2015-2016
Doug Magnon, founder of the Riverside International Automotive Museum (RIAM) and owner of the #7 Eagle, passed away on February 4, 2015 after a short battle with cancer. This was a shock to the motorsports community, and eventually meant an end to the RIAM museum and the seven year run for the Eagle in vintage racing.
Doug, Tony, and Bill Losee in 2008
A memorial for Doug was held at the Riverside museum on February 15, 2015.
April 16, 2015
Road Racing Driver’s Club annual banquet
Long Beach, California
Tony attended what would unfortunately be his last Road Racing Driver’s Club banquet in April of 2015. He is shown here sharing a laugh with with his good friend and “The First Lady of Motorsports” Linda Vaughn.
In June of 2015, Tony was admitted to the hospital for evaluation. He was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma, an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer with a very low survival rate. Treatment included surgery to remove a tumor, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the effects of the treatment gradually weakened Tony, and eventually he required full-time care.
While fighting cancer, Tony kept in contact with his family, old racing acquaintances and friends including local Southern Californians John Morton and Rick Knoop, his fellow PRDA executive Oscar Kovaleski (long conversations), Gary Wheeler, photographers Barry Tenin and Pete Luongo, Davey and Norma Jordan, Kirk F. White, Michael Keyser, Mike Hiss, Rick Mandelson, and many others.
2015 Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Laguna Seca Raceway
Salinas, California
Only weeks after having a second major brain surgery, Tony managed to travel to the Monterey weekend to join the F5000 paddock. Tony was also part of a F5000 panel at the track arranged by Vintage Racecar magazine and hosted by publisher Casey Annis. Shown are Casey Annis, Tony, Shadow Team owner Don Nichols, Brian Redman, Howden Ganley, and John Morton.
A video showing an award presented to Tony at the track from the Formula 5000 Drivers Association can be seen here.
Vintage Road and Racecar TV
September, 2015: Rick Knoop, Tony’s good friend and teammate in the 1981 Daytona race, visited Tony frequently following his cancer diagnosis.
In February of 2016, Dan Gurney invited Tony to All American Racers in Santa Ana, California for a visit. The two talked at length about their New York roots, and reminisced about the early days of racing and Tony’s time in the #7 Eagle .
Steve Johnson photo
Tony in Dan’s office at AAR sharing a laugh.
Dan gave Tony a personal tour of the AAR shop including the showroom where some of Dan’s favorite cars were kept. Here he is telling Tony about his favorite Indy car, the 1981 Pepsi Challenger.
Steve Johnson photo
Steve Johnson photo
Dan shows Tony his posters with championship-winning cars, including Tony’s 1969 Eagle in the lower left of the poster on the right.
Dan’s son, Justin Gurney, asked Tony to sign the Eagle poster at AAR, and Tony was happy to add his signature to the photo. It remains displayed at AAR’s facilities in Santa Ana, California.
Steve Johnson photo
John Morton and David Christian visit Tony in April of 2016.
Tony succumbed to cancer and died peacefully in the early morning hours of October 10, 2016. The news of Tony’s passing spread quickly in the motorsports community, and his passing was covered in publications and websites throughout the world including Autoweek, the Road Racing Driver’s Club, the 24 Hours of Le Mans organizer L’Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Sports Car Digest, Japanese Nostalgic Car, Hemmings Motor News, RACER magazine, Motor Sport magazine, the Formula One Grand Prix Driver’s Club, and scores of news outlets all over the world who honored Tony and his contribution to motorsports.
Tony requested a service on the West Coast at his regular place of worship in California, and wanted to be buried with his family in his home town of Port Henry, New York. Two services were held, one on October 29 in Costa Mesa, California, and the other on November 5th in Port Henry, New York. The New York service included military honors. Both were very well attended. Flowers came from people and organizations all over the country, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Adamowicz family photo
Adamowicz family photo