Meet the Walters

This afternoon, the world mourns the loss of Lee Roy Jordan, the Dallas Cowboys linebacker from 1963 to 1976. He died today at age 84. He is not a hall of fame player, he was the ring of honor player in 1989. Lee Roy was also a grand marshal for the Talladega race won by Jeff Gordon in 1996. Before that, he saw Tracy Leslie and Marla Medders talking about strategies before the race. Lee Roy is survived by his wife Biddie and three sons.

On August 23, 1989, Marla's cousin Cyndy called Marla on the phone while she was in San Francisco and said that Cyndy's brother Vern died of alcohol poisoning. He was 41. His best friend Robert Pressley was in Bristol finishing 20th two days later praying for Vern. Before that, he told Cleta Medders that he and Vern were the birthday boys whose birthday was on April 8. Vern was a lifelong bachelor. On August 26, Marla went to Asheville for a funeral with her mother Margaret and five of six brothers, Jim, Johnny, Duane, Arlie and Cleta's husband Harold. Marla was sitting in the pew with Harold and Cleta, and in the back, it was Robert. After the service was over, Robert had a chat with Marla outside before the gravesite in Asheville.

On Sept. 11, 1998 at Richmond, Tracy Leslie finished 15th leading 14 laps, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race. Shelly Walther interviewed Tracy for running so hard before he was released from the Hensleys. The next day, Robert Pressley injured his right shoulder and sat out for two weeks or so. At Dover, Tracy was in Hal Browning's car before Hal took over, and Hut Stricklin fills in for Robert. Shelly interviewed Joe Bessey and Faron Reeves. Faron was wearing the Wally Hilgenberg jersey at the time. At Martinsville, Shelly collapsed after the fourth caution involving Jimmy Spencer. Ted Musgrave had a blister before Steve Grissom took over. Shelly is now hospitalized for heat exhaustion and heart condition. Randy Medders decided to fill in for Dennis Setzer during the race, but Dennis said he is okay. Ricky Rudd won the race and Hut was too late to get in relief. Randy fills in for Shelly at Charlotte. Shelly is still absent at Talladega and Gateway, and Robert is good to go. Trac...

At 11:56 PM yesterday evening, Ethan and Cheyenne welcomed their second son, and the first one survived was a boy named Crandon Michael Reeves. Big brother Cramer passed away ten months earlier after birth.

On Aug. 16, 1998, Jeff Gordon won the race in Michigan, and he did not say about Delbert Jacks, who passed away that night of cancer at age 53. Delbert is Marty's sister Lemmie's husband. On Aug. 21, after Kevin LePage won the race, Shelly Walther interviewed Tracy Leslie about meeting with Delbert. The next day, as Mark Martin won the race, Shelly interviewed Rusty Wallace about the death of Delbert. Lemmie died ten years later on Sept. 12, 2008. Lemmie and Delbert had no children since they got married in 1965.

At Watkins Glen for the fifth time and fourth this year, Shane van Gisbergen won the race. After the race, Lorrie claims that her mother-in-law Marla won't stop cheering for Shane, she'll be better off in the pine box. A few days ago, Marla's nephew Randy visited her and her husband Kyle in Lakeville, Minnesota. He showed her a picture of Randy, his wife Jennifer and Tracy Leslie dated on Micah's birthday on June 26.

On May 2, 1993, Marla's mother Margaret went to the emergency room for exhaustion, but doctors confirmed that she has lung cancer. Fifteen days later, after running in Sonoma, Rusty Wallace took Dale Jarrett, Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd and his wife Linda by plane to visit Margaret in Iowa. Marla's all six brothers were there to support them. Harold tries to fight with Dale, but Marla orders them to stop because of Margaret's cancer. Five days later, Marla's cousin Don Calhoun died of lung cancer.