A Conversation with Will Jakubowski of the Elmont Bangtails

by Dan Laverty

This is a conversation is Will Jakubowski of the Elmont Bangtails. Will is currently still recovering from injuries sustained during a practice run late in the 2011 season. I wanted to conduct this so that people would get the chance to get to know Will and better understand him. I sat with Will, his girlfriend Stephanie, his parents Debbie and Robert, Will's therapist from the Brady Institute at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and family friend Gary Brower at the William St. George Drill. I got to know them a little bit and had a great time sitting with them. We exchanged stories about how we got into Firematic Drilling. Will and I have a lot in common, both of our Fathers raced and we both went on to race ourselves. The Jakubowskis are a great family and were a pleasure to watch some of the drill with. This conversation took place via e-mail between myself, Will and his mother Debbie

DL:  How old are you?

WJ:  28

DL:  Single/Married?

WJ:  Single and currently dating Stephanie

DL:  Pets?

WJ:  None of my own but I have cat-napped my neighbor’s cat that hangs around our house. I feed it and it brings me all the mice it kills. The cat is always at our glass doors looking for me. We have seven acres and there is a lot of wildlife out there. We feed the deer, birds, wild turkeys and pheasants. I enjoy the quiet of the country.

DL:  Favorite TV show?

WJ:  At night after a long day of therapy I like to watch the Wheel of Fortune and Two and a Half Men on TV. I usually head off to bed around 9 but talk on the phone with Stephanie for a while. I'm sleeping less now but still need 9 hours a night. The brain only heals when you are sleeping.

DL:  Favorite activities (besides racing)?

WJ:  My hobbies are mostly firematic related. Cold-water rescue, Haz-Mat, drill team and I love those signal 10s. I've started doing some fresh water fishing with my life-skills therapist. It's fun but nothing big here in the streams. I did catch a crawfish last week. Where our house is it's really rural. I walk the hill and go visit the neighbor’s goat and sheep farm. The farm is about a mile up the road. My sister, Donna lives outside of Syracuse, NY. Donna and her boyfriend Matt raise Black Angus cows. A new calf was born this week. I wish she lived closer so I could help her with her farm.

DL:  Were you a Junior Fireman?

WJ:  I was about six when the Lawrence Cedarhurst Fire Department started up a Junior Fire Dept. They hadn't had one for a years and now there was a whole group of young kids who fathers belonged to LC. I ran on the Junior Drill Team for years. We really only went to Battalion drills, nothing big. I was Lieutenant and then Captain. I learned a lot from the guys at LC. They really showed me around the trucks and the equipment. When I was old enough to join they didn't have a drill team and had sold the B-Truck a while back to Levittown. I joined Elmont to the disappointment of a lot of the guys at LC but Elmont has a good relationship with LC and we help each other out with fast teams and mutual aides so all is good.

DL:  What was your first drill?

WJ:  As a teenager I used to ride my bike to North Woodmere Park to watch the Bangtails practice. I would sit up in the bleachers. I loved the sound of the truck racing down the track. I would go to the races when I could usually with Gary Brower. I was still too young to drive. I started getting friendly with the members of the Bangtails. I was about 14 or so when they invited me to go to the State Drill with the team. I rode up with them in the van to Main-Transit. The next year they invited me to go up to Deerfield. I rode up with Jimmy McCarron, the team driver at the time, in the tractor trailer hauling the rigs and equipment. What a thrill it was! I remember them dropping me off at home on Cedarhurst Ave. in Cedarhurst around midnight or 1am lights and sirens. Guess we woke some neighbors that night.

DL:  Do you have family members who were members of a drill team?

WJ:  My dad and Uncle Mike ran on the Screech Owls back in the 80's. My Uncle Billy ran back in the 60's. No helmets back then. The Screech Owls of Lawrence Cedarhurst only had a B-Truck. I guess racing was in their blood and now it's in mine. I grew up in the fire department. My dad belongs to LC for over 40 years and was Fireman of the Year in 2011. He received the award while I was in the hospital so I didn't get to see him receive it. My Uncle Mike was Chief of LC when I was a little boy. We lived next to each other and he gave me an old Home Alert radio for my bedroom. I was only about 3 at the time. During the night when the radio went off I was outside in the chief's car before he got out of the house waiting to go, still in my pajamas. He even forgot me at a call one day and the truck radioed him to say I was on the curb. I got to ride the truck back that day. Glad my mom wasn't listening to the radio…we would both been in trouble. My Uncle Mike bought me my first set of turn-out gear for my 3rd birthday. I lived in it.

DL:  How old were you when you joined the Elmont Fire Department?

WJ:  I first joined Elmont the month I turned 18 which was in June of 2002. I was assigned to Engine 702. I joined the Bangtails and ran Efficiency, Motor Pump and Buckets. I left Elmont for a couple of years when I moved to Putnum Valley and joined the fire department there. It wasn't long before I moved back to Long Island and rejoined Elmont and ran with the Bangtails again. I begged Brain Schriefer to let me jump off the back of the B-Truck and C-Rig. It wasn't long before I was running 3-Man ladder and B and C Hose.
DL:  What rank have you achieved as a member of the department?
WJ:  At the time of the accident I held the office of Second Lieutenant in the Elmont Fire Department and was the Captain of the Haz-Mat team.


DL:  What is your favorite event?
WJ:  My favorite is C-Hose. It's a long, fast run.
DL:  What is your greatest memory as a member of the Bangtails?
WJ:  The greatest moment for me was the Nassau County Drill in 2011 when the Bangtails took second place in the drill. We won lots of trophies that day. The best were first place in 3-Man, and B and C Hose. I ran in those events. We had 17 points going into the last two events. Motor Pump and Buckets are not our best events. We couldn't catch up to first place but we took second. It was a great. We were hot that day!!

DL:  What event would you like to see run besides the Big 8?
WJ:  I saw Motor Hose Replacement run up in Deerfield in June of this year. I live about an hour from there so my mom drove me up to see the drill. It was different from any event I've ever seen, I thought it was pretty cool.
DL:  Where do you like State Drills to be held? Upstate or Long Island?
WJ:  Wherever the NYS drills are run, if upstate or on L.I., they draw a good crowd. It's a long day but it's worth it.

DL:  What are your thoughts on the recent changes to the C-trucks (smaller tires and hubs)? What are your thoughts on the recent rule regarding helmets having to be DOT certified?

WJ:  The changes made to Drill Team racing this year I guess is a good thing. Everyone needs to be safe but drill team racing in my eyes was always safe. Better helmets, that's good too. I haven't tried one on yet so I really can't say that much about them. I wore a hockey helmet and was wearing it the night of the accident. I'd like to get it back when the investigation is over. I don't remember the accident at all and have lost a period of about 2 months. I don't really know much about the changes to drill team racing. I do know from what I've been told is the accident was due to mechanical failure. Mike, our driver, is excellent and well-skilled and I'm sure he did everything right that night. He gives you a good ride and if he had an indication that something was wrong with the rig before the run we wouldn't have been on it. I blame no one and nor does my family. I'm glad my teammates weren't seriously hurt and have returned to fire fighting. I will too in time.

DL:  Would you like to talk about what happened to you last August?

WJ:  I was a patient at JHMC (Jamaica Hospital Medical Center) in Jamaica, Queens for 3 months. I awoke from my coma 9 days after the accident but remained in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit for another month. I had procedures to drain the blood from my brain and a pressure probe to monitor my brain pressure. I also had procedures for a trache, feeding tube and a mesh strainer placed in the main artery to my heart to prevent any blood clots from entering my heart. I also received 3 pints of blood and had 3 seizures. A broken clavicle and index finger were the least of my problems. As sick as I was, I hated the trache and had to have my hands tied to the bed because I constantly tried to pull out the tubes. I was transferred at the end of September to The Brady Institute for Traumatic Brain Injury at JHMC. It is the number one center in NYS to treat head injuries. I remained there in acute care for 56 days and was never without support from my family and my fellow firefighters from Elmont, Lawrence-Cedarhurst and across L.I. I'm told that my family was very well cared for while I was so critical. They never felt abandoned or that they were in this alone. West Hempstead Fire Dept. held a blood drive in my honor for which I'm very thankful for. During my time in the Brady Institute I had to learn to sit-up, stand, walk, speak and eat again. I have amazed my doctors, nurses and therapists and continue to do so. I never once gave up and am now running again. Speech is still a problem but I'm working hard on improving it. They say I have some cognitive issues yet but I think I'm doing well. I feel a lot better.

On November 20th 2011, 4 days before Thanksgiving, I walked out of JHMC in my Class-A uniform carrying my helmet. The halls were filled with members of the Elmont and Lawrence Cedarhurst Fire Depts., family and friends. They brought trucks and chief cars to the hospital and had a whole procession back to Elmont with lights and sirens. At the fire house we had a big lunch with food and cake.

Late that afternoon the Elmont Fire Dept. transported me to our family home in Sloansville, NY where my mom lives. I will continue out-patient therapy at Sunnyview Rehab in Schenectady, NY. I receive PT, OT, Speech, Aqua, life-skills and running therapies 5 days a week between Sunnyview, Albany Medical Center and Russell Sage College TBI program. This has been my life for the past almost 11 months. I am told that I was given about 12 hours to live and 3 Priests gave me Last Rites.
DL:  Do you regret ever having joined the drill team and racing?

WJ:  I never regret for a minute running on the drill team. I understand Elmont needed a year off to regroup and re-focus. The accident hit everyone hard. We'll be back so don't count us out yet. We were a good team. We practice hard and we do our best on race day.
DL:  What are some of the Bangtails sayings or Mottos?

WJ:  Our team motto is "Give it Hell for the Old Man" It's written on the B-Truck.

DL:  Do you have a Fire Department/Drill team T-Shirt collection?

WJ:  I have received many, many, well-wishes from the drill teams across LI and NYS. Many departments sent T-Shirts with messages written on them. Some shirts came from as far away as North Carolina. I've received about 150 Fire Department and team shirts I am very appreciative of everyone’s thoughts, visits and prayers.

DL:  I know that racing is in your heart and will always be a part of your life. What do you want to do in the future in regards to racing? (Officiate, Coach, Race,)

WJ:  I look forward to getting back everything I lost due to my injuries and running with my team again.

DL:  That’s great to hear. We all wish you the best and thanks for taking the time to talk with me.

WJ:  Thank you, Dan.

Interview with Donald "Bumpy" Bray

There is no such thing as the offseason here at The Drill Team Blog. Our very own Dan Laverty recently sat down for a conversation with Donald “Bumpy” Bray of the Hempstead Flukes. Here’s how it went.

This interview took place on November 17th at the West End Firehouse.

Dan: I would like to start off by saying thank you for taking the time and for granting me this interview.

Bump: You got it! Anytime.

Dan: When did you join the Hempstead Fire Department?

Bump: June 10th, 1963

Dan: What Company?

Bump: Engine 5

Dan: Did you race right away?

Bump: Yup

Dan: Why did you join?

Bump: Why did I join? I was first on the Junior Flukes. With the Junior Flukes we got to see different activities within the fire department and as far as racing goes we got to see the B & C trucks. When we were juniors we ran the ground events – 3-Man Ladder, Efficiency but no Buckets in those days – this is how I got involved and as soon as I became 18 years old I joined. At first it was to race, but it isn't just racing it is also about protecting lives and property.

Dan: Who were some of your teammates that first year you joined?

Bump: Well of course there was Jackie (Jack Cloudman). He and I were the best of friends. As a matter of fact, I was the best man at his wedding. We knew each other since we were kids and we always did everything together. He was a year older than me and joined the fire department before me. Billy Florence, all of these people I am going to mention we all lived on the same block and we all played sports together. Just alone from Covert Street alone there was Johnny Orzenz, Bobby Cosgrove and Eddie Florence from my age bracket.

Dan: Where did your nickname Bumpy come from?

Bump: It is a family thing, we all had nicknames. Everybody in the family had nicknames. My father gave me mine. I was about two years old and I used to always bump my head. Believe it or not it stuck for 66 years.

Dan: Do many people still call you Bumpy?

Bump: Sure, yup.

Dan: Do you like being called Bumpy?

Bump: Yeah sure, mainly because it is family orientated.

Dan: I am going to say a few words and you say what comes into your head…

Dan: State

Bump: Biggest

Dan: Bone

Bump: Jimmy O'Neil

Dan: Hydrant

Bump: Best position in racing

Dan: Did anyone Mentor you?

Bump: Not really because I started in junior racing and there we all learned ourselves, we watched others that were older than us. We just basically learned by our mistakes.

Dan: Have you passed your knowledge on?

Bump: Oh yes, definitely. Even now when I go to practices I try and help the younger members. Some of people I did help were Joey, you know JoJo Simone from the Yellow Hornets. He is more or less my protégé. Skippy Abrams, I helped him, he ran for North Bellmore.

Dan: Not many people know you had an incident in 1981, would you like to talk about that?

Bump: I don't remember that because it was a head injury that I had. I will say this there were a lot of prayers going on. I was told by a lot of people, when I came out of being semi-toast for nine days. All those prayers work because it worked with me.

Dan: Were you on any State Record runs?

Bump: Oh yeah, a couple of them – Old Fashioned and Motorized. Motor Pump, B-Hose and C-Hose. 6.18 in Motor Pump, it was the first time in 20 years that the record had been broken and it was by almost a whole second. Two Into One and Efficiency records also. A big part of it was Pat Jeffares, who was probably the best nozzle-man. He was something else, he was good.

Dan: How long did you race?

Bump: 1963-1981

Dan: How many drills do you think the Flukes won during your career?

Bump: In the 70’s we had our biggest winning streak. We won Nassau County Total Points a couple years in a row.

Dan: Name the greatest single shot that stands out to you the most?

Bump: I really can’t say…

Dan: Because there were so many?

Bump: *Laughs*

Dan: Favorite track you raced on?

Bump: Oh easy, Hempstead, without a doubt.

Dan: During your racing career who were some of your biggest competitors?

Bump: West Sayville, they were very big. We were always catching up to them. They would get us in ladders and we would slowly but surely creep up behind them and sometimes we got ‘em and sometimes it was second and third places. You know it was catching up a lot. Central Islip too, it was predominately Suffolk teams back then we competed with. In the beginning of my racing career it was the Oyster Bay Rough Riders, they were tough. Port Washington too with their three teams: The Rowdies, The Runts and The Rangers. They were pretty competitive and also Westbury had a good water team. Their hydrant-man was Tallo. We always competed against each other in tournaments.

Dan: Why do you think some guys are able to race for 20-25 years while others only last a year or two?

Bump: Well it’s hard to say, you could be the best athlete in the world, that don’t mean you can race. Because what happens a lot of times a guy comes out of High School and they try to jump off the truck and stuff like that, it’s a different element. You know, it is not like carrying a football or running for yards and stuff, it is a totally different aspect. We have had good athletes on the team and like you said they only last a year or two because they lose interest. Here is when junior teams come into play. We started back then and we loved it back then and we continued to love it. Another thing too that I found is that the team events in a tournament, where you had the most people from your team running kept the teams together too. If they were competitive in those events you got along better because they were always getting trophies and they were always winning. You had your four-man teams, you know like ladder, hose and stuff like that. If you weren’t winning or at least competitive then the interest waned. They would try for only a couple of years and that would be it. With Efficiency, Pump and Buckets where they all ran, they stayed together a lot more.

Dan: How do feel about all the recent advancements and innovations that have been made to our sport? Drill Team Radio, the Scoreboard, The Drill Team Blog and speeding up of tournaments, etc…

Bump: Between you and I, I only go to one or two tournaments a year these days. I was never much into the Captains Association and stuff like that. I never really followed up to it like that.

What I didn’t like and this is when I was running: the money. You know, some teams had the money and others didn’t. What I mean by having money, I don’t mean from the tax-payers, I mean from fund raising events they used to have. Port Washington and Manhasset-Lakeville used to have these block parties and that gave them income. Every other team would go, a lot of camaraderie, we would all go and support them. That helped them. That helped the drill teams; it was not that they got the money from their departments or the taxpayers because back then we didn’t. What happens now I am not that familiar with, but back then you were self-sufficient. The Flukes would raffle off football tickets, have car raffles, that was a source of income for the drill team.

Dan: Is there any one call that an official has ever made that still sticks with you all these years?

Bump: Oh yeah, sure. Motor Pump, sure, they used to call him "Red Flag". And what it was is he used to red flag us all the time because they thought I jumped off the truck before the line.

Dan: What was your favorite C-Truck that the Flukes ran?

Bump: My favorite C-Truck? The prettiest was the Ranchero. As far as going? Nah, it didn’t go worth anything, but it was pretty. It was not competitive with the trucks like Port Washington’s, Manhasset and the teams of that nature. They had the best of trucks, aerodynamic trucks, lighter and they went into it better than we did.

Dan: Who were the Drivers during your career?

Bump: Jackie and before him was Bobby Marra. I even ran with Al Cooke, Sr.

Dan: How do you feel about Old Fashion versus Motorized?

Bump: Old Fashion is great. For the simple reason is that there is a large body of men competing against each other and that would keep them together. Back in the 70’s we had a very competitive Old Fashion team, we would always be competing against Freeport Truck One. They were also competitive and we would always duel it out at tournaments. Old Fashion was great.

Dan: If you were able to have raced for any other team during your career what team would it have been?

Bump: Probably the Yellow Hornets, more than likely because I knew all of them, I knew everybody on that team.

Dan: How did Bobby Marra leaving the Flukes affect you and the team?

Bump: There wasn’t that much of a difference where it hurt the team. Jackie filled right in after him.

Dan: How did Pat Jeffares leaving The Flukes affect you and the team?

Bump: That hurt big time because he was one of the nucleus of the team as far as his talent, he ran every event and it just hurt.

Dan: What year did you feel or say this is the year for the Flukes, state champ wise?

Bump: What year? I would say the late 70’s – 1977 to 1980. We were very competitive and we could have done it.

Dan: 1978 perhaps?

Bump: It came down to Buckets. It is a team event and everything happened so quick.

Dan: Do you have a lot of racing memorabilia at home?

Bump: Yes, my wife kept a scrapbook. Back then we used to have articles in the paper after every tournament and she clipped out every one of them, pictures too.

Dan: What is your most cherished racing possession?

Bump: My trophy. It is a ten year competitive trophy for B-Truck Total Points. After the tenth year I decided to take it out and keep it at the firehouse.

Dan: What single piece of advice would you like to give to Hydrant-men who are currently running?

Bump: I would have to say consistency, don’t try to break the record and be fancy. Consistency, that’s the key to racing, also learning from your mistakes.

Dan: What were some of the Flukes’ sayings or mottos you would like to share?

Bump: "Hold onto your hats!" When we marched in the parade at the state tournament, the announcer said underneath the arch when we walked through: "Here comes the Hempstead Fire Department Flukes Drill Team and hold onto your hats because they broke the state record!" We all grabbed our hats and walked under the arch laughing and smiling.

Dan: What individual person do you enjoy watching race nowadays?

Bump: Who do I enjoy? JoJo Simone.

Dan: What team do you enjoy watching race nowadays?

Bump: The Yellow Hornets.

Dan: Have you ever wished you did not get involved with racing?

Bump: NO

Dan: I understand you only attend two drills a year, what would entice you to attend more?

Bump: The thing is they have it on the weekends and I work on the weekends. If it wasn’t for that I would go to more.

Dan: We got to get you out to some Friday night drills. The Islip Town Drill, Babylon Town Drill and the like.

Dan: In our pre-interview conversation I mentioned that I interviewed Willie McCarthy from Central Islip. Who were some other people you remember competing against?

Bump: I don’t know his last name, Neil from The Meadowlarks and Darcy. They are the guys the guys I remember racing with and I see them now playing golf. I just played with Neil a few weeks ago at Eisenhower.

Dan: Who ran Hydrant for The Flukes before you?

Bump: Jackie

Dan: After you?

Bump: Who did I break in after me? I guess that would be Pat Cooke, yes Pat Cooke ran after me.

Dan: How did you feel when The Flukes stopped racing?

Bump: You know, to tell you something, I was not that close to the team anymore. I did not have any feelings about it because it was slowly but surely going that way anyway. They didn’t have the older members on the team to keep it together. I would go down to practice and give advice but if you miss two weeks of practice they go back to doing what they want to do anyway. Here’s another thing too…It used to be very family orientated, I had my Uncle, Pappy Oates and Jackie had his father. There were so many different things that changed, outsiders came in and the feeling wasn’t the same. It did not bother me that much, they stopped when ‘98? I stopped racing in 1981 so I was 18 years out of the game at the time.

Dan: What is your favorite color?

Bump: Blue, that is our company color.

Dan: How did you feel about the Flukes’ B-Truck going to another team?

Bump: It is one of the better B-Trucks ever made, it was very reliable and built right. There is no mistaking it. I am glad it is still on the track, it’s a part of racing.

We’d like to thank Bumpy for taking the time to sit down with us and we’d also like to wish all our readers, fans and friends a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Interview with Willy McCarthy

On July 13th, Dan Laverty met up with 5-time State Champion Willy McCarthy from The Central Islip Hoboes. Here’s how it went.

Dan Laverty: How are you doing tonight? Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed.
Willy McCarthy: Ok.
DL: What year did you join the Fire Department?
WM: 1964
DL: Did you have family members in the department already when you joined?
WM: My brother
DL: Was he the reason you joined?
WM: Yeah, basically. That, and these racing trucks.
DL: For those who do not know, who is your brother?
WM: John Fagan McCarthy
DL: When you first joined who were some of the people you looked up to?
WM: I just watched everybody. Back in them days it was Harry Penny, Bobby Spillman, Wilbur Young…
DL: Did you grow up around/watching racing?
WM: I had a neighbor who was on the drill team and when I was around eleven or twelve I used to go to all their practices.
DL: This neighbor was on The Hoboes?
WM: Yes
DL: When you first joined what positions did you run?
WM: I started out running the discharge in Pump (suction), dragger in Efficiency, and back then we ran the big 12 on Labor Day and I got a chance to run. I ran a snap coupling in Motor Hose Replacement. That was the first time of getting off the back of the truck.
DL: As the years went on what positions did you come into running?
WM: Well, the second year I was running about five guys got drafted for the Vietnam War. We came down and we had like nine guys. I ended up spiking on the left side and I did that for 25 years.

DL: You knew this question was coming. When did the hats start?

WM: Really the kickoff of the hat to the way everyone knows it now is like 2001, 2000. Chris Murphy found this stupid looking, raggedy hat we call "Roadkill" now and he bet me I wouldn’t wear it. He bet me five dollars I wouldn’t wear it to start him in 3-Man and that was the start of it. And basically what it ended up doing is taking the pressure off my 3-Man team when they got to the line. They were more worried about the damn hat than their climbs.

DL: How many hats do you think you have?

WM: I still got about 35 or so and 95 made it to the garbage when we didn’t win those days.

DL: Who buys you the hats? The kids on the team or is it anybody and everybody.

WM: Everybody and anybody.

DL: Do you have a special room for the hats? Do you have hat keepers?

WM: Nah, they are just around the house, in one room. The wife won’t let them go anywhere else. The one that has the history is the sombrero. Part of the show here in C.I. is me and that stupid sombrero. Everybody looks forward to it now so…just having fun with it.

DL: You started in 1964 and you said you actively jumped for over 20 years. So in the mid-80’s is when you stopped jumping?

WM: 1993

DL: And the last time you jumped was in what event?

WM: C-Ladder

DL: You mentioned camaraderie…

WM: The thing that you have to love about this sport is the camaraderie of it. Basically, you cut each others’ hearts out from the first man on the line in 3-Man ladder till the last bucket is dumped. We’d cut out each others’ hearts for a point. And after the last bucket is dumped, we sit and drink a couple beers together. In the week between tournaments (Willie calls them TURN-a-ments) at a fire you are liable to lay your life on the line for this guy and next Saturday you wanna cut his heart out again for seven hours.

DL: Teams come and go in cycles. Have you seen a cycle with the Hoboes? Were there rebuilding years?

WM: Oh, we’ve had them for years. It took us 17 years between 1993 and 2010, with a couple rebuilding processes in there. Then we got this group of Murphy’s, Ricky McCarthy, (Jay) Newhoff, Justin Correira, Jason Correira and they stayed through it and took their lumps. They paid the price out here. They never quit. They kept working to get better and better and now we are reaping the benefits of it. But this team got together and got to the point of “stop the nitpicking, shut up and race.” That is the mentality right now.

DL: Who might you say resembles yourself on the current team?

WM: There are a couple of them who can walk the walk and talk the talk but they can’t last all night after it. Nah, basically these kids are in much better shape - better equipment, faster equipment - but we had to get off hotter. You know when you were young…you know I could live to be a hundred and these kids could never carry the boots of the guys I ran with. But I know deep in my heart they are actually better.

DL: Do you feel that what a team gives out good vibes and positivity comes back to them?

WM: Yes, the fact is you have to believe in yourself, but damn, you gotta go out on Saturday and put it on the line. It’s put up or shut up time, especially the State Tournament. Basically the two proudest things I got out of racing was my son being the captain of the 2010 team and having my number retired by the team.

DL: Your son is Ricky McCarthy?

WM: Yes

DL: And your number is?

WM: 14

DL: Your number is 14 and your brother’s number is 17 which is retired also. Would you like to

talk about your brother a little bit?

WM: I would be a little prejudiced you know, because the saying goes "Forever our Coach" and he was that. He could push you to the limit. Push you to almost want to kill him. All he was trying it do was get the best out of you possible. I was on the receiving end of a lot of ‘em. And when I had like 10 years spiking, he was telling me stuff I’m doing and how to correct it. And being the wise-ass I always was I said, “You tell me what I am doing wrong and I will know how to correct it." He said, "Fine, you got a week to correct it or I will get somebody to replace ya." This is love I say, there was only one person he loved between those lines and that was the winner. As far as my brother goes, he was hard-headed and thick but everybody who ever laced up a sneaker and got on that track was like one of his sons.

DL: What do you think your brother would have thought of all the new innovations that have happened in racing recently: the scoreboard, Drill Team Radio and now the Drill Team Blog?

WM: Chris (Murphy) was getting to him where he could understand Chris, because him and Chris could go at it but they had a mutual love and respect for each other. Chris Murphy, not only for Central Islip but for this whole sport of racing, has almost revived the whole thing - the whole interest in the sport. Basically what Chris did, whether he meant to do it or not, is put a lot more fun back into this game.

DL: Is there anything in particular that you want to talk about that we have not touched on?

WM: Well, I think one of the biggest things was that State Tournament in ’78 when we showed up without a C-Truck. We got a couple of breaks early and made a couple of breaks late. We ran all day long with no one ever mentioning a C-Truck. No one ever mentioned it…it was “shut up and race.”

DL: That tournament in ‘78 was where?

WM: In Hempstead

DL: With what team did you battle with during that day?

WM: The Hempstead Flukes

DL: So you guys ran the hardest you could that day with what you had?

WM: Well you figure after C-Hose was over and we were still around, we still had four contests to go. We weren’t in bad shape.

DL: How did you do in those last four events?

WM: Fourth in B-Hose, I believe, third in Pump, won Efficiency and won Buckets.

DL: Do you think that The Flukes thought that this was their day?

WM: They still think it was their day. Honestly and truly, we had a lot of fun with it and some of it was taken out of context but I love Albie Cooke because he went through a hell of a lot of abuse from not only us but from some other people. But Albie still has his head up high and smiles. He’s one of those guys I just loved racing with.

DL: Out of all the State Drills the Hoboes won that you were a part of, ‘78 is the one that sticks with you the most?

WM: Not really, each and everyone one of ‘em has a history of them own if you want to read into ‘em. You have whole years and the one thing I miss the most about this sport at all is…

(Points at photos on the wall of the Hoboes Shack)

Look back there at 1970 and 1976, and realize how many guys are not still here. That hurts. After 2010, we rode down the track and I went in the back of the truck, looked up and remember those guys and it hurt.
DL: That’s the one thing people can never understand: firemen are like brothers…

WM: Not like brothers…we are brothers.

The Drill Team Blog would like to thank Willy for taking the time to talk to us.