71-Year-Old Don Topliff Pilot's a Drag Boat!

SAN ANGELO, TX - Don Topliff is a 71-year-old ASU Vice President for Academic Affairs Office and the pilot of an extremely fast drag boat called "Late Life Crisis."
Topliff began racing drag boats about three years ago with two of his buddies. One of his buddies, Doug Fox who also works for ASU, convinced him to pick up the exhilarating, yet expensive hobby. Topliff said that he started off slowly but it wasn't long before he caught the bug and an incessant need for speed that keeps him up at night.
This man has more fire in his belly than an overcooked pig at a Hawaiian Luau. Topliff doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon either since his passion for drag boat racing with his friends brings him great joy and excitement.
Talking with Mr. Topliff about his boat "Late Life Crisis' ' was very educational and inspirational. It didn't take long to see that Topliff really knows his stuff. As Topliff showcased his boat, he explained all of the intricacies of the custom built engine, which is clearly the main feature of the vessel.
"Late Life Crisis' ' is a Pro-Eliminator boat which runs at a 6.5 second class at 1000 feet, said Topliff. He explained that the engine at the top, turns about 8000 RPM's and the propeller turns a little over 11,000 RPM's. This is how 136-140 mph is achieved, according to Topliff. Additionally, The drag boat has a supercharger, which allows it to add more air to the motor by changing the pulleys on the back, increasing the speed of the supercharger, remarked Topliff.
Mr. Topliff will continue competing in the Southern Drag Boat Association races throughout the weekend and is currently sitting atop the leaderboard for his class.