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It is sad to report that our boat racing family members have lost Melvin Cooper !
And that's why I am writing this about him a great boat racer that has recently passed and I believe is now in lake paradise with a lot of other great former boat racers and that driver is Melvin Cooper!
The first time I met and really got to know Melvin Cooper was at a NOA boat race in
Knoxville Tennessee in the summer of 1966
Our driver at the time became unable to drive for us at the beginning of that event, as he apparently came down with something like the flu and my dad said no racing for you today.
I remember going to the races back then and meandering thru the pits especially the Konig driver pits for information that I then relayed back to my father OF Christner. Hey, it kept me out of the way of the Quincy team LOL!
At that day in history with team Quincy without a driver for the C and D loopers
I remembered talking to Melvin earlier in the day and asking him if he would drive a looper for us that day because our driver was out for the day.
Melvin asked what outfit would that be and I replied "C" hydro, he then asked what boat I then said a Schultz hydro. Melvin then said OK if your dad said it was OK, I then ran back to the Quincy trailer and shouted to my father all is well as we now have a driver that day for the C hydro event
Talk about being exiting times WOW!
Melvin then suited up without any experience or testing time driving that outfit in any race before!
The little Giant from the south as my dad now referred to him from that day forward managed to pull off a third place on the spot with a new looper powered race boat never before driven by him, WOW again!
Melvin was always a nice gentleman at the races but was also a fierce competitive boat racer at the same time! He has one of the best peanut industry services in the U.S. run by two of his children.
Melvin, as you are now blessed with the lord, I only hope when our time is up here, we are worthy enough to be with you and all of the other great boat racers in lake paradise too. You will be remembered and missed till that time hopefully comes about.
Paul a Christner!
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