Cooper Jess

Howdy,
This is Cooper Jess. I was eight when my Grandfather took me to a Stock Outboard race at Winneconne, Wisconsin. I was hooked instantly, with my liking the water, boats, and mechanical stuff I knew I wanted to try this. My grandfather got us a couple “pond runners” with Quickies for the next few years and we continued to go to some of the local races as spectators. I didn’t convince my mother to let me try actual racing until I was 14. I started in the A Stock Hydro class with APBA.

I was able to win a few races by my third season. After 5 years of racing my father and I built a boat designed by Andy Hansen. I continued to build boats through the years and have built about 50 racing boats. I won my first APBA Stock closed course nationals in ASR at Dayton, Ohio in 1974. Since then I won five more Stock National Championships two Marathon National Championships, plus three Championships in the Modified Outboard Category.

I originally hooked up with Racing Outboards, LLC to do assembly work on the new engines. Having run the Champion/American Hot Rod engines for the last 30 years I have a good connection to the Hot Rod. I have done many assemblies and rebuilds on the Hot Rods as well as the older Mercury engines. I have been distributing some of the repair parts for Racing Outboards, LLC for the past two years plus advising on history and specifications. I hope to continue to provide repair and parts support at the races I attend as well as other reworks or rebuilds. As a member of the Antique Outboard Motor Club, Inc. I am currently Special Interest Group leader for the Champion and Champion Hot Rod engines.