Mira Slovak

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I came across this excellent article by Bill Muncey in his June 1974 column in Powerboat. I figured a lot of people had never heard of Mira Slovak, and younger ones maybe never even heard of the "Iron Curtain". I did a search on BRF and there is no mention of him. He had a fabulous racing career. I don't know if anyone wrote a book on him, if not, there should be one.

[Gene East]

Wayne,

Thank you for posting this! I've never read it before. Had I done so, I would have had a different perspective of Bill Muncey.

I remember Mira Slovak and I remember "The Iron Curtain" and his escape to freedom. He was my favorite Unlimited driver of all time.

I remember reading about Mira Slovak stopping to help Bill Muncey after the crash mentioned in the article. I also remember Muncey being quoted as saying he should not have stopped, but should have gone on and won the race. I interperated that to be what he (Muncey) would have done.

All these years I have considered Bill Muncey the ultimate jerk although I have never met the man.

This article shows how much he truely loved Mira Slovak.

Isn't it interesting how all of us can miss-judge people simply because we don't know the whole story.

There was a time when I really didn't care much for a guy from Texas who drove Konigs and wore his hair longer than I wore mine.

Then a few years ago we renewed our relationship and I found this guy wasn't so bad after all. I had just failed to understand him.

Now that I'm older and wiser I'm proud to call Wayne Baldwin my friend!

Thank you sir for all you have done and continue to do for the sport we love, and thank you for being my friend!

[jrome]

Gene do you think I would of be hanging around with a bad guy and you know Louis Williams wouldnt of let me.

[geodavid]

Wayne, thanks for posting this. You have saved even more stuff than I have! The article is an example of how much more boat racing extends beyond the race course. Racing ends for all of us at some point, however, the friendships, memories (both good and bad) and comraderie (even among those that we did not meet) live forever.
Hey Joe, how come Louis let you hang around with us? You know what he used to say about me.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Mira was my favorite too Gene. He had such an interesting and courageous story. Alan...what did Louis used to say about you? You had long hair too. Every single time I have talked to Louis (even a couple of months ago), since the past 40 years Louis has asked me "Has your ignition come in yet?" :D

[geodavid]

Wayne, I cannot say. This is a public forum. Enjoyed the article immensely!

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

There is much, much more about Mira on Google, especially about his life away from the race course. Several years ago he flew across the Atlantic in what most folks would not even consider an airplane. It's all interesting stuff.

[hydroc888]

There is some current pictures of Mira on the Miss Wahoo web site. He stopped by when he was in Wash.

[Ron Hill]

I never met Mira Slovak but I heard two stories about him and have repeated the stories many times not knowing if they were true or not. Now days I could probably do a Google Search and find the truth, but as the reporter said in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", When the legend is bigger than the truth, print the legend!!!

Mira flew P-51 Mustangs in Air Shows.....His Unlimited was called Smirnoff and I think his P-51 carried the same sponsorship... Anyway, as the story goes Mira would fly his P-51 upside down over the water close enough that a small rooster tail would come off the water from the disturbed air on the wings...His win would be like 6" off the water...Very cool for spectators and a very scary move by a pilot...

I also heard that Mira was a "TEST PILOT" for Boeing and he flew the then new 727 Boeing PASSENGER JET over Lake Washington during the Gold Cup race to show off the new plane...While flying over the race he did a "FLYING OVER" like he was flying a his P-51. Boeing fired him for the "STUNT" but later because of the POSITIVE PRESS in Seattle he was rehired. Passengers felt very secure in this new plane as a result on Mira "STUNT"...

My experiences with Bill Muncey were few really, I read every Powerboat article he every wrote, I think. Maybe because I was 6'5" and Bill was quite a bit shorter, he treated me like a KING. Bill and Art Carlson "JUMPED" into MOD VP when we were just getting it started. Bill had at least two Carlson's painted like his Atlas Van Lines Unlimited with 00 as the numbers. He race MOD VP with an Evinrude. Bill saw a need for GRASS ROOT RACING and did a lot for MOD VP.

At the Parker 9 Hour one year, Jack Leek brought Jimbo and my Scotti to Parker for ME. I told Leek I was running my own Scotti with my OWN motor, that Envinrude could pay my entry and fuel me, BUT I KNEW THIS MOTOR and I KNEW THIS BOAT.....Anyway, Leek and I shouted at each other like we did frequently...

Jack finally said, "OK." Within minutes Jack had gotten Bill Muncey and john Schubert lined up to run the "FACTORY" Scotti. It was a "WIN WIN DEAL" As Fred Hauenstein and I got what we wanted and Bill and Johnny got a GOOD RIDE...

John Daley and I got together to race MOD VP. John's Family is the largest land owners in San Diego County. Muncey came to me and said, "TWO THINGS RON......'You take care of Johnny, don't get him hurt..' and I want to talk to you about driving my new boat".

Bill was building two new turbine powered boats and had a new sponsor, Circus Circus, for the second boat. Bill wanted me to meet with him in Las Vegas, after the MEXICO race. I was going to drive the new Circus Circus boat, Bill was going to continue to drive the ATLAS....

I have always considered myself "LUCKY". I feel very LUCKY to have known Bill Muncey, he was a very real person, a very nice person and he lived and died promoting boat racing, not just UNLIMITEDS....BOAT RACING....

I've had a good life, not racing an Unlimited met less to me a than not having Bill Muncey as a freind...

[Gene East]

Gene do you think I would of be hanging around with a bad guy and you know Louis Williams wouldnt of let me.

Joe,

You're absolutely right! Louis always told it like it was, much like Sheriff Hatton.

Niether of these gentlemen had any qualms about calling a duck, a duck!

Please say "Hi" to Louis for me the next time you talk to him.

[Skoontz]

Ron:

Maybe I'm filling in blanks and missing something at the same time...Got to love A.D.D.,, but here goes....Was this the Mexico race that Bill never came back from?

[Ron Hill]

Bill Muncey article...
Yes, Skoontz, Bill's last race was in Mexico. We were meet after that race and start plans for the next season...