A few comments regarding this issue. In the previous issue and in this one, Bill Fales urged everyone to attend the Nationals at DePue, and the APBA/UIM World Championships in Alexandria, Louisiana the following weekend. This was the first APBA and UIM race held at Alexandria. Charlie Strang told my Dad that under UIM rules the U.S. could run runabout world championships.

The NOA was in it's death throes and Baldy had contacted Carl Rylee to go through APBA to put on races. Carl always liked to put on the top show to go along with "The fastest water in the world" at Lake Buhlow, and as such wanted a world championship race. Baldy submitted application through APBA to host OA,OB,OC,OD, and OF World Championships at Alex in 1973. I think the UIM was both surprised and pleased at the request. As a result, the U.S. was awarded OA, OD, and OF.

Bill Fales also mentioned two drivers working hard to put on some quality racing on the same date and to support the races. Me and Neil Rose were mentioned. First of all, it was Baldy who was the prime mover in the 1973 Waldman Memorial. The first event where Jerry was killed was put together by my Dad, Jerry Waldman, Marshall Grant, Harry Bartolomei and Lee Sutter. This event held on the same weekend as the Eastern Nationals was a very sore spot with Baldy, even before the actual race date. As my Dad predicted, especially with huge jumps in gasoline prices and an unknowing supply of it, attendance at both races was down. We didn't know that the Eastern Divisionals applied for that date and I'm sure Neil didn't know about us either. But APBA offices sure did, and should have not allowed it. We were running around the same time as the year before, but the Eastern Divisionals were a little earlier than normal and should have been put off a couple of weeks. This was part of the reason Baldy ran for the APBA Council later on in the year and was elected.