Joey Payeur
From the moment the green flag dropped until the checkered flag was waved, Charles “Chuck” Lambert was single-minded in his purpose—a four-wheeled speed merchant who steered the No. 60X car with a thirst for victory and an insatiable hunger to come out on top.
But it was his unselfishness in all the remaining time before and after those flags where his impact was most felt, which has the local racing community mourning the passing of one of Emo Speedway’s most beloved personalities.
Lambert, a 46-year-old resident of Alberton Township, died in the early-morning hours of last Friday when the 2014 Polaris snowmachine he was driving collided with a dock structure along the shoreline of Lake Despair.
“I was at home sleeping when the phone call came in the middle of the night,” said a shaken Zac Manty, who served as Lambert’s chief mechanic for his entire racing career at the Speedway, which began in the Street Stocks division in 2003 before switching to the WISSOTA Modifieds in 2004.
“It was just unbelievable.”
Manty described his longtime friend as “a joker” who kept everyone in the pit area in great spirits with his infectious smile and humour.
“He was driven to succeed,” Manty said about the man behind the C & C Motorsports racing team which he ran co-operatively with his wife, Cheri.
“But Chuck was out there to help everyone and make sure everyone was up and running,” he added.
“He was always willing to lend parts out to make sure everyone was able to compete in the race and compete fairly.
“He wanted to give everyone a chance.”
Manty said he and Lambert were practically inseparable, which makes his passing all the harder for him to deal with.
“We’d go snowmobiling . . . everything we’d do, we’d always do together,” noted Manty, struggling to control the emotion in his voice.
“It’s going to be a lot different at the track,” he admitted. “Things won’t be the same around there without him.”
Lambert’s aura of kindness extended to the local go-kart scene, where he was a fixture on a weekly basis as a corner flagman and the one who would get the young racers lined up in the proper starting order.
“He was like an idol to those kids,” said Manty, a feeling echoed by Borderland Kart Racing organizer Kim Williamson.
“For him to give up his Friday nights, when most other stock car racers would be working on their cars to get ready for Saturdays, shows what kind of man he was,” lauded Williamson.
“Nobody asked him to do it; he just came out and made sure he did his part.
“He would give the young drivers advice,” she added. “All of them liked him and they called him ‘Chucky.’
“He donated the mid-season shootout trophy to each class . . . it will be a big loss to the club,” stressed Williamson, also crediting Cheri Lambert, who was a constant presence on go-kart night selling 50/50 tickets and performing other duties.
“They both cared a lot about the younger generation of racers.”
Borderland Racing Association president Ken Perry is aware Lambert’s absence will be felt on the board of directors, where he currently held a spot.
“He was a worker and he was on the board, and we’re going to need to replace him and that’s going to be hard to do,” admitted Perry, who was shocked when he heard the tragic news.
“He cared about racing, he was passionate about it,” added Perry. “He liked to see good-looking cars and he was adamant that his had to always be clean and presentable to have it operating at its best.
“He didn’t go out there to lose,” Perry stressed. “He believed if you were going to do something, do it right.
“He will be sorely missed.”
Perry hinted some form of tribute will be paid to Lambert during the upcoming racing season, but stopped short of committing to a special night.
“We’re trying to be careful about doing tributes . . . we bounced around the idea when Bill Reimer died on the track the previous season and decided against it,” noted Perry.
“Pretty soon, you’ll end up with every week of the year being a tribute to someone.
“The better idea might be to do a one-night tribute on July 1 or sometime in August to remember all the former drivers,” suggested Perry, adding the track’s annual Keith McNally Memorial night is an exception given McNally was killed as the result of a racing accident there back in 1993.
Former association president and promoter Anthony Leek said Lambert always was a contender to win each week—and for the drivers’ title in the Street Stocks and WISSOTA Modifieds divisions.
“My brother, Christopher, raced against him and it was always very close,” recalled Leek, a fact borne out as recently as last season, when Lambert finished second to Christopher Leek in the WISSOTA Modifieds’ overall standings by only two points.
“I loved interviewing the guy,” Leek added. “He was always energetic and a lot of fun to be around.
“He was a very intense competitor but he always kept things on the track.
“In terms of his generosity, I think that’s indicative of our racing community and Chuck was definitely part of that,” Leek continued.
“And to lose a piece of that makes it that much harder to swallow,” he stressed.
Lambert’s niece, Border Skating Club media officer Amy Wilson-Hands, said he had an undeniable impact on the lives of those he encountered.
“My Uncle Chuck was a sweet soul and was the type of guy who helped you whenever you needed it,” Wilson-Hands noted.
“He was always good to everyone.
“Everybody who knows Uncle Chuck has a story to tell . . . he was always on the go,” she added.
“But no matter how long he stuck around for coffee, he always managed to get his hand in the cookie jar,” she laughed.
“If you were lucky enough to cross paths with Uncle Chuck, you definitely would not ever forget him.”
Family and friends of Lambert are invited to a celebration of his life tomorrow (Jan. 8) at 2 p.m. in the banquet room at La Place Rendez-Vous here.
