Bill Muncey

William Edward "Bill" Muncey (November 12 1928 – October 18 1981) was an American hydroplane racing legend from La Mesa, California. He won 62 races, the most races in the history of the sport. [http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/2004/Bill_Muncey_main.htm Biography] at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Retrieved May 23 2007] [http://www.mshf.com/index.htm?/hof/muncey_bill.htm Biography] at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Retrieved May 23 2007] The International Motorsports Hall of Fame described Muncey as "without question, the greatest hydroplane racer in history." Muncey was nicknamed "Mr. Unlimited", and press referred to Muncey as the "hot chauffeur" and "hot". [http://www.nmma.org/awards/?WinnerId=83 Biography] at the National Marine Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame, Retrieved May 23 2007]

Racing career

Muncey began his boat racing career in 1949 by sinking in front of a hometown crowd on the Detroit River. Bill’s first attempt to drive in an American Power Boat Association (APBA) Gold Cup event began by blowing up the engine. Muncey went to Gar Wood’s riverfront mansion, and asked Wood for help. Muncey got an engine from Wood, but the bottom of the boat fell out during the next race.

Muncey had his first win at the Gold Cup in 1956 in Miss Thriftway. His career took off in 1960. Muncey won fourteen races between 1960 and 1962, including six of seven in 1962. In 1976, at age 48, he won five races in his boat Atlas Van Lines to silence the critics that said that he was too old to win. He moved to a new Atlas Van Lines boat in 1977 and won twenty times in the next three seasons. He followed up with four wins in 1980. Muncey won his last race at Evansville, IN in 1981. Muncey was leading the final heat of the World Championship race at Acapulco on October 18 1981 when he died in a blowover crash while travelling 175 miles per hour (280 kilometers per hour). He was buried at Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, California [ [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9738922 Find A Grave] , Retrieved May 23 2007]

In more than three decades of hydroplane racing, Muncey had claimed eight Gold Cups (1956, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1979), [ [http://www.unlimitedexcitement.com/Misc%20Hydroplane%20Info/gold%20cup%20winners.htm Gold Cup winners] , Retrieved May 23 2007] seven U.S. National Championships (1960, 1961, 1962, 1972, 1976, 1978, 1979), [ [http://www.unlimitedexcitement.com/Misc%20Hydroplane%20Info/national%20champions.htm U.S. National Champs] , Retrieved May 23 2007] and four World Championships. He was named the driver of the year seven times.

Awards

*Muncey was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2004.
*He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1989 in the Power Boats category.
*Muncey was awarded the National Marine Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame Award in 1988.

Biography

*"Thunderboating with Bill Muncey ", Tony Hogg. 1979. ISBN 0931570018.
*"Bill Muncey: Boat Racing Legend ", Stephen A. Garey (Unlimiteds Detroit 1982 Library of Congress No. 91-672

Personal life

Bill Muncey attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where he was initiated as a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

References

External links

*cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9406E0D81339F933A15753C1A967948260 |title=Muncey, Hydro Racer, Killed in Acapulco Race |accessdate=2007-05-23 |date=October 20 1981 |work=New York Times