APBA/NOA Region 9 Outboard Racers Reunion 11/07/2013

[jrome]

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Region 9 Outboard Racers Reunion by T.J Dendinger in Hammond, LA. I did not think I was going to be able to make it because of business issues, but at the last minute I decided that I had to go, because I would not get the chance again to see these people. T.J.'s family put a lot of work into making the reunion happen. Putting together scrapbooks and displays, a place to have the reunions, invitations, etc. When I was 8 years old, my cousin, Sonny Kolb, started taking me to boat races. This is where I met the men that were at this reunion. They are the people responsible for showing me the type of people that are involved with boat racing. I haven't seen these people in 50 years or so. Sometimes you never get the opportunity to say Thank You to the people that helped you along when you were young. I got this chance at this reunion.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks for posting this Joe. Talking to you before and after, you told how pumped up these guys were. After you called John Schubert and gave him T.J. Dendinger's phone number things took off from there. It was put together quickly and guys that had not seen each other for years......many years were enthusiastic about it and had a great time.

The only ones I know are on top in the back. Left to right I first met Glen when he was in swaddling clothes. Just a baby. I saw him the last time with his Dad at Alexandria, Lousiana in 2003. The two on the right I know who they are. I raced with Billy Mays the first two or three years after I got started. He was one of the top racers to beat. Tommy Christopher of course was a racer know by all back in those days. Photos of Tommy and his exploits are all throughout "THE ROOSTERTAIL", NOA's official publication. Due to a serious accident Tommy quit racing right after I started racing, and had been reading all about his exploits.

I had not been to a race in ten years in 1993, and my kids were old enough to travel. I talked Debbie into taking them to Alex to watch the 500 and 700 hydros. It was the last race, and only one 700 hydro there. There were several 500 hydros for a race, so they got to see them. But some of the disappointment of not seeing a full field of 500 and 700 hydros run was taken away when Jome Rome told me that Tommy Christopher was coming to Alex.

It was getting on around noon when I asked Joe about Tommy. I wandered all around the pits introducing my kids to many of the friends I used to race against. Joe had told me that Tommy's mobile home had some kind of trouble. He was supposed to be there before the races started, but lots of heats had already been run.

While I was taking the kids and a neighbor kid through the pits, Joe called and said "Tommy will be here in fifteen or twenty minutes."

I went back to where we were "Pitted" with Debbie and told her I was headed to the concession area. On top of that was where the driver's meetings were held and where Joe told Tommy to meet us after he got his RV situated. Joe had known Tommy for a long time and told me many stories about his racing. Joe set up our meeting at the northeast corner of the top of where the driver's meetings were held. I was in awe of finally meeting Tommy Christopher. I had seen his pictures and read about so many of his racing days that I saw a real pioneer of the beginning of modern outboard racing sitting at the same table and tried to take it all in. Joe and Tommy did all the talking. I think Tommy was impressed by all the Joe knew about his career before he was forced to quit.

I can't remember all Joe told me about the reunion because it was more than a month ago before he posted. I know though from what he told me that every single person was all hepped up and glad to be there. After everyone had met up and getting the meeting together, it was decided unanimously that Joe Rome would be the official moderator, and he would have a timer and black flag. Everyone was given two minutes to tell his story, and if he exceeded that....Joe would black flag him.

Joe conceded the fact to me a month ago he let a little slack in the timing when it came to T.D. Dendinger because he had organized the meeting and also to himself. Joe spent more than two minutes talking about his life in boat racing. He told them about what he had posted earlier about Sonny, but also what he didn't mention in this post. It was at the 1st DePue Reunion in 2007. He told the audience that when he was a kid going to boat races, and that as he got older and getting interested in drag racing (1960's), he had gone to both. He was at a drag race when a competitor had wanted to borrow something simple and was turned down. Joe had seen lot's of boat racing competitors helping each other out at every race and decided right then where he wanted to go.

Joe told that same story at their Region 9 meeting. Everyone there felt the same way. There's something special about boat racers and after 50 or 60 years they can come back, laugh, and have a great time together....even though it might take a couple of looks to recognize one another.

I say Hooray for Joe Rome, T. J. Dendinger, and John Schubert for getting these guys together.