Ron Hill Family: Hill Marine and Signature Propellers

[Ron Hill]

Here is my dad, 1945, I was a year old. It was a Rockholt, Evinrude, Six Stud motor, called a 60-42, serial number 0041. They only made 50 of these six studs, The cylinders were made of mostly nickle, which helped them stay straight, and that was one reason they were fast.

My dad had sold this engine, about the time I was born, and he was supposed to go in the Army. He had it sold for $250. All night before the guy was to pick up the motor, my dad didn't sleep. Next morning, he told my mom he wasn't selling the motor. She said, "She never asked him to sell it." I was born a week later.

My dad was to go in the Army, he'd sold his car and boarded up the cabin, at Lake Elsinore, and quit his job...Sunday before he was to report, President, Roosevelt said, "The war was changing and married men, with children, over 40 would not need to report effective immediately."

My dad was listening to the radio, coming home from Elsinore, in his '37 Plymouth....when he heard Roosevelt speak!!!

This picture hung in my grandmother's house until she died. The blacked out part had said, "Love, Your Son".

My dad got the boat racing bug in 1935 and never lost it....He died in 1997. He had the "BUG" for 62 years!!!

[Ron Hill]

The Old Man, never listened to Johnny Cash music, except when he rode in the car with me...But he was a "MAN IN BLACK" for many of the same reasons Johnny wore black. This is the Hearst Regatta, 1948. 35,000 lined the shores.

The Old Man's Rockholt had silver leaf numbers...Skippy was the boat's name, because when he bought it, it had a big rocker in the bottom and all she'd do was skip. My dad flattened the bottom and she ran like an ARROW. After that, my dad was a BUG about flat bottoms.

Any of you guys that used to watch us run at Nationals, my dad would never put the motor on the boat until about 15 minutes before the race. Last thing he'd do was sand the bottom lightly, making sure it was "Flat as a NUN'S CHEST and he always said that was pretty flat".....The Hill Family got that line from Lee Morehouse who built many of our boats....Lee loved saying he'd gotten the boat's bottom slicker than S on a BH.... Which translated means, slicker than snot on a broom handle. Lee loved to say, also, that the bottoms of his boats were so smooth that a fly couldn't land on them without breaking a leg...

Other last thing my dad would do before a finals, would be to sharpen my prop and square up the trailing edges with his pocket knife.....

My father never won a Hearst Regatta, seems Rocky Stone from Willamina, Oregon won almost all of them...

[Ron Hill]

My dad had a new DeSilva in 1949...From the Kids, you know...Billy and Ralph DeSilva were considered the "KIDS" in 1949,

My dad got the name Forever Amber about the time the book came out...Seems, when he played poker with the boys at Lake Elsinore he could get "AMBER" and still play pretty well...The boat club guys would go down to our cabin and raise hell for a few days at a time...

My dad was leading this race, when a guy, Lee Cockren, got al ap late start, it was legal in those days, and Lee pulled out in front of my dad, my dad hit his swell and blew over backwards, knocking his two front teeth out. My dad never raced after the 1949 Hearst. My brother won A Hydro that day.. There were 32 hydros...they ran them in two heats...

You can see the six studs on the head and the Perfect Circle piston Ring decal on the tank..This engine ran alcohol and it would take a decal off, if any alcohol was spilled on the motor....The decal was their, until we changed to a different fuel tank...

[Ron Hill]

Funny, I thought I was the "ORIGINAL" Party Animal in the Family...Now, my kids tell me they thought THEY were the "ORGINAL" Party Animals...

Partying may, run in the family...My Old man has the cigar, in the middle of the picture, and no hair!!!!

[Ron Hill]

There were 32 A Hydros, my brother started last in the first heat and worked his way to the front, in five laps. My dad chewed his butt between heats to get a better start, but he started last again, and again passed 31 boats. The Boat was a Fillinger, the name was Pumper. As the Johnson KR motors, or at least some parts, were also Fire Fighting Pumpers used in the BIG WAR...You know, the one we won!!! My dad had bought some Pumpers surplus after the war. They made my brother's A out of a Pumper. They did get a "FACTORY" block...


Once, my brother was testing at Long Beach, he was watching the speedometer and hit a wave, in this Fillinger, he flew up in the air and his butt went through the cloth deck. My dad got mad as hell at him, which is something he did in those days,..and he then helped a guy make a "Lie Detector" for speedometers....It was basically a check valve in the line, and it would hold your fastest speed, no need to look at the speedometer, you could look where you were going. Though a great idea, my brother still managed to blow his Swift Hydro over because he could not believe he was going 70 and he watched the speedo until the deck hit him in the face...His face went right through the plywood deck. When they pulled the boat in, the speedo still said, "70."

[Ron Hill]

Maybe, I liked the 36 Class because my dad started racing is C Service and C Service, in those days was a "FISHING" Motor... If you notice, this old P-50 had the muffler....a requirement of the class..

My dad''s "SKIPPY"...at speed, the old man ran them wide open...He was a "RACER"...

I was 3 when he blew this motor up at Havasu Landing...I asked my dad what happened and he said, "He blew the motor all to hell." For the next year, I was asked to repeat that line about 500 times...Everyone thought it cute, to hear a three year old say, "Yea, my dad blew his C Service all to hell."

After Havasu Landing, 1947, my dad never raced C Service again...ONLY "RACING C"....

[Ron Hill]

Russ Hill, Sr. and Ronnie Hill, August 12, 1956 Stock Outboard Nationals, Cambridge, Maryland...Photo by Hank Bowman.

I finished third to Dean Chenowith and Billy Schumaker....Don Pontius was 4th...

The badge did say Ronnie Hill.....

Jimbo please note: The K on the SPARK HANDLE is for a KG-4, NOT KG-7...

[Ron Hill]

This was live TV, my brother had just won the "TROPHY DASH" with his C-6 Swift....Upset win for Russ, as Howard Thompson, 2-C usually won D Stock Hydro.

Second picture, again live TV, Dick Lane from KTTV announces as Russ Hill, Jr. gets his trophy for WINNING D Stock Hydro...

White T Shirt is Bobby Willlard, from Oildale, who, along with his dad, raced for 26 straight weeks...Gene Bettis is next to Bobby...

ADD: The kid holding C-6 is Me, Bill DeSilva is walking toward me with the hip boots on..Howard Thompson is standing behind his KG-9 holding the flywheel...That KG-9 of Howards, was once on the cover of Speed and Spray or Boat Sport where they had two D Hydros, side by side...Jack Maypole was driving one of the boats, as I recall!!!! (Found the Link Boat Sport ...Hmm, it was June 1953).

[Ron Hill]

3-C, Bobby Willard from Oildale, California, leads Ronnie Hill and Gene Bettis is AU Trophy Dash...

Oh, I remember now, as I see Bobby Willard is leading, fastest guys started last.....and we only ran three laps....Hard to come from last to first, I never did!!!!

[Ron Hill]

Here Lee Morehouse (Back to us)..is holding my brother as he starts his KG-9 powered, Swift hydro...A C, D, F, X Hydro....as they were called...

Lee may have built more than 50 Morehouse runabouts, he had been an artist for Walt Disney, and on every boat bottom he'd draw Mickey Mouse before he put the glass on!!!!

The Morehouse Family, Lee, Ibby and Danny were great supporters of Boat Racing both with CASH, and hard work at the races...Not to mention the boats Lee built and repaired for little or no money!!!

[Ron Hill]

My brother won at Brawley, in 1956. The lake is just like it was in 1957....One of the few places in California that hasn't changed....I plan to offer Imperial County a dollar for the lake...If private ownership was allowed they area would BLOOM.....

The bottom picture is at the San Diego Food Control Channel, 1956, my brother is running Ed Kuracowa's Morehouse and his Hubbell PR...This is only Hubbell PR that was built completly from Hubbell parts. My dad bought every piece new from Pep and assembled this motor...

The motor is still in the barn, where it was placed in 1957.....

[Ron Hill]

This is my brother, at San Diego again, but it is 1960, as he got his Sid Craft after the 1959 Nationals in Seattle...

444 is Kenny Pyle and driving the cab over is Gary Ferguson, who is the head tooler at Advantage Boats in Lake Havasu...Gary is and was quite a boat designer....

[Ron Hill]

This is my brother, Russ Hill, Jr. with his girl friend...Phyllis Winger. Phyllis was the only woman in John Wayne's movie, Island in the Sky...Russ and his good friend John Drake both dated Phyllis....Maybe, you can see why!!!

[Ron Hill]

We raced 39 straight weeks. The Old Man inspected every week. It was live TV in those days...Speedboat Rodeo KTLA-TV Channel 5...

[Ron Hill]

11 year old Ronnie Hill wins AU...It was only after I won High Point that they decided I was a year too young to race...So, they beached my dad for ayear....APBA lost a motor inspector for a year...Lucky for me, I finally grew into my ears and feet...

[Ron Hill]

My dad always said that races were won in the garage, we just proved it at the race course..He even tested alone, at Lake Elsinore. Testing alone was a family no, no...But sometimes you've got to make sure those new Turner pistons will work...

Evinrude 6042, DeSilva runabout...Forever Amber....(In silver Leaf)...

[Ron Hill]

This picture was taken by the Mirror Daily News on February 24, 1956. It appeared in an article written about the HILL FAMILY!!!

The engine is my dad's Six Stud, an Evinrude 6042 engine!!!!

[Ron Hill]

I've been told that my dad didn't invent the Test Wheel, but he may have been the first one to ever try and market them...Here, from 1951 is my dad's "Stedi-Pull."

[Ron Hill]

Twin Engine Glastron powered by Evinrude X-115's built by Ray Nydahl....Second Overall, First Twin, $8,500 in cash...and a lot in Havasu City...

[Ron Hill]

I think this is 1982...19 Foot Daytona Eliminator, powered by a Russ Hill. Sr. 235 Evinrude...We lead, until the throttle wire pulled out...96 MPH with 55 gallons of gas...

The OLD MAN loved to build motors...We had five 235's at this time...OMC learned somethig from us...it was called how to buy LA SLEEVES and re sleeve your block!!!!

NOTE: Young man in the boat is John Soares...He drove the Lucas Oil boat at Parker this October...Kneeling is my dad, behind him is Fred Hauenstein...Freddy is telling my dad, it wasn't his fault we'd lost...

[Ron Hill]

Bill Muncey and John Daley had driven together at Havasu in a Glastron.... When John got this 19 foot Daytona, Bill made me promise I wouldn't get JOHNNY hurt....This is me behind the wheel...we finished third.... What year was Muncey killed??? I always thought of the IRONY of Bill telling me to take care of Johnny!!!

This is the same John Daley who ran the San Diego Regatta many years..

82 MPH all day!!!! (And we were the fastest in class)....

[Ron Hill]

16 year old Chad Hill, is being backed in for his first 45 SS Enduro ride... Second pictrure is the start. Winner was Jason Campbell, Chad finished second....

12 years ago!!!!

[Ron Hill]

My brother aways says, "You were what your were when."...

This was 1964....I had just raised the kilo record in DU and this picture went in to the Modesto Bee Newspaper...

Close up of the helmet...painted by Phil Nichols of the Fuzz Nichols Family...Dave Nichol's little brother...Came from Minnesota to California...

[Ron Hill]

This is at the NEW LAKE LOS ANGELES, a fresh water lake, where John Puesto and I promoted a Stock race.... The land company gave me $5,000 to put on the race...We ran four races there before the land use rules changed....

I loved this Sid Craft...I raced it in C and D Stock plus A and B Alkie...

Bought it from Stan Armstrong in Beaver Falls, PA at the 1965 Nationals....

Every night, in Beaver Falls, we'd go Arm Wrestling for beers....I won a ton of beers for them Bowman, Oller, Simmons........group!!! Nobody could beat me left handed...and I'm right handed...But my throttle arm was strong!!!!

[Ron Hill]

To the left is Olin Griswold, we called him the Needles Playboy...He never liked the name, but his parents had bucks, they owned the Dr. Pepper, Diet Rite, Seven Up and other bottling company in the Needles area... He reportedly loaned Don Laughlin $5,000 when Don started Laughlin, Nevada... He's dead now, but in my college days were we as close as real brothers, though we were only fraternity brothers...We drifted apart after I married...he never married, he just stayed The Needles Playboy...To the right is CAPNZEE..... That is my 1968 Chevy Wagon...MY TRANSPORTER to all the races....

Thems ain't beers, them is "FROSTY DEVILS"....

[Ron Hill]

Harry Bartolomei loved new boats and new engines, he just didn't like to paint his boats...Here is Harry and Lee Harris launching me for a D Racing Runabout Kilo run...I think I went 97...The record was a UIM record, but never an APBA record....as the rotary valve (VC) Konig wasn't approved that early in 1967..

See the handle on the side deck...? that was for my deck rider to hang on to...We broke the F Racing Runabout record the next day...

[Ron Hill]

The Old Man (My dad) is showing off the block to his LAST C Service...He built her up and didn't know about some new rods...the old rod cut that sucker in two......

[Ron Hill]

I have some relatives still racing in Seattle...John Peters is some kind of a relative...John Heggenburger is my cousin...he raced D Hyro, 20SS and 25 for a long time...He strat out in JU ina Larry Castineto JU that I bought for him...This is Robin Mayer next to John.....Robin was a hell of a racer and should be listed in women racers...Dave Mayer is the last ALKIE RACER in Region 12...He's been to DePue for the last two years.

Funny how many lives I have crossed paths with in boat racing.....

This race was at Lake Weist, both KID JACKETS were CUSTOM Laura Hill jackets...My mom made just about everyone's jackets...

[Ron Hill]

Hey Broc... I just saw this picture and thought it was you....This is your dad, 1964....I was 20....Kristy Johnson, my college sweetie is in the middle and that is my mom next to my '59 Chevy....Take a look at me for a peek at your future...

Cool shoes I had...$2.50 a pair at the VANS Store in Garden Grove....

[Ron Hill]

This is the start at Victorville...C-6 is Russ Hill, Jr. in the roostertail is Jimbo in his May Craft (Swift Copy)...D Stock Hydro....Can't recall who is leading..Gentex jacket and a Sid Craft.....

The '56 Ford truck was my Old Man's...We drove the fire out of that thing...Jimbo and I use to see if we could "Peel Rubber", we'd floor her in neutral, and rev the fire out of her, then drop her in gear... Damn tuff truck as we never blew anything up on her....

Once, when my dad first installed the Smog Device, the engine woulkd backfire, he opened the hood and told me to rev her up and I did, she back fired and shot the dip stiick over the neighbor's house...never to be found...

1-C is my C Stock Runabout...a Morehouse Meteor with a Mark 30-H....

[Ron Hill]

17 foot Glastron called "SNAPPER".....I loved to drive this boat...I lead the twin class for 8 hours, and loved every minute of it...I called her a "GAS STRON" as I thought she was a "GAS" to drive... Twin Ray Nydhal Evinrude X-115's....

[Ron Hill]

Man my pants were ready for Katrina... this was 1967...

The blue boat was for JIMBO, it was his BU... The top two are my marathon boat.....and kilo boat, DU!!!! The named got changed from SNAPPER to FLIPPER.....

[Ron Hill]

This was down at Blythe, I was testing, the tan gentleman is Carl Meyers.....Carl was from Iowa and loved them boats....I raced many a Carl Meyers's BU's!!!

Second pictures is Parker, at a Stock race....

[Ron Hill]

Bunker took thess pictures of Jimbo and me, Thanksgiving, 2005, ...That Jimbo is getting fat....Hard to believe he's six months younger than me!!!

[Ron Hill]

This was the FIRST SNAPPER....had Jerry Waldman not been killed, I would have kept track of all my Snappers. Jerry's boats were all called "SPOOKER". I think he was up to "Spooker XXX" when he was killed.

After that, I just called all my boats "SNAPPER"....without numbers....Snappers is what Ted May called the street walkers in Boston.....


Here is my CU, I was in second place, at the time, to Gary Stippich, Modesto Nationals, 1964....Gary won, I was 4th, after breaking a rewind....starter and having Charlie Strang DQ me!!!

I had broken the kilo record the day before and 64.661... Old Kilo Record was 60...Charlie Strang was quite impressed that HIS DESIGNED Mark 30-H would go that fast on a runabout!


Red and white striped Tee Shirts is what the Hill Boys wore and BAGGY Surf trunks....

[Ron Hill]

19-C Ron Hill...Carl Meyers, in the straw hat, is Ron's number one crew man.... Roy Miner, AKA, Smoooth Water Miner, is in the Sid Son DSH behined 19-C...A May Craft powered by a VC Konig...

[Ron Hill]

Jimbo and I won this race...Boat 22 is what we drove, you can see my back and Kenny.......from OMC...Second picture is after the race...

[russhill]

Since Ron does most of the writing for the Hill family (and everything else in this site), I thought I'd tell you all more than you ever wanted to know about RONALD LLOYD HILL.

Ron is the quintessential boat racer. His first race boat was a rocking horse he received for Christmas a few months before his second birthday. He immediately converted it into a race boat. He took the eyes out of the horse and inserted spark plugs. He removed the rope tail and bolted a propeller into the hole. And he made obnoxiously loud engine noises.

He went through boat race tricycles and bicycles. He even suggested the local gardeners have a power mower race. When he was nearly eleven, he was given his first real boat, an A Stock runabout (then called Utility). Since he was a big boy and had, essentially, 10 plus years race boat experience, he officially began his racing. Twelve was the minimum age for class A, but due to a parental clerical error, he started at eleven.

About six months after he starting racing, a Sunday afternoon live TV show started. It was called SPEEDBOAT RODEO and ran for 39 consecutive weeks. "Ronnie Hill" hadn't won any races yet, but the TV show did hold a Most Popular Driver contest, soliciting postcard votes. He won with more votes than the next ten other guys combined. I was 3rd or 4th with several thousand votes. His number was around 30-40,000 votes.

One other little rule "infraction" occurred when he was 15. He was running several Stock Outboard classes by then, but a rule was passed that, for safety, 16 would become the minimum age for Class D. That presented a slight enforcement dilemma for the officials: He was reining D Runabout National Champion, National High point winner, and held the straightaway and competition world records. That rule kind of got laughed off the books

Well, 50 years later, he hasn't lost an ounce of that enthusiasm that won him the TV popularity contest in the Speedboat Rodeo, so I'll summarize a little by listing some of his racing accomplishments:

• Seventeen times National champion in various classes.
• Two time World champion.
• I don't know how many dozen world records or National high point championships, but they would be counted by the dozen.
• He only won the Parker 9-hour once but he was 2nd 4 times, and had a 3rd and a 4th. Was also the first outboard to lead the 9-hour, when it was clearly an inboard event.
• He won the Berlin 6-Hour, Jimbo McConnell was his co-driver, who drove the middle 2 hours. He ran 2nd in the Paris 6-hour with Ted May.
• He won the Milwaukee to Chicago race in a boat that literally sunk when he stepped out, it was so broken up.
• He was inducted into the American Power Boat Association’s Honor Squadron (Hall of Fame).
• He won 12 consecutive Needles Marathons.
A two time member of APBA Hall of Champions.
John Ward Trophy Racing winner.

The Needles Marathon was a phenom in itself. It was the first stock outboard marathon ever run and was Needles' biggest event of the year. Studying all sports strings, I have never found a run of victories quite 12 years long. He loves Needles to this day, and rightfully so. It's been at least 20 years since the last Marathon there, but when Ron Hill walks down the street in Needles, lot of (the older) people still recognize him and are happy to see him.

I fancy myself as Mr. Absolute Facts, but I am a Hill. Most people have learned that Ron never lets facts stand in the way of his good stories. And he's into self improvement, which means that the more often he tells the story, the better it gets. I've probably embellished a little here and there, but hopefully anybody who would know the difference is dead, anyway.

We're pretty close brothers. I'm 10 years, 6 months and 4 days older. I can still tell him what a dumb sh-- he is. But don't YOU even think that in my presence.

[Ron Hill]

I've made it to Amarillo, but wanted to post this pictures from Flagstaff... In September, 1964, my fraternity brothers and I build this split rail fence... I made the yearbook with my picture from splitting logs, which I'll find and post, but none of us would have dreamed that 42 years later, this damn split rail fence would still be across the street from the Chilli Bean Dine...in down town Flagstaff, Arizona...trouble is, the Chilli Bean Diner is gone...Damn, they had great chilli and 2 A.M.

I only went to Flagstaff for two years, the ratio of women was two women to one guy...I tried my best to make up of the the other guys that weren't carrying their load...I never had a bad day in Flag...and IF I DIED TOMORROW, the undertaker would never be able to get the smile off my face because of the POLE...I was a SIGMA CHI...and the women from ARIZONA WERE GLAD TO MEET A MAN FROM CALIFORNIA!!!

[Ron Hill]

Dug out my 1965 yearbook from NAU (In 1965 it was still ASC or Arizona Stat College, but when I graduated it became Northern Arizona University).Our fraternity was called Sigma Chi Omega, in 1967 the Omega was dropped and we became Sigma Chi National....Kind of like being in APBA as the parent club...

Hard for me to believe that the "STUD" without hair and the big nose ...and BIG MOTHER ARM MUSCLES is me....I had actually forgotten that my Fraternity Brothers had put my Boat Racing pictures in the year book...Two women per guy at Arizona in those days, probably the same today...did my damnest to do my share with that ratio....

I guess from seeing the picture in the yearbook, I must have been hustling Boat Racing up at the "POLE" too...

Bottom picture, same Sid Craft, same Modesto Nationals...just can see the duct tape...

[Ron Hill]

I was racing for Harry Bartolomei, in 1967, and we went to Valleyfield to race the John Ward Race (500 CC World Championships)...Harry was, maybe I should say still is, a man who never worried about what things cost. Pop Smith, without a doubt, was the greatest propeller man EVER. He had worked in a forge before he started working propellers. His propellers were as close to perfect pitches as could be made. Pop Smith even taught Mercury Marine Propeller people how to work propellers. I have been in the propeller business since 1969, and consider myself an expert, but I would never want to be compared to Pop Smith (R.Allen Smith was his real name)as I know I could not compete with POP!!!!...Pop and I were great friends, we had several business agreements that made both of us money....I made him castings, he made me props.
But in 1967, few people in the world, Waldman and Hering maybe, Harry Bartolomei had a complete selection of Smith Alky wheels...(MAYBE 25 props)...

We got to Valleyfield and ran the 500 CC qualifier..I ran a Dieter Schultz hydro and a VC Konig (New ROTARY VALVE) 500 CC engine...I qualified with a fifth in my heat, two heats, which meant I was a 10th for the final, maybe 9th...

At the Saturday evening pre race party, Dieter Konig asked Harry why he didn't run the muffler. (We had run open stacks)...Harry answered he liked to hear them wind...Dieter said, "Run the MUFFLA".....Dieter Schultz asked why we ran didn't run the "Mufflaa?" We said, It ran best without the muffler."...Dieter Konig and Dieter Schultz said, "Run the muffleaa and Smith wheel number 295 V..." THEY FIGURED HARRY DIDN'T HAVE A 295 V BLOCK. PROP...(As they had some favors in their pockets at this race)..

Harry told me, he had a 295 V in the trailer. We put the 295 V and the muffler on and Harry added a LITTLE NITRO... Bottom Line, we won the 500 CC World Championships, and I invented LAY DOWN HYDRO....as that Konig with 20% NITRO, SMITH WHEEL 295 V, HAD SO MUCH POWER I COULD NOT KNEEL, I HAD TO LAY DOWN TO DRIVE.

I went from RAGS to RICHES with a propeller change...muffler change and a lot of nitro....

Thanks, Harry Bartolomei for giving me the chance to drive your 500 CC at the John Waard Trophy Race.!!!

Harry is the one that taught me I didn't race for money. The first heat out at Valleyfield was A Outboard Hydro..I won and $100 Canadian Dollars... Waldman and Herring were behind me. The reason I had won the heat was it was rough as hell and my throttlwe stick wide open. I remembered Gerry Hedlund telling me how he'd won an "A" Hydro rce when his throttle stuck but choking the motor going into the turn. So, that is what I did. And it worked.

Next heat was the John Ward Race..I won the first heat. As I started to get in my A Outboard Hydro throttle fixed for the second heat, Harry said, "Ron, rest, don't go out." I said, "Harry, they are paying $100 a heat to win...." Harry reached into his pocket, pulled out two one hundred dollar bills and handed them to me...And said, "Sit down and rest."

I said, "Harry I want to kick those guy's ***..."..It was then I realized I didn't race for money... I raced to win!!!!

ADD HARRY: When I was racing for Harry, I considered him "OLD"....but I always liked his comments about my women...He'd say someting like..."Ole My God....I can see what you like about her!!!".....I'd give Harry a look like you "DIRTY OLD MAN"...Of course, now days, I'd say the same thing!!! (Maybe more)...

[Ron Hill]

John Lawrence gave me this picture at Alexanderia the other day...I don't know who the young man is with the goatee...But, I'm the guy in the blue sweat shirt, and Jerry is looking at us... The big white trailer in the back ground use to carry Jerry's A, B, C, D, and F Hydros, and Bobby Herring' A and B hydro... What a stack of boats they'd bring to the races...

Thanks, John for the memories...The 1967 John Ward Trophy Race, 500 CC World Championships...Harry Bartolomei owned my boat, which I won in, Freddy Hauenstein was second....Seems a Cresent might have been third. The Quincy's were a distant 5th or so, as the new VC Konigs were changing the landscape.

[Ron Hill]

Governor's Son, Mike Reagan, World Outboard Champion... Well, we won't go into the REST of the story..

Dick Sherrer: Super DicK" sure looks young.... but then again, so do I...

[Ron Hill]

Ron Hill, Queen and Clark Maloof...

The announcer was Elgin Gates. Elgin had been a partner in the Mercury Marine Distributing business. He was from Needles originally, then moved to Spokane... The SOA, Seattle Outboard Association's Logo is Elgin Gates in an "M" Conventional hydro...

Elgin was a great announcer. He started the National Pistol Association based on APBA Regions, Divisions and Points. When he moved out of Newport Beach, he sold his house to John Wayne...

Elgin was multi talented. He could write songs, sing and play the guitar like the wind...

He and my father were life long friends.

[Ron Hill]

44 Years ago, I was a senior in high school. They ran this article about me in May of 1962. This is my Morehouse DU...Really, it was my brother's C Racing Runabout that Ed Karakowa owned. I cut much of the bottom off near the nose and added about a foot of lift to it, added a cowling and set the motor bact 2 inches. I held the DU record until the weight were lowered. I won many Colorado River Marathons in the is boat....

My mother was PTA President, my senior year....I think that was COOL now..at the time...there were moments when I wasn't sure ......My parents were older than most as I had a brother ten years older than I and sister thirteen years older....

My mom made me custom shirts that were :Squared OFF" at the bottom, because you had to have your shirt tucked in, if it wasn't squared off, Of course, my mom made mine extra long... Some sewing machine she made hundreds of life jackets...

[Ron Hill]

Lee Morehouse got into things... He put stars on my numbers for the North-South race and a Reberl flag on the deck..... Eddie West, Jr. is behind me. Lee had connections at Disney...At this race, the Mickey Mouse Club News reel came and took pictures of me. It was this news reel that convinced Our Fred Miller he wanted to race boats...The News Reel, was shown several times on the Mickey Mouse Club TV show.

Bottom picture is of some neighbors that came over and also went testing with us often...Except Eddie, his older brother had drown in the surf, and he couldn't go near water. But he loved those boats. He and his dad made it to many a Speedboat Redeo that was on KTLA Channel 5, every Sunday...

If you look, you can see the hooks in the chine of this Morehouse AU...

[Ron Hill]

I think....
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As I recall, OMC had a 16' Souter, single, and 18' twin and a 21' twin.... Having won the 1967 Marathon with a Glastron, Bob West, Evinrude's Director of Marketing, wanted me to run the NEW 17 Glastron that OMC had...

I got out of school on Wednesday and flew to Waukegan and started testing Thursday. I assumed that Lake Michigan was ROUGH when we raced there in '67....After Thursday's and Friday's testing....I realized that '67 way smooth....

OMC had hired Paul Kalb, Father of APBA Mod Racing, and it was his son who was going to drive the 21 Souther. I had never seen one before but thought they had some bitchen cool lines, but didn't think they could be fast with that much V. Hell, seemed to me they had twice as much V as the Glastron....

Denis Berghauer was going to driver the Schultz to Chicago and then OMC was going to gas it and Dewy was going to drive it back to Milwaukee....This was one of two Schultze Boats that had made it to Parker in the Spring of 1968....

The other Schultz boat had been destroyed in a nose dive while being driven by Dewy Berghauer...

Joe Haybay, was supposed to drive the 18' Souther, but he took one look at Lake Michigan and started crying to Chuck that he wanted the 21 footer....(Joe somehow had tested them both and knew the 21 was faster than the 18 and handled rough water like a dream...

Chuck switched boat with Joe. Joe won the race, I was second, I never saw Chuckie Kalb again....

I left Milwaukee after that race saying I'd never get back in a 17 foot Glastron again....The power we had, I was on the props part of the time, or flying out of the seat the rest of the time...

After watching Joe drive that thing...I said, "I wanted it for Havasu and I got my wish....I was in the top five at Havasu when the coils melted..The stacks got them too hot, and the Souter wasn't flowing air because the engines were so well protected from the air flow.


I flew home from Milwaukee, my parents picked me up at LAX and we drove to Seatle to the APBA Stock Nationals, from there we went to DePue, to the Alky Nationals, then over to Michigan to the Marathon Nationals...Then, home for part of September and then to OMC's plant in Belgium and on to Paris...

I've got some good pictures (of Europe '68)on slides, I may shoot them, and post..

ADD: The 16' Souter, with a 75 HP made a good ski boat. I got married in 1969 and my wife and I'd go skiing....Just the two of us, go way up river from Needles where is is smooth as glass... I'd have my wife drive...she'd never driven a boat, and I'd ski...I could "Whip" way to one side and with the rope tied to the other side, I could roll that Souter (We called it a Levi --Like the pants...Levy, it's nickname was the "Splinded Splinter"...... I pulled more than 50 teachers, in total behind her, the teacher's named her....)

Anyway, I'd "whip" way out on a single ski and I could pull the prop out of the water and the boat would go sideways like hell...My wife would stop and yell and scream at me...tell me I was trying to kill her........I'd promise to NEVER do it again. We'd go up river about 2 miles and I'd do it again....Finally, my wife figured out what was happeneing, and everytime I'd "Whip" out, she'd just turn into me....

That old Levi might still be at Schwarzenbach's Apple Valley Marine...where I left it in 1970.....

Lou Eppel was given my father's 60-42 Evinrude Hex Head Racing C to be put into the Evinrude Museum....which never was constructed...I'm still looking for the motor...Eppel never had any kids racing at OMC that I knew about....

Last Add: Denis Berghauer was first to Chicago, in the Schultz, after running the shoreeline from Milwaukee to Chicago...Seems some swimmer were a little made when he came down the shoreline doing about 95.......and some sailboats were that way too...He got to Chicago, got as and the battery was dead...AND no one had a battery.....They had to drive down from Milwaukee to get him...OMC didn't plan the pit stop too well!!!!

That wasn't as bad as what they'd done at Albany, NY....They tried to crank a counter rotator the wrong way...Not the Berghauers.....OMC....

[Ron Hill]

<HR style="COLOR: #000000" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->I miss you and your whole crew at these Bakersfield races....

Back in the 1970's, my future sister in law saved up her spare cash for over a year so she could buy her stock outboard racing boyfriend (my brother) the best prop available.

When she finally had enough money, she purchased the prop and gave it to him for his birthday.

A few weeks later was a SCOA race at Bakersfield. My brother had a picky old Mark 20H that had to be started above the water line.

His girlfriend and I didn't have the muscle needed to hold the boat up *and* pull the rope, so we had it sitting on a metal milk crate while we started the motor. Once it fired off, we would grab the handles and lift the foot over the crate and let him go...

But this time we didn't lift the boat high enough --- and when we let him go, the blades made a horrendous noise as they screeched against the metal, and the motor came to a halt.

She and I looked at each other - speechless .

We pulled the boat toward shore, just sick to our stomachs that we had destroyed my brothers new prop, and especially knowing how long it had taken his girlfriend to save up for it. (she was still in high school)

But before we got that boat up on the stands, a tall guy comes out of nowhere, and yanks the prop off the shaft while telling my brother to keep his jacket on....

Without us even havig time to ask for anything, he then starts banging on the prop, carefully removing the jagged, peeled edges away. He slides the repaired prop back onto the motor - just in time for the second heat! My brother didn't win, but without RON HILL's help, our day would have been OVER, and our weekend shot.



It's those kinds of things that matter - people helping people and that is what makes this world a better place.

[Ron Hill]

Probably one of the last races we ever had at Hansen Dam...It flooded the next year, and they never really made it back into a lake...My brother's 1962 Sid Craft... My dad Evinrude Six Stud, serial number 0041...On a "D" Quickie... Hubbell "HORNS"...I was still racing this motor in 1966, and doing well...

[Ron Hill]

I came home one day and found Chad building an outboard out of our Weed Eater...This is the second motor...He and his grandpa made all the patternes and then had the parts casts, then they machined them together...Aaron Sorensen build the scale tunnel boat...

[Ron Hill]

Think.... <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message --><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->Quote:

<tbody>
Originally posted by Ron Hill
T2X,

As I recall, OMC had a 16' Souter, single, and 18' twin and a 21' twin.... Having won the 1967 Marathon with a Glastron, Bob West, Evinrude's Director of Marketing, wanted me to run the NEW 17 Glastron that OMC had...

I got out of school on Wednesday and flew to Waukegan and started testing Thursday. I assumed that Lake Michigan was ROUGH when we raced there in '67....After Thursday's and Friday's testing....I realized that '67 way smooth....

OMC had hired Paul Kalb, Father of APBA Mod Racing, and it was his son who was going to drive the 21 Souther. I had never seen one before but thought they had some bitchen cool lines, but didn't think they could be fast with that much V. Hell, seemed to me they had twice as much V as the Glastron....

Denis Berghauer was going to driver the Schultz to Chicago and then OMC was going to gas it and Dewy was going to drive it back to Milwaukee....This was one of two Schultze Boats that had made it to Parker in the Spring of 1968....

The other Schultz boat had been destroyed in a nose dive while being driven by Dewey Berghauer...

Joe Haybay, was supposed to drive the 18' Souther, but he took one look at Lake Michigan and started crying to Chuck that he wanted the 21 footer....(Joe somehow had tested them both and knew the 21 was faster than the 18 and handled rough water like a dream...

Chuck switched boat with Joe. Joe won the race, I was second, I never saw Chuckie Kalb again....

I left Milwaukee after that race saying I'd never get back in a 17 foot Glastron again....The power we had, I was on the props part of the time, or flying out of the seat the rest of the time...

After watching Joe drive that thing...I said, "I wanted it for Havasu and I got my wish....I was in the top five at Havasu when the coils melted..The stacks got them too hot, and the Souter wasn't flowing air because the engines were so well protected from the air flow.


I flew home from Milwaukee, my parents picked me up at LAX and we drove to Seatle to the APBA Stock Nationals, from there we went to DePue, to the Alky Nationals, then over to Michigan to the Marathon Nationals...Then, home for part of September and then to OMC's plant in Belgium and on to Paris...

I've got some good pictures (of Europe '68)on slides, I may shoot them, and post..

ADD: The 16' Souter, with a 75 HP made a good ski boat. I got married in 1969 and my wife and I'd go skiing....Just the two of us, go way up river from Needles where is is smooth as glass... I'd have my wife drive...she'd never driven a boat, and I'd ski...I could "Whip" way to one side and with the rope tied to the other side, I could roll that Souter (We called it a Levi --Like the pants...Levy, it's nickname was the "Splinded Splinter"...... I pulled more than 50 teachers, in total behind her, the teacher's named her....)

Anyway, I'd "whip" way out on a single ski and I could pull the prop out of the water and the boat would go sideways like hell...My wife would stop and yell and scream at me...tell me I was trying to kill her........I'd promise to NEVER do it again. We'd go up river about 2 miles and I'd do it again....Finally, my wife figured out what was happeneing, and everytime I'd "Whip" out, she'd just turn into me....

That old Levi might still be at Schwarzenbach's Apple Valley Marine...where I left it in 1970.....

Lou Eppel was given my father's 60-42 Evinrude Hex Head Racing C to be put into the Evinrude Museum....which never was constructed...I'm still looking for the motor...Eppel never had any kids racing at OMC that I knew about....

Last Add: Denis Berghauer was first to Chicago, in the Schultz, after running the shoreline from Milwaukee to Chicago...Seems some swimmer were a little made when he came down the shoreline doing about 95.......and some sailboats were that way too...He got to Chicago, got as and the battery was dead...AND no one had a battery.....They had to drive down from Milwaukee to get him...OMC didn't plan the pit stop too well!!!!

That wasn't as bad as what they'd done at Albany, NY....They tried to crank a counter rotating the wrong way...Not the Berghauers.....OMC....

</tbody>

[Ron Hill]

October 23, 2006

Thanks Dad,

You'd have loved to seen Chad and Pat win Parker...and they didn't even have a COWLING on the boat....(My dad refused to go testing with Pat and Chad, in the 45 unless they put the cowling on...some 15 years ago). THEY LED ALL 60 LAPS....

Chad built the motor, just like you taught him to build his J and A Johnson 15's...He's like you dad, he loves to build motors...

We only used one prop, but as you always said, "You only need one...one good one."


http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3582


Ron

FYI: My dad died in 1996, the weekend of Parker...while we were at the races....I always felt he thought that was a good time to go!!!

[chill]

Well Dad,

Grandpa may have taught me to build motors, but it was your coaching over my lifetime that got me through the race. “One straightaway at a time.”

Thanks Dad for all your support, I am lucky to share at least one page in the history books with you, both winners of the Parker Enduro.

[Ron Hill]

Thanks Chad.... as Jimbo said today, I'm lucky I have a son who wants to race.....

Jimbo and I planned out The Needles Outboard Racing Festival today......we were racing like the OLD DAYS, but with an eye on the FUTURE.

Jimbo actually has some great ideas for an EVENT.... more later...

He told this story about Ruben Dawe... I posted it under another heading....but wanted it here as Ruben Dawe is part of the Hill family History...

As Jimbo and I were drinking a beer today, with Jimbo's "SECRET" Hot Pepper juice...we were discussing propellers and all..We decided we both knew a lot about props.........and that was this bit on knowledge...."If it is a good prop, don't tell anyone how fast it goes or tell them where you got it."

As far as slippage....if anyone really knew the answers, there would probably be one prop to fit all...

You ever look at the PROPS THAT ARE RUN ON "A" STOCK HYDROS??? Some look like they were made in a Metal Shop in High School as a project to get a "C"....Quincy claimed to be a WELDER...I claim to be a BLACK SMITH.....

Jimbo told this story today and I hope I can retell it without offending anyone...

In the old days, Ernie Dawe's family owned a gas station in Needles and they frequently went testing on the river.. Ruben Dawe, Ernie's dad, always went too...Ruben loved boat racing like he loved Jim Beam....Ruben would pound on Ernie's props...sometimes he actually helped them..Jeff Fritz won the 1961 B Stock Hydro nationals with a prop Ruben had pounded on...It was a PH1 Michigan, that my brother had bought from Merlyn Culver..for his D Stock Hydro, but my brother could never pull it, so, he sold it to Ruben....

Back to Jimbo's story: He said, "Ruben had his hammer in one hand and the prop in the other...He'd get ready to hit the prop then stop..... Then, He'd get ready to hit the prop again and stop...After the third start and stop, Jimbo said, "Ruben, why don't you hit the damn thing?" Ruben said, "Well, I can't decide which blade to hit as I keep seeing four of them.".....We all miss Ruben...his stories and his love...

I went to College in Flagstaff, Arizona, Ernie Dawe was my roommate...All the guys got letters and stuff from their moms....Ernie's dad was the only dad to ever write his son...

Ernie and Ruben showed up at Blythe, about daylight one year...they'd had three or four flats on the way....Everyone was trying to sleep in the pits....Ruben got out of the car....and ANNOUNCED TO THE WORLD, "WELL WE'RE HERE." 45 years later, whenever I get somewhere...I get out and announce to no one in particular....maybe just to Ruben...Well, we're here!!!

I may have told this before, but when I was in school, not much interested me but lunch, PE and girls...When I got elected Club Paper Editor, I'm not sure I could spell club, paper or editor.

Ernie and I sold ads for the club paper and I wrote articles....Mrs. Dawe (Helen) would edit my articles and correct the spelling, as she typed them for the paper. I always felt so good when I saw my articles published in our club paper. I always felt, I'd have never graduated from college with out Mrs. Dawe's help, when I was the club paper editor...

I was a good boat racer, and I knew that, but to be the Editor of the club (SCOA: Southern California Outboard Association) paper really meant something to me....

ADD: Ruben Dawe would always say, "You know what I mean?" when he was a talking and especially when he was a drinking... On his tombstone, in Needles, it says, "Ruben 'You Know what I mean' Dawe"............A lot of my friends are in that cemetery, and that's where I'll end up!!!


<!-- / message -->

[Ron Hill]

When I was in Phoenix, Friday, 11/3/06, I could not think of the name Vic Pratt. Vic built many boats and built Freddy Miller's boats. He passed away with a heart attack getting ready for a race. I won the Vic Pratt Memorial Award, 1974, for the driver who made the most points in his Regionals, Divisionals and Nationals (1974)...as I won them all, I had the most points....I also won the Vic Pratt Memorial Award at the 1968 Marathon Nationals...the award was presented by Vic's mother, if I'm not mistaken...

[Ron Hill]

Mel Zikes had written about me in Powerboat Magazine....He said I was from Garbage Grove... Well, the Mayor decided to ask me to help on some "Beautifican Projects", so being a "SUCKER" that I am..I helped. Next thing I know I'm Citizen of the Month in Garden Grove and The Marshall, along with Jack Youngblood of the Rams, of the Strawberry Festival Parade...

Cool part, my Sixth graders had won the Orange County Flag Football Championships, so I threw them in the back of my El Camino, My Old Man pulled my boat down the parade route and threw candy to kids and waved...My 6th graders had a ball riding in the back of my El Camino TRANSPORTER!!!!!!!!

Garden Grove was once the Strawberry Capital of the world..There are no strawberry farms in GG, now.... Lloyd Marschall, Miss Mai Tai, was a strawberry farmer in GG....I was his kids teacher, all three for three years each..4th,5th and 6th.... Missed Lloyd at Parker two weeks ago, hope his health is OK!!!

[Ron Hill]

Jimbo and I won Berlin Six Hour in 1970 and then he won it again in 1971 with Ted May.... We were both trying to remember why he didn't win it in 1972......When he and I had driven together in Paris, the week before...Then, we remembered, we didn't go to Berlin in 1972...

My daughter was born on the day of the Six Hours of Paris, 1973.....I was home for the birth, with no regrets...Then, or now!!!

Here is a picture of the Molinari that John Schubert and I drove from Jim Briggs in Paris, 1970...Then, the next week Jimbo and drove together, as Johnny had to go home and WORK......

Jimbo has been doing my homework assignment, and that is to figure out what boats he ran a Parker, Havasu, Paris and Berlin and where he finished....He's made considerable progress on his chart...

Berlin was a rough mother race...It only looks like I cut that guy off (I passed that guy like a freight train passes a tramp)....(Homeless person)...Hell, I always look where I've been, not where I'm going...

The other picture I found, while looking for some Parker pictures, is of the Strawberry Festival Parade...with MY team in the back...I actually didn't coach the team, but all the players were in my 6th Grade class and the learned WINNING from me!!! This, may well have been the class when I had Nicole Simpson Brown.....as a student...

[Ron Hill]

<TABLE class=tborder id=post80082 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"><TABLE cellSpacing=6 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap>Ron Hill (http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/member.php?u=207) <!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: postbit_onlinestatus -->http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/imagesSF/statusicon/user_online.gif <!-- END TEMPLATE: postbit_onlinestatus --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_80082", true); </SCRIPT>
Senior Member



</TD><TD width="100%"></TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Costa Mesa, CA
Posts: 995





</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- / user info --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_80082><!-- message, attachments, sig --><!-- icon and title -->First Outboard to ever lead Parker
<HR style="COLOR: #72a5d8" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->I was reading about someone complaining about painting checkers on their boat. I remembered our DeSilva Wing that was red with black and white checks....

Rod Zapf and my dad built the cowlings and painted this boat in our garage. I bolted all kinds of aluminum angles to the bottom ...not to make it turn, but to hold air on the straight aways...

I had some of the first 100 cubic inch Evinrudes... OMC's team boats were running in the high 80's...Our DeSilva was running in the low 100's....103...

Fred Hauenstein and I co drove and we picked up 8 laps, I think of lap money....After our Evinrude lead, the President of Mercury, Carl, himself, sent word he wanted that "GOD DAMN HILL BOAT"....

Ann Strang, Charlie's mother negotiated a deal with Carl to buy the boat..actually owned by Jimbo McConnell's dad and my dad....My old man was heading down to get the check from Carl when OMC's Jack Leek...yelled at him and said, "Wait a minute Russ...I'll give you a check...."

I could write several books on my dealing and my dad's dealing with OMC. Usually, we'd help them out of some dam thing....Then, they'd take the credit...

Like the time my dad called Jack Leek, Director of High Performance at OMC and said, "Send me two sets of rings for two engines...." Jack said, "Why?" My dad said, "Well whoever is putting these engines together is breaking the rings at the factory." Leek said, "Under our agreement, you aren't to touch the engines" My dad said, "The hell with the agreement, I'm tired of blown up engines...send me some rings and hung up."

Some heads rolled at OMC... But they quit putting engines together with broken rings....



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[Ron Hill]

My article of the 25 All time best drivers...
1. Bill Sirois
2. Dean Chenowith
3. Chip Hanauer
4. Bill Seebold, Jr.
5. Jerry Waldman
6. Renato Molinari
7. Bob Nordskog
8. Bill Cooper
9. Johnny Sanders
10. Chris Bush
11. Bill Muncey
12. Jimbo McConnell
13. Dick O'Dea
14. Bob Wartinger
15. Ted Jones
16. Skeeter Johnson
17. Gordon Jennings, Jr.
18. Julian Pettengill
19. Bobby Switzer
20. Dick Jones
21. Hugh Entrop
22. Al Stoker
23. Rusty Chambell
24. Orlando Torganti
25. Homer Kincaid

That was my list then, not sure I'd change it today...

[Ron Hill]

Broc saw my plaque for being citizen of the month, 1973....I guess, I never got around to telling him about it... He asked how I got to be "Citizen of the Month"... I said, "Damn Mel Zikes always said I was from Garbage Grove in his articles....and the Major called me up to help beautify the city...So, I helped on a project or two...and I could see they had plans for ME...I moved to Irvine, in April of 1976.... but I told them earlier I wasn't going to run for Mayor....unless I moved to Needles...

Last picture of the 1973 Strawberry Festival Parade....Everybody loves a parade...

[Ron Hill]

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<tbody>
I listed a prop on E-Bay with one blade larger than the other....

Here is my answer to the question:

Q:

What does, one blade do and the longer and wider on that prop, mean?







Is this prop uneven or unbalanced somehow??? Please let me know! Thanks! Russ

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http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/x.gif

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http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/x.gif
A:
Well, Ernie Dawe had this good prop. He was testing and hit his speedometer tube. The tube only hit one blade. My fear was, if I cut both blades down, the prop wold be too small. I only cut one blade, and balanced the prop. Ernie swore the prop gained speed and won at least two nationals with it. Dave Bryan, 1972 National Champion in C Runabout, liked to come to my shop and fool with props. He tried to copy Ernie's National Championship prop. When I write MY HISTORY of Racing Propellers... The original prop, which Ernie still has, will be a chapter...We often felt, a one blade would be fastest, but basically impossible to balance....

</tbody>


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[Ron Hill]

Lee Morehouse built a lot of boats, my second, third and fourth AU's were all Morehouse boats...

When Lee left USC, he went into business with some men, named Hanna, another man named Barbarra, and a third man named Walt Disney. Lee could draw Mickey Mouse in his sleep. Every boat he ever built, he'd draw Mickey on the bottom before he glasses it...

When I was on the Mickey Mouse Newsreel, 1955, it was because of Lee's connection with Walt Disney.

I recently found, Lee and Ibby's only son, Dan, on the net. He has some pictures of some of the boats he raced that his dad built...Stay tuned, as this is the only picture I have of Lee...

If you look at my son's MOD VP, I guess the reason I like that 20 foot boat so much, is it looks, sort of like my old Morehouses....

[Ron Hill]

Program says 1947, trophy says 1948...Must have been there twice. I know my brother won in 1948, that's why my dad got the Mechanic's Trophy...

$1,350 in prize money!!!!

[Ron Hill]

I seem to have lost the original picture, I won this set of tools for being the most popular driver on the TV series...That is Dick Lane with me. He was Speed Boat Redeo's announcer, he also announced wrestling...but he liked boat racing better...

[Ron Hill]

Ted March used to work for Playboy and he traveled a lot..Seems he always was traveling to Havasu, Parker, St. Louis....Here is Ted next to my 235 Evinrude, MOD VP, 21 Eliminator......The boat's name "CRAZY HORSE" named for "Crazy Horse" Campground at Lake Havasu City, AZ.

Talked to Benny Robertson, today, he tells me he will be driving a Fountain Powerboat, before the 2007 Miami Boat Show, and the expected speed is 200 MPH....V-Hull...

He also told me, that Jerry Gilbreath, who was Brad Miller's son-in-law (Brad owned Crazy Horse Campgrounds, Crazy Horse Steak House, Del Taco, among other stuff, before he died)....Jerry will be Brandon Miller's Crew Chief on Brandon's Busch Car in 2007....

Don't know what Benny REALLY knows, but he usually,doesn't lie to me..

He tells, me Bobby Thompson, "JUST ADD WATER" Bobby Thompson, has a new Marina in Kentucky and will sponsor a Champboat Race at his Marina in Kentucky....

Bobby sponsored Kenny Stevenson and Benny to name a couple that I know he sponsored...Anyone have some pictures of "Just Add Water" Racing????

Bobby Thompson is a SERIOUS ASSET TO BOAT RACING.....WELCOME BACK, BOB!!!!

Here's the picture of Ted I started to post......

A Side note here: Jerry Gilbreath co-drove with me in this Eliminator. After the Enduro, Gil, Jerry's dad, started making the Gil Brackets.....I thought they were heavy and dumb...He copied my set back and sold 2 million dollars worth of Gil Brackets...Who was dumb???

Bob Leach, President and owner of Eliminator, gave me this boat for building a bracket like this...As I was the first one to put and outboard on an Eliminator. John Daley, President of the San Diego Unlimited Race, drove the first Elimnator ever to have an Outboard on it with an OUTBOARD bracket...(MOD VP, Havasu 1981)...

[Ron Hill]

Mickey wasn't liked by some, but he was a PROMOTER and he saw the future...

This is my Morehouse runabout and my dad's Evinrude Six Stud, 6042 Engine....I am looking for this motor with the serial number of 0041.

[Ron Hill]

The LASA (Los Angeles Speedboat Association) had a newspaper called THE FINISHLINE..JUly 1949. My brother had just won the Hearst Regatta...Hearse as in Hearst Castle and William Randolph Hearst Newspaper...

Elgin Gates was third in M Hydro, he lived in Seattle at the time, on the Seattle Outboard Logo is Elgin in his conventional M Hydro. Elgin later, bought the Mercury Outboard distributorship for the Western United States...He was a BIG GAME HUNTER, when he retired and moved to NEEDLES, he sold his house to JOHN WAYNE...

[Ron Hill]

I posted the newspaper clipping with this picture in it. The newspaper left out my friend on the right. Dickie Buma was his name... Eddie Hada, the Japanese American, here, was a big fan of boat racing. He had his dad take him to the races all the time...

I was 11 years old here, 1955.

[Ron Hill]

My OLD MAN always added oil to my motors. OMC MAY HAVE OWNED THEM, BUT MY dad ADDED OIL WHEN THEY WEREN'T LOOKING...He didn't care what "THOSE ENGINEERS SAID, he wasn't going to run any two stroke at 50:1......later, OMC decided that 20:1 was a good idea...

My dad was 59 here, younger than I am now....and I always thought of my dad as OLD.....

[Ron Hill]

John Castelli's old CSR was broken pretty badly at Bakersfield, once, and I kind of stomped on it and finished it off....So, I bought John a new boat for three props...

[Ron Hill]

John Schubert and I co-drove in PARIS, 1970, but he returned to the USA to work the next week, and Jimbo and I drove the same boat to win the six hours of Berlin....Interesting, Schubert was fired from his jiob two weeks later....or so..he would have loved winning Berlin....

Jim Briggs, was President of LAWNBOY LAWNMOWERS AT THE TIME, GAVE ME A NEW LAWN MOWER FOR WINNING BERLIN...About all I got as it seems they considered this a "SPORT"... in 1970...

Not sure what it said, maybe, Ron Hill won!!!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I saw where it said he was the best driver.;) but, it also answers a question I have long wondered. The race was on the Havel River.

[Ron Hill]

My dad always said he was very even tempered, he was mad all the time....(Which wasn't at all true....he was mellow, but had learned to box as a young man...didn't take much BULL to set him off)... I on the other hand, feel I'm seldom angery, but sometimes I go off...I don't ever stay mad and anyone....And If you know me, you know that several people have taken advantage of me several times....and I give them another "CHANCE" (To screw me).... But generally, life has been very good to me. I went into teaching to be off in the summers, but never worked a day in my teaching life that I didn't feel over paid.

One day, I came home and Chad had taken my new Weed Eater apart and told me he and grandpa WERE GOING TO MAKE AN OUTBOARD.....(Kind of like the song: "Now you can say there is no such thing as Santa, but as for me and grandpa we believe"...I thought, Christ, new Weed Eater torn to hell...).

Well, Chad and his Grandpa made patterns, ordered gears from Boston Gear, made castings, machined parts and built a motor....Later they used the Zinowa and had their been an E-Bay, Chad and my dad would have made a million dollars on these OUTBOARDS.

This is the ONLY WEED EATER they ever made, so it is the "ORIGINAl" ... I did help make a four blade prop for it..

I was mad about my Weed Eater, but twenty-two years later, I'm so glad Chad wanted to build an Outboard and I feel how lucky he and I both were to have a grandpa/dad who would build a motor with his grand son!!!!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Ron....that is a great tribute to not only your son Chad, but your Dad and yourself for their thought patterns. Outboard....Two cycle.... Experimentation. The younger and the older working to put something like that together is priceless. I have seen you post these pics together earlier, and it just put a thought into my head of another person you spent a lot of time with and loved as part of your own family. Ted May.:D I just had a thought, and Joe remembers more than me, about Ted grabbing and slinging water hayacyiths from the pits and those that were floating around the race course at the final round of the 1968 NOA World Championships. That was before Weedeater was invented I think, but if they would have had a loonng prop shaft and a heavy duty surfacing plastic rope, they could have cleared that pit area and race course in no time.:cool: :D

[Ron Hill]

In the spring of 1978, Fred Hauenstein and I won the Parker Enduro. Brad Miller owned the boat. Brad loved GN racing and drove a boat called Del Taco Express...Brad owned 192 Del Taco restaurants and he also owned a camp gorund called Crazyhorse.

After Freddy and I won Parker, Brad decided to open a Country and Western restaurant, I attended a "Blue Ribbon Cutting" for Crazy Horse" saloon and restaurant... Crazyhorse was the biggest Country and Western Stage in America and Brad Miller owned it...

Today, Bill Curtis gave me a coffee mug that said, "Crazyhorse"...

Rumor has it that Brandon Miller, Brad and Tracy's son, will be driving Busch Grand National Series this year with Jerry Gilbreath as crew chief....If Jerry is up to his normal levels...Brandon will run well in the 2007 Busch Series....

Good luck to you, Brandon, I'll be pulling for you......Thanks Brad, for the memories AND YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!!!!

[Ron Hill]

That "Head Shot" of me was in Power Boat Magazine, 1966. Dave Severson, who started Power Boat Magazine, liked me...He called me a "HERO DRIVER". He later hired me to sell subscriptions to the magazine and write articles...

I found these old pictures today...Hell, I guess all my pictures are OLD, but the first two pictures are the Elsinore 500, 1973. I had just won it, about one week before my daughter was born. I was supposed to race in Paris and Berlin the next two weeks, but my wife convinced me to stay for the birth of our "BABY"...I was one of the first dads to be in the delivery room, even though the doctor didn't like it at all...I stayed anyway...

Jessica was born on the day of the Six Hours of Paris, 1973....I've never regretted missing the race...

The guy in the straw hat is John Stoker...the YOUNG MAN, is AL Stoker...John's Custom Marine co-sponsored my boat in those days. The OLD MAN is in the blue hat (My dad....He owned 22 acres on Lake Elsinore, winning the 500 was a proud day for our family....My grandmother's house over looked the lake from Rome Hill.)...That's Gil Gilbert with the KM 55 shirt on... Gil drove Spectra Marine's Offshore boats...

The third picture is Ted March, in the red, and me in the blue at St. Louis, 1989...John Castelli drove my HST Hydrostream in MOD VP....I own the first two HST's ever build...Castelli had one, Jim Harris had the other...We ran a Merc on Castelli's and a Yamaha on Jim Harris's....

The rules were a bit tilted, and the Yamaha had to run stock heads, but now and then, Jim would put hot heads on the Yammie and win....

[Ron Hill]

I found these pictures of my brother's Sid Craft, 1960 Sid Craft, and my dad's Six Stud when we had it on a Merc mid section and gearcase...

[Ron Hill]

After this ad ran, Jim McKean from Mabank, Texas...called and wanted a "NOSE JOB" but he had one word wrong!!!! Started with a "B"...

[Ron Hill]

Ernie is building me a new KILO boat for 45 SST... I had Jimbo look the drawing over, I'm heading back to Indio today to pick you Broc's 45. Ernie put new decks on his boat...

We had planned to make the Oroville Kilos this March, 2007, but now, October at Devil's Lake, looks like the CALL!!!

[Ron Hill]

Funny, I was talking to Jimbo, Friday night....He loves boat racing more than he loves life, but he fools with RC airplanes because....

Parnelli Jones was a prop customer. At the LA Boat Show we talked, one Wednesday for an hour or two. He seemed depressed. The next year, we met again, he talked about his boys racing. Though, Page had been hurt, he seemed better than the year before, when he was out of RACING....

Jimbo is out of racing...He needs to return...

These pictures of Jimbo and myself, are from 1963. The FIRST EVER TWO DAY POINTS RACE at Blythe, California. It ws my first D Hydro race. My brother stayed home as Bunker Hill was born. 47 years ago, this month...

This was my first D Hydro race, and my LAST WITHOUT goggles or a shield...Jimbo always wore a bubble..I always just wore a shield...Goggles were Ok, but with a SHIELD you could see. Jimbo like the bubble shield. Jimbo was driving a Ted May hydro that was a copy of a Swift...

Ted May won D Hydro this weekend...

[Ron Hill]

Found this old picture of my twin engine Hallett...This wa a four point hydro, the bottom was sheeted with aluminum...The next spring, Dewey Berghauer and I almost won the Parker 9 Hour with this boat, we lost by a foot.....in 9 hours...

[Ron Hill]

Olin Griswold's parents owned the Dr. Pepper, Diet Rite, RC, 7 Up and Nesbitts cola company in Needles, California. Needles, is cold in the in the winter and Very hot in the summers...And there fore, they didn't need employees in the winter, but in the summer they were busy. I worked for them in the summer....Never quite on pay roll, but I never went hungry....

Grizz and me always just got along....He was a "RICH" kid and I could HUSTLE the women...we worked well together. We'd go into a bar, and order a case of beer... Coors, in bottles, and tell them to open them.....when the bar tender, brought us only one case, we'd bitch and ask were our other case was....

I managed to keep Grizz out of trouble a lot, though we weighed 500 pounds between us...Grizz was called The NEEDLES PLAYBOY as he wore $200 Boogaloosa shoes when I wore $3.00 a pair Top Siders....

I hung out in Needles in the Summers for several reasons, one was that Janice Daniel lived there, but there were also other women always around. Grizz and me (I) actually spent many nights in Vegas, as he had connections with 7 Up and Dr. Pepper....

Well, every other Wednesday, we went to LA to pick up a semi truck load of canned POP...at Artesia and the Five Freeway... Well Tiger boats was right near there...

We got this plan, kind of like Johnny Cash's plan to get a Cadillac, you know, one piece at a time....Well, first we loaded a trailier on the semi... Two weeks later we got the hull...by the end of the SUMMER we had us a TIGER V-Drive...Preperation H, Powered by Hemi Roids was her name...Green Metal Flake...Nasty, but COOL!

Problem was, Grizz didn't want his dad to know he owned it, so he called it Ron's boat...And I didn't want my dad to think I'd bought an INBOARD, so I called it Grizz's boat....for about four years, no one owned the boat...

We had a Nail Head Buick in her and we enjoyed the hell out of TERRORING the river....here's add for TIGER boats...

[tthibodaux]

My son and I are looking in the old scrap books and I found this one.:cool: Ron must have been a wild man.:D

[Ron Hill]

Hey, Bunker's my nephew....Forgot he was born in 1963, same year as the Boston Nationals....

What do you mean saying Ron Hill was a WILD MAN??? He still is as far as I know. I was tied at the end of the first day with that boat. and I had a three hour fuel load when the other TOP DOGS had two....Throttle cable broke the next day.....while running near the front...

I loved MOD VP....


He is a picture of Bunker taking his ROOKIE CROSS off his helmet....A proud day when you think about it....

At the 1977 Nationals Bunker was running an old boat, as he hadn't raced much. He came close to qualifying for the finals. Old Man (Harold) Berghauer asked Bunker in the inspection area if his Uncle had made the prop???? Think think just making conversation, as harold knew Bunker hadn't qualified...Bunker replied, "No, my uncle bought this one from Andy Hansen." Harold just looked at Bunker....

Bunker went from 90 pounds one year, to 275 a few years later....we didn't have a lot of time to fool with A Wheels.....

[Ron Hill]

I joke about being a "WILD MAN"....When Bunker went to Flagstaff, to Northern Arizona University, he was a Sigma Chi like myself....The difference in their meeting was that they'd read the minutes from our meeting 20 years before and ask themselves, "How could this stuff be true??" Times change...

Chad wasn't very Social when he was young. He'd go to school....and come home and work in the garage.... When he as about 14 he build this "CAR" from parts laying around. I thought it was quite cool he was building a car, figuring he'd never get it running.....

One day, I come around the corner,and here are my two boys going about 40 right at me.....Both boys have a smile you'd could see for a mile....After they got the damn thing stopped....and I cooled down to about 500 degrees, I explained the CAR WAS "BEACHED"......No more SPEED RUNS on our street...I told them I'd just seen my life "FLASH" before me.....

Note the "BRAKE"....And sponsor stickers...

[Ron Hill]

I frequently ran Parker without a Co-Driver....I'd tell my dad to get me a good driver who had broken down....Once Ted May started working for Nordskog, he would drive one of Bob's KT (Inboard Tunnel), but Ted would be out of the race by about two hours..... I'd come by the pits, and when my dad gave me the OK to stop, for a Co-Driver, I'd stop... This old pictures looks like the time, Ted was still running and I had to go to the BATHROOM......I'm like saying..."HELP ME"....Don't you understand I've got to GO???? About two laps later I come by and Ted is standing on the beach in his jacket and helmet carrying his pillow to put behind him so he could reach the gas pedal....I paid Ted by the hour for driving with me...In all the races I ever drove with Ted, he NEVER failed to return my boat in running condition.....

Ted use to pull his boats with a '55 T-Bird, one time, he was kind of stuck down, at Tin Can Beach, (As the tide was coming in) so he had me turn the Bird around...I backed into the CLAY bank, and plugged up his exhaust pipes...(Not knowing this of course)... The clay kind of baked in the exhaust tips and when Ted fired up that BIRD he blew his GLASS PACKS out....He was mad at me for about a year...

Ted was known to have a BAD TEMPER....When he was on "THE WAR PATH" as he called it, we learned to give him space...

[Ron Hill]

I've been hyperactive all my life...which has driven many people crazy...but my son, Chad, was hyperactive and I realized he came by it naturally...

We'd go to Needles and he'd knee ski for 40 miles and then want to do it again...When I ran a three blade, the damn boat would go on plane, then he'd give me the thumbs down, so. I'd slow....Then, the boat would fall off plane and he'd give me the thumb's up....I hated to be a frigging grouch but it was on the throttle , off the throttle..on the throttle...I could never relax.....

So, I set out to make a prop that would just CRUISE....I made a four blade...Didn't need to screw with the trim, didn'nt need to mess with the throittle...just cruise and let the kid kneeboard ski...40 miles if he wanted to...

I sell that same four blade and five blade today on E-Bay....We call themPleasure 4's and 5's.

[Ron Hill]

A local bank sponored a "Kart Race".... Well with the help of Steve Wilson, Jeff Wilson....maybe Brian Wilson... Ben Ellerman, and myself....we kind of took all the trophies...

But when your kid wins...He wants to race a gain...Every sport has an ENTRY LEVEL event...Boat Racing needs a ONE DESIGN...

Here is Chad hill getting ready to win the FINAL in the Irvine Bank's Kart Race....(Grandpa Hill made us a special oil of graphite and karosene)... We were fast...

[Ron Hill]

Found these two pictures....I thought the color picture might have been taken by Jeff Lytle's dad....But I see the spelling is different...

After I left Valleyfield, I raced DePue, Chicago to Milwaukee to Chicago Marathon, OPC Nationals at Canton, Ohio (Before there was a Pro Football Hall of Fame) and then the Stock Nationals in Essex, Maryland....Drove home from Essex, caught an airplane for New York to run the Hudson River Marathon...

[Ron Hill]

Inside is Don Brunjies, Ernie Dawe (Who won), Dick Lovelace, Don Hagerl (I think in Don Voisin's DeSilva) and 19-C is Ron Hill.

[Ron Hill]

This picture is in Detroit. Charles SLough owned beauty shops in San Diego. After he left the Stock Nationals in Maryland, he attended a "Beautican's Nationals in New York, which he won...

Here he's looking at the Unlimites...with my dad and me...

Also pictured is Charles's D Runabout floater...

[Ron Hill]

Not sure you can read what my brother's flyer said...

[Ron Hill]

When Ted May and I headed for Paris, in September 1968....I saved the ticket, becasue at the time, the ticket was almost the same as a month's pay from teaching....Of course, OMC paid for the ticket...BUT, I took a month off work to go race....When I retired I'd lost a half year of service....Five Octobers....no pay, not retirement...But I'd do it again in a heartbeat....

Hell, if they still ran the Six Hours of Paris, I'd go to watch....Something about walking from the Paris Hilton, under that big tower to ther ace course, always brought chills.....racing in "DONW TOWN" Paris, France....

[Steveracer]

A local bank sponored a "Kart Race".... Well with the help of Steve Wilson, Jeff Wilson....maybe Brian Wilson... Ben Ellerman, and myself....we kind of took all the trophies...

Here is Chad hill getting ready to win the FINAL in the Irvine Bank's Kart Race....(Grandpa Hill made us a special oil of graphite and karosene)... We were fast...


I remember that day... If I remember right, there was a rule that you HAD to use an old orange crate as part of the cart. Ross may have been part of the pit crew also.

Also, did your dad ever find the tape measure that was "lost" during the remodel of your office? I remember how mad he was about it. The general opinion was that it was closed up in the wall and I remember he did blame Ross and myself for that. I think that was also the same year that Barb fired both of us, but we don't need to go into the reason why.:eek:

[rossdbos]

Now, as I remember it, Ron, aka Dr. Savapenny, was paying Steve and I less than Minimum wage, which at the time was around $4.00/hour to sit in his sweatshop (usually over 110 degrees inside that hot box) that was Hill Marine to bead blast props, put on nosecones, and do misc. light construction with the Elder Hill. Yes, both Steve and I took the blame, mainly me as I was working with him around the time of the disappearance of the beloved $2.00 tape measure, for which I never heard the end of from Russ.
As for Steve getting fired, the way I remember it, and Steve correct me if I am wrong, but on a typical day at the sweatshop, Ron or Barb brought Chad over and Chad being a very 'hyper' and excitable youth (of maybe 4 or 5) found it funny to go around the shop and turn every piece of equipment on, that is until Jeff, and this is my favorite part, got a hold of Chad, picked him up and gave him his very first "swirly" head first in that putrid toilet of that sweatshop! Well, Barb got a little peeved and once again Steve had had about enough of it and basically, in only the way Steve can do it, referred to her as a female dog and that was the end of Steve's tenure ship at famed Hill Marine. I soon followed suit now that Steve was no longer there.
I haven't thought of that story for close to 20 years.
Too funny!
Ross :D

[Steveracer]

Ross, the real funny thing is that's pretty much exactly how I remember it. Those were the days....;)

[Ron Hill]

I do remember you kids carrying the cart up the hill, with the drivers still behind the wheel...Those Irvine people had never seen people who REALLY got into racing.....

I do remember, that some kid had stolen some Hill Marine stickers from Racersteve, and Steve beat him up....I was sure we'd get into some big trouble from that....but maybe the kid didn't tell his parents he'd been caught stealing stickers....


I'm sure some of those OLD guys in Wisconsin will start talking about the night they tried to throw me in the pool....(Dayton, Ohio, 1974)...

[champhotrod]

Ron,
The way I remember the pool party at Dayton in 1974:
A lot of the Wisconsin bunch stayed at the Sheridan Motel (spelling??, not the chain, a local place) My family along with the Andy Hansen's, Ron Thomas' and many others were their. All the winners needed to get thrown in the pool
but when it came to Ron Hill's turn us A & B drivers couldn't get Ron in the water, he got on the table with the umbrella so we threw the table, umbrella and Ron into the pool as a unit.

Cooper Jess:eek:

[tthibodaux]

Jimbo McConnell, Ted May, Ron Hill, Cesare Scotti, Mike Wallace and Barry Woods.:D

[Ron Hill]

Top picture is 1978, Crazyhorse, Parker winner, Fred Hauenstein and I

Second picture, 1968 Milwaukke to Chicago to Milwaukee Marathon...

Third picture is Morgan City, Lousiana, OMC fueling my Evinrude Powered Scotti... This is the tunnel, that Jay Root turned into an Inboard Outboard and raced in the 150 class, until he was too fast...

This J Runabout is Chad Hill's JSR...

Last picture, framed is from Powerboat magazine...Ted and Scott March are in this picture. Ted sent Pat Bowman, Chad and I all framed pictures...

Ted and I go back into the 1960's...

[george clous]

Motorboat,
On page 8 is that the same boat your dad and I pulled all the way to Galveston just so you could fly down to roll it over in practice and OMC would not let us clean out the motors and put it back in the race? We had to sit around for two days and drink beer with Red Adair and watch the race . Bummmmmmmer. The trip down there and back with your dad was something I'll always remember. I think that was in '68 and he had his rug by then.

In hoc
George

[Ron Hill]

Russ and I were looking at the old helmets in Leo B. Wildman's photos..I asked Russ if he remember his helmet like that and he said, "NO!!!"


Well, Russ, here it is...Salton Sea...

Russ is driving a Howard Thompson hydro, that was built new for John Drake, of the Drake Offy Family)... to run C Racing Hydro....

[Ron Hill]

That helmet was made of metal and I think it came from France. Did Bell make metal helmets? I thought Bell Helmets came from Bell, California...

Hmm...

[Ron Hill]

Sponsored by Military Order of the Purple Heart....

Names in the program...Art Losvar, Mukiteo, Washington...I saw Dave at Jack Leek's Memorial..

Leonard Keller...Maker of the Keller Speedometer and Keller hardware...

Ray Hulett, Wickenburg, AZ (Worked for OMC when the built the Super Strangler engines)...

Bill Schuyler, later owed the Unlimited Dollar Bill

Bub Wiget

R.H. Hubbell AKA "PEP" Hubbell: Hubbell Motors

Russ Hill, my dad!

[Ron Hill]

I bought Broc a J Runabout and after one race, Water Polo took off and seven years later, he's running 45 and A Hydro...

The other picture is "Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona...Oh Lord, they're is a girl ina flat bed Ford looking back at me..."

[Ron Hill]

I'm taking my first granddaughter (She is almost four already) to swimming lessons tomorrow....it was only yesterday, I was taking my daughter to swim lessons then, she grew up and got married...

Top picture is me, 1998...

[Ron Hill]

Some of these go back a ways....

The picture of 1-C was my dad and me, we were coming back fromthe 1961 Guntersville Nationals, and se got side tracked to Nebraska, to go to my dad's cousin's funeral..

This picture was taken in my dad's home town of Arapahoe, Nebraska....This picture made the local newspaper...

Bottom picture, my "Big Brother" holding me...

[Ron Hill]

I was in Needles the other day and heard Bob Peters had passed with cancer. His brother Edgar and I were good friends when Edgar was in college and when he raced. Here my brother is explaining to Edgar how to drive my "FLOATER" that I loaned him to run C Runabout...As I explained to "GAR" as I always called him, Russ doesn't know nothing about driving a runabout and he sure as hell doesn't know the river...So Don't listen to him!!!

It has always been a good family trait, that no one takes our BS seriously!!!!

[Ron Hill]

Here Bunker and Russ are holding Brad Miller's "Crazyhorse" waiting for my to start the MOD U heat....I jumped the gun both heats. As I've said before, "Without a camera, there ain't no such thing as a PERECT start. Without a camera, you are either over or late..."

[Ron Hill]

Rich Job ran a pretty mean Furnel Flyer in 20 SS Hydro and he also had a 102 on a Flyer that ran well.... Chad was about 7 and I let him take the "SNAPPER" for a ride....Chad saw that Rich was broke down in the corner....and he stopped to help Rich.... Rich got so excited to see Chad driving the boat, by himself, he couldn't talk...He kep asking Chad, "If his dad knew he was out in the boat...Chad said, 'Sure'...but Rich kept saying "Chadwick you are only 7....." Chad finally started the motor and made a few more laps.

I asked Chad what was wrong with Rich and he said, "All he could say is WHERE IS YOUR DAD???"

[Ron Hill]

I was watching the movie Cars and all the other night. I was thinking, while watching, I guess that is why I like Needles...Jimbo's mom's restaurant was on Route 66...Shamrock Cafe...Jimbo cooked the breakfast shift and made spaghetti there...I cruised looking for chicks!!!

We raced boats because we wanted to..but in Needles, we were SPECIAL!!!

In the movie Cars the Hudson Hornet says about the Piston Cup..."All I see is an empty cup."...

I won the last Super C Runabout Nationals... I liked that Cresent motor Dick O'Dea imported. The class was too fast and too hard to handle for average sized people and no one considered restricting speeds in those days...

Was going to toss this trophy, but have decided to give it to the The Needles Museum in.....as boat Racing was also part of Route 66.

[Ron Hill]

Chad Hill BMXer.... A Runabout Driver


<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Chet Herbert and I were pretty good friends. He was hanging out at the shop one day and he said, "That kid of yours should race BMX." I told him I thought it was too dangerous...Next day, he and his son, Doug, (Dough Herbert BRAKES) come over with pads, and gooseneck pads and they tell us to meet them at Orange YMCA Track Friday night.

Well, we got "INTO" BMX, at one time I had a GT Cruiser...We raced about three times a week for three or four years! I had met the man that owned GT Bicycles and he needed a Flat Bottom V-Drive prop or two...we traded bike frames and stuff for prop work... My daughter had to race against the boys, which was OK with her, until they got tired of her beating them, so they started running her off the track...

After she quit, they started a Girls Division...but Jessica was "OVER IT" by then...

We had a ton of fun, I machined Chad's peddles on my prop machine to have "Chines"...he could corner better than anyone...Then, we went Boat Racing when he turned 9....

Problem was, they made him run J until he was 14, I had raced A at eleven and C at 14...Chad's A racing lasted only a year and he went into 45....at 210, he's a big 45 driver....

I put Doug Herbert in my 20 SS Hydro, which he bought and raced for awhile...Doug calls Chad and offers tickets for the Pomona Winternationals, but he's never gone!!!!

Chet Herbert was good people!!! Doug Herbert has do a fne job teaching young folks had to drives defensively. He runs B.R.A.K.E.S.
As B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) continues to spread its safe driving message to more and more communities across the country, the widely acclaimed Teen Pro-Active Driving Schools have given over 15,000 teenagers greater levels of concentration, focus, and driving skills when behind the wheel. These intensive weekend programs are free of charge and on May 16th & 17th , B.R.A.K.E.S. will be setting up shop at the former Alameda Point Naval Base in Alameda, CA, marking the first time this non-profit (c)(3) organization has visited Northern California and the San Francisco Bay area.
“This is going to be special for me,” says Doug Herbert, B.R.A.K.E.S. founder and the father of two sons, 17-year-old Jon and 12-year-old James, who were killed in a devastating head-on collision in 2008.

[Ron Hill]

Parker 1978

[Ron Hill]

I had not really planned to have Broc driving this Gran Prix, I had been loaning it ti John Lane...But Broc's boat got "Busted" so he started driving the Gran Prix, in 2007.

[Ron Hill]

Some more Broc Hill pictures...

The black boat is Chad..

[Ron Hill]

Carl Meyers and his wife of 34 years, Willie, came to Long Beach Sprint Nationals. Carl brought this picture of me running 36 Runabout, about 1960. Lee and Danny Morehouse had built this boat for D Marathons...Never was too fast, but Carl turned it into a 36 Runabout...Seems I won the race that weekend...I was "haulin" 29 MPH with a Johnson 25. Lane Curry told me he could go 34 (He told me that last weekend)...seems he ran third at 34 and I won at 29...Must have been talent!!!!

The boat was named "TURTLE EXPRESS" and I loved driving it....

[Ron Hill]

When Stock Outboarding, like NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing....or such), runabouts were also used for river running, like I guess, I'd hope my Tri Hull would be, if I had one...It wasn't legal to cover the deck up...

The front seat hat to be large enough to seat three...As the classes were called, like BU, or B Utility....Racing Runabouts (ALKY) had closed decks....

Even in those days, there weren't many who used their boats for "PLEASURE"....though I took many a young lady for a ride in my CU at Needles......and friends...I remember running from Needles to Bullhead, with Glen Chambers sitting in the front seat on a five gallon gas can....Breaking in my Mark 30-H that way...

What few understand, RACING 36 Runabout at 29-34 MPH was about as much fun as a MAN could have....Put 7-9 boats on the course and you've got a great race.

When we raced on TV, 26 straight weeks, the camera men loved 36, because they could keep up with the action and usually when someone was going to turn over, they could see it coming. 36 Runabout was Dick Lane's (The TV announcer) favorite class....But then again, every boat had a NAME....The Bandit, Rinso Blue, Hawg Dawg, Turtle Express, Chickenship, to name a few...Fans love boat names.....

[Mark75H]

The first 2 or 3 years of Stock Utility racing C, D, E & F had to have seating for 5; A and B only had to seat 3. This was 1949-51-ish. About 1952 the seating was decreased to 3 and E was dropped. A few years later F was dropped too.

[geodavid]

Ron,
It was a pleasure meeting Broc. Can tell how proud you are of him. Great to see you are carrying the same father-son tradition that you had with your Dad. Great to see Russ too, after so many years. Here is a guy who saw my Dad race. That goes farther back than calling stock runabouts utilities. Had to be careful not to call him you know what. Remember the days when nobody called him "Russ." I never had one of the double cockpit boats, but always wanted to try driving one. Hey Joe, if they had those for the 1100 runabouts, I might have been okay?
I am looking forward to seeing Broc race. Too bad they don't have races at Hansen Dam anymore. Ron, do you know anything of the whereabouts of a great 36 running Ken Scoville? Ken's shop and his parents home were very closeby to where we live. Last heard he was in Utah? When addressing the 36 runabouts, had to mention Ken and his father. They kind of reminded me of the stock version of the C Service class. I could not believe how popular the C Service and C Racing classes have become. Ron, didn't your Dad run a C Racing runabout? I'm sure both of our Dad's would have loved it.

[Steven Curry]

Here's about the only one I have...Hmmm, seems like a lot of "soda" cans stacked up back there:cool:

Ron,
Somewhere there is a picture of Dad driving this boat as a "C" against you and Jimbo. Race was at the river. Dad can't seem to find his. Thought you might have one somewhere.

[Ron Hill]

Seems I'd bet that the tall pile of COORS CANS was MY PILE...

After looking at this picture, does anyone DOUBT the TRUTH about 36 drivers drinking DURING a race???

In case you never heard, in the 1963 or 64 Needles Marathon, I was passing Danny Schwarzenbach's 36, in my D Runabout, when I saw a Coors can fly out of his boat and land on a sand bar (Beer cans were heavier then)...About two laps before I'd seen a Coors can floating in the river and had wondered how a Coors can got in the middle of our race, as I knew the river traffic was stopped during the race...

I was in inspection after the race and I told my dad, who was inspecting with Austin Secor that Danny Schwarzenbach was drinking beer during the race. About then Danny finished and pulled into inspection...

My dad confronted Danny and Danny said, "Gall Dang, it's hot out there and the race was 90 miles, sure he was drinking beer...But he wasn't now cause the race was over".....My OLD MAN goes, "What the hell are you talking about???" Danny said, "The rule says no drinking before the race and no drinking until one hour after the race...Danny said, "Well it doesn't say you CAN'T DRINK DURING THE RACE"....He said, "We all (36 driviers) took a six pack with us..."

That fall, at the APBA National Meeting, as new sentence was added to the rule...

When I found those props at Apple Valley Marine a few weeks back....I didn't mention Ken Scoville's prop, but here it is...looks good all polished...

Old Ken wrote a MILLION words, at least, about boat racing. He could call the LA TIMES collect and give them our race results, which would appear in the L. A. Times next to names like AJ Foyt, Parnelli Jones....on Monday morning.

Old Ken retired to Needles and we rented a trailer ,next to him for many years....He loved 36 Runabout to the end...All the 36 drivers were hurt deeply when "THEIR" class was dropped from APBA....

[Ron Hill]

I was looking for something, and I see Fred Hauenstein shaking hands...I say, "Who is the Jack *** in the suit, in Miami, in July?" Then, I look closer, and realize that "JACK ***" is me...

See, my "Starter Wife" worked for TWA in those days....and I liked to LOOK RICH!!!! I was heading for the airport...

[Ron Hill]

It is official!!! Marlee Hill, Great Grand daughter of Russ Hill Sr. Is the first 4th generation Hill racer!!
Marlee had a great 1st run finishing second in a fleet of 4 JSH's at lake Ming. It was almost too much for grandfather, Russ Hill Jr. He was overcome with tears of pride for a job well done by his oldest grand daughter!

Way to go Russ and Marlee!!

Bunker


Broc Hill here:

Woohoo, Glad to see Marlee racing and she is a great addition to the Hill Racing tradition.

Posting a pic here because that Pops asked me too. He said him, "And I think he said, He and Ted May, (but I'm not sure) went to the store and bought some wall paper and designed this boat to full scale on the garage floor. Ron ended up setting the kilo record for A Racing Runabout at the time. Bitchen!!

[Ron Hill]

(This is really a story for Broc, but you all can read it):

I found the picture Broc posted (Above this post) in some stuff I almost tossed out...When I saw my dad's hand writing my mind drifted back to 1965.

In '64 I'd built a C Runabout....Well, I drew the plans and started it, my dad and I finished it. We managed to up the Kilo record from 60 to 64 which, was quite a jump.

That September, Ernie Dawe talked me into going to Flagstaff to college, that was the fall of 1964, something that NO MAN could understand how great Flagstaff was for a 6'5" California Kid...Anyway, that fall there was a Parker race and I went down from Flag to the race. I managed to catch the three day measles, and had it not been for my girl friend, I might have died in the school's infirmary (She'd slip in after hours with medicinal RUM...and) anyway, my blood pressure was up everyday and they wouldn't let me out, for a week)...

Carl Meyers was like a BIG BROTHER to me in those days. I had a BIG BROTHER but he was married and had kids...Carl TOOK CARE OF ME...When I needed BEER we had BEER...When I needed a motor we had a motor...Carl had been a fireman, but quit to be a gardener. His son was a Rhoads Scholar at Oxford....

Anyway, Carl "Hit ME Up" to design a B runabout for him...at this Parker Race...

Well, I told Carl I'd design him a BU. So, after I got out of the infirmary, Ernie and I went to the local paint store and got a roll of wall paper for us to design this boat for Carl.

Ernie had had a Foo Ling (Hal Kelly BU) and he had a Sid Craft (Not Bath Tub) that was pretty fast... So, in our house, where Erine, Wire and I lived ($55 a month rent) we put this wall paper, backward on the floor and designed this BU. I those days Ernie drank beer.....He hasn't drank in 26 years....and we'd have a beer and argue...

Finally, we drew this boat out on the floor of our house....and what a great house...Across the street from the college where there were two girls enrolled for every boy....Oh my god, I may have invented the word A.D.D.

Anyway, I sent the plans to my MOM. As my MOM sent me $20 a week. My money paid for everything....but my Mom sent me $20 per week was for "Extras"....

The first $20 check I cashed at Ruff's Liquor store. I took my cooler in, put a case of beer in the cooler, added free ice, and put a case of Coors on top of my cooler...I walked up to the cash register and handed them my Mom's $20 check (A case of Coors was $5.00 in those days)...I'd just bought two cases...One in my cooler and one on top the cooler...

The guy behind the cash register handed me some bills. When I got out to my car with my two cases of Coors, I realized he'd given me $15 dollars change....Hmmm, I thought, he didn't charge me for the case in the cooler...

Many of my friends often wondered "WHY" Ron Hill always had lots of beer to give away ....

[Ron Hill]

I roll home Easter week, 1965 with two twins from Newport Beach, the McConneville twins and two girls from Farmington, New Mexico.

There are quite a few people from Arizona over in Cal for Easter Week. The two young ladies from Farmington New Mexico want to go to HOLLYWOOD. Well, am I going to tell them I have NO CLUE where Hollywood is??? Somehow, me and four BEAUTIFUL young ladies head out for HOLLYWOOD. I know Hollywood must be near Los Angeles so I head for Los Angeles.

In those days, my '59 Chevy held about 8 people , four in the foruth and four in the back...Seems when we found HOLLYWOOD I had 8 people in my car, all from Arizona...plus me...By the time we returned from Hollywood.....I think the sun was coming up at my parent's home...

6:00 A.M. my dad was saying, ""Let's get started on Carl's boat.." I'm saying...."Let's see if I'll live through the day???..."

So, the OLD MAN and me work on MY PLANS all day building Carl's boat....These New Mexico Chicks and Newport Chicks sleep all day...they call me and want to go to Hollywood AGAIN....Hell, I don't know how we found Hollywood last night....but I say, "I'll pick you up in a little while..."

[Ron Hill]

This is Monday night... I've slept three hours since Saturday night...

I head to Newport to pick up the twins and the two Farmington New Mexicao Chicks, there are like four more chicks that want to go to HOLLYWOOD....

By the time we FIND Hollywood and go clubing until 2:00 A.M. and I take these CHICKS back to Newport, I roll into bed at 5:00...

My Old Man is getting me up at 6 to BUILD this BU....Seriously, I have no clue what day it is, we're sanding and grinding on this boat....and this is TUESDAY MORNING......

About 3:00 P.M. I'm close to dying...My Mom comes out and says your friends want to know what time you are picking them up top go to HOLLYWOOD....? Of Course, by this time, Larry Smith,'s CLUB".... Larry Smith of Scaarb Boat ownes this club...and he likes guys who bring "CHICKS IN"....Oh, The RAINBO ROOM, that's the name.....GUYS LIKE Wilt Chamberlin hung out there.

So, Tuesday night we're off to HOLLYWOOD again....(Party all night, build boats all day)...

Truth is I have no idea when I get home Tuesday night, but at 6:00 Wednesday the OLD MAN says we've got to finish this boat...for Carl. Had he said we need to finish it for me, I'd have said, "NEXT YEAR"... but for Carl...We needed to build the boat....

[Ron Hill]

By Wednesday, I realized I'd had about 8 hours sleep since Saturday.

My Farmington New Mexico chicks would sleep all day and were SERIOUS partiers at night. By Friday, I told the OLD MAN I needed to get back top Flagstaff to "Study".

[russhill]

Larry Smith and I go back a few years to the early Offshore days. Anyway, This "Club" Ron talks above was not where Wilt hung out, that was in Marina Del Rey. Anyway the best story is about Larry's club on La Cienega or somewhere like that. Larry was basically a restaurateur, not a Scarab boat builder. We hung out there sometime. Larry's place had no valet parking, but one time (I wasn't there) Larry always glad-handed his customers and this particular night, somebody said glad you're finally getting some parking. Larry laughed and said, "Yeah".

Later somebody said to Larry. glad to see you're finally getting some valets. Larry said, what the hell you guys talking about? Well some red vested entrepreneurs had been valeting. They successfully made off with a couple of Rolls, four Ferrari's and a few more high dollar cars. They didn't steal any Toyotas.

Russ Hill

Even you non-boat racers can dig that.

[Ron Hill]

Easter Week FINALLY ended and I headed back to Flagstaff with four young ladies.....(I mean I was trust worthy to get GIRLS back to their dorms...of course I delivered them for money...).

We had a race in Blythe the next spring. I brought Tubby and Wink down to Blythe, they were from New York had never seen a Boat Race before, they loved it.

Carl had me drive the new boat and coming around the second turn the boat took a "Hop" and split my chin wide open from hitting the deck...Jimbo decided I needed stitches, but we put duct tape on my chin instead.

When I got back to Flag I'd decided we'd built a "DOG". I thought, "Holly Cow, I spent my Easter Week building a boat that is a DOG"....

[Ron Hill]

College was tuff in those days. We had Greek Week, Intramural baseball, golf, ping pong, basketball, weight lifting. There were parties, on campus every Wednesday night, and the Sigma Chi's had parties every Friday and Saturday nights. Barry Goldwater was a Sigma Chi, he'd come up and talk on campus and "Hang Out". I had to play golf in tournaments in Phoenix...and all.

Almost every night we'd have to go to the LQ (Latin Quarter) and sing "Ira Hayes" by Johnny Cash and drink a few beers...

And of course, there were things to do being on Inter Fraternity Council and being in Student Government, and going to A O PI Formals with the Homecoming Queen....and Tri Delta Balls...

It really was hard keeping up with all this "ACTION".....but now and then, I'd think about that DAMN BU....

Ernie had this Sid Craft that had no after plane, and he's set the motor back about an inch.

My CU that I'd broken the kilo record with, had a 22 degree transom and I ran it in the sixth hole with a pipe...and still ran kick under. Ernie's BU was only ten feet long. I'd designed Carl's to be 11, but someone measured from the bottom and the mother was 11'4".

I had to go to summer school if I was to graduate in the spring of 1966, but had a week off between school and summer. I came home, called Carl and had him bring the boat to my dad's house. I decided to cut the transom out and move it back four inches.

When I ran my CU in the KILO, I had jacked the motor to where the gearcase was above the bottom of the boat. Only the skeg was in the water and I ran a D hydro prop. I made the new transom on the BU, now called "Whipper Snapper"....so high that the bottom of the gearcase was 1/2 above the bottom. I turned the boat into a KILO boat, even added my CU cowling to the deck.

I told Carl to get POP SMITH to make him the biggest BU Cary Prop would make and headed back for college....Seems the Divisionals were up in Nor Cal and don't recall which family member died, so I could get away from school. (In those days, all you had to tell your teachers was that Uncle Charlie died, and you had to go to the funeral and you'd be back in week...You needed to keep a notebook pad so you didn't have Uncle Charlie die more than once a year).

I didn't need to win DU, as I was defending National Champion, but did want the points and did want to qualify my CU. Oh, forgot to mention, I cut the fin in half on Carl's BU, figuring, the reason it hopped was too much fin.....but no proof of course. Well, Carl won BU at the Divisionals.

We decided that Carl and his wife would take the boats to Beaver, PA for the Nationals. My parents would pick me up, on the last day of Summer School and we'd head to the Nationals...

Freddy and Old Fred Hauenstein had stopped and stayed with me on their way to and from DePue. Man I was so JEALOUS that they'd gone to DePue...Freddy won a title or two...Being poor was a bitch! Besides, the draft wanted me if I quit school!

I went to college because I wanted to teach 5th grade....I never really took it seriously. I raced boats to win....but school was something else. When I got to Flagstaff, I was on two of the Dean's lists. One was Social Probation and the other was for having a B average...(I could write a book on why I was on SOCIAL PROBATION, but that will be another chapter...).

Anyway, in summer school I had good grades going, in fact all A's...maybe, I was getting older, maybe with nothing much going on in the summer, I actually studied...Anyway, on the last day of summer school and get a call at 5:00 A.M. (I'd stayed up til 2 studying, figuring I could rest on the way to Beaver Falls, PA). (Home of Joe Willy Namath).

It was my brother's late wife, Judy. She told me Carl had been in a head on car accident in Nebraska and was in very bad shape. My parents were staying with Austin and Bess Secor in Needles, Judy had called them. My parents were going to meet and exchange cars...She said my folks would be late getting to Flag. My brother, brought my dad's '56 Ford truck and they exchanged cars.

Carl had a new truck. Our Ford had about 100,000 hard miles on it....many of those miles were driven by Jimbo and me...Anyway, we decided to go to Nebraska and pick up whatever was there!!!

Note Transom angle on my CU (1-U.S.)

[Ron Hill]

It is Sunday, October 14, 2007. The Blue Water Resort and Casino 300 Enduro is next weekend.... We've got things to do, rather than write about stuff that happened in 1965.... My problem, every time I start to write about this I get to laughing like a CRAZY MAN!!!!

My Mom, Dad and I headed for Ogallala, Nebraska on highway 80, because that is where the accident happened. As we neared Ogallala, we saw oil and parts of cars, and wood on the two lane road...(Interstate 80 wasn't four lanes all the way across the country in those days) and boat parts down in the ditch...

We stopped at this bridge, outside of town....I found a piece of my DU's deck, about 24 X 24, I could tell pretty well that my DU that had won the 1964 Nationals and 56 straight heats was now "TOAST"... With a tear in my eye, I walked up to my dad and said, "Looks like my DU is gone...."

We pulled into Ogallala, and found the trailer parked in a lot, bent and twisted, DU busted in half to the steering wheel, CU with big holes in the bottom, and the BU, "Whipper Snapper" hardly hurt....

We said, "Let's go up to the hospital and see Carl and Mary Ann, then we'll take the trailer and head home...." I was thinking, (Always postive Ron), Well, I can see my girl friend in La Jolla in about a week, rather than three weeks!!!

We went to the hospital, Carl was in bad shape, back broken, they had him medicated. His wife, Mary Ann, had a broke hip, pelvis, leg, knee, foot and angle. She was driving, when she hit the brakes, the other car hit them, broke most of her bones...

As we walked out of the hospital. we all just kind of said, "We're going to the Natioanls, BE DAMNED..."

We got up the next morning and hooked on to the trailer, tied the boats down a little and left for Beaver Falls....We didn't say much, we just drove. The Old Man's 56 Ford ran like a song....

We'd stop for gas, and look at the mess...knocked the fenders off the trailer, racks were Twisted and bent. We'd get gas, then we'd drive...The Old Man liked to drive 200 miles and switch. He'd drive about 60....so it would take about three and a half hours....I'd run the mother as fast as she'd go, about 85....Take me about two and half hours....

I'd USE four quarts of OIL, he wouldn't use any...The Old Man would say, "Damn, seems to burn a lot of oil when you drive..." My MOM was always fun, she'd sit next to me and kind of elbow me now and then...Not a lot of traffic back then, and for sure, no radar cops...

My Mom drove my dad's boat before I was born, but she'd never driven a boat after I was born...I'll bet she'd have made a damn good racer!!!

Somewhere about OHIO, may dad said, "Well, if we keep this pace up, we'll be in Beaver Falls about Tuesday........" He said, "We built the 'Whipper Snapper' in five days and YOU WEREN'T much help, maybe we could rebuilt your DU by Sunday!!!!

I said, "Dad, there is SEVEN FEET MISSING FROM A 13 foot boat."

[Ron Hill]

I'd talked to my girl friend in La Jolla....we were on the ROAD....Having a good time...My OLD MAN was always fun...so was my MOM...

Back in 1960, when I first started driving, Jimbo, Ernie Dawe and I had left San Diego to go to Needles....For whatever reason, there seemed to be a lot of people with flat tires on Route 66...I was driving Ruben Dawe's 1958 in line six Ford, pulling Jimbo's and Ernie's boats. Jimbo and Ernie were sleeping and I'm driving... It's a hundred 130 degrees in the shade and it is dark....besides, there is no shade...

Anyway, I see some "STIFF" changing a tire, so I turn the key off and coast until I get next to this "STIFF". I turn the key on when I'm next to this "STIFF" and CA BLEWEY...Fire shoots out from under Ruben's truck and it sounds like a cannon shot......Ernie and Jimbo sit up like they've been shot......The guy changing the tire throws his hands up and I see from the exhaust fire, the wrench go through the air...

I'm laughing so damn hard I can't even tell Ernie or Jimbo what happened, but about this time, there's another guy changing a tire...I turn the key off, again, coast next to the guy...and turn the key on.....This time the muffler blows up in about 200 pieces. The sky is full of muffler parts and fire....

Jimbo and Erine are still about half a sleep, they are trying to figure out what the hell is happening....I'm laughing like a CRAZY MAN, now the truck roars with open exhaust as it no longer have a muffler....

The next day, Ruben asked, "What happened to my muffler...?" I said we were coming down that 26 mile hill too fast and I shut the key off...She must have back fired..."...

As we got closer to Beaver, PA I started thinking of Bev Oller....I had tried to pick up on her in Boston, in 1963, Damn Bob Martin warned her mother about me...But was thinking she'd put in two years at Old Miss ...and maybe, I'd enjoy the Nationals after all!!!!

We were rolling along the PA Turn Pike, up and down hills....I got this crazy idea.....I'd never turned the Old Man's Ford off while driving as it had an automatic transmission and was not sure what would happen. But I knew, The Old man had said, "If this Ford breaks down on the trip, we'll just buy a new one.."

[Ron Hill]

I'm driving and I'm bored....but in a pretty good mood. We'd called the hospital and Carl and Mary Ann were going to live, which we had not been sure about when we'd left a few days earlier...

I'm heading down a long hill, straight road, with some guy changing a tire....FLASH BACK, NEEDLES 1960.....Hell with the automatic transmission, I turn the key off and hang on to the wheel for dear life.....When I get to the "DUDE" changing the tire, I turn the key on.... SIX Cherry Bombs.... and good by muffler....

The OLD MAN, never thinking I'd turned the key off, thought I'd just gone down the long hill....and HE BLAMED the DAMN SMOG DEVICE..... He started ranting and raving about the DAMN SMOG DEVICE....I never had the BALLS to tell him I'd turned the key off...

We roll in to the pits at Beaver Falls, about noon....Friggin muffler going Blat, blat, trailer completely screwed up and three busted up boats....No one looks at us...it is like we are from MARS....

We stop by John Schubert and Stan Armstrong's trailer...and get out...Johnny Schubert goes, "It's Ronnie Hill.....then says, "What the hell happened?'" Old Man Armstrong and Stan, move their trailer, John's dad and John help us back in....

In those days, Armstrong has a trailer that is NATURAL WOOD with like two new boats. Schubert has Sid Crafts that have maybe two races on them...We come in with boats that have oil, mud, blood and crap all over them....

We start explaining what happened, and the NEWSPAPER is all over us....

My dad ain't there five minutes and he'd found a guy that will let us use his garage and woodworking tools...He's found another guy that knows some people at the docks where we could find some thin plywood...

That night, my dad and I are in the hotel bar....having a beer... I say, "Dad, this is the first time I've legally had a beer with you.....Thanks for all you always done for me, but I don't think we can fix the boat....It's too much work for you...and I'm really no help...".

I went out that night with Bev Oller, Craig Bowman, Bobby Austin....and a few others. We drank some beer, I won most of it free from arm wrestling. I went to bed figuring....I'd talk my dad out of fixing the boat...

Next morning, we were at this guys garage sawing and glassing on three boats...We fiber glassed up holes in my CU and we fixed the "Whipper Snapper"....Then, we went to work on my DU......Beaver Falls is hot and sweaty in the summer, but we worked and we worked...

Friday was BU qualifying....I took the new Smith BU LLC (Long Long Course) prop that Pop Smith had made for Carl out of the box...and put it on. The prop was new, never been wet....I went out on the five minute gun and adjusted the carb, thinking, I have to run second to qualify!!!! (And there are 12 boats).....I knew too, that I was at least 100 pounds over weight!!!

[Ron Hill]

We'd been working on the DU all week and I had not looked at the course. They said it was a mile and two thirds....While I was milling during the five minute gun, I noticed I could not see the first turn buoys.

Just before the heat I'd decided to put my cowling on the BU from my CU (I felt a cowling was worth 2 miles per hour). As I was milling for the start I said to myself, "Look, you are only running BU for Carl because he's in the hospital, no one will care or remember where you finish...but don't get in a wreck and get hurt, as you have the fastest CU in America and you could STILL WIN CU....

So, I started on the outside....I had designed the boat with about 50/50 lift, but had planned the cockpit to be much shorter than 5'6" long....To reach the steering wheel, I just laid down in the cockpit and headed for the first turn.....I'd stick my head up now and then to see what was happening, and I noticed everyone was getting farther behind me. After what seemed like five minutes I reached the first turn....I was there first and when I turned with no fin, or a very small fin, the boat went many directions that I had not planned for and Don Christy got by me....

My "RON HILL JUICES" kicked in...I thought, wait, you got to the first turn first, this is YOUR race.....so down the back straightaway I go..."POPPING" my head up now and then to see where I'm going...I get to the second turn about d four boat lengths ahead. I crack the throttle and bam, no punch...Here goes Don Christy by me again.....

Now, I'm pressing the floor with my chest, saying when I get the the first turn, I ain't backing this SUCKER OFF for nothing.....Anyway, I qualified Carl's BU for the finals...We call Carl at the hospital...He has full movement and will recover....

Friday and Saturday Night I entertain the GROUP from New Jersey and PA in the local bars, I win maybe 50-60 beers arm wrestling

Sunday morning, we add 25 pounds of lead to my DU...we add all of it to the transom...why not????

The boat looks like a shipping crate from China....I start legally, at the back, and head to the front, in no real hurry.....As I pull between two DU's and pass them I'm leading heading to the first turn...I kind of say, "Well, hang on, we can win this..." and then I blow over.....I'd won 56 straight heats in that boat, but never had an extra 25 pounds in the *** end...the boat lands right side up. I swim back to the boat and finish the heat...

Jeff Merlin from New York, and my dad's friend and water skier, Joe Templeton tell me, maybe I should park the boat for the second heat as my blow over looked really bad and they worried about the boat being OK....I said, "Screw it, the boat floats, and I'm OK..."

I went out and won the second heat by almost 30 seconds.....I tried to crash. I went as fast as I could go...I wanted people to know that Ron Hill's DU was not only the Kilo record holder, it was also the fastest DU in the world...I got second place over all...

BU came before CU, and I drove the crap out of the "THE WHIPPER SNAPPER" and ended up fourth...

It was getting dark when CU came up, I lead to the first turn, then hit a barge's wake, knocked me almost out of the boat...I fought back to second, then ended up third....

The sun was going down in inspection, when they weighed me for BU...Then, Edgar Rose called over to Charlie Strang and asked, "Ron Hill just weighed 260 pounds with his jacket, helmet.....Do you think we should weigh his BU boat????" Charlie said, "Well, I doubt that a 20-H and boat will weigh less than 105 pounds...Don't weigh his boat..."

It had been a long week since I left my dorm in Flagstaff. At trophies I was tired and disappointed I did not defend my DU title....But Charlie Strang had a great way of making you feel like a KING... I don't really recall what he said, but it was something like, "Those Hills come to race......and they are pretty good at it...".

Little did I know, that Charlie Strang and his Mother would be the ones that controlled Evinrude and Johnson's racing team for the next twenty years...

That night I sold my repaired DU for $500 CASH. The next morning, my dad made a deal with Stan Armstrong's dad to buy Stan's Sid Craft for $500 cash.....We were heading for my grandpa's, in Arkansas, with a bent up trailer and a NEW, 11 foot "D" Sid Craft!!!!

I called my girl friend in La Jolla and said I'd be there in a week if I had to hitch hike.........

[Ron Hill]

My grandfather had lived most of his life in Chicago. A White Sox fan. When he moved to Arkansas he got into selling cattle ranches and actually made a good living...

After we left Beaver Falls, PA, we drove straight to Imboden, Arkansas...I'm a lot like my grandfather, I see it more all the time....

My grandfather had this new Cadillac, he took me outside of town and showed me some Black Angus steers and explained how much money I could make if I raised cattle, and sold those STUPID RACE BOATS.....I explained to my GRANDPA that BOAT RACING WAS ME and that in 1966 I'd win more than one National Championship.....I understood cows and I understood bulls....and that I was leaving that night on a bus for La Jolla....

Trouble was, the damn bus didn't go to La Jolla, it went to Little Rock and I had to hitch hike to Needles to get may car....

That fall I won the Needles Marathon for the 12th or 13th time, and I went back to college as a SENIOR....No one in my family had ever graduated from college and I was close....

The Whipper Snapper didn't get run much while I was in college, Carl had a new DeSilva he liked it better. When I graduated from college, we decide to go to a race in Sparks, Nevada....I took one look at that BU and said, "Hell this thing needs a fin.."...

I ran BRR, CRR, DRR, FRR, COH, DOH AND FOH at this race. I was high point for the weekend...96-C is me running a B Stock against the B alkies....

Carl went with me to Sparks, Nevada, but was not sold on the idea that a fin would make the boat run....

That fall, 1966, OMC (Evinrude and Johnson) asked me to drive at Havasu for them.... SCSC (Southern California Speedboat Club) always had kilo trials at Thanksgiving at Parker....I told Carl to bring the "Whipper Snapper" to the Kilos, we'd be there about noon and we'd break the ARR record...We went 70.490 MPH, 15 cubic inch Quincy Looper, for the record.

We tested with OMC in the morning, then made the trip from Havasu to Parker, long before there was a road from Havasu to Parker....and broke the kilo record...

ADD:

I had the motor so high on the transom, that Ron and Gerry Hedlund asked me, at Beaver Falls, PA, if my motor would pump water...Most BU's ran a 6 3/4 X 12 Smith two blade in those days, with about a 14 and a quarter inch transom height... I ran a 7 3/8 X 14 (LLC) two blade Cary at 17 1/2 inches on the transom....Just and FYI!!! I am the one who helped pass the transom height rule in Stock Outboards....

The picture is "SPARKS, NEVADA, 1966.

[Ron Hill]

The best picture I have of me, I'm like 20, and Broc thought it was a picture of himself!!!!

Here are a few pictures of my granddaughters, who will also be J Hydro drivers soon!!!

[Ron Hill]

In the OLD DAYS, Seaboard Equipment Company was where Mercury Outboards were distributed...Seaboard was behind Sam's Seafood Restaurant...in Surfside, California.

When we tested there, there wasn't much but us...

Here in 424-C is Danny Morehouse, and 184-C is Ronnie Hill. Spring of 1955.... 184-C was a Wade Terrill runabout. Wade was really known for building hydros...I got this boat from Ken Scoffield (Not Ken Scoville the 36 racer)....Ken gave me the boat and he'd gotten it from Mike Mehan...

The other picture is Long Beach, Lee Morehouse to the right, Danny in the jacket and helmet, and my dad behinbd the motor...Morehouse could run with Ronnie Loomis's TOM NEWTON "C" Stock...But Loomis was National Champion...

The tall guy, with the tie looks like Buck Parrish, but I never remember seeing Buck in anything but overalls, but maybe he'd been to church as this was a Sunday race at Long Beach!!!

[Bunker Hill]

The Ken Scoffield I know of, and never met, was a motorcycle racer. My dad tells of him riding his motorcycle down the Grapevine. Seems he had a tire blow out, and as Ken used to say, I "Got Off". Ken slid on his butt for fifty or so yards and as you might expect, had quite a case of "Road Rash." So Ken hitch hiked home to LA and when he arrives at his destination his butt has scabbed over and is stuck to the back seat of his ride. The car owners, strangers to Ken, have to soak his butt free from their rear seat upholstery!
So... Ken gets a new tire and tube, hitches back to his bike, does a roadside repair and rides home, BROKEN *** AND ALL!!
All of this in a 24 hour period!
Talk about a hard core biker!!:eek: He managed to take picture of his healing process and kept one picture inside toilet seat in his bar at home.

Kenny was quite a Bike Racer, known as the Blond Terror of Hollywood.

[russhill]

I think the Ken Scoville Ron mentioned in this site is Ken's little boy. Old Ken raced 36 and later lived at Rainbo Beach in Needles and died probably 15 or 20 years ago. His YOUNG son, Kenny is probably 65 now and raced CU for quite a few years.

The Scovilles got their original boat racing enthusiasm by sitting in their car at the Long Beach Marine watching me as a little kid trying to make a homemade Pumper A run while my dad bitched at me.

The story about Kenny SCOFIELD you repeated above is positively true. He was a good old boy. I looked him up about ten years ago and had a long talk with him. He had cancer and died of a heart attack from the chemo about 2 weeks after we had met again.

[Ron Hill]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif Mark 20-H With A Handle





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http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3198&highlight=Kenny+Scofield

A guy named Kenny Scoffield, who raced motorcycles as a young man, once bought a Mark 20-H from my dad.... He had my dad install a handle on it like a Mark 25...and he had my dad extend the driveshaft 2 inches and add a spacer between the foot and mid section.

Kenny had this Damn Dog, Skipper. He took Skipper everywhere. Skipper was Kenny's speedometer, the dog would hang his head out the window until Kenny was going 60, then he'd pull his head inside the cab of Kenny's truck....One time Kenny and his Dog were at the Needles Marathon and Kenny wasn't married, then, and never had kids. He and I were riding the Ferris Wheel and Skipper was sitting on the dirt watching us ride....Kenny made the guy stop the Ferris Wheel and let Skipper ride with us...

Not long after that race, Kenny and Skipper were hauling down the river, not in the 20-H boat, he had a PO Johnson, and he hit a sand bar at the Topock (Golden Shores) bridge and he and Skipper both few out of the boat...He picked Skipper up to put him back in the boat, and the dog bit him....

Kenny had raced motorcycles, and had many very bad scars on his chest and neck. When I was younger, , the scars scared me and I was afraid of him... As I got older, I realized he was one of the nicest guys in the world....He once broke a front axle on his motorcycle, and fell off, on the Grapevine, he skidded like 100 feet on his butt....He called his mom, from a gas station, to pick him up, when he got home he was stuck to the car seats. They had to turn a hose on him to get him out of the car...He got the parts he needed to fix his bike, his mom bandaged him up, and drove him back to the Grapevine...

He took pictures of his (BUTT'S) recovery and had one picture framed, inside of a toilet seat, that hung on the wall of his bar in his house.


He ran it on a flat bottom aluminum fishing boat and it hauled ***...BUT, many, many years ago someone stole this motor....Kenny has passed on now, but I thought some collector may have run across this motor and wonder what the hell....The motor disappeared in 1958..so, anything could have happened to it....
ADD:
Kenny was Known as "THE BLOND TERROR of HOLLYWOOD" when he raced motorcycles.

A collector called me and said he had the motor, but did not want to sell it. He bought it in Blythe, California.

[Ron Hill]

Reese got three goals... Peyton had great fun...Here, Peyton was picking clover flowers.... These girls are my granddaughters....

[Ron Hill]

Actually, my cousin Gene Pryor used to tell this joke about a kid and his English teacher...

Kid: Look at the BOYD!

English Teacher: That ain't no BOYD, it's a BIRD....

Kid: Well, it CHOYPS like a BOYD!!!!

Moving right ahead here...

Here is a ribbon worn by Russ Hill Sr., Marlee Hill's GREAT grandfather at the 1952 Stock Nationals in Oakland, California. The legend, Dean Chenowith won three Nationals that year...This ribbon is 52 years old!

The second ribbon was worn by me, Marlee's Grand Uncle, at the 1956 Gold Cup Regatta. We stopped at the race on the way home from the 1956 Stock Nationals in Cambridge, Maryland. In 1956, Dean Chenowith won AU, Billy Schumaker was second and I was third...

ADD:

How do you spell misteak anyway! AND, who cares??? I know one when I see one...

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I tried to find where Ron posted that stuff about when he and others boat raced for TV every weekend, but forgot where it was. He has mentioned it a few times but I didn't recall seeing any pictures. Anyway, I found this article in the February 1956 SPEED & SPRAY.

[palethorpe]

I tried to find where Ron posted that stuff about when he and others boat raced for TV every weekend, but forgot where it was. He has mentioned it a few times but I didn't recall seeing any pictures. Anyway, I found this article in the February 1956 SPEED & SPRAY.

Thanks for posting this. I joined this site because of Speedboat Rodeo. My mom and dad worked for Elgin Gates at Seaboard. It's where they met. My dad sales promotion for Seaboard and did the commercials for the show. My mom was a telephone receptionist there and was in some of the ads for Seaboard. My mom has some promo pics of my dad and a pic with Elgin in a boat that I will post as soon as I can.
For now here's the Seaboard staff. Ron, you might recognize some of them.
Then there's a couple of ad pics with my mom in them that my dad took.
Anyone that has pics of Speedboat Rodeo would be greatly appreciated.

[Skoontz]

Russell Hill Senior listed driving Skippy....A Rockholt C runabout

[Ron Hill]

<TABLE class=tborder id=post26532 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 0px solid" width=175>Mike Gianelli (http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/member.php?u=2376)<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_26532", true); </SCRIPT>
Team Member

Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1
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</TD><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_26532 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid"><!-- icon and title -->http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif The new 40
<HR style="COLOR: #000000" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->It was around 40 years ago that I first met Ron Hill. He pledged Sigma Chi, the fraternity to which I belonged. We affectionally nicknamed him "HillyBilly".
He was a boat racing champion back then and he's continued that venue ever since. I talked to HillyBilly infrequently over the next 40 or so years and each time a fraternity reunion came up, I'd email him to see if he could make it. He always said maybe but never showed. This year, he did show and it was great to see him after all these years. Several months ago, I had dinner with him and our dates. We had a lot of catching up to do. Actually, after dinner, I realized that HillyBilly hasn't changed all that much over the years, which is a good thing.

The next reunion we're trying to schedule is in February, 2007, to celebrate the fact that most of us survived these last 40 years in pretty good shape.

I hope all the Sigs who visit this page try and make the next reunion. It's always great to see all the guys and reunions, like birthdays, are good for your health. The more you have, the longer you live.

In hoc,

Mike Gianelli EX 1966
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Ron Hill]

Joe Moore in 50-C, boat built by Joe. C-6 is Russ Hill, Jr. in a Howard Thompson hydro...D Stock Hydro, around 1958.

[Ron Hill]

I drove 7 hours and forty minutes that day...

The boat is my avitar is this Hallett...as my brother says, "You were what you were when..." This was WHEN!!!!

[Ron Hill]

Bouncey gave me these pictures...The tall one is me...That is Chuck Newton to the left...Chuck, who never like COPS, was the only person he could send to take a race boat somewhere that NEVER MAXED out the credit card....

That is The Crazy Horse Molinari with a 2.0 liter six carb Merc on the back...Freddy Hauenstein had just gone to work for Mercury and this SIX carb was an attempt to build more power than the TEAM MERCURY EFI 2.0 motors...

It went fast enough to scare me...This was my last Tunnel boat race...Something about having a six year old daughter and a two year old son, and seeing a KELLER at 122 MPH.......I thought it was time to race MOD VP....

[Marlee Hill]

How long has our family been in racing? I know 4 generations, but how many years?

So, 1937 til today 2015??? 78 years!

[Skoontz]

Marlee:

In the schedule I found in my dads trunk of stuff, you'' see a guy named Russ Hill driving a boat called Skippy. I'm not sure this was the Rockholt Skippy Ron had posted a while back. The date, 1943. Hope this little tidbit helps your project.

[russhill]

Well, Marlee, a long time. Your great grand-father, Russ, Sr. ran in a lot of "run what you brung" races at Lake Elsinore in the late '30s. They set out 3 or 4 five gallon cans tied to rock anchors and race until all the equipment was broken or they were all out off gas.

We always went to the races in the late '30 in Long Beach. We generally went after they stopped collecting the 25 cent "gate." We'd generally get to watch the Fs run, and that was all that really mattered. When I was in Kindergarten, circa 1938, my "artwork" was always F Runabouts.

I think the first real race (entry blank and 50c entry) a Hill ever raced was in 1941 at the "puddle." The Puddle was where we later ran the televised "Speedboat Rodeo." Maybe on our trip up north this weekend to the Copperopolis race, I can tell you a lot more and only bore you instead of all the readers here.

Urse

[Bunker Hill]

Well Marlee,
I began racing on February 12, 1977, 30 years after my dad Russ Hill Jr. You began racing 30 years after that, in September, 2007!! My grandfather, Russ Sr. began racing some 20 years before my dad! So, we have been around racing for almost 80 years and to date, 8 Hill's from the Russ HIll Sr. bloodline have raced boats!!!!When you get into cousins and other "Family" Like Pat Bowman there are scores more. To mention a few, Wayne and John Peeters and John Heggenberger all of whom have had very much sucess in this sport icluding: National and divisional championships (Two this past year, John Peeters in 20ssh and Wayne in sst45, the first ever father and son nationals winner) and dozens of competition and world speed records.

Bunker

[geodavid]

I can honestly say that our families have been friends for the 80 some years.
It was great seeing Russ and Ron after so many years had passed. I can remember my Dad telling me about Russ Sr. driving a C runabout and young Russ telling me about seeing my Dad race a B and C hydro. The Hills were the first boat racers that I had ever met. I want to see you race Marlee. 80 years later

[Bunker Hill]

Allan,
I knew that our families went way back, but, when you put it into perspective, 80 years, wow what a history!! We Hill's always have held you and your family in the highest regards. You and your family have always been great ambasssadors to this sport. As I have posted before it would be a great honor for me to have you see Marlee race, she is really comming along as a driver and really loving the whole experience. Salt Springs this weekend (May 3&4) will be Marlee's AXSH debut!! I know we Hills look forward to seeing you in the near future!

Add...
I don't think that I have seen you since the late 60's at someplace like Hansen Dam...

Bunker

[Ron Hill]

I took this off of Wayne Baldwin's thread...A long time ago that I was Region 12 Chairman...

[Marlee Hill]

Here are some pics from Copperopolis..I hope this works...I've never done it before

[Ron Hill]

Thought you might like to see granddaughter #2....The guy with the COOL sunglasses is me, Ron Hill, May 2008...That lady next to me, Laurie, provided me with the COOl sunglasses....

Jessica and Matt provided me with Reece and Peyton...(Peyton and I went to swimming lessons today...).

Can you believe that at Swim Lessons the advertise SPORT racing? Ain't that in TEXAS???

J driver in the future!!!

[Ron Hill]

We, Hill Racing, had quite a weekend. Chad's birthday was Saturday, August 2...Seems only yesterday, I was racing the 1977 Bakersfield Stock Nationals. 31 years goes by fast.

I was talking with my brother, and I got to thinking most of my boat racing stories never really talked about my brother...and the Truth is he was the "RING LEADER" for all kinds of things around boats....

When I was talking to my sister, she told about the time she and Russell were racing on their bicycles and Russell was looking back to see how far ahead of my she he was (He was behind), but he kept looking back to find her and he hit a parked car and put a big dent in the trunk of the neighbor's Chevy with his head. She said after that he was never the same, whatever she meant by that, I'm not sure...

John Drake, Tom Gouldstone, maybe Johnny Klecker, and my brother would wear red night shirts and smoke cigars and make all kinds of noises at the boat races and in restaurants (They'd wear these things) near where we raced...

My brother, John, Tom and Judy (My brother's late wife) all went to Lodi for a race, they got there late and slept of Chuck Parson's front yard...Every time they rolled over in their sleeping bags they'd hear CRUNCH, CRUNCH...Next morning they woke up to about 400 dead snails.. They's slept on the grass and the grass was covered with snails.

My brother was driving about 90 miles an hour and his friend John Drake said, "Man this is slow..." My brother said, "Hell John, I'm pulling a trailer and going faster than your '54 Plymouth will go without a trailer......" John said, "I meant the cigarette lighter was slow."

Once coming home from Salton Sea my brother looked out the back window of George Peak's Packard, just in time to see he Neal hydro blow off the trailer and land on a cactus plant...That was the same weekend, they'd gotten in the middle of a parade in Palm Springs, by accident, and they just cruised and waved...then got the hell out of town...just past the first In and Out hamburger joint!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

There's no telling how many Hill stories have not been told yet Marlee. It must be fun sitting around just listening to all of your family bantering about the old boat racing stories.:cool:

I keep coming across certain articles when I am looking for something else and I have seen this one so many times, but I think I have not posted it before. This is from the April 1978 issue of Powerboat & Waterskiing. They got your name and Lou Brummet's a little bit misspelled Ron, so I don't know about the accuracy of the rest of the article. There's no byline. But I don't know if you've ever seen this or not Ron. Anyway....here it is.

[Ron Hill]

When Chad turned 14, he started running A Runabout. His Sorensen J Runabout was a perfect J boat, but in A, I think he wrecked the first three or four races.

Ernie Dawe gave us this boat, I thought it was dark blue, but got this picture from Mary Zapf, yesterday...doesn't look dark blue to me...

See, Marlee, I was telling Chad the same thing I was telling you at Long Beach....A long time ago, I sold props to a guy named Steve Warnock in Wisconsin. When we get together, he usually reminds me that I gave him a driving lesson, one on one when he was first starting. He says He never forgot what I told him.....Steve Johnson almost won the 2008 D Mod Hydro nationals...He drove like I'd told him on BRF....

[Ron Hill]

Wayne, I'd never seen that article about Parker in Waterskiing...

People, cities, groups and others , have trouble at times. The city of Parker had not been getting along with the Indians, so they moved the 9 Hour to La Paz Park from Blue Water Marina. Blue Water is right at the damn that used to be called Squaw Dam. That name is no longer politically correct, so now I don't know what the damn dam is called, but Blue Water is the widest part of the river and that is where the Enduro had always been started from.

In 1978, starting at La Paz, 6 1/2 miles up river, the river was much narrower than Blue Water, and as the river works, at night people use electricity, so the river flows more water from the generators. So, in the even, had Renato and Bobby Herring tested, there was plenty of water. But, in the early morning, people sleep, and they don't use their lights.

The river can drop several feet. When the race started the race, I had no plans, desire or dreams of leading the first lap. My goal was to finish the first lap. Bobby Herring and Renato were of the mind set that THEY would lead every lap.... Well, Bobby sprinted out along the shore line and hit a sand bar and it ripped the transom out of his Molinari.....He was probably going 130 MPH. With no motor hooked to the boat it flew back across the river and about five boats crashed. Major wreck the crash picture was in a Powerboat Magazine, but I haven't seen it in years.

Bobby was unhurt, but slipped getting out of the patrol boat and broke his knee cap, as I recall...Fred Hauenstein's ride with Jimbo broke on lap one, so, Freddy drove with me. After our win, Freddy went to work for Mercury where he stayed for 29 years...

[Sutter's Gold Jr.]

I believe this is the crash picture you are referring to at Parker. Lee Sutter is one upside down. This was a year or two after his blow over at Parker that almost killed him.

[Ron Hill]

Sutter's Gold Jr.: Thanks for the picture, but isn't that only half of it??? Your dad, Lee Sutter was one great driver and one great person. When Lee lived in Fountain Valley, he visited me dad in Garden Grove. I wasn't there... Later may dad, said, "Bob Weikart and Lee somebody came by....That Lee guy sure is a nice guy, seems to really know a lot about 20-H motors..." I told my dad that LEE was Lee Sutter from Seattle....Oh, the Old Man says...

Bunker's:

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif Tom Ige


<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Tommy was/is an interesting guy, Japanese descent yet was a 25 year man in the US navy, Tom was a vegetarian until he met up with my mom at boat races. My mom always produced the greatest pick nick type baskets full of great things like dry salami and cheese and crackers etc... Although Tom was a veggie, he could never pass up the salami. Regarding the "Bat Boats" Tom had this bitchen little 14 foot glass runabout. We Hill's had this at the river with us, My dad, Russ, decided he would waterski behind this little outfit, powered by a Yamato model *). The Colorado river at Needles has a current of about 6 mph, my dad was actually pulling the boat, and Tommy down stream!!!! That's when Tommy created a saying that is still part of the Hill vernacular!! He began shouting at Russ sayin "YOU DRIVE!!! I'LL WATER!!!!"

And the rest is history....

Add We had a neighborhood kid with us at the river on this trip, he burned up 5 gallons of fuel in that little boat, had the time of his life as a 12 year old, spoke with him 3 or 4 months ago, he told me that that was the most fun he had ever had.... I am sure he meant besides winning 7 consecutive gold gloves in both leagues and probably more fun than losing the World Series to My beloved Angels, probably more fun than "Rescuing Dusty Baker's son....
If you still don't know the person to whom I am referring.
JT Snow.

ADD TO BUNKER'S STORY:

JT's mom gave my brother STRICT instructions, as they left the house, to "Not let JT drive the boat..." As I recall, JT and Bunker would get a five gallon gas can , fill up that little Yamato 80 and head up the river....They'd only get about five mile before they ran out of gas, as they floated down river trying to fill the tank they'd float by camp. Off they'd go again up river. For about 5-6 days Bunker and JT ran that MODEL 80 wide open and burned 30 or more gallons of gas. When the week was over, Tommy and I had become good friends....same with everyone in the family....We told JT's mom he NEVER drove the boat so she didn't have to worry....But Tommy and I started selling Yamato motors at boat shows, as I was NOW a believer, as Tommy always was, that the Yamato 80 was a GREAT little motor...By the Nationals, 1977, that same year, we had 26 "B" Locals race at the Bakersfield Nationals..."B" Local became 20 SS Hydro.....

[Ron Hill]

When your kids are small they say things, later you can't remember them....Chad used to tell me, in our motorhome, "Light on, dark scares you." Or when taking an elevator, he'd yell, "No push the butt."...

Granddaughter number 2 seems to have some good ones that I just bust out laughing at....When it is hot she yells, "Hot off." Or when she's eating...which is ALL THE TIME...She says, "Not me done..."

Hey, I know this is a boat race site...but I got J drivers in the making...

[Lars Strom]

Ron,

I am pretty sure you already have this picture,
received it today from a friend of mine in Sweden.

[Ron Hill]

Well, this boat is so light, the birds had it in the tree trying to make a nest out of it...I need to thank All Marine is Stockton, California for bring this boat home for me......I didn't offer to pay...as Ken Christy drove the rig back, and I told Ken he owed me...

[Bunker Hill]

Just looking back at this post, page 13 ther is a picture of Ron Hill's 1-C
This past sunday, 11/16/08 we finaly got to test the latert Hill 1-C
Marlee Hill's BRF special # 1-C!!

[Ron Hill]

Just found this old press release and picture of my Hallett four point.

I like this picture better than the one on my avitar....maybe Sam can change it...

[Ron Hill]

Nov 3, 2006

Bob Leach brings this brand new V-8 Evinrude to Havasu...John Castelli and me are going to test it....(John and me both could have been brain surgeon had we not spent our time racing boats... Anyway, we get in the mother idle out passed the 5 MPH Zone and nail the throttle...She takes off so fast when she almost throws us in the back seat....at about 80.....she just won't go any faster.... We decide, another prop, big one...We take off, she almost throws us in the back seat...but about 84 she won't go any faster.... I tell John, "She must be blowing out. When we get her up to speed, get in the back and look at the gearcase...see if the prop is in a bubble... John says, "He doesn't see a bubble...maybe I should look....So John is going about 85 and I'm sticking my head over the transom looking at the gearcase... Hell with it, we decide she sounds like she's loaning up...Let's go put a smaller prop on....This time, the boat really does a "Wheelie" on take off and I can hardly hold the wheel to about 75.....then, she flattens out...I stop..We decide, we need to make a long run, maybe she'll clean out as it seems to have good low end, but maybe the top end jets are too fat... So we go down the river about 10 miles at 75 MPH.... As it is getting DARK...we say, "Wow, every prop turned 6250 RPM....wonder if this sucker has a rev limiter???? She did!!! We got the rev limiter off...and with a light boat, John went through the kilo at 118...without a capsule...I sold the boat and decided that was too fast for my friends to be going...without a capsule... Well, it wasn't the first day I wasted fooling with boats!!!!

[Ron Hill]

Seems after the 1966 Marathon Nationals, Vic Brinkman, Chris White, Max McPeek and Tom Schwartz (AKA Wild Ones) came to my parent's house for two weeks. (The four racers lived in Michigan and the Marathon Nationals were in Needles, California.)

My parents were planning a two week vacation after the Nationals, so I invited the "WILD ONES" to come and stay at my parent's house.

While "THE WILD ONES" were in California they did see Disneyland and hit the beaches. But every night we had a "KEG" party at my parent's. The neighbors were pretty cool about parties as they also had "Young Adult" children. A keg a day ain't a bad party!

So, after picking up the keg the first day, I just had the liquor store deliver a keg everyday, and they'd take the empty.

My dad sold this house in 1989, but every year from 1967 to 1989 he'd get a new calendar from a local liquor store. One time as he was opening the calendar he said, "Funny, I've never been in this liquor store and they send me a new calendar every year and have for more than twenty years..."

This is me with keg number one, in the back of Dennis Hoag's Ford Falcon truck. Dennis's dad was head of the Orange County draft board, and he tried like crazy to draft me....Every year I'd get a deferment for teaching school, but he'd try to get me in the summer....but I'd be off racing and not answer my mail...until school started....Later they had the lottery and I never "WON"...

ADD: SkyHarborCowboy...Welcome to BRF....I'm a Flagstaff, Arizona (NAU) grad......Thanks for telling me I could write a book...I have a book, it is called "Ron Hill Here!' on Amazon.

LAST ADD:

When my parents came home, they said, "Man this carpet looks a lot worse than we remembered it, think we'll buy new carpet..." Oh, to be young and think you fooled the OLD MAN!!!!!!

[Ron Hill]

Thanks, I was like that...
----- Original Message -----
From: william mackay (wmackay@sbcglobal.net)
To: Ronnie Hill (ronhill@hillmarine.com)
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 7:59 PM
Subject: Pic


Trying again to email a poster picture.
This has been hanging on my shop wall for at least 35 years.
This is how I remember Ron Hill.

FYI:

Bill MacKay is Jean MacKay-Schwartz's brother. Jean is and has been quite an A Stock Hydro driver. Their late brother Jim was as good of a tunnel driver to ever live. He drove small boats like Jimbo. He drove tunnels better than anyone I can recall. Jim was plagued by mental illness. Before I knew of his illness, I called to find out if I could hire him to teach Chad Hill how to drive a race boat....

Brother Bill built some amazing boats and was quite a racer himself.

Thanks Bill for the poster. I like Jim McKean with his DePue plaque....(Jim had never seen the picture that we made the plaque from)..I have never seen this picture of me driving my 13'6" DeSilva with my VC Konig D, at 90 plus MPH...

I would like this as a plaque..

ADD: My brother has a saying that "You were what you were when..." Well, this picture of me, July 1969, Folsom Prison (Folsom Lake), is me, Ron Hill....I was what I was when....

[Ron Hill]

Mary Zapf gave me these photos at Havasu landing, 2009.


19-C is Chad Hill, Puddle Jumper is Steven Dawe...

Eric Von Zapf was racing that day, too, in J....

[Ron Hill]

My dad inspected this race in 1953, 54 and 55. I started racing and he backed away from inspecting for a few years. My dad disqualified many people over the years, the majority of which never blamed my dad. My dad was a pretty much black and white guy. He never looked for things to DQ you that didn't help your speed. If he felt it didn't give you an advantage, like a handle being taken off, he never bothers.

I feel me dad set the standard of what a CLASS ONE inspection should be, inside a controlled environment, quiet, with the inspector, driver and one crew member.....not every jack *** and their brother able to watch.

My dad was over ruled twice in his almost fifty years of inspecting. Once, an "A" block was over ruled at the DePere, Wisconsin Nationals. It was a blue Printed block, when blue printing wasn't legal, one port didn't measure, but that didn't matter, the Stock VP had an old score to settle with my dad, as my dad had disqualified his son at eh 1952 Nationals...

They other was also an "A" Block...Edgar Rose ruled the block was legal. Later, when I confronted Edgar, Edgar admitted measuring it with anew gasket....I pointed out to Edgar that the block had had a paper thin, no Mercury gasket, as Mercury gaskets were not required anymore...

I don't think my dad would inspect today, too many things that aren't clear enough cut for him, I suspect...

[Ron Hill]

Early in the race, I blew a hole in the bottom of this Glastron, on the right side. I pulled in to quit, Ted May's Switzer had already sank, and he was there in the water when I stopped, Ted felt under the boat and looked inside the boat. Ted said, "Try to keep her on the left, and you'll be OK."...Well, it seemed OK to me, but we did have a right hander turn. The boat didn't break up anymore, but on the right hander she'd take on about 40 gallons of water, but on the other three left handers she'd drain dry. I drove for four hours that way, not really thinking of anything but making another lap before I sank. At the end of the first day I was leading the 128 boat field.


That night Wilbur "MAC" McDonald, maybe Bruce Summers and the OMC crew glassed the transom and bottom...They ran heaters all night. I was 23 years old, but I was beat to hell and went to bed early, not really caring if they fixed the boat or not.

Jack Leek met me the next morning and explained that Jimbo was leading singles and I was leading over all and the boat would be OK, they thought.

He wanted to know if I could go four hours again without relief....I ask who he could get to drive with me? He said, "No one..."

It is history now, the Governor's son won overall , I had the most laps....Bill Cooper and Rudy Ramos drove with Mike Reagan.

ADD: You can see where the bottom and side were patched...

[Ron Hill]

When I was 10 I got an A Runabout. I never really wanted a hydro. I only raced one A Stock hydro race in my life. I ran my brother's Big Bee Swift with an A on it, and won the qualifier but a pin came out of a piston and wrecked the block in the finals....August 1958...I really only had a n "A" for four years and only raced three...As I went from 90 pounds to 170 or so very fast...

Four Au pictures:

1. Carlsbad: Ronnie Hill leading, Bobby Parish, Charlie Harter, inside back, Roy Woodruff, outside Peter Osborn, and last Dan West.

2. Brawley March 17, 1957 Pete Osborn in the lead, me on the outside, Jack Corner next to me, Danny West on the outside, Charlie Harter, Roy Woodruff under Bob Parish's splash Ralph Bell behind Parish, and Jack Woodruff in 9-C...

3. 19-C Ronnie Hill and 5-C Ronnie Loomis at Hansen Dam, L.A. California

4. Speedboat Rodeo, Lake Los Angeles, AKA the Puddle...39 weeks of TV racing...226 C is John Clute, he was killed a plane crash. His son, Steven is a state senator living in Indio area...Ward Rogers is 4th. this was a trophy dash..I had broken a rod after qualifying and borrow a motor...I think Ronnie Loomis won the trophy dash!

[Marlee Hill]

Great pics Ron!

Thought that I should have this on The Hill Family thread:

[Ron Hill]

5-C is Ron Loomis, this is Puddingstone Spring 1957...Pete Osborne is in 400-C

Wynn "red" Brown is dumping his DSH at Brawley....C-6 is Russ Hill, Jr....(Marlee's grandpa)...

The other picture is Lake Mead, 1955...52-C is Jack Corner, AU record holder, inside him is Bobby Willard from Oildale, then Charlie Harter, inventor of the Kneel Down boat cart..and me in 19-C

[Bunker Hill]

My first race was at Needles, February 12-13, 1977! I had a boat built by a woodshop teacher from Needles, Edgar Peters, Garr, as Ron called him. Raced ASR against Dick Davidson and Keith Yunger, they both jumped the gun in heat 1, so I won! I also had to get stiches in my knee that night from a fender washer that was holding down the pad in my boat, I raced on Sunday, stitches and all!!
It was a great weekend!
Bunker

[Ron Hill]

I threw the trophy away, but kept the plaque off it...April 27-28, 1968...Co-Sponored by Playboy Magazine and Schlitz beer...

[Ron Hill]

In the King and I, the new King said, "I'll have boat races..." The old King asked, "Why?" The new King said, "I like boat races..."

I had this V-8 Johnson on a 20 Lavey, I had a 20 foot Bahner ski boat and we had this GLASS "C" Runabout with a 40 Tohatsu on it...I like boats......and boat racing...

ADD:

I put this boat up for sale in front of my shop and John Vossmeyer came by the shop...He said, "My sister is looking for a boat like that..."...Two years ago, at Parker, I see John...his sister and her husband still have the boat..it looks brand new...THEY DID put in new seats...John has a place at Parker and has patrolled almost every Blue water Resort and Casino 300...He towed "Plan B" in, when he wasn't an "OFFICIAL" patrol boat...the year they won the Enduro...

Last add:

Dino Kotsonis ended up with the trailer that had the blue carpet...Dino now lives in "D" eeetroit (Detroit)...

[Ron Hill]

My dad had raced in Newport Harbor, California. Probably one of the few power boat races every held in Newport Harbor, the year was 1941 before the war we won...
The sponsoring club was SCOA.
After the war, my dad got involved with LASA (Los Angeles Speedboat Association)...My dad put on some the first APBA sanctioned boat races in Southern California.

When the Mercury Outboards came along, my dad loved these motor from the first time he saw them...
USA (United Speedboat Association) was spun off LASA and my dad went with USA. Later Valley Speedboat Association was formed and they had the TV series....
Around 1961, my brother, Russ Hill, Jr. decided we needed one strong STOCK Outboard club and he wrote by-laws for SCOA, as SCOA was long defunct by then...
SCOA is still an APBA club today, 2009. 49 years after it was reformed...
Just and FYI!

Club paper cover and letterhead...

[Ron Hill]

I went to a figure skating reunion the other day, I was the tallest person in the room. A lady asked if I still skated, I saidm, "No, I never skated except a little in college in Flagstaff, I always raced boats..." She said did I know Mr. Rickey? As she had lived next door to him... I said, "I've know of vapor Trails Magazine since I was five and been in it several times..."

Here is part of what Mr. Rickey wrote about the 1978 Parker Enduro...

The late Brad Miller owned the boat. Fred Hauenstein built the motor...Jim Nerstrom helped "DIAL IT IN", Don Henrich made the prop, and made it work...Fred and I drove it...I did little in this win...but always said, "I was the brains behind it...."

Brad was a great sponsor, He owned Crazy Horse Camp Grounds and Crazy Horse Steak House and 97 Del Taco fast food restaurants...

[Ron Hill]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1463&page=5

When I first went to Flagstaff in the Fall of 1964, I had one friend going there and that was Ernie Dawe. Ernie rolled his brother's VW on the way to school and broke his collarbone. He was in the hospital. I drove to Flagstaff to enroll knowing no one. I wasn't there five minutes when I met some guys that were really cool. They offered to let me sleep in their dorm until I could get settled. They were Sigs.

I graduated in May of 1966, I had spent the happiest two years of my life in Flagstaff. The Fraternity, Sigma Chi Omega, later to become National Sigma Chi was a big part of my happiness, not to mention all the great young ladies of NAU!

My fraternity brothers and I cut Christmas trees together and sold them to the city, we sold donuts, we raised money for low income kids, we partied, we cooked dinner as fund raiser, we put on school dances. We build this fence for the city. Being around the Sigs, I never had a dull moment, though I was frequently the topic of conversation.

The fence is in need of repair, and in 2010 we plan to rebuild it....

[Ron Hill]

Mike's dad was the head sports writer for the Arizona Republic for many years. He covered our boat races with style...Wayne is the alumni adviser helping me plan the fence rebuild...

Reading Mike's e-mail, I felt some might enjoy it...

Wayne,

MG checking in. I've seen Hilly Billy's email back and forth between the two of you. I think rebuilding the Sig split rail fence is a great idea. As you probably remember, the Sigs were always in hot water with Dean Rolle for our off campus extra curricular activities and the fence building project was one of many attempts by Carl Menke and myself to somehow rehabilitate our fraternity reputation as something other than party animals, sexual predators and jocks. The year I was president of the Sigs, I spent a lot of Monday mornings in the Dean's office, trying (with very little success) to explain Sig faux paux's.

I think the fence should be called the Sigma Chi fence. We were doing our best to achieve Sigma Chi national status while we were Omegas and fencebuilders. Virtually no one remembers the Omegas now. We're all men of Sigma Chi.

Keep me in the loop on your fence restoration venture and let me know if I can be of any assistance.

MG ZO -65



<O:p</O:p

[Ron Hill]

My brother's "A" Pumper hangs in our shop today. This engine won the 1949 Hearst Regatta in A Hydro

[Ron Hill]

This is me, at Havasu, 1967. First in Twin Engine, Second Overall. $8,500 in CASH. $1,500 from the Calcutta, and a lot in Lake Havsu City.

19-C is me. This was Speed Boat Rodeo, live TV. Charlie Harter was ahead of "Silky Sullivan Hill" as Dick Lane called me.

Charlie INVITED the cart that all kneeldowners use today. Charlie raced alone and came alone. So, he had to launch his boat by himself. So, he "INVENTED" the cart...

[Ron Hill]

Mike Wallace is alive and well, the last time I saw him which was several years ago. Mike's dad owned the GN, Tiny Tim , number 7. Mike and Bill Cooper won the Parker Nine Hour at least once.

Mike and drove Mike's Schultz in the 1971 Paris Six Hour, we were leading when we broke a crank 20 minutes before the finish. Paris was a rough water race, about 90 boats started 20-30 finished. We did set the INDEX of Performance Time, that is for the fastest lap of the regatta compared to last year's time.

Jim Nerstrom sent me the original a 14 X 20 that had hung on Jack Leek's office wall until Jack retired.

[Ron Hill]

Bunker was born on the weekend of February 7, 1963. I was trying to recall what was happening then...

February 1963...

I was in my second year of Junior College at OCC (Orange Coast College) with no "REAL" plans except to teach something somewhere...I didn't really have a girl friend as boat racing was my first love. I worked as a night custodian for Garden Grove Schools and painted houses with my dad every Tuesday and Thursday and half day Firday.

Life was good, my '53 Chevy ran "like a song" and Jimbo McConnell lived with us. We went to races in Modesto and cruised with THE AMERICAN GRAFFITTI crowd. We raced in Kingsburg, Vallejo and Havasu Springs. We chased "CHICKS" but usually we only chased them.

We spent time watching Parnelli Jones and A.J. Foyt racing midget cars at Ascot Park. We watched Sammy Tanner, "THE FLYING FLEA" race motorcycles there also. We raced at Hansen Dam, Puddingstone, Carlsbad and Apple Valley where Roy Rogers came to our races and invited us for drinks at his famous Apple Valley Inn!

We ran "THE CHEATER'S SWEEPSTAKES" at Tin Can Beach every weekend we didn't really have a race. We frequently casued such a traffic jam on Coast Highway (Because we were racing our Cheater's Sweepstakes) that the Highway Patrol would issue tickets for people stopping to watch us race.

We had been racing on TV, we were "STARS". People honked at us as we drove down the street and waved. Boat Racing was good. We had three clubs in SoCal that put on races. The United Speedboat Association, The Valley Speedboat Association and The Los Angeles Speedboat Association. My brother, the boy that skipped second grade and also won the Hearst Regattat in 1949, with 32 A Hydros, decided we needed one club in SoCal so we could be stronger and maybe win some National High Points.

APBA came up with this new concept of TWO (2) races on a weekend. Actually, I don't know that APBA came up with the idea, but Paul Kalb had reportedly won national High Point by having five races in five days. Why not, said we, have two races in two days for double points???

So, it was decided, that the first race at Blythe Boat Club's landing would be our first "DOUBLE POINT" race. Well, no one really thought this out, but Bill Boyes and I said we'd go down and get things "SET UP" on Friday. We "TEAMED" up and ended up sleeping in Bill's El Camino Friday night.

Ernie Dawe and his dad showed up at 5 o'clock in the morning after having three flat tires...and to this day e quote Rubern Dawe....at 5 A.M. he got out of Ernie's '57 Plymouth and said, "Well, WE'RE HERE!!!" Great quote.. We had a great race. Herb Mayfield, Ted May, Lynn Buckles, Kenny Pyle and Jim Andres all CRASHED and ended up going to the hospital. But everyone generally thought the race was a success, double entry fees, double entries. All the crashes were Saturday, as no one had any test time. We raced and we raced.

I called the L.A. Times on the way home (Collect) and gave them the results. Ernie Dawe, Jimbo McConnell, Ronnie Hill, Ted May, A.J Foyt all made Monday's sport's page.

[Ron Hill]

We'll get you in a V-Bottom for the Mini Enduro, first...

In '68 a 20 foot boat was BIG, BIG with twin engines....and 80 MPH was fast. Now at Parker they have 24 footers going 120 MPH....times have changed...

Here is my "SNAPPER" that I ran in the Havasu World Championships, 1968. Funny thing is, this picture got in the program, and Freddy Hauesntein is driving it. I had Freddy take a "TEST" lap and he got in the picture, always made me mad!!!!

[Ron Hill]

<tbody>
http://forums.screamandfly.com/Gallery/data/503/medium/RonHill.jpg (http://forums.screamandfly.com/Gallery/showphoto.php/photo/8486/size/big/cat/)

</tbody>

[Ron Hill]

In 1979, my brother Russ, was President of Drake Engineering. Drake built the Offy Indy engines and were developing other engines including the Drake V-8.

I was working there part time, so I invited Dick O'Dea to visit as we talked now and then about V-6 Mercs and I had had him build one for Broc Glover of moto cross fame. It was a running Merc.

At the same time, I invited Fred Hauenstein from Mercury Racing.

In hind sight, I would never have had them both there together, as Mercury Racing gained some great "INSIGHTS" from Dick O'Dea, like the cross way reeds...

Anyway, that is water over the damn dam.

In 1967, I rigged Harry Bartolomei's new 500 CC Schultz hydro in Dick O'Dea's front yard. Here is a picture of Dick's shop and a few of his motors..I later that month won the 500 CC World Championship John Ward Trophy race, beating Dick's Cresent Outboard and Sid Craft.

My dad met Dick in 1954, and ever since the name Dick O'Dea and GENTLEMAN always go together in the Hill Family vocabulary!

[Ron Hill]

c

The prop business has been so busy, even though the USA boat business is OFF 90% since 2007, I've had little time to post, not to mention my scanner is giving me **** and I can't scan pictures....

Laurie and I were married 5/15/10, interesting facts my mom and sister are both Lauries.

We had a great wedding, Laurie had been divorced for almost 11 years and I had been divorce for 5 years. Laurie has three children, I have three, also.

Jessica, besides being a teacher (Just completed 17 years now at 36) is also our photographer.



We are the Racing Hills!

[Ron Hill]

Peyton Bodas, my daughter's middle girl, my number 2 granddaughter, is holding a 7 X 4 Weedless mud Prop. These hunting propellers are made by Stainless Steel Propellers, Boat Props, Marine Accessories | Hill Marine (https://www.hillmarine.com/Default.asp)

and come in many sizes. Hunting season is just around the corner, so Peyton is Hill Marine's "OFFICAL" poster girl for Weedless Mud Props.

[Ron Hill]

Mike Ward from England sent me this picture and I could not down load it to save my life, so I took a picture of the picture!

Ron

I recently acquired the photo archive of the defunct Powerboat & Waterskiing Magazine who I used to write for in the 1980's. This photo was included in the 2000+ b/w prints most of which do not have captions.

I am still reseaching for my book on the History of Championship Boat Racing which I started over 25 years ago and currently contains 1000 pages and 500 photos split into 14 volumes. The Parker race is included and I came across the Brunette photo hoping it was the winning from 1967/68 but I had guessed this may have been a more recent photo.

I would be interested in any photos of previous Parker winners you may have, in return I have attached a photo from the 1971 Paris 6 Hr race which you may recognise, not sure if it you or Mr Wallace in the driving seat. According to the caption the 32 boat is Downard / Pellolio.

Regards
Mike

[Ron Hill]

Here are the three most gorgeous women in Needles CA as of today!

[Ron Hill]

Found this old circular and then found this picture to go with it. My brother Russ, is in C-207, my dad is holding him on this April Showers Day.

[Marlee Hill]

okay Ron....here's your "One Piece at a Time" picture! lol

Parker 300 Enduro, 2010, me, Ron, and my dad are walking through the parking lot because Ron had some engine parts in the back of his truck or something like that, all of a sudden Ron yells, "it's a One Piece at a Time truck! I need an A-daptor kit!" hahaha

[Marlee Hill]

editting by Russ Waterson...hahaha Ron's One Piece at a Time truck with a little Hill in it :) hahah

[Ron Hill]

Picked up a few more parts today, and two patrol boats...

Add A COUPLE OF BRIDGE PORT 2.4'S , SEVERAL 2.0 LITER BLOCKS...NEW CLE HOUSING....Some V-6 Rods... couple of in line six long blocks...Every ****! And a cool three hole 150 XS gearcase!

....DAVE BRYAN AND I SCORED AGAIN!

Might run that Mark Hanh in the two stroke division...with Marlee Hill doing the riding!

[Ron Hill]

Ever wonder what a $75,000 melter looks like??? Well wonder no more, as Hill Marine's Investment Foundry Melter is up and running...

[Ron Hill]

Laurie asked me what I wanted for Christmas........and I said, "I wanted to turn our family's old 8 mm films into DVD's". Here are some pictures pictures from a reel of 1954 Home Movies...

Red Thomas and my dad drove this 54 Ford station wagon to DePere, Wisconsin for the 1954 APBA Stock Outboard Nationals.


The second picture is my mom and me with my cat "Sam Hill"...in front of our house on Beverly Street in Bellflower. The 91 Freeway is there now, as we sold our house to the state and the state bull dozed it...That was in 1962...

My dad was asked to be the inspector for the 1954 Stock Nationals in DePere, Wisconsin. Red Thomas was a Major in the Marine Air Corps and lived in Santa Ana, California, about 17 blocks from where I live today.

Red had been shot down off the coast of Japan in WW II, and had a pretty bad leg, as he baled out, before there were ejection seats, as he hit the water, he broke his leg.

Red raced D Runabout and D Hydro and usually ran seconds and thirds. Somewhere along the line Red met Jack Powell a Santa Ana business owner, and they bought a new DeSilva A-B Runabout and Mark 20-H together.

Red bought an old KG-4 and had my dad go through it. Red was "HOT" in BU and was a top three at every race. But he always ran last in A Runabout. My dad kept telling Red he was leaning it down too much, and Red would say he never touched the needle valve.

Needless to say, the motor was "FRIED" after every race. About July, my dad decided MAYBE Red wasn't leaning that motor down, and he pulled the bushing tail cone off, and the water pump didn't have any blades. My dad rebuilt the motor again. The Western Divisionals were the next weekend. Red won A Runabout going away. First time he'd beat anyone in A Runabout, let alone beating everyone.

I forgot what Red did wrong in BU, but he didn't qualify for the Nationals.

The DePere people had sent my dad money for an airplane ticket, but my dad and Red decided they should go together to DePere. They took five gallons of gas with them, as my dad felt California gas might be different than Wisconsin. Red started to pour oil in the gas, but they decided if they happened to run out of gas, no use using their oil, so they didn't put the oil in the gas...

They stopped in Vegas to see my aunt Georgie, she worked at the Las Frontier in those days. Red and my dad decided to gamble 20 bucks or twenty minutes...At the end of 20 minutes they were up 50 bucks. They left Vegas feeling lucky.

They got to DePere and got ready to test. Red was standing around shaking the gas for about five minutes. Then they put the gas in the motor and Red made a lap and a half and stuck it "Tight as a drum".

My dad looked at the sprk plugs and ask red if he'd put oil in the gas......??? Red's face turned white. He said, "No." and walked off.

My dad wasn't sure if Red was mad at him or what. But it started to rain, like only Wisconsin can, and my dad and Bobby Parrish went inside a brick school building and rebuilt the motor.

Red didn't come back to the hotel til past mid night, my dad was worried about him. The next morning Red told my dad he considered killing himself over burning up that motor. He knew how much love and attention my dad had given that motor and he took the FULL BLAME for ruining it.

My dad told Red, he thought the motor would be OK.

Red won his B Runabout qualifer. And after testing the A, the A Runabout was up 42 MPH when it had been running 42 and half.

That night at midnight, the night before th finals, Red got a call from he squadron commander telling him to get home as fast as possible, that it looked like war was starting in Korea...Red packed up in the middle of the night, caught a cab and headed back to California.

Bobby Parrish won B Hydro, and for 3rd in BU. We never knew how Red would have done. When my dad got home, Red was shipped to Japan, he sold all his boats and motors, but gave me his "A" motor before he shipped out..

Red ia wearing the straw hat in the picture.

[Ron Hill]

Chad and Corey have been a wanting a baby for quite awhile now. Seems they got one...9 days late. Got the Hill nose.....little guy!

Here a few pictures...

1. Corey and Jake. Corey is looking good and feeling good..7 hours of labor yesterday!!!
2. Jake....and no connection to Sea Way Marine Jake.......other than he'll probably be a boat racing nut like Sea Way Marine Jake....and the HILLS!!!
3. Cousin Ann is holding him.....
4. Proud dad Chad.

Laurie and I are proud of Chad and Corey, but mostly we are very happy that everything went well and Jake is a healthy little one!!!

[Ron Hill]

Subject: Marlee

Subject One: A huge lesson to many of the drivers.


I wish I could have recorded it. I guess in the heat of battle MARLEE HILL (you
know her) lol.

Comes onto the beach after her race and screaming with excitement from a
obviously fun race exclaims.... to this older guy a fellow competitor I'm sorry!
I ...... I was like almost..... then you and the other guy and I was like
...... ..

So all I can say is that if the core guys don't work on their sportsmanship a
little, I am going to be looking for one of those 15 hp hydro's to race.

Funny... I learn the best lessons from my two little boys and now some total
stranger on the beach. Good times. Good times. I guess you have one more reason
to be proud.


We are all proud of Marlee...

Here is a shot of her boat and her dad, Bunker! We're proud of Bunker, too!

It matters not if you win or not, but how you played the game!

[Ron Hill]

My brother won C Hydro this weekend, 1953 with a HOME MADE lower unit....It leaked a little but was plenty fast...

[Ron Hill]

Hello Mr. Hill

I came upon a picture of a powerboat racer this evening and it was you (my 5th & 6th grade teacher from Simmons Elementary 1967, 68, 69). I couldn't believe it. I hope you don't mind this rather long note (and I promise not to bother you with another) but I had to take this opportunity to let you know that you had a huge positive impact on my life. Of all my teachers you are the one I recall most fondly. This is Chuck Nelson. I was a red headed, freckle faced, probably nerdy kid. I was pretty good at art, history, and geography and pretty average at everything else. You made a bet with me once that if I could recite all the U.S. presidents in order you would buy me an ice cream after school. I won and you paid up. Thanks. I remember you read The Hobbit to the class. It's still one of my favorite books and I seem to reread it every few years or so. Whenever I do I think about your class. I recall you telling us about your boat racing (but I had no idea how influential you were in that sport). Wow! The boys were always impressed that you could hit a baseball out of the school yard and across the street and the girls always thought you should be matched up with Miss Westmoreland (5th grade teacher?).

More importantly you were kind, shared some of your personal life with us (boat racing & I remember you wanted Parnelli Jones to win the Indianapolis one year when his car broke down), fun to be around, patient with us kids, and you talked to us not at us. One thing I didn't do well was play sports. I didn't have any confidence. I don't recall if it was something you said or just how I was treated by you. But because of you I began to feel confident about my athletic abilities.

In brief my life since 6th grade has been great fun (not that it wasn't in 5th and 6th grade). OK in middle and high school I goofed off and I didn't take school too seriously. I discovered that I loved hiking, mountain climbing, scuba diving, and traveling. I always loved learning about explorers so I guess I was just living out my own adventures. In high school I bought a 1953 MG TD and completely rebuilt it on my own. That pretty much kept me out of trouble - no time and no money and no drugs. In middle school I became a pretty good baseball player - lots of homeruns - but other kids clearly had a huge headstart on me (I had never played organized baseball) so I found my own sport - ice hockey. I am a very good skater and played as a tough defensman for decades only giving it up after my sons were born so I could spend my time with them.

I went to community college to get my grades up and then went to Cal State Fullerton. Recieved a bachelors degree in geography/city planning (what was I thinking?) but landed a job as a draftsman making exploded isometric drawings for the semiconductor industry (all my silly sketching paid off). Went from draftsman to designer to engineer with no real formal training just worked hard and learned on the job. Did that for over 20 years (good money in the late 80s and 90s). Married a beautiful girl in 1984 and we are happily approaching our 26th wedding anniversay. I have three sons - 24 years old twins (one a geologist & one a nuclear engineer in the Navy) and a 19 year old son attending college. Spent a great deal of time with my sons as Little League coach, hockey coach, boy scout leader, etc. This showed me I love working with kids so 8 years ago I gave up engineering and the big $$, got my teaching credential and I am now an elementary science teacher in the Irvine Unified School District. Financially poorer but loving every second with my students. (You are somewhat responsible for that.) Nothing but hands-on science in my classroom and every spring break I take 6th graders to the Florida Keys to do field science and oceanography. I have the same relationship with my students that I remember having with you at Simmons (fun and personable). This works well because the kids love my science lab and I have been recognized as Irvine science teacher of the year. (You are somewhat responsible for that as well.)

This note has gone on long enough. I just wanted to let you know that I have been having a full and happy life and that you are a big part of what I am as a person and a teacher.

My sincerist appreciation for the impact you made on my life.

Chuck Nelson

ADD: I enjoyed my 38 years of teaching in Garden Grove......Ron....

[russhill]

That's so beautiful, it makes me cry. I can't stop.

[david bryan]

I guess I am with you on this one, Ron has touched a lot of lives.

[Bunker Hill]

Well...
If anyone ever asks why one becomes a teacher, you know now!

[seeroy]

My article of the 25 All time best drivers...
1. Bill Sirois
2. Dean Chenowith
3. Chip Hanauer
4. Bill Seebold, Jr.
5. Jerry Waldman
6. Renato Molinari
7. Bob Nordskog
8. Bill Cooper
9. Johnny Sanders
10. Chris Bush
11. Bill Muncey
12. Jimbo McConnell
13. Dick O'Dea
14. Bob Wartinger
15. Ted Jones
16. Skeeter Johnson
17. Gordon Jennings, Jr.
18. Julian Pettengill
19. Bobby Switzer
20. Dick Jones
21. Hugh Entrop
22. Al Stoker
23. Rusty Chambell
24. Orlando Torganti
25. Homer Kincaid

That was my list then, not sure I'd change it today...

Ron - I just found this. It put a lump in my throat and tear in my eye - Steve Sirois

[Ron Hill]

Perfection in Every Rotation




For almost 75 years the Hill family has played an active role in the power boating industry. In
1935, Russ Hill Sr. started outboard racing. His love for boat racing lasted 62 years. During
the early years, Russ spent many hours modifying his engines and they were always well
respected.
In 1949 Russ Hill Jr., won the William Randolph Hearst Regatta where there were 32 “A” Hydros
in the race. Right after the Hearst Regatta, Russ dropped the lid of his prop box on his best
BRASS propeller and bent one blade. He decided to straighten this blade over the trailer hitch
ball. The trailing edges were very thin, so he bent a little “KINK” (now known as cup) in the
trailing edge to strengthen the blade. Fearing he might have ruined the prop, he did not touch
the other blade. To Russ’ surprise winning that day’s race was easy.
While testing at Lake Elsinore, California the next weekend, Russ Hill Sr. realized his best prop
was now two miles an hour faster than it had ever been. Over the next few years, Russ, Sr. and
Russ Jr. pounded on many propellers. Russ Jr. spent many hours at Dr. Wayne R. Ingles home
pounding on Stannis “C” racing propellers on pitch blocks that were rumored to have caused at
least two divorces.
It wasn’t until Russ Jr. returned from the U.S. Army in 1955 and started racing STOCK Mercury
motors, that Russ Sr. really got away from modifying motors and started modifying propellers.
From 1952 until probably late 1970 Russ Hill Sr. built 95% of the outboard racing motors in
Southern California.
In 1960, Salton City was paying boat racers to race. The races were only on Sunday, making
Saturday a practice day. Ted May and Russ Hill decided to smear lipstick on the front of a prop
and see what lipstick was missing and what the blades would look like after testing. Ted and
Russ had hammered on, ground on and bent many propellers but were never sure why they
ended up going faster or slower.
Ron, ten years younger than his brother Russ, always tried to win every race and especially
wanted to out do his older brother. After finishing second in the 1959 Nationals, Ron wanted to
win the 1960 Nationals. On a January day, 1960, the Hill Family learned a lot about props. The
family also learned that putting non-smear lipstick on props never wore off…Russ Hill, Sr. with
the help of Ted May, worked on Ron Hill’s “D” Propeller all day. They gained six miles per
hour just by hammering on the blades and looking at the lipstick trail. That day changed the Hill
family forever.
Ron, started racing in 1955 at age 11. Team Evinrude sponsored him starting in 1966. Ron
was 22 years old and already had more than 20 APBA and World titles. While Ron traveled
he'd sell his race props that he no longer needed or used. In 1969, Ron started Ron Hill
Propellers and most of his customers were old friends who had bought props from him as he
travel the world racing boats.
Besides being a nationally known boat racer, Russ Hill Sr. spent a lifetime building motors and
propellers seldom charging much if anything. His contributions and commitment to powerboat
racing placed him into the APBA Honor Squadron, APBA’s highest award, in 1973. Ron was
also selected to the APBA Honor Squadron in 1997. There aren’t too many fathers and sons in
the Honor Squadron.
Chad Hill was born in 1977 and at one week old attended his first Natioanl Championship boat
race. Chad won his first Winter Nationals at the age of 10. Later, at 19, Chad was the
youngest Formula One Tunnel boat driver ever. Chad has really been the one keeping the
family business moving ahead. His recent improvements for dual prop drive propellers, his
stainless steel gimbel rings, stainless steel bell housing , his Weedless Mud Motor Propellers,
his improved manufacturing techniques and a lifelong love of EXCELLENT propellers has
made Signature Propellers a world renown product.
Chad has always built his own motors, from J Stock to Formula One, just like his
GRANDFATHER taught him (One good piece at a time. Good things take time and love).
Chad developed the new Signature Dual Prop, The Four By Four the same was his
grandfather developed his father’s race props…hard work and lipstick. Chad over sees every
propeller manufactured by Signature Propellers. All Signature Propellers are manufactured in
the USA and we are proud of that fact.

[Ron Hill]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23&page=2&highlight=pictures

At Long Beach, 1958, Teddy Johnson, son of OJ Propellers, ran his B Alky Hydro through the 1/2 mile trials at Long Beach, on Monday after the the Divisionals.

Teddy ran over Bud Cowdery's waves and crashed "Big Time". I drew this picture f John Aldens' and Teddy Johnson's B Hydro, as they were team mates after this crash.

My brother said they had a Hot Rod gearcase. I said it was a Mercury. My picture that I drew in 8th grade, was a Champion on a Mercury Quicksilver gearcase.

[Ron Hill]

After the 1965 Nationals, my dad and I decided to build an F Runabout. We built the boat before we had a motor. After we finished the boat, we tried hard to find an F Motor. In June, the Marathon Nationals came and went, I won CU and DU.

By August, we just loaded up and went to the APBA Stock Nationals in Prineville, Oregon. Some of the Massachusetts drivers were late for the driver's meeting, they said their was a cattle stampede and the road was closed. Seems it wasn't a real stampede but a cattle drive and the cattle did hold up traffic.

I ran second to Clark Maloof in D Hydro and I won D Runabout with my 14'4" F runabout. Here's the first place "AGATE" trophy. I'm about to toss it out.

[Ron Hill]

I really don't know how it works, but it is suppose to polish propellers. I know one thing, it looks expensive. It weighs 10,000 pounds. Hill Marine makes Signature Propellers, this new polishing machine should help speed up production.

[David Pergande]

Just scanned this, wasn't sure if it was in here or not!

[Ron Hill]

That's Fred at the wheel.

Chad was about Jake's age. This is Chad and Corey's baby, Jake Hill...His first BOAT SHOW, February 9-12, 2012....Jake didn't get too excited...though!

[Lars Strom]

Ron Hill is a humoristic guy.
When he sells a racing prop he gives it his famous 30/30 warranty.
30 feet or 30 seconds whatever comes first when prop is put in water...:)

[Ron Hill]

Some companies don't guarantee their race props at all...

Probably, Lars, you never heard that my '59 Chevy had a Roll 2-80 air conditioner. You'd roll down two windows and DO 80!


You probably never knew I ACTUALLY had a Rolls. Not a Roll Royce, but a Rolls Could Hardly. It would roll down one hill and could hardly make it up the next....(Really, it was a '59 Chevy and it had a "Strong Arm" heater, too.....When, it got cold, I'd put my "Strong Arm" around my "HONEY"....Worked for me...

[Lars Strom]

I remember a few OE props you sold to me Ron and the "guarantee was a race win"..!!!!!!!!!!!

Pretty good guarantee when it became reality..:)
Thank you..

[Ron Hill]

You build enough props, somebody wins with yours! Those were great years, those OE props, that you are talking about were almost all purchased by Paul Kalb with OMC's money.!

I would love to just make race props again, but NOT REALLY....I'm too old, eyes aren't any good.......The world is 2/3 water, we need to be on the water 2 out of thee days!

I'm in management, now days......Little grandson, Jake, will be helping soon!

That big machine, which we have purchased two of, will polish 4 props an hour.......

I know you didn't race at DePue, but many would love to see you this summer, 2012, at the Boat Racer's Reunion. I know I'd be glad to see your wife......Did I just say that??? Yes, I did, love to see both of you there!

Sometime, I think of Hill Marine and that country song about Luganbach, Texas....Where is says, "We've got a four car garage and we're still building on."...

Life is good, though...

[Ron Hill]

Jimbo McConnell's mother took many slide photos over the years. Cathy McConnell has been scanning these pictures. I don't know if they should be under Jimbo The Wizard of OZ or the Hill Family. This is my brother try to "Back Into" another C hydro win. In the back ground is me winning D Runabout, one of 15 wins that year. Check out the ski jump in the middle of the river. I went over that ski jump ONCE...

[Ron Hill]

More Sue McConnell pictures;

1. San Diego Flood Control Channel, now closed to boat racing and re-named San Diego River. Russ heading in, in his Sid Craft, Jimbo heading out in his Maycraft a Swift copy. Actually, it looks like Mission Bay. Picture #2 is the Flood Control Channel.

2. 21-C Jimbo McConnell in D Stock Hydro. That is Ron Hill in the black surfer trunks. Rus Edmission looking on (more about Rus some other time).

3. Russ Hill, Jr and Jimbo 1962, white trailer with Sta-Mix decals is the Hill Racing Team trailer.

4. From right to left: Unknown due, Old Man Hill, Russ Hill, Sr, Rus Edmission, Ron Hill and Jimbo. 19-C is my D Runabout. The nose of that boat is Joe Moore's D Runabout.

5. Right to left: Val Snead, back to us, Ted May, Ron Hill and Jimbo in the helmet and jacket.

6. 76-C is Ted May's Sid Craft before he started being 2- U.S. or 2-C every year...

Left to right: Val Snead, short guy is Ted May, tall guy is Ron Hill and Jimbo is in he helmet with Jimbo on it.

ADD; All the San Diego pictures are at Mission Bay. Pictures 5 and 6 are at Yuma, Arizona.

[Ron Hill]

Some more of Sue McConnell's pictures, thanks to Cathy McConnell:

1. Needles Marathon 1963...My dad sitting in our trailer. The guy next to him looks like Tom Gouldstone, but I don't recall Tom ever being at the Needles Marathon. The lady is Mary Ann Meyers. In 1965 Mary Ann were seriously injured in an auto accident taking my boats to the Beaver Falls, PA Nationals.

2. Me working on my CU. Jeff Merlin from Niagara Falls, NY drove my Cu that year. The yellow Morehouse in the background was Carl Meyer's 36 Runabout, called "Turtle Express". Loved that old boat, it probably had a 50 inch wide bottom.

3. Me working on my CU. I won DU that year, one of my 8-10 straight DU wins.

4. Marathon grounds I think, in Needles.

5. Victorville Race, Roy Rogers came to this race to watch.

6. My mom, Mrs. Laura Hill, famous for making the Mrs. Hill Life Jackets.

.

[Ron Hill]

My brother was always crazy, but it kept him from going insane. He realized that January 1st would be a Sunday, and the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade would be Monday, Russ decided the Valley Speedboat Association could put on a race January 1, 1962 ans get new members.

This is Jimbo's Zorkan AU at Long Beach, my Old Man is in the hat. January 1, 1962. That's me in the white sweat shirt and Jimbo is behind me.

he second picture is of my mom and dad at Bakersfield, 1963.

[Ron Hill]

Cathy McConnell took this picture at Steven Dawe's house the day of Tammy's funeral.

The four of us have been friends for 50 years. Great picture, Cathy!

In case you don't know, from left to right is:

Ron Hill, Ernie Dawe, Jimbo McConnell and Russ Hill, Jr.

Funny, I don't think the four of us were ever in the same heat together.

[russhill]

Boatmark59, Nobody who knows me would ever start by saying, " Tell me---" . It could cure insomnia. First, thanks for asking. I did not have a career at Drake Engineering.

I spent 13 years at Mattel Toys where I was Data Processing (Computer) Chief Honcho. It was from there that I went to Drake. After Drake, I spent another 13 years at Northrop Aircraft on the B2 Stealth Bomber project. I ran a 7 acre computer room operation, the largest IBM installation in the world. I had about 400 people working for me.

Back to what you asked for, Drake. John Drake and I had hung out together and raced with or against each other since about 1950. After about 1970, we didn't see each other too often. Ron always liked John and stopped by occasionally to see him. In about 1978, Ron called me and said John is really in trouble, business wise. You should call him. I did. The following is my interview:
How you doing, John? Fine. How's business? Bad. What can I do to help you Take over. OK.

So I quit Mattel and for about 4 years was President of Drake Engineering. Things were bad. USAC had lowered the boost limits to where a Cosworth normally aspirated V8 Grand Prix engine could withstand the reduced boost. The four banger Offy could no longer compete.
So under the engineering guidance of Hans Hermann, Drake built a V8. It broke the company. That's when I arrived.

The V8 was a pretty good piece, but no engine has ever come off the drawing board and out of the machine shop ready to race. A lot of dyno time was necessary. We had a good dyno and a good dyno man, Stewart Van Dyne (Van Dyno), from the Penske stable, but we didn't have any money.

I'm tired of tired of typing and I'm sure you're tired of reading, so I'll continue with chapter 2 later.

[russhill]

Chapter Two
Maybe I should tell you a bit of the Drake Engineering history. It all started in 1920 with a guy named Harry Miller. I think he was a man of some money, but I'm not sure. He set out to build a boat engine. He copied the dual overhead cam concept from a 1909 Peugeot. A Peugeot had won Indy in 1913,16, 19.

Somehow (there are several books written about this), I don't know how but his engines got into car racing. Then, beginning 1923 his engine won the Indy race. They subsequently won a total of 12 Indy races.

You may recall reading about it, but in the early thirties. our country had a pretty big recession (as we call then today). Ultimately in about 1933, Fred Offenhauser, Miller's shop foreman took over the company and started producing "Offenhausers". Offenhauser engines subsequently won 27 Indy races.

In about 1946, Dale Drake and the first three-time Indy winner, Louie Meyer bought out Fred Offenhauser. They called themselves Meyer-Drake Engineering but kept the Offenhauser engine name. Dale and Louie's friendship went back a long ways. Dale actually rode in on Indy race with Louie when two men were required. Dale was an accomplished wing walker and glider builder/pilot.

My first real girlfriend was Yvonne Meyer, Louie's daughter. I think I was 19 and she was 17. It didn't last long.

The engine built under all these name and owner changes was a basic four cylinder, four valve, dual overhead cams. Of course changes and upgrades were constantly being made. The first I remember was the 270 (4.5L), then the 254, 4.1 liter. Ultimately the turbocharged version was 2.8 liters - 171 ci. Over the years the valve angle was reduced several times.
Sometime in the thirties they built a "Midget Offy". On my opinion, it was obsolete when it was built; however, it raced in and won a lot of Midget car races. I think it was 91 ci, 1.5 L, It was very sturdy and reliable and it beat more Ford 60s than it ever lost to. It was an iron block, 3 main, 2 valve, SOHC.

We (I was in the company by then) built several championship Mini-Indy engines. They were based on the new VW Rabbit water cooled engines. We won the national championship two years in a row, with different teams.

We also built a 4 valve head for Carroll Shelby for the 2.2 liter Chrysler 4 banger. That's another long story.

Sleeping yet? Later.

[david bryan]

saw this 4 banger at claton ny

[Ron Hill]

I modeled much of my life and a reflection of John Drake. John was always called Johnny in our family. Dale and Louie ran Offenhauser and their engine won Indy year after year. The Hill Family only made the trip to Indy in 1952, but we never missed the race on the radio for 1947 to 1951, then we never missed a race from '52 until 1960 when it was on closed circuit TV.

John was an only child and I always felt he wished he had a little brother like me. Though he was ten years my senior, he treated me as an equal.

John never wanted for stuff as an only child, but he took h life in stride. He always said a Plymouth was the best car, because it was the hardest to tear up...and how did he know, He'd torn all his cars up.

Dale Drake was a humble man and was a"Hands On" person. He build Lee Wallard's 1951 Indy winning motor. He turbo charged the Offy for Bobby Unser. I think I could say Dale was never motivated by money, though he made quite a fortune.

Dale would run John "KR A" on the Offy Dyno and castor oil would get in the muffler. So, when the ran the Offy's on the dyno, the dyno would catch fire from the castor oil...Dale and Louie argued about this often.

Johnwas a pretty good driver, winning high points in several classes. He started driving Harold Guiddy's F Hydro DeSilva. The boat wanted to "Blow Over", so John bolted 20 pounds of lead to the nose. John was one of the first to realize the importance of "Balance" in a boat.

I once rode along with my brother and John to a race in Phoenix...John could preach and sing. He could do both, while driving, but not well.

When I was going to college in Flagstaff, Arizona, I called John and said I wanted to go to the car race at PIR in Phoenix. He got me tickets, Offy won, great weekend.

After I graduated from college and was racing for Evinrude, John and Bob Leach (Eliminator Boats Bob) were racing a Drake Jet at the Parker Nine Hour...

When John and I would see each other I would remind him of the Clock Drive-In in Bellflower....

After Lee Wallard won Indy in '51, Bardahl and Mercury Marine, which had been Lee's sponsor gave John like 200 cases of Bardahl and a new Mercury KG-7 H.

John had no idea what to do with the Bardalh, so when he and my brother would go to the CLOCK DRIVE IN, John would pour a can of Bardahl down the carb on his '54 Plymouth while it was parked. After we'd have our shakes and burgers, John would "FIRE UP" his Plymouth and that Bardalhl would smoke the whole CLOCK DRIVE IN out...I mean the air would be BLUE for about 20 minutes....Now days they's arrest us for air pollution..then, it was all good fun..

[russhill]

A couple of interesting add ons to the 1951 era Ron was talking about: Murrell Ballanger owned the '51 wining Indy car. He was a Chrysler (and Mercury Outboard) dealer in Crown Point Indiana. He gave John the KG7 to race on his A (Alky) hydro.

In the spirit of real men don't race those damn Mercurys, we just played with the engine. When Goulrocks (Tom Gouldstone, 1100 runabout national champion years later) would come over, before he got there, we'd take the spark plugs out and fill the cylinders with some of that Bardahl Ron mentioned above. We'd tell Gouldrocks that this was a super special high compressioned engine--try to pull the starting rope. This baby has compression.

J. C. Agaginian was a Southern California garbage collector and an indy car owner. He won in '52 with Troy Ruttman driving. He had hog farm , to eat the garbage and had a 4 inch tall picture of a pig on his car by the cockpit. So Murrell Ballanger, mentioned above, put a similar sized ear of corn in a similar place on his race car.

Then he told Aggy, "You never see a ear of corn chasing a pig."

[Ron Hill]

I many respects the Drake Family and Hill Family had little in common, really, except for the love of engines and racing. My dad was a painting contractor or a painter as he called himself, my mom was home maker who probably made 200 Racing Life Jackets for boat racers across the country, most were sold in Region 12.

Dale Drake was a "Craftsman" and engine manufacturer. Dale's wife was kind of a Socialite, whose South Gate Women's Club sponsored a boat race at Long Beach marine Stadium in 1953 (Circa).

My dad loved coming home from work and going to his "Shop" where he build many a winning engine.

John Drake loved to come to my dad's "Shop" and work on his race motors. I loved John's approach to work. Every time he'd come to our house to work on a motor, the first thing he'd do is take nap in our yard swing. I've pretty much taken this same approach to life, since I first met John.

When my dad bought John's Mark 30-H (Made into a C Alky) my brother bought his Howard Thompson boat. My dad turned the 30-H back into a Stock C, as he wasn't one to "MOD" Mercury motors, he thought they should be Stock.

Dale had made a "One Off" steering wheel for John C Alky Hydro. It was a Midget Race Car wheel with a THREADED Spool. My brother raced the Thompson for a few years until it met its demise on the way home from Salton Sea, when it blew off the trailer.

I ended up with the steering wheel in my new "Kilo" DU. This pictures say, May 1967. This was our most "UNLUCKY" Hill runabout.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This picture must have been taken about the time you were rigging it up Ron. The floorboard, the bottom between the stringers and everything looks like it had not been in the water yet, and started on the "Lucky" streak. I'm glad you are a packrat too. It's good to see pictures from those days brought to life again.

[Ron Hill]

I had this Racing C Morehouse Runabout boat that was given to my brother by Ed Karakowa, my brother had blown it over at Parker, October, 1955.

Lee Morehouse had repaired it and by September 1959, I had converted it to a DU. I had decided the boat had too much "V" near the bow, so I had cut the bottom off and re placed the "V" with 1/8 plywood and fiber glass.

I set the motor back and added a little plastic windshield. The 1959 Marathon started at the Needles Marathon grounds. I think this was the start of my 7-8 straight Colorado River Marathon wins.

he picture is from the Needles Marathon grounds, cria 1959, photo by Sue McConnell, via Cathy McConnell.

Anyway, I won the Colorado river Marathon in '60-'67 including the 1966 Marathon Nationals.

My dad and I had replaced the plastic windshield with a wooden cone. I broke the DU Kilo record several times with this boat beside sinning the Marathon every September.

We made a rack to put this boat in the garage rafters, as I only ran it at kilos or the marathon. In th spring of '67 or the fall of '66, we had an earthquake in SoCal. This Morehouse boat fell out of the rafter and landed on my mom's car.

The insurance company paid us a bunch of money for my mom's car and a few hundred for the boat's damage.

The Old Man and I decided to build a new Kilo boat as Billy "Racer" Allen had broken my record. So, with the insurance money, we started to build and new marathon and kilo boat.

The boat with the Dale Drake steering wheel was brand new, and I had not added the cowling to it yet.

My dad had built Miss Bellflower before I was born, but had never built another boat until 1964 when I started building my first boat a CU. This CU broke the kilo record in CU, the record had been 60, we upped it to 64.661 MPH.

[russhill]

From the early Forties through the mid Sixties, The four banger Offys ruled. They won every race except 1946. They had evolved into to being virtually bullet-proof. But in the mid Sixties Ford came along with a V-8 and started taking over. Eight cylinder engines, though not necessarily more reliably could pull more horses.

So, the Fords won in 1965, 66, and 67. It became obvious the a traditional Offy could not win, if for no other reason, all of the winning teams had Fords. So, a rule allowing smaller engines to be turbocharged was either made or was noticed. Meyer-Drake then built a smaller turbocharged 4 banger. They won in 1968, Ford's momentum carried Ford for three more wins.

Ford tried to make turbo engines, but failed and the Offys began to again dominate. At that time "boost" wasn't even being talked about. The Offys were running about 90 inches of boost and up to 120 inches to qualify. The inherent toughness of the Offys allowed that, whereas the Fords couldn't take it. The Offys then won the next five Indies.

I don't want to insult anybody's intelligence, but I'm going to tell you how "boost" is measured. It is pressure measured by inches of mercury that can be pushed up a glass tube. Atmospheric pressure by that scale is 14.7. Since horsepower is directly proportion to manifold pressure, Ninety inches of boost, therefore, is 6 atmospheres. Of course, the greater the boost, the more the engines had to be de-tuned to survive. Turbo production cars today measure boost in pounds per square inch (psi) and that starts at atmospheric pressure.

Initially there were no boost rules and therefore no waste gates. As time passed, boost rules were made and waste gates were required, and USAC pop-off vales had to be installed on the plenum chambers. The pop-off is another story I'll get to sometime later.

As I had mentioned as the boost finally got lowered to where the normally aspirated Cosworth Formula I engines survive, the inherent goodness of the V-8 s prevailed over the 4 bangers.

[Ron Hill]

First picture is really not of the Hill's but it is the Needles Marathon in the OLD DAYS, when it was a HAPPENING. Mobil Gas gave everyone gas and stickers, Champion Spark Plugs gave out plus, that is Dick Jones with the Champion shirt. Mercury gave out motors and Speedline gave out boats as prizes.

19-C is me getting around Bob Willard at the Puddle. Why did I say, "Getting around?" Well I only lost two heats in the TV races. Broke a rod once, and borrowed a motor once. Other than that, they called my "Silky Sullivan Hill", as I didn't lead the first lap, but led the last lap. Great "SHOWMEN, those HILLS," Dick Lane would say on TV!

C-6 in the white boat is Junior's C-D-F-X Swift, and the brown boat is Junior's Thompson he bought from John Drake when my dad bought John's Mark 30-H.


Bob Willard is driving the "Cab Over" D Hydro, one of the few D Hydro races he ever ran. This Cab Over was a REAL DOG!!!!

[russhill]

When somebody here asked I about my involvement with Drake, I talked about myself and Offy engine history.

When Drake was making all the engines and all the replacement parts for all the Indy teams and winning all the races, life was good. When Cosworth stepped into the ring, Drake's new engine sales died. The only people that wanted replacement parts were the low budget teams and there was a huge supply of parts in the big teams.
Drake's problems was not a technical problem, it was purely a business management problem. Freddie Offenhauser (nephew of thee Fred Offenhauser) trademarked the name "offenhauser" and "Offy" and forbid Drake from using the name for aftermarket parts for street cars. That really tied Drakes hands from any diversification and the company really only knew how to make engines and parts.

Freddie very magnanimously allowed Drake to make specific Indy engines and parts. In other words, he let Drake advertize for him.

So, Drake built a V-8 and called it "Drake". As I said before, it was a pretty good piece, but not without issues, mostly financial. Developing an Indy engine is a very expensive endeavor. So many "business" mistakes were made. A set of forging dies for connecting rods were made at great expense and 100 rods were forged and machined. They were really too short. A couple teams who had some success with the engine bought longer Carrillo rods - only 8, not 100.

The connecting rods were designed to use 2 very special bolts. They were $21 each. The very astute parts guy negotiated a "deal" for $18 each, by the thousand. For those of you who can't do upper level math in your head, that's $18,000. A thousand rods bolts was enough for sixty engines.

Hans Hermann, the project engineer was a very good engine designer. He liked Mahle Pistons from Germany. I never heard the cost, but for "custom" pistons, Mahle's minimum order was 100 pistons. That's about 12 engines worth.

Then I arrived. The company was already in some pretty serious debt. Several teams had given the company $8,000 deposit for each of ten engines. That was not nearly enough start up money, and if we'd have sold any, the price was obviously less the $8,000.

Meantime, the market was upset by the fact that CART was starting up, USAC was dying and a feud was raging.

Other than the above and a few other problems, the world was a wonderful place.

To be continued

[david bryan]

I don't know if Ron makes this stuff up or his memory is that good. Either way it great stuff. All the best RON.

[Ron Hill]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3198&highlight=Mark+20-H+handle

When I was ten, a guy name Ken Scoffield bought a little Runabout and a 20-H. He gave me a ride in the front seat at where the Blue Water Resort and Casino is now. Scared the hell out of me, I he;d on so tight it was the first time I saw my muscles in my forearms.

When we came in after about three laps, Ken asked if I like it? I said, "Sure!". He said, "Good because I didn't like it and you can have the boat."

The next day, Vic Bonnan who had finished second that year at the Nationals in DePere, Wisconsin. Don Badacci had won but had been DQ'd by my dad, because of HORSE SHOE politics, my dad was over ruled. Anyway, the day after I got the ride in this Terrill, Vic Bonnan threw a rod through the side of his crankcase. My dad offered Vic $150 for the motor "as is" and Vic took the cash.

So, on one weekend, in October 1954, I went from boat and motor less, to the proud owner of a runabout and blown KG-4.

Lee Morehouse took the boat home and took the hook out of the bottom, painted it and brought it Surfside to test. My dad bought a BRAND NEW crankcase and saved the block and built me a good KG-4.


My first ride in Mike Meham's OLD Terrill is pictured here, 424 is Dan Morehouse, music published today. I was blowing a bubble in the picture in my new Mrs. Hill Life Jacket.

It was right after this that my dad turned Kenny Scoffield's 20-H into a 20-H with a handle, and he made the spacer too. Kenny put the 20-H on a fishing boat.

[Ron Hill]

I think we first raced at Lake Weist in the fall of 1955.

The lake is larger today, and probably shallower, because the banks keep eroding.


This is C Runabout with Dave Bryan leading in "X", the guy behind Dave is me, Ron Hill.

Then, in third is Ben Stein, Dave' brother-in-law and that is Joe G. Schulte in the Rinker, 44-C, in the back of the pack.

I think this is the day, my dad and Joe Schulte had a disagreement about weight. Seems Joe had knee high boots, size 16's filled with water when he got on the scale. My Old Man made him drain the water from his boots and from the boat.

Joe argued that the water was in the boat when he raced, my dad pointed out that that isn't the way the rule was written.

I'm not sure if Joe held grudges, but he never ran under weight again......that my dad knew about.

It wasn't too long after this race, that my dad started weighing people after the first heat!

Many an under weight driver didn't like this "NEW" concept!

People wanted to know who would get weighed after the first heat. My dad's answer was, "Only the light boats." (Actually, my brother said that first, but it became the standard answer.)

Great picture of Joe's Rinker making a corner.......Only those who raced along side Joe, can tell you the terrifying feeling you'd get from the sound of his lower unit gears revving about 9,000 RPM's just before he made the turns,,,,,

[Ron Hill]

Lee Morehouse built me this 19-C for AU Runabout, but he built it 11 feet long. AU's were 10 foot. Lee figured I was a growing boy and my dad would put me in a BU Runabout soon. So, for the usualy price, Lee built me an 11 AU....Usual price was FREE!

I only raced it once, at Long Beach, I won straight heats, Bobby Parrish was second. After the race, there was anew, light weight kid there looking for a boat. I sold this 11 Foot AU on the spot to Jack Woodruff. Jack named the boat Turtle Express. In the four short years Jack raced, he never beat me, but that didn't stop us from being best of friends. Jack was killed in a car wreck in June, 1962, a week after he graduated from college. You never really get over losing your best friend.

First picture is the Original Turtle Express...I later had a 36 Runabout named Turtle Express, owned by Carl Myers.

When we sold the boat to Jack, we gave Lee the money and he build me a new 10 foot AU. In 1957 this a AU, 19-C broke the 1/2 mile record at 48.352 MPH.

The second picture is at Needles Marine Stadium, April 1957.

[Ron Hill]

It is actually fun to travel. My brother and his wife, Carolyn went with us to Italy. We were to get there first, so we were going to pick up the rent car at the airport. Trouble was, our airport was 65 kilometers from the airport where our car was. No, real big deal, we got a different car and with my brother's GPS, we found our hotel and we found the other airport and picked up Russ and Carolyn. The GPS seems to work great we found a McDrive at McDonald's for lunch and we found a great bar/restaurant in Milano for dinner in the rain. Great food, great wine, great weather, a very nice first night in Italy!

The ABC's are in Rome, the food is from Venice and McDrive is outside Milano!

(ABC sands for Another Bloody Church as our English friend calls them)...

[Ron Hill]

This was the first time I ever raced against 126 other drivers at the same time. The boat was fast, but lucky for me, it broke early! Ernie Dawe was to be my Co-Driver, he was glad he didn't have to get in and drive....A very wild race in those days!

[Ron Hill]

Jake is taking a little break. He's been helping Grandpa and dad. There is always a lot of work to be done at the Hill Marine Propeller Factory.

[Ron Hill]

Before APBA got the "BRIGHT IDEA" to change the points year from January 1st to October 31, and move the membership year the same, we used to race at Lake Weist in December. Lake Weist is outside Brawley, California near the Mexican border. It is quite warm there in December. This was in December 1973. My wife, two month old child and I stayed in Rod Zapf's motor home......came close to freezing to death as his heater didn't work. We had a great race, I bought Rod's boat, motor and trailer as he was going Inboard racing the next year. I went home and bought a new Winnebago.

Ron Hill (http://www.facebook.com/ronaldhill)


December, 1973, Lake Weist, Brawley, California. Ron Hill leads D Runabout, 84- C is Rod Zapf (Driving a Bill Boyes Runabout. Ernie Dawe is 29-C driving a Dawe Runabout.

Ron Hill was driving a Hill Runabout.

The three of us are still good friends , boat racing is family, friends and fun!

[Smokin' Joe]

Charging along the Seine in a high-flyer!


http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=45002&stc=1&d=1320797147

[Ron Hill]

We called those Molinari's "High Riders". This Molinari was driven by me and John Schubert in Paris, 1970. Then, Jimbo and I won Berlin the next week. Berlin was 6 Hours just like Paris was in those days. This Molinari would get over some tall water, but it was not a "TRUE" High Rider, as it had longer sponsons, and didn't turn up as much as a "HIGH RIDE".....It was fun to drive.

The picture I'm posting here is my Sid-Craft Hydro I bought from Ted May. After the first 9 races that year, 1964, I had 36 firsts, C Runabout, C Hydro, D Runabout and D Hydro. I managed to "WRECK" in the first turn, my "NEW" fin snapped off at the first turn, and I went "*** Over Tea Kettle". Someone bounced off me, but we duct taped it back together and I won the second heat.

Funny motor I ran in D Hydro that year. I broke the C Runabout and D Runabout Kilo records at the Nationals that year, but felt my D Hydro was NOT a kilo set up, but felt I could do well in the finals. I won the D Runabout and probably should have put that motor on the hydro, but I'd won every race that season with that motor and I just figured stay with what I had, though I knew Jimbo and Ted may were faster. As it turned out Louie Wheeler won D Hydro, Jimbo's mag dropped and he broke a timing belt and so did my mag drop. Ted won the first heat and his gears started going out the second heat and he ended up second. As great as Ted was, he never won an APBA Stock Nationals.

After the nationals, my dad got to looking at my D Hydro motor with the broken mag arm, and decided to take the motor apart. I had bought it from Joe Moore, my dad had built it for Joe many years earlier. Anyway, my dad decided that the crank was worn out, so he tossed it. It was .015, which was as large as you could bore a block in those days, and it was really about .022 over and the pistons were out of round. My dad put the block on the shelf, and said maybe someday they will legalize .030 and we can use it.

He got to looking at the tower housing and the bushing were so worn out, he decided it was junk, beside it had a crack down by where they all cracked. So, next he took the foot apart and decided the gears were shot, so when he tried to get the pinion gear off the driveshaft, it wouldn't come, so he sawed the gearcase in half to get the pinion off the driveshaft, but it had galled to the drive shaft....

So, I ended up with a top and bottom cowling, a mag, flywheel, two carbs, a saddle with clamps and a tail cone. Not much of a D Hydro motor.

To carry the story more, in 1974, my dad bored that block to .030 and I won the Nationals in Dayton , Ohio in D Runabout, ten years that block sat on my dad's shelf!

[Ron Hill]

When I was a KID, it was a great time to be a KID! Seaboard Equipment Company was the Mercury Distributor, on Coast Highway in Sunset Beach. Behind Seaboard was a channel and we could test there anytime we wanted. When I first started with my AU, we'd run 5 gallons of gas for the day plus whatever was in the tank. Now, my dad always assumed my tank was dry when we got there, but usually, during the week, he'd time somebody's motor and he'd tell me to drain the tank. Well, I'd drain it alright, right into my KG-4's tank.

So, on Saturday, I'd get 5 gallons of gas plus a full tank.

On Sunday, we'd go to Bixby Slough, as it was fresh water and I'd get another five gallons. We did this just about every weekend in the winter of ;54 and the spring of '55. In '55 I was eleven and my dad told everyone I was 12 and you and to be 12 to race.

Hell, we had a boat trailer made out of 2 X 6's and a plywood box, painted Russ Hill Red. My brother was in the Army, so I got to use his trailer. Russ Hill, Jr. painted on the back with "The Bellflower Flash's" name on it.

We were "COOL" in those days. The winter of '55 we raced 26 straight weeks on LIVE TV. I was on the Mickey Mouse Newsreel like 9 times.

California has always been a great place to live and play!!!!

The picture is of Dick Lane the TV announcer and me, December 1955.

[Ron Hill]

John Drake and Russ went to Catalina Island for Labor day, 1952, they came back with these "COOL" hats.

[Ron Hill]

Hallett Hydro

[Ron Hill]

I won the Chicago to Milwaukee to Chicago Marathon in 1967. I got a thousand dollars in cash (I made $5,900 a year teaching that year) and I also won a new Evinrude outboard motor.