Day at the Races Fulfills Wish of Cancer Patient, 6

A 6-year-old cancer patient’s dream of watching the world’s best drag racers in action has come true thanks to a local businessman.

Van Larimore Jr. of Ventura was among the thousands on hand Sunday for the National Hot Rod Assn. Winston Select Finals at Pomona Raceway.

For the kindergartner known as Junior, the final contest of the season was a great day of racing.

In 1994, Junior was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system--which is outside the brain--that mostly attacks children. It is the most common type of solid tumor other than brain tumors, said Dr. Robert Seeger of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, one of the physicians who treated Junior.

Junior’s mother, Sue Larimore, said that prior to the boy’s diagnosis he was “limping and he was sleeping a lot.” He spent two weeks at Ventura County Medical Center for what doctors originally thought was an infection.

When doctors discovered the cancer, Junior was transferred to Childrens Hospital, where he underwent a bone marrow transplant in February 1995. Tumor cells are purged from a patient’s bone marrow and then clean marrow is used for the transplant, Seeger said. “Sixty percent of the cases need to be treated aggressively, as in the case of Van,” Seeger said.

Junior is currently in remission. He started school in September and three weeks ago joined his 9-year-old sister, Allissa, and 11-year-old brother, Nathan, in the sport of BMX racing. The day before the big race in Pomona, the Larimore family traveled to Santa Barbara where Junior, who is reserved with strangers, competed in the novice division.

“It’s a miracle he can even race,” said his father, Van Larimore Sr.

John Kenyon, owner of three Jiffy Lube auto centers in Ventura County, heard about Junior Larimore from a friend whose son also has cancer, and decided to help him realize his dream of seeing a real drag race. “I just can’t imagine being the Larimores and having to go through what they’re going through,” said Kenyon, 45, of Ojai.

Pennzoil representatives Ron Hughes and Randy Hagerty helped obtain pit passes and tickets usually reserved for corporate sponsors. Junior, his father, brother Nathan and a family friend spent the day on the edge of their seats.

“Junior got to meet anybody who is anybody. About everybody who’s a legend in racing,” said his father. “The highlight was meeting the drivers, and probably seeing a dragster going by at more than 300 mph.”