John Crocker

[wingman]

Our good friend Willie (Warbird 5) sent Bucky and me a message asking for a thread on John Crocker, who he crewed for for several years, and a thread on Bob Love. Many here know Willie these days as crew on Tom Camp's Race #2 Wildcat.

Here's a start. 1976 was my first Reno. A friend of mine dragged me up there (I think mostly because I was the only photog he knew with a telephoto lens so I could take pictures for him to use in paintings, but that's another story). There was this lovely airplane there -- listed as a P-51D but looking like no Mustang I'd ever heard of. It was beautiful! Didn't sound like any Mustang I'd ever heard, either.

Not only that, but that airplane finished in first place in the Gold, too! It made quite an impression on a young photographer...

[pt17av8r]

Re: John Crocker

Bob Love's Mustang sitting on the Reno ramp in 1985. I had a chance to speak to Mr. Love for a few minutes, and I can say that I have yet to met anyone that made me feel more like they wanted to hear what I had to say. Truly a memory I will not forget.

Dan

[wingman]

Re: John Crocker

I've known most all the Unlimited Champions of the last 30 years. Fascinating and compelling characters all, but not exactly always the nicest people. Driven, perfectionistic, and ruthless actually is a pretty good description of several.

John Crocker was a truly decent, nice man. He wanted to win as badly as anyone, but managed to remain low key and soft spoken to the end. I'm proud to have known him...

[wingman]

Re: John Crocker

I think this was John's finest race, in many ways.

1980 was vintage Reno -- stories within stories and all sorts of developing subplots. This was a year after the Red Baron crash -- Steve still not in racing shape, but got to fly #6 and #86 as a thankful courtesy from the owners. Rare Bear returned to Reno -- went very fast at times, but the times were short. This was the first time I'd ever seen the Bear, though I knew Lyle from when he put on the last Mojave. Of course there was the Jeannie crash and rebirth melodrama -- and the cheers when Mac appeared moments before the arrival deadline. It's also worth remembering that Mac as much as anyone was responsible for the glorious Red Baron and had lost that ride just before its glory years. I know he felt he had something to prove to himself and to the world. Also, a year and a half after the 1980 Gold Mac would be dead of cancer at age 46. I've often wondered if somehow he had some sort of premonition of that...

The Gold Race was one of the very best I've ever been lucky enough to see -- two great pilots going toe to toe at an amazing record-setting pace -- faster than the Red Baron had ever raced! Late race laps in the 440s -- lap after lap. Several lead changes. Sylvia Sweeney says in the Nag Rag that Mac ran as much as 115 inches and 3900 rpm (I guess no slow nose gears on that Merlin!). Crocker staying right with him at 110 inches and 3600 rpm in his much slicker airframe.

The sub plot here was that unknown to pilot and crew, Crocker's engine guy for his own reasons had set the prop governor at under 3700 rpm, and so Crocker just could not get quite enough muscle to fly around #69.

I remember years later sitting one day with John Crocker looking at pictures in one of my albums. When we got to this page he just sat for a while looking at this photograph. Then he sighed, and said quietly " I should have won that race..."

Neal

[wingman]

Re: John Crocker

Miami 1979...

[Leo]

Re: John Crocker

You're right Neal, 1980 was an incredible race year!
On a side note about Bob Love. Around 81 Bob was at a Travis airshow. It was the first time my sister (12 then) had ever gone to a show and had begged me for the chance. "Bernie's Bo" had been painted recently and he was very protective of it, but did not hesitate to answer her questions by placing her on the wing, climbing up himself and explaining the cockpit to her. Even held his cigar off to the side when she wrinkled her nose at it! We took her picture sitting on the wing and in 82 at Reno she asked him to sign a print. He was all smiles, remembering her name and the event. It was a BIG deal for her.
I have video of Crocker on a minibike, obviosly on an errand, being hailed down by a kid. He stopped, signed, chatted with him for a minute and shook his hand before roaring away. Class act.

[Dave65882]

Re: John Crocker

I was just a little kid when i met him and saw him race, but all in all he was a very cool guy and took the time to say hi to me and tolorate my "kid" questions. Not to mention #6 even had me drooling at her even though i am a round engine type of guy.....

Funny this came up now....we were in Chino this weekend and I made my son recall why he knows the name John Crocker when he sat on his bench outside fighter rebuilders.......Willie and the rest of the crew and Tom have made my son Niklas part of their team and they are all some of the best people I have ever met......

[laminar]

Re: John Crocker

Fantastic stuff,

Thanks Neal

Elliot

[wingman]

Re: John Crocker

I'm glad you're enjoying it, Elliot! You are in the company of many remarkable men past and present when you're out there all by yourself in that Raceplane out on the course...

Neal

[wingman]

Re: John Crocker

Some days you're the windshield...

[wingman]

Re: John Crocker

some days you're the bug!

[BellCobraIV]

Re: John Crocker

Neal,
While on the subject of John Crocker, I would be remiss if I didn't finally own up to the Bear crushing the Mustang on the tail of Rare Bear. On the evening that Bill (Porno Bill) Lardner was lettering the Bearcat before leaving for Reno, Lyle had just got off the phone with Crocker and and Crocker had said something that did not set well with Lyle, as Lyle went on talking Bill sketched a Bear crushing a Mustang in his Bare "Bear" hands. Lyle chuckled and said put that right on the fin on both sides, with a blue stripe down the side. Well the next day there it was, and there it stayed that year...... sans the blue stripe.

John

[wingman]

Re: John Crocker

Oh really -- that one I did not know even though I crewed on both airplanes! I don't think I ever thought about what Mustang it might be.

An excellent addition to the memory bank.

I wonder if Crocker ever knew whose airplane was the inspiration for that bit of "tail art"

Was this the same artist who did the "Really Rare Bear" that Bill Kelly showed me on the inside of an access panel on the Bear transport tractor? Too bad that one can't be shown on the net...

Neal

[BellCobraIV]

Re: John Crocker

Oh really -- that one I did not know even though I crewed on both airplanes! I don't think I ever thought about what Mustang it might be.

An excellent addition to the memory bank.

I wonder if Crocker ever knew whose airplane was the inspiration for that bit of "tail art"

Was this the same artist who did the "Really Rare Bear" that Bill Kelly showed me on the inside of an access panel on the Bear transport tractor? Too bad that one can't be shown on the net...

Neal

Yes hence the nickname Bill (Porno Bill) Lardner, Bill Lardner was quite the artist and also quite the individual. Everything he lettered had some hidden sexual inuendo, including Greenameyers F-104.

[wingman]

Re: John Crocker

Can you measure a man by who his friends are?

John discussing something with his friend Steve Hinton at the Hamilton Air Race...



And with Dennis Sanders and Rick Brickert at Chino 1985.