The photo album below is
from the personal files of Coach DeMarco and are NOT to
be copied or reproduced. These photos are NOT for
sale.
"My idol and hero when I was growing up was Al Tasnady.
He was voted by the EMPA (Eastern Motorsports Press
Association) as one of the the 3 greatest Modified Stock
Car dirt track racers ever. I attribute most of my
success as a coach to him.
He was not only my favorite race driver EVER, He was a
BEST FRIEND, SECOND FATHER, and my INSPIRATION. He was
originally from Vineland ,N.J. and later resided in
Flemington, N.J. He settled in Bartonsville, Pa., in the
Pocono's after his retirement. He passed away in 1988 at
the age of 57. I still think about him, and utilize his
teachings, every day.
He taught me the meaning of, and the importance
of......honesty, dignity, character, hard work
and dedication to excellence. He taught
me professionalism, how to handle adversity, to be loyal
to myself, my sport and to others. And how to win
and lose graciously. He also taught me to always
stick to my principals (no matter how unpopular they may
appear to be with others in my profession).
He inspired me, and encouraged me to start my own
business, and to pursue my dream to do what I loved
most. Much the same way as he did.
He taught me the importance of being passioniate about
what I do, how to overcome obstacles, and to never allow
myself to give up, accept defeat, or to be outworked. He
taught me this not only in conversation, but also
by leading by example.
I can only dream of being as successful as he was, and
I can only pray that I can, in some small way, have as
great an impact on my students as Al has had on me. If
I can accomplish this, I will consider myself a
huge success.
He once told me that "The measure of a man's
success is not in the win column, but in how he went
about achieving it. And how he handled himself when
things got tough."
I would like to close by adding a quote (author
unknown) that reminds me of Al , and one that I try
to keep in mind every day.
"At the close of life, the question will not be...how
much have you got, but how much have you given. Not how
much have you won, but how much have you done. Not how
much have you saved, but how much have you sacrificed.
How much have you loved and served, not how much were
you honored".
Rest in peace Al. I love you and miss you very much.
