In Memoriam: My Friend Scott Oksas
/In my life as a journalist involved within the drag racing community, there are two phone calls that I dread the most. The first being that someone has seriously crashed, and the second being that someone has passed away. To my sadness, on Sunday morning I received the latter.
As I was driving home from a personal weekend with my family in Wisconsin I received a call from E3xtreme Co-Founder and Mid-West Drag Racing Series Event Director Ellen Eschenbacher. Within five seconds of answering the call I knew that something was wrong, I could hear it in hear voice. That was the moment that she broke the news to me that our friend Scott Oksas had passed away. I was in so much shock that I couldn’t even continue the conversation.
Just a week previous, both Ellen and I were at Xtreme Raceway Park with Scott, his son Joey, and the rest of the crew for the opening race of the MWDRS 2022 season. For the last few seasons I have had the pleasure of being able to capture the moments that Scott and Joey shared with us in the MWDRS. Moments between a father and son at the drag strip that very few others get to witness.
We talk all the time about family within drag racing, and this loss hit me extremely hard as I spent the next eight hours driving home. The memories of the last few seasons running through my head. Seeing the pride in Scott’s face when Joey would do so well, and seeing that smile that he would always give to all of us, a smile and personality big enough to light up an entire racetrack.
I first really learned of Scott in 2019 when he capture victory on the mountain at Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod event. That event really pushed Scott into the forefront of Pro Mod racing. Shortly after that victory, Scott came over to the MWDRS in 2020 with his son Joey. During the 2020 season Joey and teammate Ron Muenks battled all year to capture that championship. It came down to the end of the season, the final pass of the season where Joey took on Ron. Ron captured the victory and the championship. Even though that was their teammate, the fire burned bright with Scott and Joey to come back in 2021 for a run at the championship.
Yet again, we would see Scott and Joey battling out with the other heavy hitters in Pro Mod and it came down to the final race of the season. This time Team Oksas was able to secure the championship over veteran Jim Whiteley. In only two seasons Joey was able to become a Pro Mod Champion with his dad there every step of the way. I could always tell how exurberant Scott was each and every time they were in the Winner’s Circle for photos. The pride that Scott had in his son Joey and their entire team was something that Scott never held back on or hid.
Never did I think when I left the race track last weekend that it would be the last time I got to enjoy the smile that Scott had, the joy that he brought so many, or the kindness that he always showed me at every race. Scott always made time to chat and was one of the most grateful people when it came to photographers. He was always thanking Kyle Christ and I for what we do, and how much he appreciated it. I will personally miss everything about Scott and his personality. I will miss that smile and our conversations. I have been photographing the MWDRS since it’s early inception, and so many of the drivers and their families have become my second family. Scott Oksas was my friend, and he is a friend that I will miss, but I will always cherish the moments that I got to spend with him and the moments that he and his son Joey shared with all of us over the last few years. I could go on and on about Scott, but sometimes less is more, and some memories and better left close to my heart.
RIP Scott Oksas, you will be miss by so many!
