Bobby Hutchens, director at Tony Stewart's NASCAR team, loses his wife

  Bobby Hutchens (far left), long-time chief engineer at
Richard Childress', was key in the first-year success owner-driver Tony Stewart (C) had this past season on the Sprint Cup tour (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
  

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   It's going to be a tough holiday season for Bobby Hutchens, the competition director for Tony Stewart's NASCAR team.
   His wife of many years, Sharon, passed away Monday after a long battle with breast cancer.
   Sharon, 45, who with her good friend Michelle Hemric formed 'The Pit Lizards' to help raise money to fight breast cancer, was passionate in supporting the local Triad Chapter of the Susan G. Komen 'Race for the Cure' for fighting breast cancer. This past May Sharon was the recipient of the inaugural 'Survivor of the Year' award.
    She leaves two sons, Taylor Lane Loaces, a freshman at N.C. State, and Robert 'Trey' Hutchens III, a sixth-grader at North Davidson (N.C.) Middle School.
    A celebration of life service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday Jan. 2 at Pinedale Christian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.
    In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her memory to Susan G. Komen, c/o The Pit Lizards, 1106 Burke Street, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101 or Camp Cheerio, c/o Sharon Hutchens Memorial, Box 6258, High Point, N.C. 27262.
   Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com.