“Gone But Not Forgotten" Gordon Lunde, Jr. I wrote this for the Lunde family and it was read at Gordon’s funeral. Saturday October 11th 1997 was a sad day in our sport. We lost one of our own. We lost Gordon. Those of us who look over our sport must carry the burden of losing a rider and when it’s someone who is as popular as Gordon was, it’s even harder. Deep down we all know that he was loving life and his racing. We do it, and we love it despite the inherent risks and while we know there is the possibility of paying the ultimate sacrifice, we go out and race. Today, we gather to pay our respects to one of our own. One who has touched the hearts of everyone in this room and many more across the country. As the angels came and took the spirit of our young lion my first thoughts were for our good friend Gordon Sr. and the family. Folks who spend their lives making life better for so many injured racers. The Lunde’s are totally unselfish in everything they do, always thinking only of the riders and their families. As Pastor Brent will tell you, Gordon would not want us to be saddened by his moving up to the next level. The track he’s at is one that only appears in our dreams. The machinery that he will now race is phenomenal and when he looks around from his spot on the front row, he’ll see some of the greatest names in our sport. Donald Jacks, Eric Bienias, Roger Reiman, Russ Palk, Jimmy Adamo, and a host of other riders who will all be on hand to guide Gordon into the first turn. We know Gordon is in good hands, but we still think about his family. While there’s consolation that Gordon’s death was swift and painless, the hole he leaves behind is huge. As one of the overseer’s of our sport, I ask myself “what can I do for the Lunde family”? Words are hard to come by. As a father myself I can’t imagine what I would do if I lost my son. The Lunde’s are our extended family, we share the pain when a rider doesn’t come back. The weight is tremendous. Yet, our good friend Gordon senior will walk on, he will not falter as he carries this burden with him, much like he carries our injured riders. We have much to thank the Lunde family and the Wegman Fund for. Without them many riders would never have benefited from all of their hard work, their caring, and the strength they give our injured friends to continue. They have taken a heavy burden off of the shoulders of our riders and put it on their own. In most cases they don’t even know the people they are helping. You can’t say enough about the Lunde family. Today, we move the burden to our shoulders. Your being here today, helps ease the loss of Gordon. We are all family. We live together and we race motorcycles. The only people who really understand what we do and why we do it is... each other. They say there’s good in everything, and while we can’t see it sometimes, it’s there. The ironic part of all of this was me being up on the hill just fifteen feet from Gordon when he left us. I rarely go up there, but had taken my partner up to look at the track and watch the riders. Maybe the Lord wanted me there... it’s the only answer that makes sense to me. My friend lost his son and we are all going to miss him. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and as we look around, we remember the bond that holds us together. We will keep the Lunde family close to our hearts. It’s the way Gordon would have wanted it. As we leave here today we take part of the family with us. For my riders sitting here, and the women that support them... I ask you to give each other a big hug. Our support of each other is what makes us truly unique. Our lives must go on, but it doesn’t mean we will forget. That’s not possible. Over the coming years you will remember every race you had with Gordon and every time you saw him. You will remember all the great things that the Lunde family and the Wegman Fund has done for us, our riders, their families and their commitment to our sport. They do it because of their love for our sport and you the riders in it. The next time you head out on your bike... about the time you hit the front straight you may notice that it feels a little faster. My guess is.... it’s just Gordon giving you a little extra push. Gordon Lunde Jr has gone on to join an elite group. He is “Gone but Not Forgotten” As the rock group Queen penned the song “We are the Champions,” they had people like Gordon in mind, they also wrote a powerful song called “The Show Must Go On!” Gordon Lunde Jr is our champion. He would want us to carry on and remember him as one of the good guys who loved racing. To the family and Gordon’s girl friend, and to you... my friends, we share this tremendous loss. We offer our love and support. We know the good Lord will bless you and keep you. We support each other in racing and in life. Joe M.