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Pittston Area’s Nina Cencetti shuts out Old Forge to open Section 5 Senior Softball play

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Shavertown’s McGrath signs with WBS Pens

<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Billy Feist, right, and his friends Kyle Graham, left, and Randy Shovlin work on a Corvette being prepped for the upcoming Giants Despair Hillclimb in Laurel Run. The car has decals honoring his friend Donnie Bachman, who was killed earlier this year. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_bachmanracecar01.jpg</photo0><caption0>Billy Feist, right, and his friends Kyle Graham, left, and Randy Shovlin work on a Corvette being prepped for the upcoming Giants Despair Hillclimb in Laurel Run. The car has decals honoring his friend Donnie Bachman, who was killed earlier this year. </caption0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_bachmanracecar02.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A Corvette being prepped for the upcoming Giants Despair Hillclimb in Laurel Run. The car has decals honoring his friend Donnie Bachman who was murdered earlier this year. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_bachmanracecar02.jpg</photo1><caption1>A Corvette being prepped for the upcoming Giants Despair Hillclimb in Laurel Run. The car has decals honoring his friend Donnie Bachman who was murdered earlier this year. </caption1></div></div>
<p>LAUREL RUN &#8212; To friends and family of Donnie Bachman, this weekend&#8217;s 109th annual Giants Despair Hillclimb race will provide more than an opportunity to race the car he loved in his stead, but to remember Bachman&#8217;s love for family, for fun and for life.</p><p>Bachman, who was killed in front of his home on Willow Street in Wilkes-Barre on May 1, had a love for cars and for racing. He owned a 1986 Corvette and had hoped to make it race-ready for this year&#8217;s event.</p><p>After his death, friends were determined to make his vision a reality, transforming the car from a vehicle appropriate for street racing to one that conformed with the standards of the Sports Car Club of America, qualifying it to be entered in the race in the Super Touring Over class.</p><p>As the vehicle&#8217;s transformation unfolded in a garage on Laurel Run Road, the effort seemed to go beyond fine tuning an engine or adding another coat of carefully selected paint. It seemed to bring together those who loved Donnie and those who would have loved him if given the opportunity.</p><p>George Willis, who supervised Bachman as a mechanic at Martz Trailways, said his son, Geoff Willis, never met Bachman, but was more than happy to offer his welding and fabricating skills for the restoration.</p><p>&#8220;Geoff remembers me bringing home a bunch of Disney cars for the grandchildren from Donnie,&#8221; said George. &#8220;Donnie was just a quality guy.&#8221;</p><p>George Willis said Bachman would have been thrilled to see both the overhauling of the car and the spirit in which it was completed.</p><p>&#8220;Each member of the team did their part,&#8221; said Willis. &#8220;Welding, mechanical work, electrical work, everyone seemed to do what they do best.&#8221;</p><p>Billy Feist, who had raced with Bachman, oversaw the effort, and provided direction and motivation as the project progressed.</p><p>Feist credits Bachman&#8217;s widow, Lori, with coming up with the idea.</p><p>&#8220;She called me one night and said she really wanted to make this a reality,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Billy&#8217;s father, Emil, said he remembers Donnie Bachman &#8220;like a son.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Donnie would have liked this car,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Everything is being done in his memory, reminding people that we still need &#8216;Justice for Donnie.&#8217;&#8221;</p><p>Bruce Feist said the project reflects Donnie&#8217;s willingness to &#8220;get the job done.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Some people are talkers and some people are doers,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Donnie was definitely a doer.&#8221;</p><p>Bruce said that attitude motivated Bachman to take action in keeping his neighborhood safe.</p><p>&#8220;He didn&#8217;t just say &#8216;look at that&#8217; and believe someone else would do something,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He went out and made a difference.&#8221;</p><p>Diane Feist, Emil&#8217;s wife and Bruce and Billy&#8217;s mother, said she still misses Bachman and looks back on his life taken so tragically and unnecessarily.</p><p>&#8220;When you own a property, you take pride in your property. You shouldn&#8217;t have to tolerate drugs and crime,&#8221; she said.</p><p>She especially remembers Bachman&#8217;s attention to his flower garden in front of his house.</p><p>As for the car, the team that made it road-ready are committed to doing their best over the weekend as they repeatedly make their way up the winding road which tests both cars and courage.</p><p>&#8220;We prepared it to the best of ability,&#8221; said Ryan Evans. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to have to wait and see.&#8221;</p><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Friends honor memory of Donnie Bachman with Giants Despair Hillclimb car