Landracing Forum
Misc Forums => Health, Welfare, and Passings => Topic started by: fordboy628 on April 17, 2014, 09:33:19 PM
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Al Baurle, of Baurle Auto Sport fame, passed away in the last 24 hours. Al was in his late 80's and had been seriously ill for the past few months.
Al was a noted Chicagoland/Midwest sportscar fabricator/tuner/bodyman with a history that went back to postwar sporty car racing. He was involved with one of the original "Pooper" sportscars, (a Cooper Sports Racer with a transplanted Porsche engine . . . . .) and was a noted Cobraphile, being involved with Cobras from the outset. A noted chassis tuner and mechanic, Al spent much of the 50's & 60's at tracks like Meadowdale, Road America, Watkins Glen and the like.
Al was the Midwest equivalent of Phil Remington.
In his later years, Al specialized in Cobra restorations and body replacement, and also with his son and business partner Ken, restored many sports and formula cars for Midwest based enthusiasts.
Al was always enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge and kind to those following in his footsteps.
Truly the passing of a great one, and the end of an era here in the Midwest . . . . . . . . .
Funeral/Memorial arrangements TBA. PM me for details as they become available, if you wish to attend.
Ave, atque, vale, pater. Atque in perpetuum.
Fordboy
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Mark, sorry for the loss of your friend, condolences from our racing family to his. Sounds like Al was one of our pioneers.
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Al's sendoff turned out to be a huge affair, with Chicagoland racing luminaries from all eras in attendance.
I'm not going to try to make a list, my memory wouldn't be able to do it justice.
Al's kids had a huge display of Al's racing memorabilia and photos galore of days gone by, eras gone by . . . . . . . . included were a pair of Cobras, parked outside, flanking the entrance, a pair of silent sentinels.
Al was laid to rest Wednesday, April 23. Included with him went some of his favorite tools, his cherished notebooks and a model Cobra.