The ALL-TIME Worlds BEST Throttle Man is....
06-26-2008 | 11:02 AM
#101
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From: MIAMI, FL
I'm 73 now, and I had a raceboat before I had a car. I think that hanging out with Odell and the Moesleys and Dave Craig, et al is one of my happest racing experiences. In fact, it is my best dream that does not include Angelina Jolie...........
06-26-2008 | 11:47 AM
#102
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Joined: Oct 2003
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A great, great post. I agree with each and every word and your list is perfect. I watched just about everyone on there and I couldn't really say one was better than another. Although Gilbreath, Lanier & Sirois seem to settle the closest to the top of mine, they're gentlemen all.
After almost 20 years of owning Apaches, I still have to put Bob Saccenti on the top of my list.
"The magic throttle arm..."
"Show 'em how it's done, Bob"
After almost 20 years of owning Apaches, I still have to put Bob Saccenti on the top of my list.
"The magic throttle arm..."
"Show 'em how it's done, Bob"
When I was announcing each race.....I would make it a habit to point out the truly great T-men...... and why. I also noted their mistakes.......... I was able to see just about all of them in action from 1965 (driver-throttlemen) through 2000........ I have been villified by many for leaving out of my play by play or articles performances by their friends, brothers in law, mentors, boyfriends and husbands (most of them sucked), but I called 'em like I saw 'em. I also rarely complemented drivers..... since with the occasional exceptions (Lavin, Kaiser, Serralles, Patel, etc)...most of them were irrelevant to the boat's success or failure.
Bottom line.... I learned two things over the years:
...Without a good T-man/crew chief, you're nothing
.... Nobody who lives conveniently close to you, and has "bargain prices" can build an offshore engine worth a damn.
So........
Powers, Moore, Imprescia, Tomlinson, Serralles, Diaz, Lewis, Gilmore, Martin, Dyke, Curtis, Gilbreath, Saccenti, Smitty, Lanier, Sirois, Vickers, etc, etc.............. all made their boats winners against others of like talent and experience.......
They competed in big seas all over the world in some cases against fleets of 30-40 boats or more with equally talented guys on all sides....... This is called racing. You rarely heard a rule discussed...much less changed, they ran innovative engines and hulls and tried their best to bring the right gun to the right gun fight. In short they simply shut up and raced.....magnificently. They also worked round the clock changing engines, glassing bulkheads, and nursing injuries. They never whined...never showed off, and never bragged..........THey helped another guy if possible, but never...NEVER...at the expense of their own program and competitive edge.
If you can't make the above claims....don't dare put yourself or a buddy in their league. If you can, then shut up and race..... The world will notice without an ounce of hype.
For me, today I see parties, bravado, backslapping, parties, finger pointing, breakdowns and failures caused by poor maintenance, parties, paint jobs and tow vehicles that exceed the actual racing budgets, bolt on breasts, parties, naivete', bling, but not a lot of actual same class, heads up racing against true competition. What I also don't see are true T-men and capable crew chiefs. Racing moneys are misspent on the wrong things, given to people with limited or no talent, or pissed away on the wrong stuff (opposite of "The Right Stuff"). We used to call that spending 99 cent dollars...and it's still true. When you elevate the team truck driver to crew chief..to save a few sheckles... you get what you pay for...a race boat that runs like a Freightliner.
I went to Sunny Isles...and loved the Don Aronow festivities... and seeing some truly great racers. I thought the event showed a lot of promise...... not because of the usual gang of ever changing short term racers and their myriad of different classes....but because the young guys finally got a chance to see the truly great ones....Frankly with the exception of JT, Stevie, and a handful of others..... there's no one left to emulate.
Now maybe some enterprizing person will reach out to a Richie Powers, or a Joey Imprescia, or a Tom Akoury....and learn how to run with JT....and learn how to compete at the highest levels....and put the truck drivers back in the trucks...where they belong. Listen I love truck drivers, I make my living working with them...but none of them get's to choose my props.
At the end of the day....I truly wish all racers ....all true racers...good luck.......and I wish all poseurs...a nice Merlot.
Finally, if you attended last weekend and still don't know who Dave Craig is...and what he did...... You're hopeless.
T2x
Bottom line.... I learned two things over the years:
...Without a good T-man/crew chief, you're nothing
.... Nobody who lives conveniently close to you, and has "bargain prices" can build an offshore engine worth a damn.
So........
Powers, Moore, Imprescia, Tomlinson, Serralles, Diaz, Lewis, Gilmore, Martin, Dyke, Curtis, Gilbreath, Saccenti, Smitty, Lanier, Sirois, Vickers, etc, etc.............. all made their boats winners against others of like talent and experience.......
They competed in big seas all over the world in some cases against fleets of 30-40 boats or more with equally talented guys on all sides....... This is called racing. You rarely heard a rule discussed...much less changed, they ran innovative engines and hulls and tried their best to bring the right gun to the right gun fight. In short they simply shut up and raced.....magnificently. They also worked round the clock changing engines, glassing bulkheads, and nursing injuries. They never whined...never showed off, and never bragged..........THey helped another guy if possible, but never...NEVER...at the expense of their own program and competitive edge.
If you can't make the above claims....don't dare put yourself or a buddy in their league. If you can, then shut up and race..... The world will notice without an ounce of hype.
For me, today I see parties, bravado, backslapping, parties, finger pointing, breakdowns and failures caused by poor maintenance, parties, paint jobs and tow vehicles that exceed the actual racing budgets, bolt on breasts, parties, naivete', bling, but not a lot of actual same class, heads up racing against true competition. What I also don't see are true T-men and capable crew chiefs. Racing moneys are misspent on the wrong things, given to people with limited or no talent, or pissed away on the wrong stuff (opposite of "The Right Stuff"). We used to call that spending 99 cent dollars...and it's still true. When you elevate the team truck driver to crew chief..to save a few sheckles... you get what you pay for...a race boat that runs like a Freightliner.
I went to Sunny Isles...and loved the Don Aronow festivities... and seeing some truly great racers. I thought the event showed a lot of promise...... not because of the usual gang of ever changing short term racers and their myriad of different classes....but because the young guys finally got a chance to see the truly great ones....Frankly with the exception of JT, Stevie, and a handful of others..... there's no one left to emulate.
Now maybe some enterprizing person will reach out to a Richie Powers, or a Joey Imprescia, or a Tom Akoury....and learn how to run with JT....and learn how to compete at the highest levels....and put the truck drivers back in the trucks...where they belong. Listen I love truck drivers, I make my living working with them...but none of them get's to choose my props.
At the end of the day....I truly wish all racers ....all true racers...good luck.......and I wish all poseurs...a nice Merlot.
Finally, if you attended last weekend and still don't know who Dave Craig is...and what he did...... You're hopeless.
T2x
06-26-2008 | 12:13 PM
#103
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 451
Likes: 11
I will second that, It is a shame that so many in the sport don`t know who these incredible wonderful people are, and what their contributions to the sport actually were. Odell was one of my Mentors, as you were when I was the kid at Lake X, racing 21` Seacrafts with Carl Moesly. It was a treat on Sat. night when some of the new guys in the sport met Odell, Johnnie T. had never met Odell, I made sure of that introduction, they hit it off, and started telling stories, and going through the Searace book, Same with Marc Granet and Sott from Gieco. I was like a kid around Odell and Gene Lanham, I was bringing everyone I knew to meet them, some knew about who they were and others had only heard the names from the past. But like I posted many had no idea turbine powered boats were running back in the 60`s and most had no idea about the types of races we did, Long beach to San Fran. and back, I forgot to put and back in my previous post. Brownie: Big thanks to you for gathering as many legends as you did, I am hopeful many will be able to return next year, and I`m sure when the ones who didn`t attend hear how great it was they will make a point of attending in the future, The parties were great, just didn`t last long enough, Gilly would have been in his glory. Big thank you Brownie
06-26-2008 | 12:14 PM
#104
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 841
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From: edgewater,md.usa
My vote is for Art Lilly. Been out there a long time and still runs and wins from time to time. I remember him out ther in the early 80's. He has also coached quite a few T-men and drivers in his time also.
06-26-2008 | 12:27 PM
#105
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From: Fairfield, CT
Now maybe some enterprizing person will reach out to a Richie Powers, or a Joey Imprescia, or a Tom Akoury....and learn how to run with JT....and learn how to compete at the highest levels....and put the truck drivers back in the trucks...where they belong. Listen I love truck drivers, I make my living working with them...but none of them get's to choose my props.
T2x
06-26-2008 | 12:43 PM
#107
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,266
Likes: 6
From: MIAMI, FL
Tommy Akoury is one of my favorite throttle men, riggers, mechanics, gentlemen, of all time. When I was at Cougar, he was Tman/ Crewchief of the unbeatable P-class 'Black Duck'. After the race, and before the speed trials as Wyandotte, Mi., he worked all night with us in the mud and rain, to install our third engine. We could never have done done it without his help, expertise, and parts. Next day, we set the world P-class record. He was second. When I reminded him of his kindness at the reunion, he said: "Yeah, I never was too smart"!
06-26-2008 | 01:44 PM
#109
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,692
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From: Fairfield, CT
Tommy Akoury is one of my favorite throttle men, riggers, mechanics, gentlemen, of all time. When I was at Cougar, he was Tman/ Crewchief of the unbeatable P-class 'Black Duck'. After the race, and before the speed trials as Wyandotte, Mi., he worked all night with us in the mud and rain, to install our third engine. We could never have done done it without his help, expertise, and parts. Next day, we set the world P-class record. He was second. When I reminded him of his kindness at the reunion, he said: "Yeah, I never was too smart"!
Tommy throttled his Nephew's 32 Skater at this years NYC Poker Run(not sure if this is the reunion you are talking about).
06-26-2008 | 02:16 PM
#110
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,266
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From: MIAMI, FL
27' Cougar with child version of Steve Curtis at the sticks, Peter Currington on the wheel. I was referring to last Saturday's reunion in S. Fla. Your old man is also one of my favorite gentlemen. None better.
