It is incredibly sad that we have been informed that long-time oval racer Lee Fear has passed away this week after a short illness.

We ask that this Easter Weekend - in memory of #337 Lee - if drivers are able paint their bumper orange.

Lee, and his family, have been part of the furniture at race tracks, with Lee having attended meetings since he was just a baby - going on to race Rookie Rods, Superstox, Stock Rods and, more recently, Oval Track Legends.

He was also a lifelong Superstox fan and ran the Superstox.org website about the open wheelers for a number of years. He will be sadly missed by all: a true friendly face and one of the nicest people who went out of his way to help anyone.

The article below was written by Lee himself - passed on to us with thanks to Derek - shortly before he passed away...


Lee was a lifetime Superstox fan who attended his first meeting at one week old at his local Aldershot Stadium in Tongham and then his sixth meeting was the 1974 Superstox World Championship held at Wimbledon Stadium, after visiting Ipswich and Great Yarmouth both on two separate occasions. in attendance at his first meeting was father Roger Fear, Mother Gilda Fear, who was the Dennis Pearson #319 Fan Club Secretary and older brother Derek Fear.

Lee was a big fan of Paul Pearson #397 who at the time raced an orange Superstox which was Lee's favourite colour and later a big fan of Gary Lambert #5. This was why most of Lee's car were orange or black.

In 1992 Lee took over the running of superstox.org.uk website from Kevin Ferris #66, as Kevin was starting his own racing career. Lee carried on with the website for ten years until he also gave it up to focus his time on his own racing career.

In 2002, Lee bought a Ringwood Ford Rod and the story of the rebuild was featured in February 2003 Short Circuit Magazine written by Paul Huggett.

When Lee started his own racing career not many people knew the 337 was selected in the event of a roll over that his number would display upside down his name LEE.

At Ringwood a couple of years later his brother, Derek joined the formula and they started racing together including crashing together once with friend Terry Weston.

When Spedeworth took over Ringwood in 2005 the formula was combined with Rookie Rods. Lee and Derek raced together again in Rookie Rods, including at the iconic Wimbledon Stadium. Lee gained blue grade in the formula.

Lee next moved to his love of Superstox in 2007. Despite a lot of help from veteran Steve Hamilton he just couldn't get on with it getting more damage than even a place.

Whilst in the Superstox Lee build up his friendship with John Smith #116. At Ipswich Lee got damage in heat 1 to his brakes. Having thought they were sorted went to line up for heat 2 and on lining up in the pit lane ran into the back of a parked John.

John immediately jumped out of his car to see what was going on. Lee thought he was going to get a punch to the face but how wrong was Lee. Instead, he was worried if Lee was okay and helping to get Lee back out for the next race. Whilst helping to fix Lee's car John almost missed the second race himself but was not bothered.

Next up for Lee was Stock Rods were he gained a yellow Grade.

After Stock Rods in 2016 Lee moved to Oval Track Legends where he received his most success to date. In 2019 he got his first heat win in the formula and followed it up with a win in the final which was the re-arranged 2018 Golden Helmet Award.

In 2020 when racing returned after the covid pandemic Lee won a hattrick of two heats and final at his local new Aldershot Track, of which not may Legend drivers have achieved. After this haul of points le went from yellow grade to red grade for the first time in his racing career and was second in the points chart behind Daniel Holden.

Lee also had a dabble in a few Super Twos meetings but more for something else to race between the Legend for fun and to get his son , Billy out on track in the Super Twos.

In 2023 Lee took a break from racing so he could concentrate on his son's racing in the Super Two which has now been a success including Billy winning the Midland Championship on a wet Hednesford Track.

Lee was planning another full season in the Legend in 2024 and was busy getting the car ready for Hednesford in March.

Lee started getting headaches in December 2023 and got put on high blood pressure tablets. On returning from the postponed Daytona 500 this year he suffered a brain seizure at home on 22nd February and was admitted to hospital. Two weeks later after a visit to Southampton General Hospital on the 12th March Lee was informed, he had a brain tumour and unfortunately there was no cure and would have to take life one day at a time.

Lee passed away aged just 49 on Tuesday 26th March.

Written by Lee Fear himself on 13th March 2024.