RacingJunk is deeply saddened to share the passing of our colleague, Robert “Bobby” Chalmers, last week. As many know, Bobby was an integral part of not only RacingJunk, but the entire motorsports community in the Northeast and beyond. Bobby came to RacingJunk in November 2020 to work on our email marketing team. He arrived as a RacingJunk super fan, bringing with him a wealth of marketing experience from his own work heading up Race Pro Weekly magazine, along with a deep and personal knowledge of the motorsports industry from his years racing, wrenching and owning a race parts shop.
Bobby brought passion, skill and knowledge to the role, stepping in wherever it was needed – from driving the show booth cross-country after trade shows, producing video segments at SEMA, writing articles, and simply going above and beyond to share connections, as well as his love of motorsports and auto racing of all kinds. Because of the deep impact he made everywhere he went, Bobby’s transition from marketing to overseeing the business development branch for the Auto Classifieds group was an obvious one and he shone in the role, bringing on new partners and tracks to support RacingJunk’s mission of standing firmly with the grassroots racing community.
But all of that is simply the professional aspect of Bobby’s time at RacingJunk. For the entire team, Bobby’s absence leaves a huge hole. His illness was sudden and unexpected and none of us were prepared to say goodbye. Bobby truly loved everything that RacingJunk stood for – community, racing, friendship, grassroot support for people passionate about their sport and hobby. He embraced the audience, was always present for his teammates, and worked harder than anyone because he loved racing and the people involved. Although he had stopped driving prior to joining RacingJunk, his joy at all aspects of the sport always shone through. But, he was more than a fan – he was a talented racer, photographer, editor, producer, marketer and champion of his industry.
Scott Stetz, Director of Sales and Business Development, speaks for the whole group when he says, “Bobby was also not only a member of the RacingJunk team but a big part of what made us a family. It may seem cliché to say ‘he would do anything for you’ or talk about what a great person he was, however, it couldn’t be more true when it came to Bobby. He would do anything he could for anyone and do it with a smile on his face. You’d be hard pressed to meet someone more genuine and caring as Bobby Chalmers. He will be missed by so many in this industry but even more so by our RacingJunk family.”
We are devastated for his family, his community, and his friends (of whom we consider ourselves). It was impossible to consider Bobby simply a colleague. His enthusiasm was infectious, his knowledge and work ethic unprecedented and his advocacy for his community unmatched. He will be deeply, deeply missed.
For those wishing to pay tribute to Bobby, please post on the RacingJunk social media pages or email us at [email protected] and RacingJunk will pass along the sentiments to his family and friends.
Donations on his behalf can be made to the New York State Stock Car Assoc.