Betty Cook should in this list

Betty Cook should be in this list.

Betty Cook is widely regarded as having been one of the most successful off shore boat racers of all time having won two UIM World Championships and three APBA National Championships. Ms. Cook won her first race in 1974 driving the Mongoose, a second-hand 32 foot offshore boat. After purchasing a new 38 foot Scarab named Kaama, she won numerous races, including the 193 mile Bushmills Grand Prix at a speed of 73.3 mph. In 1978, she became the first woman to complete, in one day, the 580 mile run down the Gulf of California from San Felipe to La Paz. Averaging just over 50 mph, she completed the race in 12 hours and 45 minutes in a 29 foot Scarab hull. A world and national champion driver who could hold her own on any race course in the world, Betty was inducted into the prestigious APBA Hall of Champions in the years 1977, 1978, and 1981 and became a member of the APBA Honor Squadron in 1993. She retired from active competition in 1982 and passed away on December 23, 1990 at the age of 67.

The interesting thing about Betty Cook is that she almost single handedly KILLED OFFSHORE RACING.....Think about it... Her Ex Husband Paul Cook was a BIG TIME OFFSHORE RACER. Offshore racers were whiskey drinking, cigar smoking, men among men....Man against the SEA.

Here comes a little old, 55 year old grandmother and just kicks the fire out of everbody...

I was doing a little Offshore racing and Ski Racing with Dino Kotsonis, with a 38 Scaarb and a couple of V-8 Evinrudes... We were in some POPBRA Class where we always lost, but we were having fun at the parties and just going.

My brother was friends with Paul Cook, but my brother and Paul got out of Offshore at about the same time...

So when we were up to Lake Mead for POWEWRBOAT'S SPEED TRIALS and RACE, I was quite impressed with these two red Chris Cats that Betty was running... I looked them over and thought the Kaama Drive was pretty cool. The motors had a nasty sound, quick throttle response... But, at Lake Mead (1,100 foot lake level)they couldn't plane, so, with out telling anyone, they went around the corner into a cove and pulled the boats on plane with fuel loads for the race...

After that race, I decided Betty Cook needed me.. She was already Offshore World Everything, but I made an appointment, and took about 20 Stock Outboard props in a box with me. I told her who I was, she said she knew who I was. I gave her a propeller sales pitch... and she hired me...

She was expanding her Kaama Drive business and had just hired Phil Percival to Manage her Kaama Drive Business. I knew Phil from my Sleek Craft MOD VP's and respected him very much. He was a "TOOLER" by profession, so I was surprised to see him taking a Management position.

He had made all the Sleek Craft molds, later he made the GMT (Del TACO/Greg Foster MOD VP)...and he's also done some cool jet boat stuff, plus some of Hallett's tooling...

Anyway, for the next two years we made Kaama Drive props, reasonably profitable.

I remember once going testing with her GREAT THROTTLE MAN, John Conners, we're running one of the Chris Cats right on 100 MPH, that magic number, I'm standing in the boat next to John, John gets out from behind the wheel, never backs her down, and points for me to drive....I had only been in two or three big boats in my life, and most went about 60.... what a "RUSH"...in the OCEAN at 100 and me driving...

It was that day that I learned Betty had "TERMINAL" Cancer and things would change at KAAMA, so be prepared...

An FYI, Don Rumble ran Betty's Racing Business, day to day... and Don and I became good friends...The last five years that I taught, I taught with Lou Rumble, Don's son...Small world...

No words can express what a loss to our sport, losing Betty was and to the world...She was WONDERFUL!!!!

She was most certianly a wonderful woman. She should go on this list indeed... and in our hearts as well.

Rest in peace Betty...... wherever you are.

George

She was loved in England as well. Have to dig up some articles from there that probably haven't had much circulation here.

This is from Volumn 1 Issue 2

I have an interview on tape with Betty Cook that was recorded in 1978 - whilst she was over in the UK for the Cowes Torquay Cowes that year. Once I have uploaded it onto my pc I will endeavour to upload it here so that all can listen to her!! It was a local BBC radio station interview lasting around 4 minutes. Great stuff.

http://media.boatmad.com/gallery/v/littlenige/

Tape of Betty's interview...