Ted Christopher: The King
Column By: RICHIE PALLAI JR. / RPW – CHARLOTTE, NC – My Dad, myself and our girlfriends decided to go on a little vacation this past weekend to the Gulf Coast of Florida. We decided to leave our phones in our room, to really enjoy a vacation for once. When we got back up to the room, I had countless messages and missed calls, as did my Dad. I began to read a text from Fran Lawlor and Glenn McGowan when I instantly felt numb. The only three words I recall reading were “TC” and “plane crash”.
The rest was just a blur.
From 2007-2016, we had a race shop in Plainville, Connecticut. If you knew us, you knew we worked our tails off to compete either weekly at Stafford Motor Speedway or on the Whelen Modified Tour. And if you knew anything about those two divisions, there was likely one man you had to beat in order to feel like you succeeded, and that was Ted Christopher. For most, you did not have to hear his name or his car until you got to the track, but not us, we heard it all week long, because his shop was directly across the train tracks from us.
Ted and I always had a fairly good relationship. There were times when I did not like him because of what he did to us on the track, but there were times I admired the guy for what he did on the track. I remember growing up and hoping he would get black flagged and put to the back so we could watch the guy put on a show to the front. Fast forward to 2009, and the Spring Sizzler. All weekend long we were top 3 on the board. I remember in practice my spotter Chuck Madigan coming over the radio and telling me to run TC down and just give him a little tap, so I did. We were just trying to play the mind games Ted always played. Teddy immediately came over to my Dad on that Saturday after the heat races and said “You guys are going to win tomorrow… if the kid doesn’t screw it up”. Lone behold the next day, we won the Spring Sizzler, and I almost did screw it up. But the best part of the story looking back on it now isn’t the win, it’s who came in second. TC finished second, Jimmy Blewett third. Jimmy was in my window congratulating me before I even got my helmet off, but TC was nowhere to be found.
I didn’t hear from Ted or see him for a few weeks because of constant rain-outs. However, the first week back at Stafford after the win, I felt someone grab me from behind after the drivers meeting. It was Teddy. He put his arm around my neck like he was going to choke me. In typical Teddy fashion he goes “hay, two more laps I would have gotten you”. He turned and walked away on his toes like he always did. To many, they would have thought that comment was arrogant or cocky. To me, my childhood hero just told me how proud he was of me, and congratulated me on my biggest racing accomplishment.
Over the next 5 or so years, Teddy became someone who I knew I could rely on for honest advice. I asked him my rookie year in 2010 at Bristol for some advice and he told me to just “breathe” or I’ll pass out. At Lime Rock a few years later, we battled inside the top 3-4 all day with him and Justin Bonsignore. We beat Ted that day and he told me I should stick to road racing because he thinks I might actually be good at it. That was just Ted’s way of complimenting you, and you had to take it because he was the King, or at least in my book.
Teddy really loved his business, or I like to call his empire. His shop was immaculate, you could eat off the floors. He loved his ice-cream. He loved his dogs. Ted Christopher the driver, was not Ted Christopher the person. People used to joke when he put the helmet on, they did not know what got into him, and that is probably the best way I can describe him. He always said, give me a car that is 80% and I’ll give you the rest. That was the truth about him. He complained about money like no tomorrow, but Teddy always had the best stuff. He worked for everything he had, and it showed.
Teddy and my Dad had a very unique relationship. Every time Teddy wrecked us, it costs my Dad money, but through it all, they always remained friends and respected the crap out of one another. To a point where Teddy wanted me to drive a second car for him for a handful of races in 2011, but unfortunately we both felt we couldn’t give 100% to make it happen. So I asked my Dad what he was feeling as I wrote this and this is what he said:
“I’m at a loss for words. Ted was a good hearted person that happened to be a great race car driver. Most people misunderstood him. He was at our shop one night. Just me and him, talking about business stuff, and we eventually got to talk racing. Ted turned to me and said, “Yeah I can be an asshole when I put the helmet on”. Teddy bought a lot of our stuff from the shop when we closed. Whether he had the money on him or not, I’d let him take it. He was always good for it. That’s the type of man he was”.
Ted knew who he was on the track, and I think he enjoyed playing the villain for all the fans. I also believe Ted kept his personal life separate from racing because deep down he knew what kind of person he was, and to all that knew him, he was a great one. I keep reading that Ted was the King of Modifieds. That is wrong. I am sorry. He is the King of short track racing.
I will leave this with one last thought. Last year I ran at Concord Speedway for a Whelen Southern Modified race. Teddy was in the famed #00 for the Brady family. After the drivers meeting we are walking back to the cars and once again I asked him “what makes you so good here?” In typical TC fashion he turns to me, hits me on the arm and goes “I’m good everywhere”.
That was TC the racer speaking to me. I am glad to say I knew TC the racer, but I am happier to say I knew TC, the person.
