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I was born into a boat racing family that many from the Midwest are familiar with. I spent many a Saturday and even more weeknights admiring my Grandpa's ability to design and build what were to me the most beautiful boats in the world. I watched my Dad race many times and my uncles win multiple national championships. All of this gave me the disease that we on this site are all familiar with. Yes, I have the boat-racing addiction gene buried deep within my genetic makeup. But when I was 11 years old and finally getting old enough to really get involved, my family retired from racing. A few years later we moved to Texas and lost all contact with the boat racing world that we knew. I was left wondering and dreaming what it must be like to actually drive one of those things, yet resigned to the fact that it just never would happen.
Fast forward nearly 30 years...home computers...the internet...and BAM!...I stumble across something called 'Hydroracer.net'. Remember that gene I said was buried deep within my genetic makeup? Well, it is no longer buried but now revived and very much alive. I reach out to a name I remember from my childhood, Art Kampen, end up helping him in the pits at a race. Yep, you guessed it, the addiction has returned and stronger that ever!
The following year, Jeff Ruth offers me a ride in his CSH. Are you kidding me? Is this really going to happen? Will my years and years of dreaming and wondering finally culminate with me grabbing the wheel, squeezing the throttle, feeling the boat going on plane then the sponsons rising off the water? Really? Really? It did happen and it is an experience I will not forget!
I said all of that to say this...I just purchased my own rig and went testing for the first time this past Saturday. What a blast!. This would not have happened without the generosity and assistance of many folks. At the risk of forgetting someone, I would like to thank the following people...Art Kampen, Jeff Ruth, Dudley Malone, Andy Seay, and the many folks in the NBRA who have treated me as a friend from the first race I attended with them. To Mark Daspit for selling me top notch equipment at a very reasonable price. To Jack Stotts for treating this boat racing 'nobody' with respect and offering his assistance as well. To my local buddies here who have helped in more ways that I can count...Dennis Burke, Joe John Schulte, and Gardner Miller.
And last but definitely not least, my wife. Without her support this journey would not be nearly as special as it is (I even have a pic of her helping me strip the old varnish from my boat). How cool is that!!!
First pic is me and my buddies getting her set up for the fist time.
Second pic is my brother Kenton, my son Ryan and Joe John getting me launched for the frst time.
See ya on the course in 2013!
Fast forward nearly 30 years...home computers...the internet...and BAM!...I stumble across something called 'Hydroracer.net'. Remember that gene I said was buried deep within my genetic makeup? Well, it is no longer buried but now revived and very much alive. I reach out to a name I remember from my childhood, Art Kampen, end up helping him in the pits at a race. Yep, you guessed it, the addiction has returned and stronger that ever!
The following year, Jeff Ruth offers me a ride in his CSH. Are you kidding me? Is this really going to happen? Will my years and years of dreaming and wondering finally culminate with me grabbing the wheel, squeezing the throttle, feeling the boat going on plane then the sponsons rising off the water? Really? Really? It did happen and it is an experience I will not forget!
I said all of that to say this...I just purchased my own rig and went testing for the first time this past Saturday. What a blast!. This would not have happened without the generosity and assistance of many folks. At the risk of forgetting someone, I would like to thank the following people...Art Kampen, Jeff Ruth, Dudley Malone, Andy Seay, and the many folks in the NBRA who have treated me as a friend from the first race I attended with them. To Mark Daspit for selling me top notch equipment at a very reasonable price. To Jack Stotts for treating this boat racing 'nobody' with respect and offering his assistance as well. To my local buddies here who have helped in more ways that I can count...Dennis Burke, Joe John Schulte, and Gardner Miller.
And last but definitely not least, my wife. Without her support this journey would not be nearly as special as it is (I even have a pic of her helping me strip the old varnish from my boat). How cool is that!!!
First pic is me and my buddies getting her set up for the fist time.
Second pic is my brother Kenton, my son Ryan and Joe John getting me launched for the frst time.
See ya on the course in 2013!
Maybe then I can do what Doc asked, and stay in front of Braxton...well, maybe for one lap anyway!
Don't go out running us TOO bad as a rookie! 
Haha.
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