Sassy’s Story, As Told By the Seven-Time Champion …

This is a story about losing a member of the a family. Anyone who has ever had to make the tough choice to say goodbye to a family pet, will understand the pain and the heartache now felt by seven-time world champion Rickie Smith and his family.

While this story might originally been just another notebook item, Rickie Smith was kind enough to share with all of us his family's grief so that all of use might take a moment to give an extra hug, pat on the head, rub of the belly or whatever it is we do with our pets, who easily and quickly become members of our family.

This is the story of Sassy, the 16-year old dachshund, who has passed into doggie heaven leaving behind a family stricken by grief, as if she was a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, or another close member of a family.

Rest in Peace, Sassy, your family and the drag racing family has lost a friend. - Editor


My Best Friend by Rickie Smith

How can you be someone’s best friend? What qualities does one have to possess to be your best friend?  In one regard, it doesn’t take much, yet in another it’s absolutely everything.

No matter what kind of a day or night I’ve had, my best friend was always happy to see me. She had true unconditional love. A wag of her tail, a twinkle in her eyes, a little lick on my cheek, a quick jump into my arms or a scratch on my legs. It might be that snuggle at night in a lonely hotel room (we’d sneak into) or a little whine, “can you save me one little bite?”

When I would open my suitcase on the bed, packing to leave yet again … it was those big brown eyes wide with anticipation that she would get to go, dancing, twirling with little clicks of her toenails on the floor, racing to the front door. Never knowing where we were going, but knowing together, on the road again my best friend and I would be off on another adventure.

Who knows how many race teams with whom we’ve worked? We were a package deal. Each team may have been skeptical the first day, but by the second day, each declared Sassy could stay with or without me. She was loved by each team, Jim Yates, V. Gaines, Ron Krisher,  and Richard Maskin to name a few.

My best friend traveled more road miles than most racers and she had more frequent flyer miles than any two people I know.

My children called Sassy my little black baby. Even at 16 ½ years old she still looked like a mere pup, a little gray on the paws and snout but still puppy like. The kids would lovingly say, “We’re glad Dad didn’t have to choose between us and Sassy ... ‘cause we would lose, no doubt.”

Once, I almost got arrested at the Orange County Airport. The man behind the desk said it was inhumane to have her in such a carrier. Larry Tutterow (Sassy’s beef jerky sneaking friend) saw security running and he quickly came to our rescue before I did something (even though he would have deserved it) that would have landed me in jail. How I loved my best friend.

My heart, heavy and broken, aches as I have said goodbye to her with a prayer from my wife. I have had to let her go. Billy Graham says dogs too go to Heaven; I always knew I liked that Godly man. One day I will be with her again. There will be none other like my best friend, SASSY.

Sassy Smith      01/02/1993-06/29/2009 

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