Benny Zwaryck

This page is made in memory for Benny – and will always stay here on Puro Off Road. It’s our tribute to Benny that left us on 15.11.2007 in a tragic accident coming back home to La Paz from the Baja 1000 finish line in Cabo San Lucas. Benny was (is) part of the Team Burns/QuadLock Racing and with chase truck II at the last pit before the finish in Todos Santos and also our live reporter / info-source for Puro Offroad.

I guess it’s taken a while to digest and be able to sit down and write this. There is the saying ” time heals all wounds” – but it does leave scars in people that got to know you, and even more unimaginable in family and relatives.

I’m writing this like a mail to you – best way for me to express what I think. It might appear to some people “childish” but that’s my way. Unfortunately I been there before in my life, saying good bye to a friend, yet there is never something like “experience” to apply.

Besides that – you are not gone for me, you are just at another place. Flesh and bone may rot or get burned – a person never leaves the hearts of those left behind!!

It’s not that we were age old friends growing up together- no, we did only get to know one another for a few months. It’s not that we were in the same age bracket and had something in common there – heck, I’m even older than your dad!

But, there was one thing that connected us: Offroad Racing, racing techniques, doing some gasoline talk, what others call a “garage party”, having some swigs of cold brew and prepping the chase trucks. That’s what I don’t forget. Guess that’s what they call “male bonding”. I come from a different corner of offroad racing – only 2 wheels and one cylinder – I know it made you and your V8 kicks smile! But you know what – I actually hope one day I can do that with 4 wheels and an V8 at front of me. Sorry Benny, won’t be a Ford…. we laughed and teased about it – I’m just a Chevy guy…. . If I ever make it to that day then I know I will have a good co-pilot/ even if I would drive only alone. You know my attitude: if something goes wrong I don’t wanna be able to blame anyone besides me and, if it’s going good I don’t like to share! But my co-pilot would watch out for me from somewhere else….. and hey, if things go wrong: you are on the safe side – how could I blame you!!

It’s such a weird twist of life to think about how much you tried to convince me to go with you out to Todos Santos for the last pit stop of your Team, Burns QuadLock Racing. Who knows, I might have been sitting with you in the truck when that freak accident happened… – was not my first thought when I got the news but one can’t help but think about it, you would too. You were my great live race reporter. Your last call came when Mark Post passed the pits and almost ran you over as you screamed at me on the phone. Well tell you what: I been told he was also one of the first stopping at the accident on the way back from Cabo.

So Benny, no more mails now. The next time we meet I come to see you. Better have a cold one ready…. Fare well buddy, miss your “Baaaahhaaaa” screaming….
~T.