Brenda Coley, 48, the wife of Toby Dale Coley, the truck driver, mechanic and spotter at #34 Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly and the Dollar General Race Team of driver Randy LaJoie in the NASCAR Busch Series, will be buried on Thursday morning according to information released by the Hartsell Funeral Home in Albemarle, North Carolina where the Coleys resided. A viewing will be held on Wednesday night from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hartsell Funeral Home located at 522 N. 2nd Street. Thursday’s funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Mrs. Coley was found dead in her driveway early Sunday morning by a passerby who contacted police. It is suspected that Mrs. Coley, who had just recently opened a small crafts store in Albemarle and had been working late at night for several days, closed her shop at around 11 p.m. on Saturday night. She was apparently followed home by someone who robbed her, struck her and left her to die in the driveway. Mrs. Coley’s handbag and wallet were missing according to an account printed in Monday morning’s Charlotte Observer.
An autopsy was to be performed in Charlotte on Tuesday, but the authorities have yet to release the findings and actual cause of Mr’s Coley’s death. Police are continuing their investigation. Toby Coley was away for the weekend enjoying some time off from his racing duties and did not find out about his wife until he arrived home on Sunday morning. The couple had been married for nearly 24 years and have three adult children and two grandchildren.(Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly)(5-24-2005)
AND The Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly racing organization will memorialize the late Brenda Coley during this weekend’s NASCAR Busch Series race activity at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. A special decal will be displayed on the #34 Dollar General Chevy of driver Randy LaJoie during practice, qualifying and the running of Saturday night’s CarQuest Auto Parts 300 during the Speedway’s Memorial Day race weekend. The decal will pay tribute to Mrs. Coley, the wife of Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly truck driver, mechanic and spotter Toby Coley who was found dead earlier in the week near her place of business in Albemarle, North Carolina.
The cause of Mrs. Coley’s death has not yet been released by police who continue their investigation into the incident that occurred late last Saturday night or early Sunday morning. It was reported that Mrs. Coley had closed up her new crafts business at around 11 p.m. Saturday night, but she never made it to her home. Her body was found by a passer-by in the parking lot of the plaza where her business was located at around 5 a.m. Sunday morning lying next to her car. Her pocketbook and wallet were missing, speculating that robbery may have been the motive for the killing. Toby Coley was in South Carolina during the weekend during a rare off week from racing as the Busch Series race teams were idle last weekend. The Coleys were married for nearly 25 years and had three children. They had two grandchildren. Brenda Coley was 48 years old.
“Toby has worked on and off for my race teams for many years, and he was considered a member of our family”, Frank Cicci said. “My family and every member of the Dollar General race team share in Toby’s loss, and memorializing Brenda Coley by displaying her name on our race car during this race weekend is the least that we can do to show how much we cared for Brenda and how we sympathize with Toby and his family on their loss”, Cicci added. Several other NASCAR Busch Series race teams have also expressed their desire to show their respect for Toby and his family by also requesting decals to display on their race cars this weekend.(Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly)(5-27-2005)
