What My New J Driver Said

[Mark 72@E]

My 10 year old son, Luke, raced J Hydro for the first time at Lock Haven last weekend. He had a blast.

Tuesday evening before I got home from work he was lying on the carpet in our living room having a conversation with my wife. We're installing new carpet so most of the furniture had been moved out.

Luke (lying on the empty floor): "Things feel different."

My Wife: "You mean with the furniture gone?"

Luke: "No. My life just feels different now."

My wife: "Because of your weekend, you mean?"

Luke: "Yeah. It's like I love boat racing so much I wanna do it for the rest of my life."

[MGallagher]

I'm gonna give that an "atta boy!" If he's hooked after Lock Haven you need to put him in a runabout LOL!!!

[csh2z]

That happened to me 42 years ago. It's contagious, my whole family got it!

[acr924]

all together now: "Awww!"

Glad he enjoyed it!

[Jack Stotts]

A similar thing happened to me 59 years ago. I've repeatedly tried to get the monkey off my back but have been less than successful. At any rate I can think of no sport where he can experience the things that occur in boat racing. It's the only sport where the J drivers and the adults interface on a one on one basis and respect flows both ways. The kids learn to communicate with the adults and feel comfortable doing so. He will grow up a better person for having participated. Tell him welcome to the sport! Jack

[G Stillwill]

Mark your son really did a good job for his first racing weekend and Im glad he enjoyed it. My first time in a hydro was 1953 at 8 years old dam that was a long time ago old as dirt now but enjoy it now just as much as the first ride. Hope to see him racing for many years to come.

[alanaker]

J hydro

"Cereal Killer" name on his boat, funny stuff there..

[les]

Very cool...

Nice story Mark, Thanks for sharing it with us. I think more than one of us read it, And went back to that exact moment in time, However long ago.
It doesn't just feel different, It truly is. Welcome to races, Luke!

[Boomtap15F]

Oh yeah, hes stuck in it. there isnt anything in my mind quite like boat racing, more a way of life than a sport. Good to hear someone shares my view.

[Racerkyle20]

Very cool

That's what i said about 12 years ago and i still feel that way today. That is so cool!!!! That's something i'm sure all J dads want to hear... Wait until he wants to race CSH!

Kyle

[Dick Tyndall]

Mark, Luke has done something that I wish I was brave enough to try when I was that age when my Dad was racing. I am glad that he enjoys the racing and will gain many years of experience that I missed out on when I FIRST got in a hydro at 53 years old. I know his Dad is proud.
Thanks again for sending the picture you took of me in the CSH at Sharptown 5 seconds before the end of my racing career.

[Mark 72@E]

He's Already Asked

you need to put him in a runabout LOL!!!

He's already asked. Except is was more like "How come Dylan and Loretta get to go out and race twice?" and "What are we doing with that brown boat we have?". He's referring to the old ASR I've mentioned on Hydroracer before that I bought a few years back from Jimmy Shane. We'll see. I'm predicting Team Ritchie will need a bigger trailer in the future...