Eldon Lee Reid, Jr. -- Stock Car Racer

 

 

 

Eldon Lee Reid, Jr. was born on July 15, 1973 in El Paso, Texas, the third of eight children born to Eldon Lee Reid, Sr., and Edna Jo Eggleston.  His siblings were Regina Reid, Bobbie Jean Reid, Deserae Reid, Lisa Reid,  Veronica Reid, Andrew Reid and Michael Reid. 

Eldon grew up in New Mexico and his interest in stock car racing came from his father, Eldon, Sr., who was a well known modified race car driver competing in races all over Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.  He won many races and earned numerous achievements on dirt and asphalt tracks.  He taught his son a love for the thrill of the sport.

Eldon, Jr. married  Kristi Brewer and they became the parents of seven children, Zackary Reid, Adyson Reid, Aaron Reid, Kaden Reid, Ashley Reid, Taylor Reid and Zachary Reid.  Eldon started an oil pumping business in the mid 1990s. He grew the company over the following twenty years until 2017 when he, along with his wife, Kristi, increased their company unto a complete oil field service business.

Although his father had always raced, it was a friend of his mother who actually got him interested. . "My dad is in his 50s and they'll bury my dad in his race car," Reid was quoted as saying.  His mom arranged for him to pick up a bomber car which is a lightweight racing car used to race around oval tracks. This immediately sparked a passion for racing. Over the years, Eldon made a lot of friends and shared a lot of laughs at tracks across the country. Butch and Kristi loved traveling across the country to venture to new tracks and to pick up his next new race car. His  pit crew consisted of his cousins and close friends. Even though he was mechanically inclined, Reid relied on his pit crew to keep his car in tip-top shape. 

Reid was the top-point track champion race for several years at the Carlsbad  Speedway and was ranked in high standings at the Artesia, New Mexico track, which draws a competitive field of faster drivers.  In a local interview, Reid explained, that race car drivers always like to put on a show for the fans. An old car with the windows kicked out and driven "as is" fits into the bomber class. Street cars with souped-up  motors raced in the street stock class while four-cylinder, compact cars raced in the mini-stock class. A step up from super stock is the modified class. Reid said. "It s fun. It’s just fun," he added. "It beats going to the bar." . Reid's biggest fan was his son Zachary, who became the self-appointed, race-car inspector and personal coach. His sights were set on racing one day, which would make him a third-generation stock-car driver.

Eldon Reid, Jr., died on Saturday, October 19, 2019 in Amarillo, Texas as the age of 46,  He was buried in the Carlsbad Cemetery in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

LINEAGE:  (Eldon Lee Reid, Jr. was the son of Eldon Lee Reid, Sr. and Edna Jo Eggleston, grandson of Ray Reid and Mildred Marie Smyth and great-grandson of  Fred Rod Smyth and Jewel Irene Bleeker.  Fred was the fourth child of Charles Walter Smyth and Alpha Adeline Thomas.  Alpha was the fifth child of James Clark “Muck” Thomas and Elizabeth Josephine Lawrence Thomas.  James Clark was the fourth child of James Thomas, Jr. and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James Thomas Jr. was the sixth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)