My memory is imperfect, but hopefully anyone who knows the difference is dead. Ron had mentioned above about the "Mercury Maniacs" and how they sort of acted like rodeo clowns between events, when we raced in the "Speedboat Rodeo" on live (not taped) television for 39 consecutive Sundays between 1 and 3 in late 1955 and early 56.
By June the TV was over so Ted decided to race. He had legitimate A and/or B engines but only his own little fiberglass Mercury Maniac "Pumpkinseed" boats--without fins.
At the Drivers' Meeting at a Long Beach, Tommy Ingalls (My then boat racing hero) said those boats without fins were unsafe. Tommy wasn't racing in the classes Ted wanted to race, but he said they were unsafe, so I jumped on his bandwagon and told Ted, you can't race those boats with fins.
Ted said, "You shut up or I'll climb your Frame." Well, Ted's was not very tall, and I was about 6’5’’ then and I crossed my arms and got into his face and said, "Be my guest, then we'll put fins on those boats."
Let me say right here that of all the stupid thing I've ever said, and I've said a lot. Ted could have killed me right then and there and I'd never know what hit me.
After that Ted and I became super friends and to the best of my memory never had and argument. I always loved the guy.
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