By Brian Bielanski, Editor
(RacingWire) - It's hard to believe it's been ten years since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. That fateful day affected every American. Whether directly or indirectly, nobody escaped without some kind of connection.

The racing community was no different. For many of us, racing represented healing. An opportunity to show both our enemies and allies across the world that America had not only survived the attacks but that the attacks didn't tear down our way of life.

For me, 9/11 was a little different. I was living and working in New York City. I drove past the World Trade Center twice during my daily commute. I was in the Battery Tunnel when the first plane hit and on the FDR drive when the second plane hit.

That day, I can safely say, changed my life forever.

In the months after the attacks, looking for a way to do my part, I began a journey of volunteerism which eventually led me to become an Emergency Medical Technician. It's something I continue to do to this day.

This story is about two people in our racing community. Their names are Linda Gronlund and Joe DeLuca. You probably don't know Linda and Joe but you certainly know what they did.

They and 40 fellow passengers on Flight 93 likely prevented a tragic day from being even darker.

Linda and Joe were members of the Sports Car Club of America. They were racers. Linda was a driver and race official and Joe a championship winning driver. Most importantly, they were our friends and today they are gone. Taken from us much to soon, in manner many of us couldn't wrap our arms around.

I worked through the attacks as a satellite news producer for CBS News. I was able drown myself in the idea that my country needed me to provide the information and pictures that would help them understand, heal and rise above.

It wasn't until a few days after 9/11 that I learned Joe and Linda were on Flight 93. I had done a roll call of everyone I knew who worked at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon and everyone was safe. Then the news came that we lost Linda and Joe. We were devastated. I was angry.

It's said often that racers are family. We fight like hell to beat each other but we'd give a kidney if one our friends needed it just so we could fight like hell to beat them next Sunday.

Like all major sports... NASCAR, IndyCar and even Formula One all honored the victims of 9/11 in various ways. The tributes were appropriate, emotional and helped us begin to heal.

Those of us who knew Joe and Linda did exactly what they would have wanted us to do. We went racing. Just a few weeks after the attacks we went to Lime Rock Park in the picturesque hills of Northwest Connecticut for an S.C.C.A race. I can honestly say I don't remember a thing about what happened on the track that weekend.

I had not had a day off since the attacks. None of us did. We were tired. Many of us hadn't had the time or the ability to deal with the emotions of the events we were reporting about.

The Friday before that race at Lime Rock I went to my boss and told him I needed to be at the track on Sunday. I think he saw something in my demeanor that helped him understand.

Joe and Linda's friends came together. We put on the race. I was a flagger and I manned my corner just like I had done dozens of times before but this weekend was different.

I don't remember much talk about 9-11. I do remember the stories that were told about Linda and Joe. To say that we laughed and cried sounds so cliché... but that is exactly what we did.

While I only knew Joe and Linda for a couple of years... they quickly welcomed me into the Lime Rock racing family. Something I'll never be able to thank them for.

These were great people taken way too soon. I sometimes wonder how we would all be different today if Joe and Linda had lived. I wonder what our country would be today if the attacks had never happened.

I do know one thing. The actions of the heroes on Flight 93 personified what is great about our country. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

The example they set is one that I try to live up to every day. While I pray I'll never have to deal with a situation even close to what Joe and Linda did on Flight 93... I remain hopeful that I would rise to the occasion like they did.

What I am thankful for today is that their spirit has never died. We still remember and we do our part to make sure they will never be forgotten. I'm proud to know the racing community agrees.

I hope telling their story helps us all remember why it's so important to hold our values high. The pain never goes away but I'm hopeful we've found a way to use it to help us make sure what happened on September 11, 2001 is never forgotten and hopefully never happens again.