Red Adair...

[Ron Hill]

They made a movie of Red's life, it was called Hell Flyer with John Wayne playing Red Adair. He was always a friend to Texas Boat Racing...

I first read about Red Adair in Argosy Magazine...then first met him when his Madella lost steering at the 1967 Parker 9 hour and ran ashore...and ran through DeSilva parked on the trailer. That was the beginning a long family friendship...

The tunnel boat a DeSilva Sled is the boat Red's Mandella ran through!

[Ron Hill]

Slick invented the "Jaws of Life" used in many car wrecks today. he got the idea from Mercury's power trim. OMC always hired Slick to put on SHRIMP BOILS at the races...they were always excellent...

He later raced NASCAR Busch cars and was killed in a NASCAR Busch race....

This is Slick in 1968 at the Galveston 250....

[Master Oil Racing Team]

We raced with Red in Beaumont during the annual Neches River Festival. There was a split card--Alky outboards and flatbottom inboards. My dad bought an SK from Red and one of his hands, Richard Hatteburg brought it down to show us how to operate it. South Texas is one of the trickiest areas in the world for drilling. That was Richard's area. He would call our company whenever they came down for a blowout to provide trucks , mud, pumps etc. Whenever we heard of a blowout, told me to call him. One day a well blew out on the Southern part of the King Ranch and I called Richard. He was fighting a fire in Indonesia so they said they would patch me in to someone else. It was Red. He was in a boat in the middle of Clear Lake near Houston. When I first saw Richard in a race boat I said "I thought you just fought blowouts." He said "When you work for Red you do whatever he tells you to do." This is how two old boatracers made their living.

[bill boyes]

I met Red at a San Diego Mission Bay race when my Dad was a Referee. He was really a down to earth type nice guy.

[Jengle37]

My only contact with Mr. Adair was in Memphis in 76 or 77. We were there for a race put on by Armie Haines in ehat I believe was a converted gravel pit. The night before the race, most of the owners, drivers, and crew were in a restaurant having a big steak and seafood. Mr Adair came in and picked up the tab for the whole restaurant. He said since he wasn't racing this time, it was the least he could do. I'm glad I had a chance to thank him.

[WharfRat]

Red was one Hell of a man, he actually GAVE me my very first boat when I was about 12-13 years old. It was about an 8ft Jet boat of all things. (I have pics at home I'll post later) It used to belong to his grandson, but Red bought him a little 14' Boston Whaler to replace it. They kept it at one of Red's houses on Clear Lake. Red wouldn't let him take it out by himself cause of his age (about 8-9 I think) So I would go over all the time & take him out in it after school. Got many memories of that man when I was growing up on Clear Lake. What a great giving, caring man. (& Yes, he knew me as WharfRat, thats what they all called me back then)

[David Alaniz]

Hmmmm......I know all these guys especially the "guy" all the way to the right. He's my father Pete Alaniz. I have a lot of storys from those days.

[racnbns]

They made a movie of Red's life, it was called Hell Flyer with John Wayne playing Red Adair. He was always a friend to Texas Boat Racing...

I first read about Red Adair in Argosy Magazine...then first met him when his Madella lost steering at the 1967 Parker 9 hour and ran ashore...and ran through my parked boats. That was the beginning a long family friendship...

I thought it was Red's son driving the boat,anyway it headed for the pits at about a 45 deg. angle. The driver was standing up and shouting to people to get out of his way,and we did ! Our scorer [a lady that worked for Doc Jones] was sitting on top of one of our pickups. The pickup had a trailer hooked up ready to retrieve a boat when needed. Red's boat ran into the trailer, bounced off and ran over our port. gen. set and came to a stop up against another boat. Luckily the lady wasn't hurt. To get the boat on their trailer we used manpower. We called everybody over,must have been 25 or more guys circling the boat and we picked it up and drove the trailer under. Wow! I think back now and it seems impossible. Pick up an 18-20 ft. flatbottom with a huge V-8 ? If you get enough PUMPED UP boat racers you can do anything!

Bruce Summers
V-71

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Richard Hatteburg had told me of doing that in a boat, but I don't remember the race. Richard fought fires with Red and drove one of his boats. I'm thinking it may have been Richard behind the wheel. Maybe Joe Rome could call up Richard and get his version of events.

[jrome]

wayne, Richard was driving the boat. he told me he just got to feeling save to come back to parker. He hit some big shots car or trailer.Not any more. joe