RIP Fred Rector

[Shadylane]

It is with a heavy heart that I report long time Division 5 SS/S racer Fred 'Freddy' Rector passed away today. Fred was a great friend and mentor to me personally for 48 years.
Fred was fun guy with a great take on life. He would kid you sometimes and you weren't sure if he was pulling you leg or being a straight shooter. It took me a long time to figure him out but it was fun the whole way. He loved to talk on the phone for hours especially in his later years after he lost his eye sight.
The first time I met Fred was in 1972 at a race in Phoenix. My brother found out he was from Durango Colorado and told me as I was getting ready to locate to that area. I introduced my self and proudly exclaimed I was soon to move to Ignacio, Colorado a town of 600 people at the time. He chuckled and said 'Nobody moves to Ignacio Colorado...they move away from it'. We became fast friends, not sure why we hit it off as he was 10 years older than I.
I already miss him tremendously.
He is survived by his long time companion Sandy and a stepson from a previous marriage. As per his wishes there won't be any funeral or memorial services.

RIP my friend!

Kelly Lane

[4284spd]

RIP Fred. Cool Division 5 guy.

[Jim Cimarolli]

So sad to hear, I just loved the guy, such a gentlemen, very witty and he had such class.

[Paul Wong]

A sad day indeed. Fred was always positive and great to talk to. I met him joking with me tearing down along side after setting a record decades ago and he never changed.

[Don Kennedy]

I met Fred in the early 60s .If I recall he beat me the first time we ran each other in the early 60s .He lived in Durango, Colorado only about 60 miles from Farmington NM . We became very good friends along with many others ,Fred had the best semi fast food restaurant in Durango Colorado . We raced all over and I am today going to remember all the fun times we had racing and talking long distance on the Phone. I was always amazed on how good he drove his 4 speed race cars and as usual he always laughed at me for having a automatic . I generally called him just about every other day always he was positive and of course we solved a lot of world problems and of course discussed many hours of how to make a race car go Quick i am having a hard time dealing with him being gone . thanks to all for the concerns .tie (tear in eye)

[Dave Casey]

Sorry to hear of Fred passing, a fellow 3 pedal guy , rest in peace Freddy.

[J.R. Haddad]

I was at the Douglas, Wyoming points meet in 1990 with my Comp Car &
my very young daughter. I needed a hand with getting picked up after a
run. I had known Fred a little bit from my S/SS days. Well, he couldn't
help fast enough, and he had me in stitches all day. He said after our
weekend (tongue in cheek I'm sure) he was going to build a Comp Car,
stick of course, because he liked the later qualifying times, and he liked
waving to the fans towing up the return road. I think there were 3 fans in the stands at any given time. After that I had a friend for life!
RIP my friend.

J.R. Haddad

[Demon340]

Originally Posted by 4284spd

RIP Fred. Cool Division 5 guy.

Fred allowed three teenagers to be part of his crew back in the 70s, out here in Western Colorado. What a great mentor to us and being able to tolerate kids being around him in the pits. I had the privledge to race Fred in a stock /super stock combo later in the 90s.
He will be missed. One of the great guys,
Larry

[shelbydragracer]

Met Fred back when I started racing stock with the Torino, and I always loved his quick whit and sense of humor. He used to bet racers that he lived farther from a drag strip than anywhere in the country. He will be missed RIP.

[Randy Guest]

Great Guy he is going to be missed Vaya Con Dios my friend