Courtesy of ZanesvilleTimesRecorder.com

NORWICH — Stacy Funk isn’t one to give up when she’s been knocked down.

After a mishap on the water, she’s vowed to get back on the horse, so to speak, and return to the cockpit of her power boat.

“I love being in the boat; you can’t keep me out of it,” she said. “It’s killing me that I’m not in it. When I have it here, I still sit in it.”

The Norwich woman picked up power boat racing by chance and has since fallen in love with it.

“I was in Marietta with my husband, Billy Funk; it looked like fun,” she said. “Somebody was selling their tunnel boat, and Billy bought it. He raced it for three races. In this kind of racing, you really don’t touch the water. Once he blew over, hurt his back and couldn’t get back in the boat. I changed roles with my husband. I was his spotter, then he became my crew chief and spotter. I jumped in with no experience but learned along the way.”

She took her capsule test to be prepared for a safe exit in the event of a crash. She jumped into racing head-on but advocates the American Power Boat Association’s yearly driving school for training, tests, safety tips and networking.

After getting her bearings as one of the only female power boat racers, she began to build a reputation for herself. In 2009, she finished ninth in her class and eighth this year. This year’s races included Bay City, Mich.; Trenton, Mich.; Aurora, Ind.; Memphis, Tenn.; Pittsburgh; Marietta; and Kankakee, Ill.

The latter race on Labor Day weekend shook her up a bit with a random collision, which she still is trying to figure out.

“The crash was spectacular,” she said. “I was the fourth or fifth boat off the dock and had a good qualifying run. Power boats go full throttle in the air with the nose down to turn; we were all going around a corner. I was following another boat, and everything seemed normal. Then, there was a huge boom. I had no idea if it was mechanical or physical.

“The other driver was next to last, and he veered radically left and jumped over another boat,” she continued. “Then I was up in the air, busted up the boat, went underwater and landed right-side-up. I landed on his engine. He was unconscious with his (boat’s) nose down and had flipped over. He was life-flighted to the ICU, but I’m not sure how he’s doing. There was a hole in my canopy, and I took a hit to the head; my helmet was dented. I had to be taken to the hospital, but I was just bruised.”

While some photos a professional photographer posted online chronicle the crash, questions remain.

“It’s a mystery, a bizarre accident,” Funk said. “I don’t know why he veered. But I’m thrilled I finished eighth and to get back in there. Part of racing is getting back in and doing it again. I want to do it next year.”

She took a few hits that were not life-threatening, but it didn’t break her spirits. While in the emergency room, she called around to see if her boat could be fixed. It is currently undergoing “plastic surgery” in Chicago, where it will remain for repairs during the winter, she said.

“These boats are hand-built,” she said. “They’re pretty much just wood and glue.”

Funk’s boat, No. 37, is an SST 120 tunnel boat that prominently features a waving American flag painted on the body to showcase her patriotism.

“The troops are important part of my boat,” she said. “And it’s a way to thank the vets; it’s rewarding.”

While it is being repaired, people can catch a glimpse of what her speedy vessel looks like in action. Her boat was featured on the September cover of “Propeller,” an official publication of the American Power Boat Association.

“That was a coincidence,” she said. “‘Propeller’ is the equivalent of a sport football magazine, and to be on the front cover was awesome. I was thrilled. I got that (issue of the magazine) after the wreck, so it was bittersweet.”

While the need for speed can be a thrill, the element of the unknown can be an even more powerful factor.

“Anything could happen; you just don’t know,” she said. “It’s like in an automobile race. With this you have to watch the wind, waves, other boats, how high you get the nose, and you can’t get into a groove. Sometimes you can blow over, barrel role, corkscrew; you can’t predict it.”

Another issue that briefly came into play was a battle of the sexes. Funk is one of the only female power boat racers actively hitting the water.

“Of the three classes — 45, 60, 120 — I’m the only girl in the sport at 120 miles per hour,” she said. “It’s been a good girl year; two girls raced in the 60 and finished second and fourth. The last time a girl raced was 1994.

“Being the only female, I don’t think anything about it; I’m out there to race,” she continued. “At first the guys were saying, ‘Who is she?’ In the big picture, I’m not certain, but in the long-run, I’ve proven myself. Everybody said I shouldn’t be in a boat, but if I could do it, anybody could do it. After the accident, every driver said I need to get back out there. I went from horrible to respectable; it’s good to earn the respect. All the guys are wonderful. We’ve become a family. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

hrichards@nncogannett.com; (740) 450-6772

[News & Picture Source]