Tom O'Neill

[daveracerdsh]

SOA is losing a long time member in the near future. Tom was a former world record holder in D stock hydro....set the 1 2/3 record in the class that stood for a long time in the mid 60's. Was also commodore and vice commodore for a few years, as well as being race chairman during Lawrence Lakes heyday in the mid to late 80's. Tom was the person that got me started in the mid 80's in D stock hydro, loaning me his very fast 55H to put on my c/d boat.....I never ran C stock again after that. Tom would come across as gruff and belligerant, but deep down he has a heart of gold. Tom was diagnosted with terminal cancer a short time ago, and will be leaving the area to spend his final days with family in the mid west. I sure am going to miss you Tom.....

[CRAGIN]

Tom O'neill my long time friend and racing partner!

Tom and i meet in1947 as tom was 4 years younger than i was he hung
around with my yougner brother.....Fast forward to1961 Tom to came to my
house parked a trailer on my new mowed lawn and said to me lets go raceing!! Having a family of 3 sons a wife at this time i asked what it
might cost Tom said he he had a brand new mark 40H merc to run in
class D he would run DSH and I could run DU. Great says i were do we
get a DU Tom says Harold tolford has a dandy one for Sale off we go you old timers may rember this boat by its name "Sand Box"!

SO a partner ship was born from 1961 to 1964 I went from DU to (alki) classes
DRR FRR FOH Tom stayed with D stock We pitted next to each other as much
as we could! Again Fast forwad 1968 as the years passed i now had 5 sons
a wife to take care and the of the cost of raceing with every 2 years a new and faster engine was needed to hang with the front runners.I left the sport
i so enjoyed in 1971.Tom went on for more years and now my friend is on his last laps! May GOD be with you!

Your friend and partner R100 Truman Cragin

[DeanFHobart]

1962 On...

Truman,

I remember those days racing from 1962 on. It seems that Bobby Luke was in the crew with his Jones Cabover and Quincy C Alky.

Didn't the trailer have "Racin' Bums" on the back???

Best Regards,

Dean Hobart... racing boats since 1962.

[CRAGIN]

Hey old timer, The team name was>>> "RACEING REBELS"
as for Bob Luke he came in a bit later.It would seam Tom is on his last few laps
and will join a number of great racers we have lost in the last few years!
Tom was not only a raceing partner he was a 60 year old friend!

Just a old time racer Truman Cragin FRR R100

[FER-R-10]

Old school boat trailer

Dean-
My dads boat trailer, I know him and Tom raced 32 times one year, Tom may the good lord give you peace in your final days,

Dave,

[blueskyracer]

Dean-
My dads boat trailer, I know him and Tom raced 32 times one year, Tom may the good lord give you peace in your final days,

Dave,

That's the kind of scenes I remember.. Boat racing was big back then

[daveracerdsh]

Pic

That is the coolest trailer pic I have ever seen! How much booze was in the trunk....haha

[Smitty]

The other guys in DSH knew O'Neill really was a tough guy. If he had the legal one-boat-length overlap, plus an inch or two, on you when you both got to the corner, you were gonna get wet! The sight of his short-sponson Sid, with its little white tailfin, cranking into a turn is one all the old guys will remember. I'm glad I got to sit and yak with him and hear some stories at Friday testing for Lake Lawrence last month. I was initially shocked to see how frail he looked, but that didn't affect his mood any.

Glad to hear Bob Luke mentioned, another good guy! And I remember Tru Cragin (tho' he won't recall me since I was just a dumb young guy, a novice running in a different class. Seems to me that at that point (mid-'60s) Tru and Wendell Ward and Ken Ferguson tended to pit near each other, right?

Here's hoping Tom has an easy exit.

--Phil Smith

[CRAGIN]

D 7 to10 boats in D stock most of the time O,yeas 1963 SOA Sponser of Natoinal alki Champships at Moses Lake ther were 23 DOH enteries 6 place 7th you watched from the beach!BOOZE 4cases of hard stuf for a pool party after the 1st day of testing some one
snaged all of it we had about 1 hr to dash to the jar store to re stock we got er done!
Our booze a pint or so only for medical use only!
Great Times>>> Good Friends Truman Cragin R100 FRR