2022NAMBANatsProgram.indd

86 At the 50th Anniversary of the running of NAMBA’s National Championships it seems only tting to recognize the most winningest National Champion of all time in the 50 years National Championships have taken place. T here have been many great champions in our time as an organization including David Newland with 41 wins, and Lenny Blake with 55 wins a but the one that tops the list of them all with wins in Fast Electric, Gas World Championships, and Nitro Nationals with even a podium finish at the Nitro World Championships, is none other than second generation boat racing legend Doug Twaits Jr with 70 amazing wins. Doug was born to Doug Twaits Sr. and his mom in the small suburban town of Denville New Jersey along with his younger sister. As a younger kid he had not caught the bug of RC boats just yet as he thoroughly enjoyed soccer, and basketball. It wasn’t too long before racing seeped into his blood, however, through slot cars. In his THE C CH 20s he got into dirt bike racing, ice and snowmbile racing as well as snowcross. In his 30s and 40s he enjoyed modified stock cars, flat track motorcycles and still played soccer. He got into RC boating at the age of 6 to 7 years old being next to the race course around the cove catching crawfish under the rocks. His father finally got him into racing when he was 13 years old. He says,“My very first boat was a 60 size Claim Jumper by JVC with a Super Tiger side exhaust. My NAMBA number was 666. I thought that was so cool at the time. I remember my first race in NY. I cut off 2 people, hit a dead boat and got disqualified. I was so upset it made me more determined than ever to learn to be --Interview and Written By Roger L. Hooks, Jr. Photo by Eric Bourlet