Martin and I used to keep count. We did not intentionally try to wreck people but,  it occurred to us people were have bad results trying to use my wake to there advantage. The first time I know we had a part of bringing a swim to a competitor was in Biloxi our second race together. We had muscled our way into the first turn and as a result was leading the race. We were not the fastest on the straights but were the fastest in the turns. A 31 Warlock was chasing us down on the straights and riding my wake around the turn like a berm. I was getting pissed and he was gaining ground. After about 3 or 4 laps we began to overtake the F1's from the previous start. I figured I would change the way I was turning. SO as I approached the east turn I initially acted like I was going to ride around between the other wakes path and after I initiated the turn I chnaged my line and turned under and across the inside wake trail. The Warlock was riding my wake as he had been and when I crossed the wake he followed be could not maintain control and consequentially spun. The next time around the east side we saw the boat had sunk and was floating iceberged with only the numbers showing on the bow.

He was the first. In Key west the following race  a Formula tried to rob us of the inside lane in the harbor turn. He did not realize I had no intention of fighting for the inside as I prefer to sweep it and would do that staying wide and clear of those who choose to collect and square off turns on the inside. They too went for a swim. In Baltimore we talked to a guy in the gas station as were leaving after the race. They accidentally got bounced from our wake and side swiped a channel marker. We had no idea. They did not blame us but got added to our list.

In New York '99 The race I flew in Reggies jet from Toronto to Newark the night before to join Martin I had my funnest race in the Mastry boat. We had run it a few races previously and were beginning to understand the boat. Our boat was

In '03 I got a call from Todd the owner of the F2 Fever I liked so much. He was racing a new Skater SuperV and the F2 was sitting in his warehouse. His long time friend a Formula Dealer Boomer asked him if he could race the F2. It was at the time the a world record Speed holder. Of course Boomer had offered to pay for everything. Todd responded yes so long as I would drive for him. I had run the boat for him the entire 2000 season as art of a two boat team. We set the first speed record the boat set in APBA in it in Sarasota '01 and Key West that same year to take second behind the new Gladiator Cigarette. Yet another story there for later.

Anyhow I get a call in late summer from Todd asking if I want to race the Worlds in Orange Beach and Key West? Asked him what the deal was and he explained. I said yes and did not give it any more thought. About a month later I hear back from him. Get you but on a plane and get to out here to the west coast. I was making plans for next weekend and realized no one has called you with the plan. It was for Boomer to have a shake down race and qualify it for the Worlds. The Race was in Pittsburg California. Todd live in San Paulo across the bay. Todd has racing his Skater Spiderman with Lance and Boomer and I were to race the Fever. Todd was always great. Very team oriented, very competitive, very prepared and a great motivator. I would just like the 2000 season arrive at a race site with all preparations made and clean pressed uniform shirts hanging in the rig. He would reimburse me in cash for my ticket as he greeted me each event. We would as a team, stay together, and eat together.

At dinner that night was: Todd, Lance, Brent, Boomer , Boomers mother, myself and a few other of his hometown friends. Lance and I got paired up to share a room. The next morning the alarm went off an hour early with out us realizing. We were both  dressed and ready when we noticed the clock was set wrong. We had an hour to kill and began to talk

The way I ended up driving for George was different. Many of my rides just happened without any input from me. Driving the IMCO boat was a stand out in that regard. I was in Sunny Isle Beach, for a race were I was there to crew for my friend Ryan. Every morning before racing there is a drivers meeting, a quick physical by EMT's  and in most orgs a breathalyzer. On this day Georges driver failed the Breathalyzer and blew a .06 or something. It is a zero tolerance policy. He had been out late the light before and was hung over bad. He was also contributing 1500 dollars a race to the team for the right to drive. Paying for a seat is typical and understandable because it is so expensive to race a boat. One can easily spend 2500 dollars an event just to get there, pay entry fees and the like with an average race boat. All the preparations add much more. Anyway. In a panic George needed a driver. And my name came up. Next thing you know I am in another boat at a race I have never been in before. No test, no nothing again typical for me. The boat has a single 525 and is 30 feet in length and runs about 90. Sunny Isle is in North Miami and this was an ocean race up and down the beach. The green flag drops and off we go. George winds her up and has us in the lead. He is an old school racer like me and prepares his own boat. The boat was fast. He kept asking as we were flying from sea to sea in about the typical 3's are so seas, " Are you OK? " . I would reply, " Yes , just stay in it." As we approach the first turn to the south end he asks again; I reply the same. He must have asked a handful of times. Always to get the same response. Just after we rounded the north turn to head down the beach the drive failed and the race was over for us. Really sucks when your in the lead and break. Worse yet we needed to be towed in. On the the way back in we get to talking. He says at one point, " I have never been able to run this boat so hard.".

He ended up inviting me to run the

run the boat and began to discuss what the previous guy contributed to the cause. I gracious declined stating I have a commitment to Ryan for the season and I was not able to assist in any preps and refused to pay for the privileged.  He ended up agreeing to my situation and insisted I drive for him. I ended up racing a handful of races through the end of that season. It took about that many  for him to trust me enough to do what I was asking. He would always stubbornly say I am not going to let you see if you can slide this boat around a turn. I know better. My persistence finally paid off. He finally did what I asked , "when we get to the end of the straight do not change the trim and do not let out of it for any reason. I got it. If you back out of it in the middle of my slide we while certainly spin out."  He finally tried and we ended up running the following season together and we won a National Championship. That was my third and likely my last.

There is a cool you tube showing the start of the first races of that season. We were the only boat to win a race once the new Fountain SVL showed up. The driver of the Fountain admitted to my friend Jerry who told me , "I schooled him in the turns." The video shows that. I wish we had a video of the east turn too. That was one of the craziest experiences ever. I ran blind in his spray and matched him exiting the trun the you tube shows us running down the entire back straight side by side were I set him up in the turn and took the lead. 

He did get me back the following season.  My move was clean; He  should have been DQ'd for his retaliation but, it did not happen. That was my last race.

to look at his boat and saw what it was. " I don't work on them" , "I know", he responded," Greg said you might say that, I don't need engine work I want to add steering and trim tabs."  " I am sorry I can not help you," I explained and went to say, "I can not allow your boat to jinx my shop," after his further insistence. " If it is not Black it is not coming in my shop".  He left and I went back to work. The following week or so he comes back. He said he has complied and asked when I will get started on what he asked. I asked him , " what did you do; Did you thrown that that refrigerator away and put a real motor on it?" He  smiled and walked me outside. He stubbornly said it was not black any more. He had painted his entire engine black and repeated what I had told him. " It is a black engine". We ended up becoming friends. He had a BMW repair shop and was originally from Sarasota. His plan was to race his boat there. I ended up adding external steering and K Planes to his boat. He flew me and a friend to Sarasota and paid for everything. I drove and throttled with a foot pedal. He was happy though we did not win, we did have a great time and the boat did well. That was my first race in which I did not pay for anything. I should look for the picture of the limo he picked us up at the airport with and dropped us at the Hyatt. It was a retired airport shuttle like something you would see the the Caribbean. It had the doors removed, the roof cut out, a igloo cooler on the back bumper, a bimini top, boat style trumpet horns and what ever you call the bow clock thingy off a cabin cruiser mounted on the hood. It was like nothing I had ever seen. More over it had a 455 olds in it with open exhaust. We road around in it for about one day before we got pulled over and was instructed by local police , I better not see this thing on the road again."

Some pictures not on my site.

Arts Ten Meter



He taught me to trim so you can stay in it. That boat beat many faster boats over the years. It went 85 and would beat 90 mph boats in races because he ran it like the devil was spanking him. It is briefly talked about on my site.

Arts way of throttling that thing [ understand it was before EFI's and race worthy rev limiters ] was to " Let Her Eat". He meant and did just that. Most people think you throttle by basically letting off in the air. Well that is one way; not a winning way. The boat would turn 5800. When it left the water he would allow it to go to 6200. It was not a random number that is the number that when it re entered it would lunge, slap your head back, and resume 5800.

Jaques Velocity