Jack Regas and Mira Slovak 1960

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Comment by Stephen Shepperd on October 31, 2010 at 2:32pm

I sent a response to Mark in a Facebook message, but will repeat it here in a shorter version. The man on the left is Jack Regas, driver variously of the Scooter, Scooter Too, Hawaii Kai III, Miss Bardahl, and Notre Dame.

If I am reading the Diamond Cup pit pass on Jack's shirt correctly, this was taken in 1960. Jack was returning to Coeur d'Alene for the first time since his near-fatal accident in the '59 Diamond Cup race. The force of the boat crashing into the water after becoming airborne during Heat 2-A drove the dashboard of the boat into his face and chest. He was in a coma for several weeks and underwent brain surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

On a doctor's recommendation, he was back in the Lake City to help him deal with issues related to his memory of the event. He was taken for a ride in the rebuilt Miss Bardahl as part of the therapy.