Michael P. Micikas, beloved crew chief and mentor to many young drag racers, died in September at the age of 73 surrounded by his family. Mike is the eldest son of Mary and Peter Micikas of Wilkes-Barre, PA. He retired almost 10 years ago from AT&T after 45 years of service to the company. But his true vocation was racing—a love affair that began even before he got his driver's license. In fact, it was the local Byzantine Catholic priest who first took Mike to the drag strip. Across his career as a sportsman racer, Mike competed at tracks up and down the Eastern seaboard and across the West, driving anything that could make it up the track, including his two favorite race cars: a famously wheel-standing dune buggy and then later "Blind Ambition," a vintage front-engine dragster. Among the racing community, Mike will be especially remembered for passing on his knowledge through the generous help he offered other racers whenever someone suffered an unexpected breakdown or he encountered a curious mind with time to chat. After retiring as a driver in the 1990s, he accepted the position of crew chief for Kosko Racing, traveling and competing with the team for many happy and fulfilling years. During this period, Mike returned to driving for just one more season, winning the 2010 track championship in Street Eliminator in his red, 1999 Corvette and receiving the first-ever Sportsman of the Year award at Julesburg Drag Strip. Next to racing, the other great joy of Mike's life was his daughter AnnMarie, whose teenage softball career he supported with all his characteristic passion for research and strategy. In January, Mike celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife Lynda—with whom he loved to race, bench race, and travel in their RV—and welcomed the birth of his first grandchild. Mike is survived by his brother Jim Micikas, wife Lynda, daughter AnnMarie, son-in-law Jeff, and grandson Kit.