Originally Posted by
Master Oil Racing Team
Now I have to fess up to a little trap I had set. A certain particular guy would always take the bait, but it doesn't happen so much anymore. He and my Dad baited each other a lot in the earlier years, and I have to say that I helped some too.
To be an honorary Texan as has been stated previously, you had to have actually raced in Texas. Not just show up with a boat. And it had to be more than one or two races over a period of time. I had alluded to this some time back, and there happens to be a guy that has spent a lot of time in Texas, but never raced here. His wife has actually raced here and is qualified to be named one. But how do you name the wife of a racer who has spent more time in Texas than his wife, and not name him? He has actually spent more time in Texas than Alan or Johhny, but he never raced here. That was because he was seriously injured driving on of Billy Seebold's tunnel boats and was unable to get into a kneeler for a long time. Some of you may have already figured out the guy is Bill Van Steenwyk. I have not heard from him since Steve was so honored, and I hope I haven't hurt his feelings. The thing is he usually jumps straight into the trap, but not this time. So this is what I had planned to lay on him.
I was going to tell Bill Van that he and Eileen could not be honorary Texans any more than my brother Mark or my Dad Baldy. We all ARE Texans. Jim Mckean raced in Texas while still living in California. Since he moved and raced here, he became a Texan. Same with Joe Flow and Al Davis. They came from Wally Roman land, but they have been Texans for decades. Same with Clyde Queen now. Bill Van spent more time down at Baldy's than Eileen. If nothing was going on in the winter, he would fly down and spend a few days. Bill Van and Eileen are part of our family, so they are Texans. That's just the way it is. And even though Bill Van didn't race a boat here, he spent a lot of time in South Texas and just across the border with his boat building business. So...sorry Bill Van about my entrapment, but you got me this time by smelling the rotten bait and waiting me out.
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