He said his fire extinguisher held AT LEAST A QUART!!!! He still got a ticket!!!!
He said his fire extinguisher held AT LEAST A QUART!!!! He still got a ticket!!!!
The first time I actually got to talk to Ted I was hanging around with some of the kids he brought to the race (Brawley, CA) about 1977. But because I'd been to every Havasu Outboard World Championship and Parker Enduro up to that point, I knew exactly who he was.
All of us kids had been sitting around doing nothing, when Ted came up and found all the boats still needed gas. He said something about it, and one of the kids said they were just about to do that...
I was sitting in awe - thinking "WOW! THAT'S THE FAMOUS TED MAY!" when he suddenly looked at me and said, "If you didn't have these clods in the way maybe you'd get someting done!". And I thought.."WOW! THE FAMOUS TED MAY JUST CALLED ME A CLOD!"
Of course, later Ted ended up "adopting" our novice team too (my brother, his girlfriend and me) and we then started calling him "Uncle Ted".
After receiving years of help from Ted, I was proud to do all I could to return the favor - I was his pit help and scorekeeper at Parker and Havasu for many years thereafter. I even once convinced my fiance to repair the old Hell Cat when it was starting to come apart at the seams at Havasu in the late 80's or early 90's.
I really miss Uncle Ted.
PS --- I named my first boat "HELL KITTEN", and the boat in my avatar is the "HELL KITTEN II".
When I told Ted what I had named my boats in honor of his Scotti hull, he said, "Did you talk to Mama Cat about that first?"
Great story BK...It has been said that Ted is the sole reason Long Beach Harbor now has a no wake zone...And he showed his fire extinguisher to the US Coast Gaurd...They did not find it amuzing, but many of the guys on harbor Patrol I have run into loved seeing that boat dance. They had to stop it because it was their job and I think that's what saved it from being impounded.
I had the honor of co-driving with Ted at one of the last Parker Enduros. We were driving one of his famous V-4 Johnrudes. Ted started the race but only lasted about 50 minutes when his engine failed. It was illegal to change powerheads in those days, but you could change as many parts as you wanted. Together,(with Ted doing most all of the work and me handing him bearings and tools) we rebuilt the entire powerhead on the tail gate of his old Ford pick-up. There was only about 40 minutes left in the race and the competition was not strong in our class. I think it was a 100 cu. in. class. If we got back in the race we could win the class and a few bucks to boot. Ted figured it was his boat and he should finish the race. I figured that I had paid half of the costs and it was my turn. Well, we got to arguing about it on the deck of Ted's Scotty (or was it a Molinari) and Ted slipped and fell in the water. I jumped in the seat and finished the race with Ted standing in the water yelling that I had better not "break it!" I remember seeing Ted pickup the pay check but I never saw my half. I think he spent it buying ice cream for the kids.
Ted and Pat only had one real child. His name was John. But he was always called "BUTCH'...Here is Butch after he'd finished the Colorado River Marathon in one of Ted's Mexican Floater.
Elgin Gates had these boats built in Mexico, I'm really not sure how fast they were, but on smooth water, in Needles, with a 20-H, "Jacked to the stars", they were a fun ride...
NOTE: Jacked to the stars was a Ted May term of jacking them up until they drove like a squirrel cage....Fast but only "LOONS" drove like that!!!
Last edited by Ron Hill; 04-02-2020 at 06:06 PM.
A Mexican Floater would go as fast sideways as it did straight. Here is Ted, he and Butch May had just finished 1-2 in the Colorado River Marathon...Circa 1966...
He was 46 years old here, look at the muscle structure in his Ex Quarterback arms...
Bunker, I think you're a little careless with your Ted May quotes. I'm afraid anybody out of the area (Mid-Worst or Least Coast) might not understand.
I'll try to clarify: Anybody that wasn't a cool, sane driver "drove like a loon"
Ted's arithmetic was some what limited. Any number above over about six was "a hunnerd and eight" or, better yet "a hunnerd and twenty eight."
The "don't monkey with it" came about when you, Bunker, were about 8 or 10 and wanted a skimmer board. Your mother took you to the plywood store and they ran into Ted. Ted said, "don't buy any of that (expletive deleted), come over to my house. I'll give you a good one. Well they did and Ted gave Bunker a nice skimmer board. In his loud and strong voice he told Bunker he could have it but "don't monkey with it." Bunker was a kid and Ted May was a big-time boat racer. Bunker didn't "monkey with it."
TED MAY Gave Me my first lifejacket that was fifty years ago. He was always a great friend to my family and a HERO of mine. I bet he has more miles in a race boat then anybody.
A side note I believe that lifejacket was made by Ronnie Hills Mother a true SWEET LADY
Hey Doug,
There was a story circulating before I started racing about your Dad breaking down in the marathon and floating toward Mexico before they found him. How about the "real" story?
Was that 1977 accident in 25 or ASH? Somebody turned a new hydro up on it's side in the quals and Erik center punched it clear through driving my pickle fork. Followed by someone running over a loose boat. I had a great view from the cheap seats running last.
When Doug rescued me, it was late in the day and really, really cold. Ted poured about 5 gallons of gas in a hole and sparked it up. It warmed up everyone in the pits. Only thing missing were the brats on sticks.
Hey MISS BEE KAY....Do I know you????
Ted May AKA Tadeuz (Tah-doosh, the Polish pronounciation) loves kids, had a penchant for "all you can eat" restaurants and always had fireworks. What made Ted the greatest was that nobody had more fun boat racing. Got to reminisce with Joe about Ted in Depue. The definition of a true gentleman racer...Roger Johnson. A guy everyone truly liked and respected. So happy you are driving a real race boat Joe...a runabout. We sure miss your Dad.
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