A Bill Jack Rucker Sr. Story By Ron Hill

[Ron Hill]

Easter week, 1963, was a crazy time in Newport Beach, California. Thousands of people came to New Port for "Bal Week"... (Balboa Island). I headed down to the Newport Peninsula on Friday night in search of my friends from Orange Coast College. The traffic was non stop, so I parked my '53 Chevy and started to walk. Maybe, being 6'5" tall and 235 with blond hair and blue eyes, I got picked up by some girls from San Raphael. I asked them if they knew Reg Mechan who raced B Runabouts. They never heard of a B Runabout.


Bal Week was kind of a blur. My friends later said they didn't want to call my parents and tell them my CAR HAD NOT MOVED ALL WEEK. AS THE WEEK ENDED, I COULD HARDLY WALK, but the young lady from San Rafael wanted me to come visit.


So, May comes along and Carl Meyers and I decide to go to a race in Oakland. Hmm, San Rafael is just down the road.


Carl and I head out for Oakland on Friday. I have purchased Ted May's Sid Craft C-D Hydro. I had made some big changes in the boat. I added and extended steering wheel which allowed me to sit 12 inches closer to the transom.


We test at Modesto Reservoir on Saturday and Bob Powell suggested we come by "Signs and Designs" his shop and let him letter my boat. He lettered my boat and Carl's BU.


I called the girl in San Rafael and explained we we getting the boats lettered but as soon as we got to a MOTEL.


Well, we got to the motel, Carl had had a few beers, I had had more than a few beers and I called the girl. Her dad would not let her drive down to Oakland and Carl would not let me drive to San Rafael. I never saw the girl again, I do still remember her name.


Sunday, at the Oakland Airport Channel, I tell Carl, "I hear you'd better start behind Reg Mechan or you'll jump the gun. I have also heard, I had better start behind Bill Jack Rucker or I will jump the gun.


I had not raced on NorCal since I ran AU, in '56, so it took me awhile to find Bill Jack Rucker Sr.


Well, Carl won both heats of BU and got DQ's both heats for jumping the gun. I started almost last in four heat (C and D) and managed to win all four heats.


When the trophies were presented, Bill Jack Rucker, Sr. came over and congratulated me.


This was the beginning of a long friendship.