2007 | George Gary (Duke) Waldrop

Waldrop started racing in 1959 in Baytown, Texas at age 15, with his father's 12-foot wooden boat. (He never told his parents). He joined the Red Adair team in 1965 and raced Inboard flatbottoms for three years.

Duke built his first Outboard tunnel boat (Sport E) in 1968. During the 1970s and '80s, he won seven APBA National OPC Championships and two UIM World titles. He was a 1978 Hall of Champions inductee.

As Region 15 Chairman, Duke helped build it into one of APBA's strongest regions. He introduced a newsletter, hosted region banquets, National and World Championships, and helped bring OPC racing back to life in the area. He and his wife Fay also hosted the successful 1989 APBA Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.

In 1980 Duke became race director of the new National Powerboat Association (NPA), one of the first professional series for OPC tunnel boats. With support from Mercury Marine, Duke and his wife Fay introduced a computer program for scoring races in the early 1980s. He served as OPC Vice President in 1984-85, founded the IOGP Series, and was the first to successfully combine tunnel boats with Unlimited racing.

Duke, now living in Winter Haven, Florida, brought The Harmsworth Trophy competition to the U.S. three times, and organized two Mississippi River record events. He introduced Carlos Kuri to APBA racing and fostered racing in Mexico, helped start the APBA Drag category, and helped bring the Antique and Classic Boat Society into APBA vintage regattas.

Duke served as APBA Senior Vice President from 1988-92, and as Chief Referee for OPC (including the Nationals), Offshore and several Special Events. Duke was appointed interim APBA Offshore Vice President three times during the 1990s. He encouraged reinforced capsules for tunnel boats and helped coordinate universal standards for them. Duke was also one of the first tunnel boat drivers to utilize mirrors and a CB radio on his boat. Duke emceed and helped enhance the Hall of Champions ceremony. In 2006 he became ChampBoat Series Race Director, and now serves as UIM Commissioner, officiating at F-1 races around the world.

Professionally, Duke served as a Race Director and consultant to Mercury Marine Hi-Performance Products. Then he became Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Second Effort Performance Products (later folded into OMC Performance Group). In 1994, became Executive Director of the American Water Ski Association, then Director of Marine Industry Relations with Ski Safe Insurance.

In 2007 Duke was appointed to the APBA Board of Directors. Duke Waldrop's distinguished and diverse career eminently qualifies him for the APBA Honor Squadron.