|
Lose of a dear friend to us all...
Pictured is Jim Tucker a few weeks ago in Oklahoma City Race.
Jim passed away in a incident in his awesome looking~P/E Say When...while racing in St. Louis, MO. SLDBA event on Creve Coeur Lake.
Here is an artical from the local paper...
Drag Boat Drivers Remember Friend Killed In Weekend Race
June 22, 2009
St. Louis Drag Boat Association...
A Texas man died after crashing his boat at the St. Louis Drag Boat races at Creve Coeur Lake in Maryland Heights this weekend. It happened about 4:30 Saturday afternoon. The races went on as scheduled Sunday, minus one of the circuit's best drivers, Jim Tucker, 52, of Kingsbury, Texas.
"He was one of my best friends," said drag boat driver, Greg Carr, choking back tears. Carr said he and Tucker became very close, racing and traveling together for events across the country.
"We all got together and went out to eat Friday. He said, 'man I'm ready to go Red Lobster'. I did get to buy him his last meal. Yeah, we're going to miss him," Carr said.
Tucker won the World Championships in his class in Arizona last year. His wife, Yvonne, told Fox 2, he'd been racing boats since 2003.
Investigators weren't sure what went wrong Saturday.
Witnesses said Tucker's boat teetered or "chime walked", then went into the water nose-first, ejecting Tucker, who died after suffering multiple broken bones and head trauma.
Police said accidents this severe were rare in boat racing, even with drivers typically reacing speeds near 150 mph.
"It is uncommon to actually have accidents out there," said Maryland Heights police lieutenant, Mike Klos. "The majority of the time when they do, they're not overly serious ones."
"He died doing what they loved," his wife told Fox 2.
She was there when rescuers brought him out of the water. He was bleeding, so badly he couldn't communicate. Someone said he was struggling to breathe, she said no, he was trying to talk to her. She seemed pretty certain about that.
Before Sunday's races, the other drivers prayed for Tucker's family and the safety of everyone involved in drag boat racings.
They took up a collection for Tucker's wife.
The two had no children. "Just 10 dogs," she laughed.
"We're all like family here," said Raffael Saleca, a driver and Vice-President of the St. Louis Drag Boat Association which sponsored the event.
He said the races went on as scheduled Sunday partly in tribute to Tucker.
"That's the way Jimmy would have wanted it. Make no mistake. That's the way Jimmy would have wanted it," he said.
"We're all going to miss him," Carr said, crying. "I know he's up in heaven somewhere looking down on us, saying, 'go'."
An organization called RESP, Racers Emergency Response Program, donated $5000 toward funeral expenses.
Copyright © 2009, KTVI-TV
All of...US wish the intire Tucker family & friends our heart felt prayers~~~
REST IN PICE JIM! You are in good company in Gods hands and the rest of the racing fella's up there ;-)
Special Thanks to DRAGBOATRACING.COM for a copy of this artical.
Joe S/F Dutra |
Date(s): June 20-21-2009 SLDBA. 1 - 7 of 7 Total. 748 Visits. |
|
1
A fine gentleman & his machine!
Jim Tucker drove a C&H Pro Eliminator, boat with a 496-cubic-inch, Big Block Chevy engine. His boat ran on blown alcohol and was named “Say When” after being inspired by the gunfight scene in the movie “Tombstone.” According to Jim, “Many boat owners have personal reasons for picking unique names for their boats. Jim said...Heck, I named mine after a line from a famous gunfight scene. That’s what drag boat racing can come down to – a showdown between you and your competitor, but after the race we are all one big family.” ;-)
| 
2
Here's a few pics of Jim on Sat. & Sunday!
In Oklahoma City-OK.
RIP
| 
3
| 
4
| 
5
| 
6
| 
7
JOHN 8:12...
| |
|
