TRIBUTE

By Nate Van Wagnen

His wife, Meg, who’ s updated Ramsey’ s family, friends, and fans through the“ Krusty’ s Race” Facebook group, shared the news of his passing just days after posting that Ramsey entered hospice care.

“ I wish I had better news for an update, but unfortunately I don’ t,” she wrote on March 22.“ ALL treatment options have been exhausted. We are now home and on hospice care. Thank you all for your ongoing support, prayers, positive thoughts, and everything else you’ ve done for our family. Love and hugs from all of us.”

Ramsey was diagnosed with colon cancer in April 2021, three days after his birthday. He’ s battled fiercely ever since, but unfortunately, the cancer was aggressive as well. In October last year, Meg shared that the cancer spread to Krusty’ s spine in multiple vertebrae.

Ramsey grew up racing with his father, who raced Comp and C Altered in a’ 48 Anglia. When Ramsey was 15, he and his father build a V8- powered Vega, which Ramsey promptly started street racing.

“ Drove it around on the street, had my license for about four days, and got a 12-point ticket,” Ramsey said in a 2015 interview with DI contributor Brandon W. Mudd.“ I had to call my dad to get my ass outta’ jail and he said,‘ Did you beat him?’ That was the first thing out of him. He wasn’ t mad at me; he just wanted to know if I beat him. I’ ve raced ever since.”

Many knew Ramsey in association with the nitrous-fed, olive green-and-black Malibu that he campaigned in the PSCA’ s Limited and later Outlaw 8.5 classes. The Peckham, Colorado-based body shop owner and operator had considerable success in numerous PSCA events, earning respect from fellow competitors as well as PSCA president and Street Car Super Nationals promotor Mel Roth.

“ He’ s all or nothing,” Roth said in Mudd’ s 2015 feature on Ramsey.“ Krusty uses every bit of his nitrous small block on each and every pass. He wants to be the No. 1 qualifier and he wants to win no matter what parts or opponents’ feelings he hurts along the way.”

Ramsey was fierce when it came to the ontrack

component of drag racing, but the respect he earned also came from the way he treated his fellow racers in the pits and the staging lanes.

“ The PSCA is all about family and so is Krusty Ramsey,” Roth continued.“ If anyone needs anything, whether it’ s racing related or in real life, Krusty and his amazing wife Meg are right there with the needed part, lending hand or a hug. Even when we’ re not racing, Krusty and his family take time out of their busy lives to help the PSCA promote its events.”

Ramsey – whose nickname came from the clown on The Simpsons – embraced his role in the sport. He knew his class wasn’ t a headliner, but that didn’ t stop him from developing a fanbase. He sported crazy-colored socks and received random socks in the mail from

fans who sent them in from all corners of the globe. More than 1,400 people are a part of the“ Krusty’ s Race” Facebook page where Meg posted updates on Krusty’ s cancer battle. Dozens of tributes were posted there in the days following his passing, proving that while he might not have had the flashiest car or competed on the sport’ s biggest stages, his impact on the community was tremendous.

“ It’ s so cool to be part of something so big,” Ramsey said in 2015.“ I know we’ re in the Podunk 8.5 class and you’ ve got half-a-million-dollar Pro Mods here; we’ re a big part of that show. There are guys with, easily, quarter-million-dollar 8.5 cars. It’ s unreal. It’ s stupid the amount of money we spend to do this; but I can’ t not do it. It’ s what makes me wake up in the morning.” DI

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DYAN LOVER