of the ailment.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Most call it ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The legendary New York Yankees slugger was certainly not the first person afflicted with ALS, but he was one of the first high profile North Americans connected to it.
Years ago, when I was first breaking into broadcasting in Niagara Falls at CJRN, the station owner called me one night to ask a question. He was talking about ALS with some people and he wanted to know if I knew the proper name of the disease.
I looked it up and called him back with this long eye-chart looking name. Ever since them, I have always remembered how to pronounce the proper name. Some things just stick with you.
And now the man who’s directed my career for a decade and a half dies from it. It’s not fair and it’s not right.
John and I had a solid friendship, even though he was also the boss.
We had very listenable rapport on Raceline Radio. I wrote the script, booked the guests and co-anchored. I also wrote the questions for the guests.
I am not going to lie. John would often frustrate me no end because he wasn’t a professional broadcaster.
He would often trip over the words reading aloud. The process of reading aloud smoothly on the air at speed takes a lot of practice.
And John didn’t like to pre-read the script and practice.
But once the reading was done, interviewing drivers and talking to callers off the cuff is where he excelled.
So as a team, it worked very well.
Several years ago, so busy with Snow Trax in the winter, he didn’t want to work year-round, so he pulled himself off the radio show, so Raceline became a solo act for me.
But make absolutely no mistake, John Massingberd was the guy who decided to fix the problem of inadequate Canadian motor sport coverage on Radio and TV, with the help of mutual friend Bruce Mehlenbacher.
John was one of those rare people who, as we have already noted in other releases, had the ability to not only look to the horizon, but to see over it.
His loud, friendly, infectiously funny demeanor meant he had thousands of friends. Those friends including me are very sad.
His passing leaves a tremendous void that will never be filled.
Oh, we will carry on with Raceline Radio and companion properties Snow Trax and Dirt Trax Television.
But the founder is not here anymore, and it will take a long time to get around it.
I live by several mottos.
One of them is, “You never discover new horizons unless you have the courage to leave the shore”.
That sums up John’s life, and his impact on mine.
God Speed Boss… I will miss you.
ET
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