You Really Want The "TRUE" Story????
In the '71 Six Hours, I drove with Mike Wallace in a Schultz. Mike was lighter than me by many pounds, the motor had about 14 inches of set back, and Mike had quite a time driving that boat.
I on the other hand, at 6'5", 240 I loved the boat and drove it for almost 4 1/2 hours. I broke a crank while leading with 20 minutes to go, or less...I set the "Index of Performance" record which was to the person who made the most speed gain in his or her class from the year before .Monday morning after Paris, waiting for a cab, Gary Garbrecht offered me a job at Mercury and a ride with Team Mercury. I said, "Don't you remember you hired Jimbo and he worked one day for you, until my dad talked to him?" I said, Jack, Charlie and Ann have been good to me. I have a steady job teaching, thanks, but no thanks."
Fast forward to 1972, Jimbo and I are scheduled to drive OMC's number one boat. It is a new Scotti with slotted front, somewhat like a pickelfork, but handled like garbage, would not take a set with me or Jimbo and didn't seem very fast.
Jimbo started the race and we were in the top 6-8 which isn't bad for the first hour and half. When Jimbo stopped for fuel, the flex flywheel was broken, and Kenny.....and Mouse had a hell of a time getting the flywheel nut loose and we lost a ton of time.
When I finally left the pits I figured, great day to take a boat ride, too bad we'll be last.
I just kind of drove, maybe like Ted May would have. I watched the girls on the bridges and along the shore and just had fun. At three hours I pulled in for fuel and Jimbo wasn't in sight. Finally, I see him in STREET clothes. I realize he isn't taking over for me....
I yell at someone what place are we in and they say 12th or something. Anyway, I roar on out of the pits thinking what else would I being doing on a Sunday in October??? I keep seeing ON boats broke down, and by 4 1/2 hours when I stop again, I ask what place am I in, and am told like 5th...Jimbo is standing there with helmet and jacket on....I give him the BIRD FINGER, and take off from the pits just as he's going to get in the boat.
I ended up third...Jimbo and I enjoyed the trophy dinner that night. In our more than 50 years of friendship, Jimbo and I hardly every get mad at each other, and if we do get mad, we usually forget what we were mad about.
The next spring I was to drive that slotted Scotti at Parker and refused, I said, "I'd run my OWN Scott and my own DAMN motor..." Bill Muncey and John Schubert then drove that Scotti at Parker and had the steering wheel not broken, they may have won! John can fill us in on those details!