NOA Pleasure Craft Racing 1958-60, part II

[Smokin' Joe]

More old stuff.

1. Start of 1958 Tennessean 100 mile Marathon, NOA Nationals on Old Hickory Lake. My dad and Buddy Malonee side by side, but not for long.

2,3. I've still got the decals.

4. Advertisement, ca. 1958.

5. Nick Sussinger, Mercury Sales Rep, my Dad and me, 1959 Chicago Boat Show, first year for the Mark 10A.

6. JMC after winning the Ft. Loudon 100 mi. Marathon in 1959. The faster similar rig ran out of gas. A Scott 40 on a better 14' AristoCraft ran 3rd, my bottom was hooked and his was straight. Background: my youngest sister Mary K. holding my youngest brother, John.

[Mark75H]

This is cool, I like it

[Smokin' Joe]

I have to get some slides put on CD. Since the Navy in WWII my Dad refused to wear blue jeans. Swimsuit, yes, bluejeans, no. Every day in their business he wore a white shirt, tie and gabardine pants with dress shoes (he was an electronics expert from radar work on a small carrier under Admiral Halsey's command, i.e., under the Texas-German Nimitz). At a boat race he took off the tie and shoes, rolled up the sleeves of the white dress shirt, rolled up his gabardine pants, and won races. Barefoot in the boat. At the NOA Nationals in Nashville in 1960 I was running second in 40-50, way ahead of the pack. I flipped the boat in a turn (in those days one didn't 'blow over', one 'flipped'). My shoes were under the deck of the Allison, along with an inner tube for flotation. I had to drive back to Ky. barefooted.

This is cool, I like it

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I agree with Sam Joe. I'll bet that Chicago boat show was something to see. The first time I ever saw Tommy Posey race was an NOA race in 1966 at Texarkana. He was pitted a half dozen boats down from us and he was running a V bottom. I don't remember the hull or motor. Keep 'em coming.

[Smokin' Joe]

The distinguished gentleman on the stairway in the Johnson coveralls is Ben Posey. My daughters Katie and Marianne are in the second photo wearing their Evinrude jackets.

I was at the Chicago Boat Show in 1958 and 1959, really appreciated that my Dad took me out of school to go there. He had a sister (and I had cousins) in Calumet City, so we went back and forth on the "el". It was 40 below F with wind, colder than a -------- ------. In 1959 the planes were grounded due to fog so we had to ride back to Ky. via Cincinnati overnight on a Greyhound. I had a bad toothache ... . My Dad was strict in principle but gave me a lot of space. He was often (extremely) irritated with me but tolerated my teenage years. He was competitive as all hell and encouraged it in me, or didn't at all block any competitive streak in me.

I agree with Sam Joe. I'll bet that Chicago boat show was something to see. The first time I ever saw Tommy Posey race was an NOA race in 1966 at Texarkana. He was pitted a half dozen boats down from us and he was running a V bottom. I don't remember the hull or motor. Keep 'em coming.