Powerboat driver

They called him “Smiling George,” and his resume alone would have been enough to put a permanent grin on any powerboater’s face. In an Unlimited career that spanned just six seasons (1970-1975), the Washington State resident won 12 of 34 starts — more than a third of the races he entered. Even that number understates his dominance because it wasn’t until 1974 that he was in a truly top-tier boat, Dave Heerensperger’s PAY 'n PAK, the boat that popularized the horizontal stabilizer wing on Unlimiteds. In virtuoso fashion that year, Henley became the first driver to win seven High Point races in a season. He retired at year’s end but was lured back into the cockpit at the third race of the 1975 season. Once again, Henley won the most races, averaged the most points per race and scored a second straight Unlimited title, this time from a substantial early season deficit: Henley scored five wins and captured his second straight Gold Cup. Then, Henley retired from powerboat racing to concentrate on his marina.