San Francisco Region - SCCA 
In Memory Of Brian Craig Wilson

Brian's Candle

On Friday, October 24, 1997, SFR and SCCA Member Brian Wilson passed away from injuries sustained during a testing session at Sears Point Raceway, when his car left the racing line, crashed heavily into the gore point at the pit lane entrance and subsequently landed upside down in the pit lane.

Brian was a Formlua Mazda driver for many years.

The Webteam, and on behalf of the SFR, express our deepest condolences and sympathies to Brian's surviving family. His loss runs deep "in our family", and we'll remember the good times he gave us.

More information will be posted as it is received.

There will be a memorial service for Brian at Sears Point on Wednesday, November 5, from 11:30 to 1:30 in the Drivers Lounge. Lunch will be provided.

Many of the folks who knew Brian best and longest worked in the Sears Point tenant garage areas. There is a private service for family at his home in Penngrove on Sunday, November 2.

Brian was a graduate of the Russell Racing School where he attended the Mechanics Training Program and raced in the mechanics' races during school race weekends.

[I don't know how much actual racing he did outside of the School series.]

After working for some time with the fledgling World Speed Motorsports, he started his own shop at Sears Point, Impulse Racing, where he crewed and maintained Barry Shames' Formula Mazda for several years. Over the past three years, he has prepped and/or crewed the Formula Mazda efforts of Rich Stephens, Johnny Miller, Jr., Kregg Williams, Kevin Corso, and Brian Snyder, among others. Also in 1997, he was responsible for the FM of Miguel Franco, a contender for the SFRegion FM championship.

An avid fisherman when not at the racetrack, Brian was known as "Dr. Gearbox" for his talents with the Webster transmissions used in Formula Mazdas.

Brian and his devoted girlfriend Debbie lived in Penngrove.

Those wishing to send condolences and thoughts for Brian's surviving family may do so to:

The Wilson Family
979 Copeland Creek Drive
Rohnert Park CA 94928

Further, a rememberence fund has been established in Brian's honor. The family has requested any donations be made out to

Alcoholic's Anonymous
Brian C. Wilson Fund
PO Box 273
Sonoma CA 95476

I can only assume that the driver that was taken from us at Sears Point is the same person that I have know and respected for the last dozen years or so, having worked with him at the Jim Russell school and at Cameron-McGee Motorsports several years ago. He was an excellent mechanic, and a extremely capable driver. In addition he was a terrific and all around nice guy to know. I hate to see another one of us go.

B.W. was around in the heydays of the Pro-Mazda Series, with the likes of Kendall, Krosnoff and O'Connell. This class of the early eighties has seen it's fair share of triumph and tragedy, and I am glad that B.W. and I had been around to experience it.

As for trying to make pit entrances and exits more safe, I heartily agree. But no matter of safety measures will prevent every accident. When your number is up, your number is up. It's tragic that so many numbers have come up in so many strange accidents in recent history.

I'll miss B.W., and his occasionally devilish grin, and the opportunity to catch up with him on the rare occasions we had to bump into one another in recent years. I do seem to recall some discussions in the lunch room at Laguna 11 years ago or so about how we would all like to "go out". I seem to recall most of us thought that "behind the wheel" was the least unpleasant.

Good luck, Brian

It seems so cruel that SFR could lose two driver/members - Derek Israel and Brian Wilson - in so short a time. Yet as cruel as life sometimes seems, it serves as a reminder to all of us who participate - drivers, crew, workers - that racing is not a safe sport. We all know and accept certain risks. We can only hope that these losses will make everyone else more aware and less complacent about the dangers we face. It is much too easy for us to become overly casual in our approach. Things happen incredibly quickly "at speed."

Judy and I did not know Brian, though we may have waved a flag at him some time. Nevertheless, we feel a real sense of loss. Our racing "family" has been diminshed. We wish to express our sympathy to his true family and his Sears Point "family."

Brian Wilson, apart from being a very professional mechanic, was also a great human being. A very sensitive person, he knew that life was greater than the physical body, that there was more to it than we could perceive it. This knowledge brought him power, will power to overcome his limitations (created by himself as he always put it) to shine and share his energy with grace.

I am happy to have shared great moments with him, developing a relationship of mutual trust and respect. He helped me through my tough moments with a lot of understanding, love and care, and together we could challenge the competition maximizing the resources available. I will always remember Brian as a partner, not as my mechanic. And he will be always in my heart, because with our hearts pulsating love together for a common passion, I won my first race in the largest starting field of 97. With Debbie, we made a great team and we were looking forward to the Star Series in 98.

So, my dear Brian, wherever you are, your light will keep on shining for me. As we both know, death is not the end. May love, peace and happiness be with you always.

Your friend, Miguel Franco

Brian's memorial today was a big help to many of us. I needed some closure, and many of us pretty well got it today. This one was in the Drivers Lounge at Sears Point, so it was mainly attended by folks who work in the tenant garages. His mom and sister were there; and Debbie, his girlfriend; and Barry Shames. And a whole lotta people who either saw him every day, or every race. And some who barely saw him every year, and some who saw him at every A-A meeting.

It was just an opportunity to say what we felt about Brian -- what we learned from him and about him, things we did with him and to him ;-), how he made us feel and how he filled our lives. It wasn't maudlin or weepy; it was actually very light and uplifting. Definitely different than the Jewish funeral I attended a few short weeks earlier for Derek Israel. I felt worse after Derek's service -- I felt much better today after Brian's.

One person made what I thought was one of the best observations: Brian's influence on the people around him came with a light touch. You didn't even realize it sometimes, he was so gentle. Other people bang you on the head with their personalities, others come right out and challenge you with theirs. But Brian just offered up who he was; and, if you were paying any attention, you learned something and are the richer for it.

God bless you, Brian. I'm glad I met you.

Email The Web Team to pass along your memories and condolences of Brian. We'll see that it makes its way to his family.