Anyone in the Monroe and Charlotte, NC area might have already heard about this, so please add or correct any information.
Driver dies of injuries after Corvette wreck
By Jason deBruyn
Mar 07, 2009
MONROE
"He was a walking encyclopedia on cars."
Carlton Tyson said it, but any of the dozen people gathered in the front showroom of Motorama Classic Cars Friday evening could have. As soon as the words left Tyson's mouth, everyone smiled and nodded quietly, remembering their friend Bobby Knight, who died Friday afternoon at Carolinas Medical Center. He was 65, and died from injuries that he suffered from a wreck while trying out his new 2001 Corvette Z-06 Wednesday in the Motorama parking lot Wednesday.
Knight had no family; he was an only child and his parents had already passed. He was married for 26 years, but had been divorced since 1992. His friends said he was survived by the cars he loved, a constant that brought him pleasure and friendships with fellow enthusiasts.
Born and raised in Union County, Knight was graduated from Monroe High School and worked for Coca-Cola and at the Esso Station on Charlott e Avenue between Franklin and Jefferson streets, where the Wachovia bank now sits. He bought that station in the 1960s, then a short time later opened an Exxon station on U.S. Highway 601.
He did some minor mechanical work at these shops, but honed his skills on his own until 1987 when he opened Knight's Cars on U.S. Highway 74. He sold used cars and operated a full repair shop. He helped open Motorama and was there on its first day in 2006.
Throughout his life, Knight had an affinity for classic muscle cars. He owned more than 30 Chevrolet Impalas and always liked Corvettes. He never named his cars, but his favorite was undoubtedly a 1967 Chevelle, the only car displayed in his office window.
Jack Morrison, one of his oldest friends, knew Knight for over 50 years. He remembered back to their younger years when they would block off parts of U.S. 74 to street race. "We ruled the roost," he said. "No matter what we did, we had fun doing it." He added that not much had changed throughout the years. "We are 16-year-olds in 65-year-old bodies," he chuckled.
Every Saturday morning, Knight was part of a group that gathered at the Motorama showroom and would talk cars.
"We would tell the same story 15 times," said Morrison.
"But it sounded good every time," added Ronnie Laney, shaking his pointer finger for emphasis, then conceded with a smile, "We probably added to it every time, too."
Funeral arrangements are incomplete; Knight will be b uried in the Bethany Presbyterian Church cemetery on Plyler Mill Road, the same cemetery where his mother is buried.
Bobby Griffin, fleet manager for Stegall Trucking Co. in Marshville, was riding in the passenger seat at the time of the accident Wednesday. He was also a lifelong friend of Knight's, and a serious car collector who has owned more than 30 Corvettes. He is still in serious condition, but his injuries are not life threatening.
Thanks tracks03. I have friends that knew Bobby and have tested cars in that very parking lot. It just shows that one mistake in judgment at speed with very little room for correction can cause horrible consequences.
Sad!
Motorama is the just the name of the dealership where the car was. "Trying it out" means he was just taking a test drive, apparently too hard.
Gocha. Someone else stated they tested cars in the same parking lot. I didn't know if they had a track set up in the parking lot or something like that.
Gocha. Someone else stated they tested cars in the same parking lot. I didn't know if they had a track set up in the parking lot or something like that.
They don't have an actual track, maybe just some cones they put out in the parking lot. I have been to the dealership before, but I've never tried anything out there.
The Motorama dealership property is on the site of the old Bowie Ford dealership. There was an extensive parking lot for new vehicles along the side of the dealership. This lot is now empty except for a few light poles with concrete bases that extent up about 3 or 4 feet. They thought it was a perfect place to tryout the acceleration of the sports cars the sell without getting out on the street. It has been done many times with many smiles from the participants. I was told Bobby Knight was trying out his Z and got into some loose stuff along the fence and lost it going to another (2nd I think) gear. Car got sideways and smacked a concrete supported light pole on the front driver's side. There were pictures of the car in the local Monroe paper.
NOTE: I have heard of speeds in excess of 80 MPH in this lot.
Corvette Store
Lost another Corvette brother
