More EP and Mod VP, 1977-1981

[Smokin' Joe]

1. Neck and neck with Louis Collins at Lake Dallas, June 1977. Jay Cox sent me the money, I bought the red/white 13' Allison/Stinger from Meatball Murray in the fall, rebuilt the motor (identical to mine afterward, and as fast). Jay drove the rig at Guntersville and it sunk during the race! But he went on and won the 1978 EP Closed course Nationals with it.

2. Havasu 1978, worst ride of my life while it lasted. I was taken out early after being hit during the start by a Checkmate. Fred Schoellkopf's rig, steering on right side with ride guide steering-we didn't have time to do it right that year. All three Mod VP boats that I drove were owned by Fred. Alan Stoker ("John's Custom Marine") won in 1978. Alan was, in my recollection, the only OMC driver to be able to run with the Mecurry loopers after 1981.

3. Taking off after pit stop, Havasu 1979. Motor on loan from Evinrude, courtesy of Tom Ireland and Jim Nerstrom. Alan Stoker ran 2nd with his self-built Evinrude 235, Kenny Shaw won with the factory sponsored Johnson. Bill Muncy ran the 2nd factory Evinrude on a Glastron and bounced unmercifully around the rough course.

4. Two EP speed records held in 1985, my straightaway record was never broken.

5,7. 235/Laser, Havasu 1981. 13/50, not competitive because at the driver's meeting under gearcase waterpickups were allowed, allowing the Mod VP tunnels to jack up the motors and run with the gearcases above the water. Speeds went to 100 mph, but V-bottom speeds stayed at 85 mph. This was the beginning of the end of V bottom racing in APBA. Louis Collins won a year earlier with a 225 Mercury on 'Texas Twister', but was disqualified for allegedly cutting the right-turn buoy. I saw the video, it appeared on the video that he did not cut inside the buoy. In any case, the video did not show him cutting the buoy. Because of the small lift strakes on the outer chines, the Laser came out of the hole fast (the strakes tunneled water to lift the transom), then ran faster down the straightaway because instead of spilling up the sides of the boat, air was directed opposite the direction of flight. The boat also turned inside every other boat on the course. It was the most fun ever to drive that boat for 4 hours even if it wasn't competitive.

6. Team decal from 1979. I still have it.

8. Today's activity

9. 3rd place in 1979 (where the decal in item 7 was first used).

10. Page 1 of a 1982 Trailer Boat article