Jim Stone

[Master Oil Racing Team]

There's a lot to be said about Jim Stone. Those who knew him, raced with him, or hung out in the pits long enough knew he was one to be reckoned with on the water. I considered Jim a friend although I never hung out with him at the races. I look back now and think of all the people I met along the way and wonder why I didn't seem to find more time to sit down and talk. At Laredo, Texas in 1980 I shared a limo ride with Jim on the way to a press conference and he was clearly having a great time. We didn't talk boat racing. Jim was also thinking about the cheap price of gas just across the border in Nuevo Laredo. He planned to fill up before the long ride back to Florida after the races.

Here are two photos I took of Jim at Alexandria in 1973. He had a cast iron cylinder FA Konig on his DeSilva. Jim was at the scales to be weighed in. I didn't look at race results before I posted these pics, but Jim was very familiar with the inspection area. I took these photos about a year after I ernestly started taking racing pictures. Paul Simison had helped me greatly, and I made a bunch of prints to put in a photo album. These two photos were part of my first album.

I am looking forward to posts about Jim Stone, his racing career, and thoughts from those who knew him. I have more pics to put up later.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I came across this in the July 11, 1980 Propeller. Region 5 news. I got an E mail from a current racer and BRF member regarding the part of An Amazing Story Part II concerning Jim and his death at Laredo. After Jim's death there was talk of having a perpetual trophy in Jim's memory for either 350 or 500 hydro. In the E mail, the driver said she won the Jim Stone trophy in class 350 hydro some years ago in Florida. She didn't know Jim, but after reading the story, the trophy means even more to her now. For one, I never knew which class was picked, and now I know. More importantly, it is good to know that the trophy continued on for many years. I wonder.....is there still a Jim Stone trophy?

[F-12]

Thanks for posting those great pictures, Wayne. I think over all the years racing against him, the worst thing I ever heard (from me and everyone else that raced against him) was he was "really hard to beat". He was a guy that would help you when he could.........one of those that would give you an extra mph or two just to make the racing better. I think I have a few of us in BOH that I will post if I can find them.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I came across this February 1980 UIM Bulletin. Jim's record at Lakeland is the 5th entry down. For those who have never seen one of these bulletins I included the whole page. Some other interesting records are there.

[Danny Pigott]

This was Jim Stone's race. It was held at a boy scout camp on Dr's lake ,at Camp Echockote In Orange Park Fla. It was sponsored by Exporer Post 995 and North Florida Outboard. Always had a good turn out,

[scscuba1]

Jim's wife Shirley called me tuesday night and told me about this web site. Oh the stories I have to tell. Jim was my mentor and a true close friend. I was so sadden by his death that words could not describe. Thanks to Wayne I was able to read a factual account of his passing. My voice trembled and tears filled my eyes as I tried to read the account to my wife. As time is short now I will post some photos and tell a few stories later. BTW in the top photo is myself behind Jim and the fellow with his back to the camera is Harry Pinner the race boat builder. Now, Harry Pinner is a story in himself. The photo from the Newspaper Danny posted also shows me (F-63) to the right of Jim and Joe Denny (F-93) above Jim. Big Stuff the Desilva Runabout was later passed down from Jim to me.

[geodavid]

I feel the same when thinking about Jim. Raced a lot against Big Stuff! He was not only a great racing champion, but an even better person. Jim rolled up to the judges stand one year at Alex after I was disqualified for cutting him off (who me?). He insisted on having me reinstated. He will always be remembered as a great racer, however, I will also remember him as a great man. Everyone who knew him misses Jim very much. F 63, I am glad to hear that Shirley is on boatracingfacts! Wishing the best to the Stone family. Truly a man of character.

[scscuba1]

I do not remember where and when I first met Jim. I think maybe at a race put on by the Jacksonville Outboard Club. Back in the day we built our first hydroplanes from plans from Popular Mechanics. Two sheets of 4X8 3 ply plywood and fiberglass. We ran the onld Merc and Wizard engines. Clyde Carpenter showed us the first Merc real race engine. I believe it was the MK 20H with the tuned exhaust (commode as it was called). Somewhere in there Jim came into my life. Jim introduce me to racing by taking me to Savannah Ga where we raced on the Ogee- chee River. There I met a lot of the SC and NC boys. The only name that I remember is Danny Piggot. Jim was always the fastest. At that time he was racing the Quincy Looper and I a Merc A deflector enging. Jim was a hands on sort of guy. Always trying something new. I remember him taking carbs from the big HP Merc and making floatless carbs and alky carbs from them. Then he would take the crankcase and modify the intake to accept the new and larger carbs. Fourty years later I still have an old templet and needle valve Jim made stuck im my parts cabinet and a couple of spray nozzels that we used on a water injection system he designed for that old A of mine. From cylinder heads to fuel tanks, Jim built it all. I remember the first kill switch he built. Since I spent more time out of the boat than in, I believe it was for my safety not his. The time finally came for me to move up. One Sunday while at a race on Ogee- chee River, I sold my little boat and motor. Harry Pinner had just built Jim a new boat and he picked up the FA Konig engine from Walt Blakenship or at least I knew him as Walt. Jim's old boat and B Quincy Looper was passed down to me for a nominal fee of course. That little FA engine was the fastest around. That is not to take anything away from Jim's skill as a driver. He was gooooooooood.

[scscuba1]

Jim was more than just a Race Boat Driver. He also had a great love of the outdoors. He loved to hunt and fish. I remember when Jim first introduced me to duck hunting. I rented a jon boat from the Navy MWR marina for the weekend. Jim set about camo of the boat. Then we set out for a weekend on Lake George. Jim got me up early at Zero dark early and we puttered out on the lake and hid under the camo screening and waited for the ducks to appear. Then pow pow pow. In a matter of just a couple of hours we had our limit of ring neck ducks and back to the cabin where Jim prepared and the ducks for dinner. Not a bad cook either. My greatest memory of a hunting trip was when Jim decided to take me dove hunting behind the Regency Square old phosfate mines in Jacksonville. Doves were eveywhere. I stepped down in a ditch and head a shotblast. I mmediately jumped out of the ditch and was instantly hit in the face with a blast of # 7 1/2 shot. I was hidden and came up in Jim's line of fire. By the grace of God, the shot had missed my eyes but did hit my neck and face. Jim came running to me. I sucked a piece of shot from my lip and spit out a little blood. Jim was almost demanding that he take me to the emergemcy room. I said no, I was OK and I had just seen a flock of doves land by the sand dune just a ways away. So off we went to find some more birds while making sure I was not out of Jims site. Even today when I have a Xray of my face or head, I get to tell the story again.

I remember while at the Chapionship races in Alabama, Jim introduce me to small mouth bass fising. After a day of testing or racing he'd bring out his rod and reel and catch a couple of bass and release them.

When we were rebuilding the Boys Scout Camp for the Orange Park Regatta, Jim and I would get our beetle spins and wak the shore line of Doctors Lake and fish for bream while on their beds. Those were the days. Then there was the day that Jim and I saw the biggest black bass ever. As luck would have it Jim landed that monster. I am sure he would easily made it into the Florida State record book. What did Jim do with it? He gave it to me and said he was sure my kids would love some fresh fish. That is Jim for you. Thinking of someone else othe than himself. I sure miss him!

[scscuba1]

He is a shot of Jim and John Dressel. John was a die hard looper!!!! Not sure what happen to him. I think this photo was at Gasden Alabama. F-63 is my boat.

[scscuba1]

As I said earlier, I spent more time out of the boat than in it. I remember a race in Ocoee in the middle 70s. I got a good jump on the start. I was in first place on lap one coming into turn one Jim past me on the outside like I was sitting still. Still in 2nd place coming into turn one I believe Trevor past me. Still in third going into turn one final lap I was pushing hard. Some how I caught the left sponson and was thrown from the boat. I failed to release the steering wheel and my shoulder was ripped from the socket. I sat in the water unable to raise my arms and I thought I was drowning. Out of nowhere Jim comes screaming to my rescue. He jumped from his boat and swam to me. He grabbed my right arm to see if it was broken. Of course I let out a scream. Jim stayed with me until the rescue boat arrived, put me in the stokes litter and did not leave my side until I was put on the ambulance. While I was at the hospital he made sure my boat was retrieved, trailer loaded and taken to the hospital. Jim was a true friend. Damn I sure miss him!!!

[D-44]

Just discovered this forum, and need to add a few facts. We attended High School together and there discovered a common interest. His first boat was actually a 12 foot homemade wooden scow, powered by a V-4 Johnrude. At the time, I was playing with an Ashburn AB runabout and a KG9. I 'graduated' to the OPC side, Sports D and E. For those who are not familiar with this class, at the time these boats were basically a D Racing Runabout with 'dad's stock fishing motor', complete with the huge lower unit. Jim discovered the Merc Hurricane and tiny hydros. We spent many Sundays at the Jacksonville Outboard Club's races. I have a short Video of he and I testing, Christmas Day 1967 if my memory is correct. Me keeping the runabout from hitting the judges' dock, he trying out a D cab-over which I think he got from John Dressel. Taken by Ben Perry (another story, he had one of a very few genuine 75-H lower units). He and I competed a few times, but he had a weight advantage over me. Still enjoyed driving against him in the BU class, and later in 250 runabout. At one point in the late 1960's, I talked him into driving a OPC boat in the Marine Stadium. His comment was something like "I feel safer in my canvas-decked 10 foot Carlson 3-point with a B looper, at 85 MPH, than in your 13 foot pleasure boat doing 50...". For those of you with a really long memory, I was stationed in Texas in the early 1970's. Came home on leave during Lakeland. Jim borrowed a C Stock motor for me, and loaned me his AB runabout. Kinda small for the rules, but the judges let it pass for the CU class. They knew I was suffering from race withdrawal. Naturally, I ran last but there was no CU class in Texas, so I suddenly became the C Utility Champion for the Texas region.... by default ... ouch! Remember the San Antonio Nationals? He, Shirley, and Adam stayed with us, and we had a wonderful week. Introduced him to Artie Lund and some of the other Texans. Just lots of fond memories, we stayed very close friends right up to his untimely death.

[D-44]

Just discovered this forum, and need to add a few facts. We attended High School together and there discovered a common interest. His first boat was actually a 12 foot homemade wooden scow, powered by a V-4 Johnrude. At the time, I was playing with an Ashburn AB runabout and a KG9. I 'graduated' to the OPC side, Sports D and E. For those who are not familiar with this class, at the time these boats were basically a D Racing Runabout with 'dad's stock fishing motor', complete with the huge lower unit. Jim discovered the Merc Hurricane and tiny hydros. We spent many Sundays at the Jacksonville Outboard Club's races. I have a short Video of he and I testing, Christmas Day 1967 if my memory is correct. Me keeping the runabout from hitting the judges' dock, he trying out a D cab-over which I think he got from John Dressel. Taken by Ben Perry (another story, he had one of a very few genuine 75-H lower units). He and I competed a few times, but he had a weight advantage over me. Still enjoyed driving against him in the BU class, and later in 250 runabout. At one point in the late 1960's, I talked him into driving a OPC boat in the Marine Stadium. His comment was something like "I feel safer in my canvas-decked 10 foot Carlson 3-point with a B looper, at 85 MPH, than in your 13 foot pleasure boat doing 50...". For those of you with a really long memory, I was stationed in Texas in the early 1970's. Came home on leave during Lakeland. Jim borrowed a C Stock motor for me, and loaned me his AB runabout. Kinda small for the rules, but the judges let it pass for the CU class. They knew I was suffering from race withdrawal. Naturally, I ran last but there was no CU class in Texas, so I suddenly became the C Utility Champion for the Texas region.... by default ... ouch! Remember the San Antonio Nationals? He, Shirley, and Adam stayed with us, and we had a wonderful week. Introduced him to Artie Lund and some of the other Texans. Just lots of fond memories, we stayed very close friends right up to his untimely death.

I finally put some related stuff on-line, a few screen shots of the afore-mentioned video and a link to the movie. It is 3 minutes long, and 30megs. Download and use QuickTime if you have trouble viewing it. Enjoy. I have many fond memories of the times we had together from 1963 until 1980.
http://www.world-net.net/~crash/tom