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Copyright © 2000 John Dillon
Lu Ryba was a character in the most complimentary sense of the word. As a racer he displayed talent and dedication. As a friend he'd do all he could to help someone in need. As a husband, he was steadfast in his love. Mary Anne Slick described Lu as "a helluva driver.... so intense ... rather brilliant and daring." Ryba Racing's motto was "We never quit."
Lu's first competition experience was in Europe at a few rallycross events. He entered the job market at about the same time that communism was collapsing in Europe, making it difficult to find employment. Therefore in 1990 he, with future wife Eeke beside him, moved to southern California to make his way into the automotive field, his true passion.
In the U.S. Lu and Eeke started out as Solo II competitors before getting into road racing with a 1976 Datsun 280Z. He also tried his hand at rallying, his wife in the co-driver's seat. In addition to winning 1994 championships in the Las Vegas and Cal Club regions of the SCCA, Lu was awarded Cal Club's 1993 "Pete Sharland Memorial Trophy" for being the best "Low Bucks Racer of the Year." He was proud of that honor, explaining that "throughout 1993 and for the first half of 1994 we stretched our budget by driving the car to the track." Lu and Eeke would strap the race tires on the roof and toss a tent inside since the budget didn't allow motel accommodations. They raced all over the west that way, including Arizona, Nevada, and even as far north as Sears Point. When he couldn't be racing, he and Eeke worked the corners as flaggers. His parents said that Lu would sometimes spend 48 weekends a year at a race track somewhere.
In 1995 Lu went on to compete in the Firehawk series and then the Speedvision World Challenge championship. The World Challenge series is not exactly a cheap undertaking but there he was, sleeping in his tent tucked in between the 18-wheelers and scrapping with the best drivers on the track at every race. Lu and Eeke acquired a tow vehicle, a 1955 Chevy pickup that appeared to have been resurrected from an ugly death, and a trailer for those cross-country hauls. When asked why he finally started towing the car to the track, he said it was not for fear of crashing, but because he didn't want to tweak the suspension settings he'd made in the shop.
Once on Pep Talk, a local TV sports show, he joked about racing on such a limited budget. "We were racing against a Porsche 944 and continually beating him," Lu recounted. "The funny thing was, that guy spent more for his trailer than I spent on my entire car!" On that same broadcast he stressed the value of Cal Club and the SCCA and encouraged people to join. "Just do it," he said. "You can be a race car driver."
Lu was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia on Oct 15, 1962, the only child of Desan and Milena Ryba. When he was six years old the Soviet Union invaded his native country. His parents, wanting to liberate their son, fled to Delft, The Netherlands, to avoid the communist crackdown. There he lived until New Year's Eve, 1989, when he moved to southern California to pursue his automotive passion.
Lu loved cars even as an infant. His dad was a professor of mechanical engineering and one of those rare people in communist Czechoslovakia that owned a car, which naturally meant that you spent a lot of time working on it.
Just barely able to walk, Lu used to ask his grandfather to describe the parts of the vehicles on the street. He quickly learned about machinery of all sorts. One neighbor recalled that, even at the age of five while the kids were playing in a sandbox, someone pointed to an airplane in the sky. Lu instantly recited details. "That's a Tupolev Tu-134A," he'd say, "with twin engines and a maximum speed of 850 km/hr."
In high school Lu excelled in many activities, including language (he was fluent in five languages and could get by in at least three more), skiing, music, dancing, and of course, all things mechanical. It was here too that he met his life-long love, Eeke van der Waal. When he decided to come to the U.S. there was never any question but that she would join him.
After high school Lu attended Delft University, the oldest engineering school in Europe, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. (After moving to the U.S. he would earn another engineering degree from Cal State Long Beach.) This training helped make him a master of suspension setup and roll cage design.
Part of what made Lu such a special racer was Eeke. The two made one heckuva team. Not only was she a dynamic support group, his crew chief, and his number one fan, she was a fellow competitor, driven to excel in the same way Lu was.
About a year ago Lu was diagnosed with leukemia. He eventually received a bone marrow transplant, but these things are never quite perfect and he was given powerful medications to suppress his immune system so his body wouldn't reject the new tissue. He then fought and overcame a bout of high-risk pneumonia, the kind that kills 94 out of 100 people. In the end, cancer sprang up, taking advantage of his suppressed immune system to take hold and destroy his body. Lu passed away on Sept 23rd at the City of Hope hospital. He was just shy of his 38th birthday.
Lu is survived by wife Eeke and parents Milena and Desan. He has many friends throughout the world and every one is in mourning.
The passing of a loved one is a time of pain and anguish, but together we can all pull each other through the loss. There is a void next to Eeke where Lu used to stand, but he still dwells in each of our hearts. Let us all share our hearts with one another. Lu was a character, all right, and he's given us each a bit of character as well.
Rally on, Lu Ryba. "We never quit."
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