News in District 20
By Karl Loveless
NAMBA District 20 Director
So much has happened since I last
wrote about our district in the October
2015
Propwash
. I hope all of you had a
wonderful holiday season and you are in
full swing preparing for another FUN
season of RC boating NAMBA style!
I would like to take a moment to
thank Robert Holland and his family
their service, sacrifice, and being such
great ambassadors of model boating
while he was NAMBA President. I also
want congratulate Russ Stark for being
voted in as our new NAMBA President.
District 20 once again finished
another great season at the famous
Ameristar Casino Resort in the always
beautiful town of Black Hawk, Colorado
in late November. We had a great
turnout and a wonderful time celebrating
the 2015 season. I love seeing first time
class winners enjoy a bit of the bright
lights and how all of the hard work paid
off for them. We had awards for all
classes first through third place and other
fun awards like
Driver of the Year
(won by David Santistevan),
Pit Man of
the Year
(won by Lee Taylor),
Boater
of the Year
(won by Lyle Weilnau) and
our first inductee in to District 20’s
Hall
of Fame
class of 2015, Brad Taylor.
I also wanted to highlight some of the
amazing growth we are seeing in District
20 with regards to Fast Electric.
Specifically the Q classes. It is wonder-
ful people like Sean and Terrence
Cordova, Todd Ullmann and Joe
Scarpino, owner of JRS Innovations that
(Continued on page 10)
PROPWASH
April 2016
9
In Memory of ….
By Al Waters
NAMBA Executive Secretary
Last year we lost one of the most competitive
racers I have ever known. Jack Oxley. I met
Jack for the first time at the 1991 NAMBA
Nationals at Legg Lake, S. El Monte, California.
However, his boat racing career began long
before that time. Jack used to race full sized
boats.
Jack raced for Scott McCulloch Racing in the
sixties accumulating many wins at places like
the Salton Sea and Lake Havasu. He was very
successful racing the 1400 PowerCat's with twin
60 horsepower Scotts and designing high
performance boats and motors. When McCulloch sold to Chrysler Outboard, Jack
followed and helped develop the outboard drag hydro that took the 1/4 mile drag
unlimited outboard record to 127 mph.
When Jack retired from big boat racing, he took on radio controlled model boat
racing. That is when I met Jack Oxley. Never in my life had I ever seen anyone who
could get the most out of a K&B 67. When jack moved on to CMB 67’s, we knew that
we were in real big trouble.
Jack raced nitro monos, outrigger hydros,
outboards and gas boats, however he was best
known for his superfast and light weight 1/8
th
Scale Unlimited 1974 U-55 Lincoln Thrift. His
boats were so fast, at a NAMBA Nationals at
Legg Lake years later, he built an identical
Lincoln Thrift for Steve Muck who was back in
town visiting his daughter where he once lived.
Both boats made the Winner Take All Final. I
don’t recall how they finished but seeing two
boats that fast in the same heat was a sight to see.
When NAMBA dropped the 5 lap 9/10ths mile record course to stay with the 6 lap
one mile for records, Jack was the first and only person to set a record in 1/8
th
Scale
Unlimited at the Model Yacht Pond in San Diego, California. And that was a course
that used fifteen foot radius turns.
Jack Oxley was inducted in to the NAMBA Hall of Fame in 1994. That was three
years after I had met him for the first time so that should tell you the kind of career he
had. As time passed, Jack hung up his radio and opted for playing golf, walking, and
hanging out with everyone at the races.
The last time I saw Jack, “Uncle” Henry Velasco brought him to the District 19
awards banquet in Laughlin, Nevada in 2014 where they unveiled the contents of the
time capsule that was buried in the Legg Lake drivers stand. Jack was still competitive
Jack. He got his spot at the gambling table just like he always got his favorite spot on
the drivers stand. He was tough to beat. But when you did, he let you know it because
you had to be on your game. Thanks for the memories Jack.
District Director Karl Loveless presents
Brad Taylor with the District 20 Hall of
Fame Award
