Steve Jones Lone Star Racer

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I had looked for Steve Jones for years. Not long after Joe Rome told me about Boatracingfacts and I joined, that I began to look for Steve. I first started in Corpus Christi where I last saw him. Being such a common last name, most of the Jones listings in the phone book had their middle initial. I found some Steve's and Stephen's, and some S Jones, but none with the middle initial B. Stephen Bayliss Jones was ny Steve. Over the years I would try other ways to find Steve. Joe Rome told me of a sighting of Steve by Louis Williams in Beaumont. He had seen Steve at a funeral, but I never could find out where he lived. One day a Steve Jones joined Boatracingfacts. I was ready to welcome him with stories and photos when I looked up the new member info. This Steve Jones was a stock racer from the Michigan area I believe (M on his boats) and ironically he started in 1967 just a few years after my Steve and I had started. So I continued to look. Steve and I had probably spent more time together than other racing friends because in the early 70's we began to promote boat racing in our area and we started making contact with local media. We sold program ads, spent a lot of time at the printer, and made a lot of rounds together, not only in Corpus, but Laredo and San Antonio. I finally found Steve a couple of months ago. Or I should say his wife found me. Steve had passed away. She said during the previous 6 months Steve would say to his wife Karen "We need to go see Wayne". They even came to Barbon and drove around toward the end of last year, but did not stop at my house. Karen called and left a message on my phone saying that Steve had passed and that they were going to have a funeral for him, and at the same time Covid 19 news hit. People got nervous and since Steve's body was going to be cremated, it was decided to postpone the funeral and have a memorial service when things settled down. That service will be next Friday. One week from today.

I had been saving up to start a thread on Steve because I thought I would find him still with his wet tennis shoes on and ready to have some fun posting stories. Well, I am starting his thread now, but the stories will just be my side of it. Rest in peace my friend.