N.O.A. Roostertail

[Smokin' Joe]

Cont

In Oct. 1960 I upped that record to 56.693 mph with the same boat and Merc 800 but running a Sportsmaster lower unit (small, the
size of a 1975 Johnson Stinger gearcase but geared 13:21). That record won me the Wynn Oil Co. diamond stick pin and $100, I still wear the pin. Paul's record wa set with a Gale 60, which was a Fat Fifty with higher compression and the 21:23 Johnson 75 lower unit. I set 2 more records that day (37-40 and 40-50) and my dad set the 67-70 record. All with Allisons and Mercurys. My dad and I each ran over 60.5 mph with the 800 on my 13' Allison driving from the rear (he sitting, I on my knees) but Paul had borrowed a Merc 800 with Sportsmaster (there were only two of those gearcases in Tenn. in Oct. 1960) and ran nearly 61.5 mph for the unlimited record. He borrowed the Merc 800 from Leland Willicks, the Johnson dealer (Blount Marine, later Johnnie's Marine in Maryville) who sponsored Norman Goodson (read the Roostertail article). Leland was running an 11' Allison with a mod Johnson 75, our Mercurys were stock. According to Paul, who loves to retell the story, Leland yelled to Norman (in his boat) 'Go get that record back!' Norman yelled back 'Paul could put my boat in his and still break the record'. Leland, 'Then put it on the trailer and let's go home'. So ended the domination of the Johnson 21:23-geared 75 over the Merc 800 that year, and Paul (who had earlier been a Scott man and then a Johnson man) became a Mercury man forever. From 1977-85 whenever we tested a new model for GP Class he always wanted to rig Darris' Merc 850 on the boat even if my smaller cid Evinrude 75 was faster. I set the EP record in APBA in Oct. 1980 at 70.560 mph with my stock Evinrude 75 on an Allison XR-14. Three of the four XR-14s made was eventually destroyed, it had bass boat chines and wouldn't turn. The EP-15 bass boat was molded off the XR-14. Darris sold Pedro's lightweight XR-14 (80 mph in NOA with Merc 850XS with under gearcase water pickup) for $4000 a few years ago.

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