“It’s a great tribute to Suzanne, and it also stands for all those law enforcement officers who’ve been killed in the line of duty,” said Chief Deputy David Rapp, Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
The image will appear on car 52 in the NASCAR Nationwide Race at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. Jimmy Means Racing Inc. owns the car.
The six-inch diameter decal will be displayed on both sides of the vehicle above the rear side windows, said Rapp.
The idea started with Springfielder Mark Sanders, a member of the Jimmy Means team. Sanders said he is also a longtime friend of the fallen deputy.
“I’ve known Suzanne for about 20 years,” said Sanders.
After Hopper’s death, Sanders said he wanted to pay tribute to her, and since he is part of a race team and knew she enjoyed racing, he decided that the decal was the best way to go.
“I thought it would be a fitting tribute, and there’s a big law enforcement presence in racing,” he said.
Sanders reached out to Rapp and Lt. Don Lucas at the sheriff’s office and the group got to work on the design.
“It was a conglomeration of everybody involved,” said Lucas.
One of the drivers of the 2011 Chevrolet Impala that is set to qualify for the race also has local ties — Chris Lawson, of Medway.
A separate, additional tribute to Hopper is scheduled for later this month. The Clark County Special Olympics volleyball tournament Feb. 25 has been renamed the Suzanne Hopper Memorial. The tournament will take place 6 p.m. at Tecumseh Middle School.
Sanders said the NASCAR tribute is not just for Hopper, but all men and women in uniform.
“We want people to keep a fresh memory of what these guys do every day,” he said.
As far as what Hopper herself would have thought of the tribute, Sanders guessed that the attention might embarrass her.
“She didn’t like to be the center of attention, but she’d appreciate it,” said Sanders. “Suzanne’s going to watch this race from above.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0360 or vlough@coxohio.com.
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