Thanks: 
Likes: Tom Percival...
Tom Percival Bob Spalding
Tom Percival...
Last edited by Ron Hill; 01-09-2023 at 04:21 PM.
Tom Percival ??
Sorry Ron, this not Tom Percival but his team mate Bob Spalding !!
I'm Not Going to Change it....
When I saw this picture, at Jack Leek's Memorial. I said, "Oh what a good picture of Bob Spalding." (I had not seen Bob since 1972.... or 35 years...).
Jimbo and Margarite woods both said, "No that's Tom Percival." I then said, "Well they usually teamed, and it has been awhile."...Jimbo even said you could Percival on the driver's suit....
So, Mike...You are probably correct, but do you want me to CROSS JIMBO and Margarite Woods???
Thanks for the post...
I originally posted "Phil Percival" until I realize Phil was the designer, mold maker for Sleek Craft, GMT Tunnels, Hallett and now works for Karl Koster.Phil was President of Betty Cook's Kaama Drive business.
Last edited by Ron Hill; 01-09-2023 at 04:13 PM.
Ron, when you were out of earshot Jimbo and I agreed that it wasn't Percival but Spalding. Sometimes those two English guys seemed interchangable.
No, I'm NOT WRONG...
Look at the name on the driver's suit...You and Jimbo both said, "See the L, it is Percival..." I admit when I'm wrong, I'm just not wrong...You and Jimbo caused this "Clercial Error"...
You were right, we were wrong...
HIYA RON, NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT,THATS BOB SPALDING. TOM AND BOB WERE GREAT FRIENDS. IN FACT SOME TIME AFTER TOM DIED. BOB MARRIED HIS WIFE, JILLY . DAMN IT, ONE DAY I WILL SIT DOWN AND TELL YOU SOME OF THE CAPERS THOSE TWO GOT UP TO. THERE CAN'T BE ANYBODY LEFT OUT THERE TO SUE ME, AND IT WOULD BE A GOOD INSIGHT TO SHOW PRESENT DAY WANABEES HOW THE GOOD GUYS WORKED AND PLAYED JACKE W.Originally Posted by RonHill
Berlin 1970
We had been "Hanging" with Bob and Tom and then we headed back to the hotel to go to dinner. I got lost following them and could NOT find the hotel. I flagged down a taxi and made my wife get in the taxi and followed the taxi to our hotel...
Only thing I remember of Bob's wife was that she was seriously BEAUTIFUL!!! And English (NICE) as hell!!!
JAckie, tell us some stories...Like how long did you guys take at Parker's pit stops...Seems you chnaged the "EARL" each stop...Was that Cosworth a fun ride???
I loved the "HIGH RIDER" Molinari's and even Jimbo agreed those were the GREATEST boats to drive....The 2 liter Merc's scared me. When they came on their power, they came on faster than I could think...Maybe, that is why I liked Evinrudes.....They were like me...slow to move....
That was part of the fun for B&T to leave you in the middle of berlin, while they headed back to the hotel, either that or they had a couple of hot birds waiting close by, whatever country we were in those two had the towns hottest properties on their arms. Tom with his english gentlemans accent and bob with the looks. They could even charm the pants off hard nosed hookers like 'LILO LILL AND COMO CLARA', and any racer who ever went to Como will remember those two. We were all staying at THE VILLA D'ESTA actually on the lake in como, when things got a little out of hand so bob tom chas shooter and self did a runner and hid in the bottom of a pleasure type rowboat moored just of the pier, only tom was the one who didn't make it. The carribinieri grabbed tom who yelled accross the lake ER BOB!!! JACKIE !!!! I DONT KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR ME BUT I'M BEING ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO THE POLICE STATION , IF YOU GET A CHANCE WOULD YOU BE GOOD ENOUGH TO COME AND BAIL ME OUT. Some thing always happened when those two were around. Yes Ron, to this day Jilly Percival is a gorgeous looking lady, and as you say VERY english. Did not marry again after bob died, but i think bob was still up to his old tricks and Jilly kicked him out and divorced him. The Cosworth was the most exciting boat i ever stepped into-----centrifugal clutch that you could blip the throttle to 4,000 r.p.m. before flooring it to 8,500 when that mother just reached for the sky and sent you into powerboat heaven. Poor old Brett May was given the job of 2nd driver at Parker and given an impossible brief-------dont turn it over-----dont go above 8,500 rpm-------watch the gearcase temperature------watch for the red light left of the dash, and a whole bunch of NAF instructions, and he did a great job and brought the boat back in one piece after each stint. The only down side to the race was,-----Duckworth was convinced the gearcase would not do the whole race, so, he decided we would change about the half way mark. So i came into the pits and the motley crew i had with me made a real pigs arse of doing the change, the gearcase would not come off. Jerry Gilbreath gets in the water and lifts the whole boat clear,out of nowhere a bunch of american race -boat fans appear with hammers and jemmy'sand did the buisiness. After 35 mins we were racing again, The boat never missed a beat and Malcolm Tyrrel from Cosworth Wiped the boat down and said to no one in particular, she's ready for the next race. just love the way americans give things a name 'HIGH RIDER' sounds like clint eastwood or at least Jack Pallance. Don't think Molly made too many of those in wood, other than the plug for Glastrons to produce enough for the whole U.S. navy and army, seems like half the field in Parker and Havasu consisted of these galloping Glastrons. when the 2 litres got into their stride ,not even mercury realized because of their wieght you could put them on a much smaller lighter hull. I first found this out when i bought a 16' schultze for a Konig, the enjine was late so we put a 2liter on its back and racing changed yet again. Off to look at the news to see how the rouen 24 hrs is doing, heavy thunderstorms during the night, just what you don't need in a 24 hr race Jackie W
Does anybody know if any footage exist of his fatal crash?
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