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  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by seeroy View Post
    Bill (History Buff) - Your Dad was the greatest! Many people probably don't know what an aviation buff he was. We always talked airplanes and somewhere on this site I recounted an adventure that we had together at Havasu when he arranged for us to fly gyrocopters with the McColluch folks. My brother and your dad remained close friends right upto your dads death. Much is made on this site of the wild times we all (including your dad) had "back in the day". Let me assure you that, regardless of what is said on this site, everyone that knew your dad recognized his considerable talents, respected him, and knew that beneath the rugged exterior, was one incredibly good person. I know I did. Best Regards - Steve Sirois
    Amen......

    T2x
    20 Foot Switzer Wing 2 X S3000 (Dust'n the Wind II)
    !6 foot Wood Eltro Vee (2X Merc 1500's) (Dust'n the Wind IV)
    15 foot Powercat 15C (2 X Merc 1500) (Dust'n the Wind III)
    (Single engine boats are lacking something)
    15’ Wooden Switzer Shooting Star...
    16 foot Lee Craft Merc S 3000-(Gold Dust II)
    (The exception proves the rule)
    Obsolete and Proud of it

  2. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by seeroy View Post
    T2x - Looks like Lynwood Lupo with his right hand on the right motor. - Steve
    That's Lynwood next to a very young Craig Colabella (hands on lower unit), and Mark Baier (on the right, with George Linder (squatting) and me (Black Hat) .

    T2x
    Last edited by T2x; 10-26-2007 at 06:46 AM.
    20 Foot Switzer Wing 2 X S3000 (Dust'n the Wind II)
    !6 foot Wood Eltro Vee (2X Merc 1500's) (Dust'n the Wind IV)
    15 foot Powercat 15C (2 X Merc 1500) (Dust'n the Wind III)
    (Single engine boats are lacking something)
    15’ Wooden Switzer Shooting Star...
    16 foot Lee Craft Merc S 3000-(Gold Dust II)
    (The exception proves the rule)
    Obsolete and Proud of it

  3. #33
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    HIYA , Had more fun, got into more trouble, lost more money, got scared sh-tless, taught me how to smoke,drink, fight, charm ladies, eat alligator meat, buy a car when i couldn't afford it, and upset Merton quicker than anyone. I still loved that gangly, chisel faced reprobate more than anyone i ever met in my whole life. BILLY DON PRUETT. FBI. Crazy as a coon. I have so many true stories about that man and his exploits from Berlin to Bristol and Orlando and Sarasota. He knew so many world famous people personally, and the amazing thing is they were all glad to talk to him. If anyone ever set up a website or a thread for Pruett, i shudder to think the stories that could be told. Ollegator probably knew him better than most. People like Willa probably wished he would just go away and let the world go on turning without his help. He was right up there with SIROIS when it came to either offshore or circuit racing. He only ever frightened the life out of me whenever he took me flying, i always asked him if he took his steady pills, and where were his glasses, whenever he took me up. A legend and a half in one skin.

  4. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by jackie wilson View Post
    HIYA , Had more fun, got into more trouble, lost more money, got scared sh-tless, taught me how to smoke,drink, fight, charm ladies, eat alligator meat, buy a car when i couldn't afford it, and upset Merton quicker than anyone. I still loved that gangly, chisel faced reprobate more than anyone i ever met in my whole life. BILLY DON PRUETT. FBI. Crazy as a coon. I have so many true stories about that man and his exploits from Berlin to Bristol and Orlando and Sarasota. He knew so many world famous people personally, and the amazing thing is they were all glad to talk to him. If anyone ever set up a website or a thread for Pruett, i shudder to think the stories that could be told. Ollegator probably knew him better than most. People like Willa probably wished he would just go away and let the world go on turning without his help. He was right up there with SIROIS when it came to either offshore or circuit racing. He only ever frightened the life out of me whenever he took me flying, i always asked him if he took his steady pills, and where were his glasses, whenever he took me up. A legend and a half in one skin.
    WE flew over a race in the Bahamas in '86 and I damn near killed Pruett when we landed.... He managed to make a 310 Cessna" Hover" in a near dead stall for what seemed like an eternity. There's nothing like hanging in a single engine plane at a 45 degree angle, with maybe 40 mph of air speed, 50 feet over the water to make you use up your entire vocabulary of profanity....!

    He thought it was funny.........

    T2x
    20 Foot Switzer Wing 2 X S3000 (Dust'n the Wind II)
    !6 foot Wood Eltro Vee (2X Merc 1500's) (Dust'n the Wind IV)
    15 foot Powercat 15C (2 X Merc 1500) (Dust'n the Wind III)
    (Single engine boats are lacking something)
    15’ Wooden Switzer Shooting Star...
    16 foot Lee Craft Merc S 3000-(Gold Dust II)
    (The exception proves the rule)
    Obsolete and Proud of it

  5. #35
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    had managed to keep out of Pruetts way for a coupla years, then he said Disney is opening a new shop in Orlando, why don't you come on over. Gilbreath is here and we can see what sort of chaos we can create !!!!!!! i should have known better, He picked me up from Loma Linda and proceeded across country nice -n-easy and i gradually dozed off. He dropped that thing from 10,000' to zero, then laughed like a drain and said, "just a little old air pocket old buddy!!!!! go back to sleep." I swore then i would get even with that big, useless, ugly, idiotic piece of no good animal.
    He must 'ave had an awful lot of profanity thrown at him over the years, 'cos i know damn well, he never ever changed.

  6. #36
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    Yep, the ole man was something else. Dad was quite the pilot too. I spent almost as much time in the cockpit of an airplane with him as I did in boats. Even in his later years, he was the same person I had known all my life. I have seen him do some things that made me just shake my head. We all have one or two people that we will remember the rest of our lives. Billy Don Pruett is my memorable person.

    On one of the other threads, Steve was talking about some of his exploits at Lake X. I remember several. One time, I was there at the lake with Dad while he was testing. It must have been when he was racing the tunnel hulls. For some strange reason, we had brought my motorcycle. Dad took off on it like a bat out of hell. All I could see was he ample body on my new motorcycle taking off like he knew what he was doing. Never did wreck, but boy I thought he would.

    Another time we were there Dad was taking a gentleman and his son from NJ on a fishing trip at the lake. During the trip, we caught lots of bass. We had so many fish we ended up throwing a bunch back. These two people from NJ never been to the outback of Florida so off we went on that 17 mile road around the property to view the wild life. We came upon a three legged alligator that was trying to go cross country. Dad was on crutches due to the Havasu accident years earlier. We got out of the truck and surrounded the gator. The boys from NJ did not want anything to do with that animal. The macho person Dad, decided he needed to show these two what gators are all about. Well, Dad tried to pin this poor gator down with one of his alum. crutches and of course the gator put several large dents in it. Dad finally managed to pin his jaws and he said, "Billy, grab his jaws and pick him up". Well, gesh, number one, I out grew Billy a long time ago, but Dad still called me Billy. Number two, I have wrestled with gators before and even though this one was only about 5 feet, I knew I would have my hands full if I picked him up. I think Dad was trying to prove how tough us Pruett's are. Dad egged me on and I finally jumped on that gator with all my might. Laying there on top of the gator, I knew I needed to somehow escape when it was time. Dad told me to pick him up and throw it in the back of the truck so we could take him to the nearest pond. When I finally picked that gator up, it took all the strength I could gather, even as I young man, to control that guy. We put him in the truck, found some water and now we had to get that guy out of the truck. We were finally able to lasso a rope around him to drag it out of the truck. I am sure those two from NJ still talks about the fishing trip to Lake X.

    I remember one summer, Carl K. asked me if I wanted to work at the lake testing boats and living in one of the trailers. Boy I wanted to do that. I think the first time I met Steve was at Lake X, which I am sure he doesn't remember.

    The Billy Don Pruett I know was the same you knew. He was the toughest man I have ever known in my life. He didn't take crap from anyone. Yet Dad had a heart of gold. I miss him to this day.
    Bill

  7. #37
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    Hiya Billy, I came over to your house nr Sarasota 2 weeks before we were due out at havasu. Pruett decided we would go off roading with those 2 green jap Kwackers he took in some kind of a deal. One was just a little old 250cc and the other a 450cc . We put them in the truck and headed into the middle of okie fennokie land. I spent all day falling off that damned thing and trying again, he just cleared off into the long distance and came back hours later. Any body smaller and i would have slapped him. Will tell you all about the trip to Havasu, where he blew the thing over and left it to Olegator and me to bring the bits back to Florida next time i have a month or so freetime. jw

  8. #38
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    I remember vividly his accident. I thought for sure he was gone. I was still in the Navy, stationed in NAS Glynco, outside of Brunswick, GA. I had just been with Dad at a race on the St. Johns river at NAS Jax.

    Most people will not know how much he was in pain after the flip. Most of the time, he pretended to just take it like a man, but the pain was there.

    I have so many pictures of his early days in off shore and tunnels. I will have to scan them for posting here sometime.
    Bill

  9. #39
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    BILL, Was it you or your brother who was hauling racecars for Hendricks ??
    Pruett took me to the Daytona 500 for a most entertaining day.Damned if he didn't know every driver, mechanic, and owner in pit lane. He was made most welcome by them all. Later that evening he took me to dinner with Charlie and Anne Strang. That was when he got me to try alligator as a main course, i still haven't forgiven him for that .
    He told me he was going to get a replacement hip, but it sounds like that didn't happen.

  10. #40
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    Thought some of you might like a stroll down memory lane with a link to the Tornado Offshore Champion team from the late sixties.

    http://albaco.net/tornado/index.html

    This was one of Dad's most successful years in offshore.
    Bill

  11. #41
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    ...Bill Pruett! You still out there?! Can't believe we let Bill get away from us... Hope all is well... Need more memories! lol

  12. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by willabee View Post
    No, it's a guy that we hired out of Texas - he drove a twin Jones for Shepherd Racing before he joined us.

    You got the guy in the cockpit correct and you should definitely get the guy on the far left, in front of the boat and the guy on the far right, behind the boat


    His name is Bill Allan from Abilene. Bill is my father-in-law. Over the years he’s told me a lot of stories about Shepherd Racing, Mecury, Don Pruett, gators, etc. He’s 85 now and repeats many of the stories. We just smile like its the first time. Anyhow he had been living in Weatherford TX for 20 yrs after living in Scottsdale for 30 yrs. His wife Sondra passed last month and is moving up to Colorado to live with us. Kim is their only child and Bill was an only child so we are his remaining family. When he gets up here, I’ll have to show him this thread.
    Last edited by tesnyde; 09-17-2023 at 10:26 AM.

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  14. #43
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    Bill Allan .....

    Quote Originally Posted by tesnyde View Post
    His name is Bill Allan from Abilene. Bill is my father-in-law. Over the years he’s told me a lot of stories about Shepherd Racing, Mecury, Don Pruett, gators, etc. He’s 85 now and repeats many of the stories. We just smile like its the first time. Anyhow he had been living in Weatherford TX for 20 yrs after living in Scottsdale for 30 yrs. His wife Sondra passed last month and is moving up to Colorado to live with us. Kim is their only child and Bill was an only child so we are his remaining family. When he gets up here, I’ll have to show him this thread.
    You'd be hard pressed to meet a nicer guy, seemed he always had a smile on his face. Met Bill at their shop in Texas when he was driving a twin Jones for Shepherd, he could drive the nuts off of that boat. He was also an excellent mechanic and we hired him to build motors for the race team. He really missed driving and worked out an arrangement with Garbrecht to get back behind the wheel. The #730 boat in the Miami Team picture was going to be his first factory drive, but unfortunately for Bill it was cancelled due to high winds. The boat was the Molinari that had just finished first single, fourth overall at the 1971 Havasu championships.

    Bill working with the record run crew in 73 .....
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    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 5 Getting ready for the Selfie.jpg  

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  16. #44
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    Bill now lives with me. I shared your quote and pics. He asked if I could get your name.

    Quote Originally Posted by willabee View Post
    You'd be hard pressed to meet a nicer guy, seemed he always had a smile on his face. Met Bill at their shop in Texas when he was driving a twin Jones for Shepherd, he could drive the nuts off of that boat. He was also an excellent mechanic and we hired him to build motors for the race team. He really missed driving and worked out an arrangement with Garbrecht to get back behind the wheel. The #730 boat in the Miami Team picture was going to be his first factory drive, but unfortunately for Bill it was cancelled due to high winds. The boat was the Molinari that had just finished first single, fourth overall at the 1971 Havasu championships.

    Bill working with the record run crew in 73 .....
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  18. #45
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    Name .....

    Quote Originally Posted by tesnyde View Post
    Bill now lives with me. I shared your quote and pics. He asked if I could get your name.
    Sure, it's Bill Welch. My office was in the engine shop where Bill worked. This is me back in 73 .....
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    Give Bill my regards.

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