I was out to dinner last night with a few old friends & a question came up & I had no answer.
In the 1981 New Orleans race who was the throttleman on Joel Halperns Michelob Light on that fatal day ? I know Joey was navigating but who was on the sticks ?

LS

Mike Poppa ?

I'm wrong, sorry Steve. Mike Poppa was killed with Dick Fullam in the Still Crazy boat.
Right?

According to Searace on the sticks's Jack Stuteville & the navagator was Joey Ippolito.

Yes Ed that was the 1985 Worlds in Key West.

I remember in '85 it was in AJ Roberts on the east bound leg , they had run Still Crazy together but it was the cat that got them. If my memory serves me.
Jim

It was Jack Stuteville, I was supposed to throttle for Joel but bowed out after we blew the whole driver side sponson out of the wood Michelob light cat, last race of the season of Jones beach in NY. Joel thought that I had lost my nerve when I pulled out of the Benihana race as the old wood boat was comming apart around me, and it was brutally rough. We agreed then that I would do one more race, which was Jones beach crash, Joel hurt his leg pretty bad and was still limping in the fatal New Orleans race. I was there and ended up taking his girlfriend Connie and his kids to the hospital. It was a horrible tough sad day for all who were close. I arranged to have Joel flown home that night for the funeral next day, as per the jewish religion. Ippolito was directly behind him and saw the whole thing happen, he was a wreck for months afterward. It was the first race for the brand new 38` Alum. Cougar, I was the one who supervised the building of the new boat for Joel. 7XCHAMP

Thanks Richie......

Steve