Joseph L. McCauley, Professor of Theoretical Physics and Outboard Racing Enthusiast
Young Joe grew up with outboards near and on a TVA lake in Tennessee. He became a Mercury mechanic at age 14 and attended Mercury school in Charlotte, NC. His interest in motors and race boats led him to study physlcs. Joe raced under National Outboard Association (NOA) for eleven years which included Outboard Performance Craft (OPC) with his dad 1958-60, driving Aristo-Craft, then the first (wooden) Allison-Crafts, setting four NOA records. In April 1959 at the Knoxville Boat Club, Joe watched the failed McCulloch attempt to break 100mph with a badly designed hydro and twin Scott 60 powerheads geared to a Dupuy overdrive lower unit. Due to lack of sponsorship (his parents), Joe relinquished chapter one of his racing career in 1961.
Joe raced OPC again from 1977-85, winning four national championships, US-1 (twice), set three records (one still stands), and drove for Evinrude in Mod-VP at Havasu in 1979 (ran 3rd).
His greatest pleasure is that his 20 year old son Hans, now a Maschinenbau (mech. engr.) lstudent at the Tech. Univ. of Vienna (Austria), loves outboards too and is a competent mechanic.
He and Darrell Beaulier along with new TX Chapter member John “Meatball” Murray, restored May Fly III, a 1974 Allison R14. This boat, once raced by Joe, changed owners several times and was reunited with him and Hans having been stored for years by a fellow TX AOMCI member Di Johnson.
Hans worked as an Evinrude mechanic for a year at Red Wing Boat Co. in Houston between Gymnasium (German word for academic high school) and the University. Hans Kuffner-McCauley and 75 hp Stinger.
Making this a family affair, his mother, Cornelia Küffner supports the outboard work in part through making and updating their web site www.mccauleyandson.com.
Currently, Joe restores classic outboards specializing in Johnson and Evinrude. He likes to work on classic OMCs because he has the manuals and specialized shop tools. Joe also recently reactivated his old Mercury Service Manual to overhaul an1959 Mark 58A. For strange reasons Joe also has a few McCulloch Scotts, some looking for a new home.
Using basic principles of hydrodynamics as a guide, Joe also specializes in reworking high performance props, including props for the SST 45, SST 60, F1, Tri Hulls, and GT-Pro Classes. Joe is also a frequent contributing author of helpful technical and reference articles in the National “Antique Outboarder” publication.