Mike Downing, Rest in Peace.......

[Jeff Brewster 59s]

When I was a young wanna be racer, Mike and Jim Downing were super star kids in our sport. I only was able to spend time with them on short visits as they headed east with their parents Bill & Bev from Seattle to race with us at the nationals. They would always stop in and spend time at our house on their way through. I was so sad to see that we lost Mike this week and thought I would share a little about the guy I looked up to so many years ago. His big brother Jim posted this on Facebook:

[DeanFHobart]

The Downing and Hobart family’s were very close. We would always pit next to each other at our local races and especially at the Nationals. All of us kids would call each other cousins... ie ‘cuz’. And it was Uncle Bill and Auntie Bev for me and for the Downing kids it was Uncle Ed and Auntie Lois ‘Auntie Lo’ for my dad and mom. We helped each other a lot.

Mike owned a famous tavern in the Pioneer Square area of Seattle... Called The Central Tavern. He booked famous bands like Pearl Jam, Kurt Cobain ie Nirvana, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, and Alice In Chains...... he gave them gigs to give them their starts before they became famous and later they could fill Stadiums.

In these later years, Mike was an EBay seller of all the old Mercury racing motors and parts... he could fix anything.

We talked often in these last few months. I will surly miss him. Rest In Peace my friend. Deano.