Raceboat and Switzer Wings

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Twin tunnels were big boats. More wings: http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?5798-About-Wings&highlight=wings

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Twin 1350 stackers

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Gordon Downard in one of their Checkmate Tunnels

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Another Checkmate tunnel

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tunnels Bill Petty

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Tunnels --- Billy Seebold

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tunnel boats

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Allison Craft with the wings

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Rear of the same boat

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Tunnels

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Allison Craft w/ no wings

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Tunnels

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Tunnel boats

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Mercury Twistercraft

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Bill Petty in a Mercury Twistercraft

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Tunnel boats

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Bill Seebold

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Jimbo Mc connell

[Miss BK]

Ted May in his Scotti Craft, "Hell Cat". You can see the small black motor decals on the front cowl - one for each victory over Mercury..

Also note, he's wearing the Nordskog anti-bucketing helmet.

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Nice natural wood on the tunnel John. June of 1971 and the last race for the big factory boats with the stacks. After this race the Mercury's no longer ran the open exhaust. Another photo of John Schubert at speed with the big Johnson . Bob

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Now this is a large tunnel boat.

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Rear of the same boat.

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Keith Stippich 1960 National Champion

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Keith Stippitch --- Trailer full of rigs 1960

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A Besmeier race boat owned by Dave Packer in Hawaii .

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Powercat w/ direct reverse 800s

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Stu Gray

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Stu gray text

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Stu Gray Text

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Stu gray text

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stu gray text

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Stu gray text

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Stu grayText

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Stu Gray Text

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stu gray Text

[Ron Hill]

Vic Edelbrock...

[Ron Hill]

Lou won Parker in '67 and '68...Louie Unser Ford motors...

[Ron Hill]

Jake is Jerry Gilbreath's dad..You know Jerry, throttleman for Alcone Motorsports.

What I was looking for was a picture of Don Pruitt...He won Elsinore in 1969 with a triple Jones....But not the One in Bob's pictures... The one you have pictures of, I think, was the one Jim Mertins won Galveston, Texas with and Mercury never ran it again, only twins....

Pruitt had set his motors, all three, back a foot and this helped carry the bow...when he finished Elsinore, one engine had broken its steering and was just flopping in the breeze.....most would have stopped to fix it, Pruitt just kept going an was the first outboarder to win a combined marathon..

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Miss Bardahl note the Bardahl guy on the rear fin

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Raceboat photos ---- 1960 national champ

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Morlan Visel wreck July 6 1963. The boat (and driver) were repaired and raced again.

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Morlan Visel wreck

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Morlan visel

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Morlan visel

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Morlan Visel

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Morlan Visel

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Morlan Visel wreck

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Visel wreck

[Ron Hill]

Ron built four 22 footers, I think... Right here, on 17th Street in Costa Mesa, California, in front of what was Betty Cook's race shop, then....

Lou Brunett from Ojai, CA had a yellow one, then he put Evinrudes on it, then Mercruisers, then I think Bob Nordskog got it and put a big block in it and shw went like 127 MPH for a KT record at Parker...

Bobby Massey ran the red one and blew it over at Parker, seems this might be the one in the picture..

Pruitt had a white one, that he set the engines back a foot and WON the Elsinore 500, overall...

Bill Cooper had one that came with a Mercruiser, but he blew that over testing at Parker and Rudy Ramous bought it and turned it into a triple outboard...

Rudy's late start at Havasu, 1970, casued Joe Fielder to nose die in the glass Molinari/Carlson...was no one's fault, as Rudy left the pits legally, but the wave he left by going almost last, and Joe being first...


Here's a picture for POWERCAT!!!

1963...

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Wil Pergande

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wil pergande

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Wil Pergande

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wil pergande

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Wil Pergande

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wil pergande

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wil pergande

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Wil Pergande

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Wil pergande

[Powercat]

:cool: ;)

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:rolleyes:

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:eek:

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:) :)

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:d :d

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;) ;)

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:eek: :cool:

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:D :cool:

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:o :cool:

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:) :rolleyes: :eek:

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:D :rolleyes: :cool:

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:eek: ;)

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;) :d

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:confused: :rolleyes:

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:p :D

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:) :d

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:D :D :rolleyes:

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Big (twin) outboard racing Orange Bowl Regatta sept 1969

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Mike Downard in the twin engine factory Checkmate.

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Merc Twister advertisement.

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My friend M.R. Shakeshaft with his alky boats.

[Tomtall]

Can someone please explain why Hugh's boat had the #B22 spraypainted on the decks of the boat? Just curious. By the way,Great pictures!Thanks for sharing them.

[Mark75H]

Tom, its R-22, not B .... Hu was from Seattle. I think the reason for the number change was because different numbers were issued for different classes and the original class he ran that boat in was APBA F Racing Hydro and in this instance he was running UIM class X. Here's a pic from Mercury of Burt Ross beating that record in X.

[Jengle37]

I have some inboard indurance pictures from the 70s, here is one of ET79, Speed Marine's Silverwing driven by the late Mitch Lemke
Several more photos at my scrapbook photo website http://home.earthlink.net/~jengle37/index.html

[Jengle37]

Here at Puddingstone 1978 or 1979. Don Cannan's Mandella "The Inlay" Driven by Gil Gilbert

[Jengle37]

The Walker Lake Special driven by Jack Rourke. Shown here around 1977 or 1978

[Miss BK]

Fun pics of the ET boats. I saw on your site you had ET-80. I believe the owner of this boat was Art Williams. The boat was named Sasquatch. He had two other boats named Big Foot (not sure which class) and Little Foot. All painted the same in purplish/black colors.
Little Foot was a Sport C. :) It was cute seeing all three together in one spot.

I remember well the boat "Walker Lake Special". Jack and my late brother Mike had met at Walker Lake (Hawthorne, NV) when Mike drove up there to race his stock outboard. Jacks hospitality made a fond lasting impression on my brother. He must have been a heck of a person. Am I right in thinking that Jack was killed at Walker Lake many years ago?

Here's another image of the late Mitch Lembke winning the Parker Enduro:

[Jengle37]

Here is the photo you mentioned for all to see. Thanks for stopping by my site. I'm trying to put together an Inboard Endurance historical site. The pics I have on my site are ones I found in my own pictures, I was engine builder for Dr. Cannan. I have contacted Dr. Cannan and Jerry Gilbreath so far and both are going to dig for photos and articles. Anybody else who has something they can spare, let me know!
John
P.S. Yes, I did hear Jack died some time back in a boating accident. Not sure if it was racing related. Walker Lake races were my personal favorites!

[Ron Hill]

The Walker 100's were some great racing. I'm not sure of the elevation, but those BIG ET boats didn't develop "KILLER" horsepower up there, and as a result they'd have to or I should say, they were able to fly them like outboards, without blowing over...and man did they RACE..Hart pounding excitement...

I remember one Walker 100 where they had about ten ET's, still not sure where they all came from, but they were running with a bunch of GN's....It was one of the best boat races I ever watched...Can't recall who won, but it seems it was Mitch Lemke or Bob Nordskog....

I have to admit, the 100 INCH OUTBOARDS didn't put on a very good show compared to the ET's. Dick Sherrer led wire to wire, Pat Murphy ran second wire to wire and I ran third....boring boat race...

Many years later, at a Mini Enduro, at Walker, I remember the mini's putting on a great show...as Walker gets rough every morning and then gets flat as a pancake in the afternoon...They ran the Mini's first...I remember my wife being in the air more than the water...She ended third....but had lead...If I'd had a radio they'd have never passed her or ...well, why would she listen then???

At that Mini/Big Boat Enduro they gave all drivers and families like $25 worth of gambling tokens and 2 or three free drink tickets.... I told Barb we should spend the tokens at least...so she was playing roulette or the Big Spin and I went to get some FREE DRINKS...none of the RACERS would let me near the bar with my free tickets...(They were saying I was cheap....which was true)..So, I shouted my order over their heads...which is the way I order drinks anyway, and turned and put my dollar token in the slot machine and hit $300...300 real silver dollars came out....all of a sudden I had a lot of friends...I tell'em all to go to H...Get my drinks, I put another dollar in the machine and hit $80 more...I filled this big bucket up with dollars and take my two drinks to my wife...All the rest of the summer the kids and me spent that money...we called it our "MAD MONEY"...We went to Tiajuana...and we were paying the guys on the street to play La Bamba...then we went to the Dog races...

You'd be surprised what close to $400 worth of "MAD MONEY" can buy...

Jack use to give away land near his home as part of the prizes. He had subdivided some land, and gave away view lots. He always seemed to be one swell guy. He was killed at Parker, in a blow over of his ET running for the kilo record.. a capsule would have saved him...

ADD:

Great pictures...I miss Mitch Lemke.....as we had planeed to attend the OPC Nationals together, the year hea and he father were killed going to Walker...DeeDee and Mitch kept the wheels on ET and GN racing for years...
Brad Miller, Robert Palm, ...great sponsors and competitors...Gil Gilbert and Jerry Gilbreath...great drivers...Those were the GOLDEN YEARS of GN Racing...

[Jengle37]

Ron,
Couldn't agree with you more. After 1980 I moved east and married a girl who was and is afraid of water :( so I left boat racing. Didn't keep up with any of it and missed it badly for years. About 4 weeks ago I started digging through pictures and decided to do this project. In 78 or 79 Brad Miller and I teamed up to put on an Inboard Endurance race at Puddingstone reservoir along with an outboard race that was happening at the time. As a result I was given a list of names and addresses of all available racers at the time. I started going through that list a couple of weeks ago and looking up the names on the internet, only to find that many have passed on. I knew about Bob Palm, I helped build his boat and was there for the building of Cannan's new boat, out of the same mold. But the others....Red Adair, Armie Haines, Brad Miller, Bob Nordskog, Mitch Lemke, Jim Bohenna (who helped teach me what I was doing in my first GN ride), Jack Rourke.... I could go on but it makes me sad to think of it. I think often of putting on a race here, maybe one that the guys could get to on the way home from somewhere else, and the thread I read about doing an enduro race again really perked up my spirits. Thats why they call them inboard endurance
Can't wait to see if that endurance race out west works.
John
P.S. I gambled for my first time ever at Walker......won 20 bucks! Not bad for a kid at that time!


This picture is of Brad Miller's Crazyhorse, In the seat is Jerry Gilbreath

[Ron Hill]

Seems like I talked to Bob a year or two ago... FYI, he owned Johnny's Speed and Chrome....I was working on some props one day, this guy pulls up and says he needs a prop for his GN.....I start asking him questions and telling him this and that...Finally after after 15 minutes, he says, "Look I've got things to do...How much are your props?" I say $500 each...He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a roll..He peels for $2,000 and says I want four and left...

I didn't know his name...I got the props ready and had to ask around who he might be...So, he's gone...

Brad was ONLY 65....Keep an eye on his son, Brandon Miller, runs Busch NASCAR...

Keep the Enduro thread...

Great pictures, thanks for posting...Love to have a picture of Mitch Lemke's kilo rune...seems he went 138 MPH with that Jag!!!! But don't know for sure...they had the picture on the wall at the shop!!!

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Beloit Wisconsin 1960

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1960 Beloit

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Beloit wisconsin

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Beloit Wisconsin

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Beloit wisconsin

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b wisconsin 1960 note Bob Herring

[Jengle37]

Found some outboard photos from Walker lake. I only knew a couple of the names. You guys will have to fill in the blanks. I think this is Dick Sherrer

[Jengle37]

229 is Bob Larson, 148 is Dick Sherrer. 114 is Ed Jahn a MOD VP, VP 91 is Larry Vorgenson. 91 is NOT Larry.

[Jengle37]

Some more outboards at Walker Lake

[Jengle37]

Ted May I think at Walker Lake




I redid the color and made Ted about 3 times as big with about 10% increase in file size. Thanks for keeping the originals a small manageable size! -Sam

[Jengle37]

Bob Palm accepting his trophy at Walker lake

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Parker 9 hr Enduro 1975 Renato Molonari and Bobby Herring 1st overall in the Factory Molonari marathon Team Mercury powered boat.

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Parker 9 hr enduro 1975 2nd place overall Jimbo Mc Connell and Barry Woods in the Factory O.M.C. rig.

[Ron Hill]

Parker 1970, end of the first lap...Me in the Hallett and Johnny Sanders in the Molinari that Scotti had won Havasu with in 1969...It was a cold morning and my goggles had frosted...I had to pull them down to see.....after I'd hit a bouy up river...

I finished 2ns buy one foot...I drove 7 hours and 20 minutes that day...

D. Berghauer on the side...we didn't know which Berghauer would have a slot open, so, just put D...for Dewey or Denny!!!!

[Ron Hill]

DeSilva Wing...First 100 inch V-4's OMC ever made...Finished third outboard...30th or so overall..

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Dave Packer, Ken and Chad Brockman and Allan Garner in the Mercury Twister II X powered Ron Jones tunnell -- Parker 9 hr enduro 1975

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Jim Kropfield One of the best Budweiser unlimited drivers ever.

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Jim Kropfield

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Jim Kropfield at the wheel of the Miss Budweiser unlimited hydroplane

[Harlan]

The "Winged" Jones with the big Block looks like the one RUdy had...then, Mr. Rickey added the wing. But I can't say for sure, becasue it could also have been Bob Nordskog's Jones...

Bob's was never damaged, so the ribs and stringers should look original... Rudy's had had some major damage, seems you could tell if it showed signs of stringer and rib repair...

Or, maybe any signs of blue and yellow paint...that would have be Rudy's... Bob's was red, whit and blue...with natural decks...


I was contactedby a man in No. Cal. He said he had the Jones tunnel, that Rudy owned. It had been cut to add another seat, and had a bb Ford. It was for sale at that time.
Don still has Bob's Jones tunnel.
Harlan

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Art Kennedy--- !977 Molonari marathon Johnson Outboard sponsored boat owned by Lou Eppil and driven by Art Kennedy. This is Ho Hum XXVIII that ran the Parker and Havasu races in the 70s. Bob

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Just Add Water Ben Robertson

[Ron Hill]

Alan Stinson was the driver who co-drove with Jerry Walin, in 1970, to win Parker by a foot...Stinson could drive that old DeSilva wing...

Anyway, I thought Allison boats were built by him (Alan Stinson)..Allison. It wasn't until about 1976 that I met Daris Allison...at Dayton, OHio...I kept asking if his name was really Allison...I wanted to know where Alan Stinson was!!!! Most of them boys in OHIO thought I was nuts...


Benny Robertson is one I'm not sure we have on the Who's Who section....but he needs to be added.

Just Add Water Team was owned by Bob Thompson of Indianapolis. Bob sponsored Kenny Stevenson, also, in the Molinari that Lou Eppel owned...that Art Kennedy drove...Not sure Bob ever raced, but he's a real gentleman...

Keep posting those great pictures...Outboard Bob...

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Ben Robertson Jr "with crew" in the Mach Propellers & Bud Davie sponsored Scond Effort Furnell boat.This boat had a Second Effort two spark plug per cyl V8 engine and won the 1987 Three Rivers Regatta at Pittsburgh.This was also the last of the big bore V8 racing as the engines were downsized to 3 liters after this .

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World Champion Nicki Cutro's P70 Pennzoil sponsored offshore cat after the boat stuffed at speed.

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Another view. We repaired this boat at our shop . As the boat suffered much stress it was not raced again and used for display etc for Pennzoil . Nicki purchased another with safety capsules and F16 canopies.

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Same boat finished up at our shop. Bob

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Miss Budweiser circa 1976

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Same boat

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Tony Williams from the U K

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Billy Seebold "Team Mercury" racing 1977 note the #1 for the boat number.

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Bill Seebold in the Long John Scotch And Whisky sponsored ,Cees Vander Velden built "OZ" boat, Winning the Bristol England Ebassy Gran Prix in 1978

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Miami Nationals 1958

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Miami nationals

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Miami Nationals

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miami nationals

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Miami Nationals

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Miami nationals

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miami Nationals

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miami nationals

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Miami nationals

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Where do you get youre Switzercraft in 1962? at the Switzerland Marine of course(note the lettering on the hauler). This shows launching of the U4 Switzer wing at the Orange Bowl Regata. note the enclosed canopies on the boat.

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Same boat after the race at the Orange Bowl without the enclosed Canopies and the driver side cowling is gone.

From Butch Stokes:

post 162 and 163 is the first Wing Dave Craig got, right after the 6 hour at Lake X..it's not the original U4 that won Winnebago...or ran at the 6 hour..it never ran right but would run good when it quit hopping..it didn't have an adjustable wing..I got to drive it in Miami..I worked for Dave in 60-61..

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I posted this on another site but i think it needs to go here

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beloit wisconsin

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Beloit Wisconsin

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beloit wisconsin

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Beloit wisconsin

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Beloit Wisconsin

[Mark75H]

Back in 1960 my dad was the highest paid boat and car mechanic in the area where he lives, bringing home an unbelievable $18 a week ..... $3 back then would have easily gone as far as $150 does now.

[Ron Hill]

Hal Kelly was asked for his "LICENSE"....He replied, "Hell Mack, I ain't fishing." The Game Warden took him straight to jail.

We, Californians, were lucky, as we had already paid our "TAX" in California. We had "CF NUMBERS".....

I don't think everyone did pay the three bucks. Jost threatened to take the race to Illinois. I think ONLY Wisconsin residents were made to pay.

I made $5,900 a year, in 1966, as a first year teacher....a HUNDRED BUCKS A WEEK!!!! (Actually 180 working days)...Who said teachers were under paid???

In 1960, gas as around 25 cents a gallon... So a 2 cent a gallon "Trucker Discount" at Old Fred's Cafe was a big deal...

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Here you are Ron ----- C U finals at this race Boat # 1 C

[Ron Hill]

Interesting...Stan Armstrong won C Hydro that year, as its turned out his only National Championships...

Walter Huhn...from California...His son is in the heating and air conditioning business and has been working doing the electrical on our remodel...

As I recall, Don Pontius ran a 13 foot Speedliner and he could flat turn only as Donny Ponitus could...Seems there were many gun jumps in CU... My Cu wasn't fast. I borrowed a Cary prop from Lee Sutter and I took my bow handle off for CU...It weight a pound and way up front on a 13 foot Du, it thought it was faster without the handle.

They ran CU on Monday morning, and I'd burned all the AMOCO gas my dad had gotten from Jane Smith.

I'd gotten second in DU, with a one heat win, after five restarts, of which I was leading everytime...

Dean Chenoweth, said, "I never jumped once. That my starts were perfect." He wasn't racing Stocks but he'd come to the Nationals...It meant a lot to me to have Dean Chenoweth tell me he didn't feel I'd jumped...No cameras...Without a camera, you are either late or you've jumped...

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Guntersville, Alabama, 1961: DU results

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DU results: Guntersville, Alabama 1961

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A S H finals beloit wisconsin. Note future APBA president Mike Jones boat# 7R

[Ron Hill]

I thought I got second with a one heat win...but maybe, the five restarts, when I was leading...is when Dean said I hadn't jumped....and he didn't see a reason for a restart...

Pontius in a Sid Craft...

In 1961 he had new Sea Jay...12 footer in CU and a 13 footer for DU...he won both classes..

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B S H finals Guntersville, Alabama 1961.

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CSH Finals: Guntersville, Alabama 1961

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D S H finals Guntersville, Alabama, 1961

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Class 36 Finals Guntersville, Alabama, 1961

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J U finals Beloit Wisconsin

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AU Finals: Guntersville, Alabama 1961

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BU Finals: Guntersville, Alabama, 1961

[Ron Hill]

But these results are from 1961 Guntersville, Alabama...

Well...think...
1. Ted May didn't go to Beloit in 1960. He had torn the transom out of his Swift at Lodi Lake and broke his tail bone. He had started a new boat, as he saved every piece and lined the pieces up across his and his neighbor's front lawn...to make a copy for the new boat called THE BLUE ANGEL...When his wife came home, from a short vacation, she saw these boat parts all over her yard and the neighbors...She went and filed for DIVORCE that same day.

2. At Beloit, 1960, I remember talking to Teddy Thompson and Dan Christy about Ted May. (Ted was leading high points in A, B and D hydro at the time)...I remember explaining to them that Ted raced a lot of classes, but wasn't really very fast in any of them..He just drove well and never missed a chance to race...

3. Walter Huhn was listed as 4th in CU. I just got off the phone with Walt and he said he'd never been to Beloit. That he in fact did get fourth in Cu in Guntersville, 1961.

4. Keith Stippich and myself each had 625 points, so that meant we had 1-3 or 3-1... Seems I recall Ponitus with a Sea Jay, flat turning and making life miserable to get around...It was 1962, that Don won CU and DU...

5. In 1960, at Beloit, my dad made a deal with Sid and Mickey to be a Sid Craft dealer. We ordered a new D Hydro for my brother...Ted, then order a Sid Craft because my brother did well with his Sid and Ted paid $177 freight, a hundred dollars more than expected...Ted vowed to never buy another Sid Craft...

6. But what makes me sure this was 1961, Alabama, is Ted May running BU...Doc Collins had a BU, and he was going to let Ted or Ernie drive it..I wanted to drive too...It was Ted's motor...So, I decided, we should each make a lap and the fastest guy would get to drive...Ted went first, Doc timed. Then, Ernie, and Ernie was just a little faster...They made me add gas, so I wouldn't be lighter....

I come roaring done the front straightway, and see Doc start the watch...I also notice that Ted and Ernie and few others a re just kind of standing around...Alabam had 6 bouy corners, I skid the first turn and lay down in the cockpit...about fourty feet from the first bouy of the second corner I just start my turn...it is getting dark...I'm still laying in the cockpit...I sneak a peek and just as I get to the last buoy and crank it hard and sit up in the boat like I'm setting her to come off the corner, I lay down again and never look up until I see Doc drop his arm...

I pull in, and say, "This Sum BITCH really goes when you lay down in the cockpit." Doc say, "You ain't kidding, you're 3 second faster than either one of them." Ted and Ernie start telling Doc he screwed the timing up...
Nobody says a thing about me cutting the corner, as I was sure they couldn't really tell from where they were....Finally, I tell Doc I cheated...but no one would believe me....They all swore thye watched me, and they thought I didn't want to run....Ted got to run, because it was his motor...

No one probably cares....it is still fun to read the names...


ADD:
6...Ron Zubak's last BU race was Beloit...Ron and Gerry Hedlund did run 1-2 in 1961...Gerry didn't run BU in 1960...

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Bob,

These aren't the finals as Stan Armstrong won CSH witha 1st & 3rd I was 2nd with 2 seconds. ASH was won by Jack Evans in the SWift & DSH was won by Bob Okner. I'm wondering if what you posted was elimination results.

John

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Additional Follow up, Don Christie won the first heat & flipped going to the first turn of the second heat. Bob Brown flipped. Piper didn't qualify and loaned his "C" with padded cylinders to Christie. Not really sure were your results came from but I know that as a result of Okner's year in 1960 he was awarded 2US. That's the boat number you show for him in the DSH results where you show Dick O'Dea as winner. I believe Dick won in 1959 in Seattle, or somewhere out there as did Johnny Schedel in DU, yet on the DU results Johnny is listed way down. I'm confused about these results.

I was just looking at my CSH 2nd place trophy last night.

[B VALACHOVIC]

All the finals I have shown were attached to the newspaper article and has Beloit Wisconsin finals 1960 on the first page. I know that John Schubert has stated that he was there when i posted this on another forum. I never posted the names before and Johns name is not there.Soooooo i will say Straighten me out here guys.

[Mark75H]

Whose boat did Christy borrow? Shouldn't his number have had an E instead of N?

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I am doing homework to locate where those finals go. This is another clipping from Beloit of that race.

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beloit

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The Beloit Chamber of Commerce paid all the fees for the race boats .

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Beloit

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Beloit

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Beloit Wisconsin

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Beloit Ron Hill here

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b wisconsin

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Beloit Wisconsin Photo start and the " first ever " A P B A official race photo released for publication (so is said).

[Ron Hill]

I think there was only one flight of DU qualifications...My wife is from Janesville...and I remember my dad landed at the Beloit/Janesville Airport....and he said he could see me leading my heat when he landed...

He got to the pits just as the second qualifier was over...I had qualified the C the day before, so he came back.He wasn't coming unless I qualified...

He made me run our BRAND NEW THREE SCREW PORT COVER engine as my dad believed that the NEW 55-H block should be better...after Beloit, we tested, I never race a three screw port cover engine again in "D"...of course, the 44's were all three screw....but then again, maybe there were a few four port 44's...

These are results from 1961 Guntersville, Alabama...bet another beer...

[B VALACHOVIC]

I didn't bet the 1st beer Ron. Guntersville 1961 it is.

[B VALACHOVIC]

Guntersville

[B VALACHOVIC]

guntersville

[Ron Hill]

I'd never been in the South and the rain storms and humidity were a new experience for me...California born and bread....

In Guntersville they had this Go-Kart Track and it had cool banked turns, but if you got behind, you could cut the track and either "CATCH UP" OR GET AHEAD OF THE PACK.
We were "RACIN" every night....about THURSDAY, IT RAINED LIKE HELL... But by evening things were "COOL" so, everyone headed for the Go-Kart Track.

Well, big butt me, I'm behind, so, I cut the course..well, with banked turns, all the water had run to the in field, and when I cut the track, I "PLOWED" through about 6 inches of water....When I come back on the track, I'm dripping water everywhere... Guys like Dicky O'Dea (The Flying Flea)...hits the water...add: O'Dea has been HARD TO BEAT ALL WEEK...and spins out...Whoa...we can beat O'Dea.... we just need to cut the course when he's leading and spread a little water......Well, Friday and Saturday's races get interesting..

These guys at the Go Kart Track are wring cars together with duct tape (that hadn't been invented yet) so we can "Race"...

SUNDAY NIGHT, THE TRACK IS CLOSED, TROPHIES HAVE BEEN GIVEN OUT...

Jeff Fritz from Yuma, AZ and I are cruising around town in the Fritz Bottleing Company truck and see about four good looking young things...We start BSing and find that the MISS ALABAMA CONTESTANTS ARE IN TOWN, BUT THEY'VE Been TOLD to leave THE BOAT RACERS ALONG AS THEY ARE ALL MARRIED...

After we've met all of the top 50 contestants, we wondered what would have happened had we met them on Tuesday when we had just come to town???

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Sam,

Don Christie never had a CU but at Guntersville he drove Kenny Winters Sid-Craft. That is why the number is 14-N as Kenny was from NY. Ken was also a race partner with John Schedel, thus both their boats were painted the same, black.

[B VALACHOVIC]

Mike Wallace at the orange bowl

[B VALACHOVIC]

Mike Wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

M wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

Mike Wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

Mike wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

mike wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

Mike Wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

Mike wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

mike wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

Mike Wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

mike wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

Mike Wallace

[B VALACHOVIC]

Guy Lombardo's Tempo unlimited raceboat at the 1963 Detroit Gold Cup Races.

[B VALACHOVIC]

Gold Cup pits 1963

[B VALACHOVIC]

Gold cup course layout 1963

[B VALACHOVIC]

Detroit Gar Wood stand with start clock

[B VALACHOVIC]

July 1 1982 Michael Reagan (the President's son) set a 1041 mile run in 25 hours 11 min in the multiple engine Scarab. The total money raised that went to the U.S. Olympic Team exceeded half a million dollars.

[Jeff Lytle]

Gold cup course layout 1963

Here is the same course 30 years later:

[B VALACHOVIC]

Jeff --- Looks as they did a good job coming that close in 1963 to the satellite image of the course that you have posted. Bob

[B VALACHOVIC]

Tom Percival #10 and Cees Vander Velden #1 runing on the Thames River July second and third 1977 in the OZ class wich would be the equivalent of formula one today. Tom won both days and Cees placed second day two.

[Ron Hill]

Tom Percival was killed in a V-8, pre-capsule days? Is this correct? Or am I confused on this one?

My wife and I hung out with Tom Percival and his wife and Bob Spalding and his wife in Berlin, 1970. Never saw any of them since...

[B VALACHOVIC]

Tom Percival lost his life in 1984 in a racing accident in a V8 boat. Tom was good friends with Cees Vander Velden and this is the time Cees Vander Velden pulled his team out of the F1 circuit and started on the safety capsule. Chris hodges was the first to design one and Vander Velden followed. 1985 was the first year of the modern safety capsule with Hodges being bolted to the boat and covered by the cowling and Vander Veldens more like todays boats and in 1986 the whole center of Vander Veldens boat was intergrated with the capsule much as todays boats. The O M C V8 boats were the first to have a safety capsule.

[B VALACHOVIC]

Evinrude Outboards 1909 - 1984 the 75th year featuring the Maestro of tunnel boat racing.

[Ron Hill]

As soon as this Salton Sea smooths out, we'll floor it!!!!

[Ron Hill]

Orange Bowl Regatta 1962......

From Butch Stokes:
post 234 is a Sea Craft 4 point experimental cat, most Sea Crafts were built from American Marc hull molds..I drove this boat in the 9 and 6 hour races, that's me in the picture..I broke a swivel pin in the 9 hour while running 3rd overall and 1st outboard..and the reeds let go in the six hour while running 2nd overall and 1st in class with 20 minutes to go..

[Powercat]

I was looking at the very front of the sponson with the crease, as the side is not visible. see if it matches the Stylecraft.
.........
Here is a photo of a Stylecraft that was found recently.
The spray rail ( crease) down the side looks to be deeper
than the one in the photo of Butch in the one above.
I looked at several other Stylecraft photos of boats from the
past and they all seem to have that same deep spray rail.
I don't think Butch ever said what make of boat the hull was
for this one. Just from the shape I am pretty certain it is not
a Power Cat.. ... Deckover is wood, which most of the Stylecrafts
all had wood decks. Just not sure.
Danny Leger

[B VALACHOVIC]

Bob Spalding and Mike Seebold in the Vander Velden boat at the River Seine in Paris France 1978, winning the 6 hour endurance race.

[B VALACHOVIC]

A Powercat with twin Merc 1000s getting ready for the New York Marathon in 1963

[B VALACHOVIC]

Charlie Dunn "Winning" in fleet and class at the 1963 Orange Bowl in the "Seacraft Cat".

[B VALACHOVIC]

Orange Bowl 1963

[B VALACHOVIC]

orange bowl 63

[B VALACHOVIC]

Unlimited Hydroplane U 2 The Miss U S . United states Equipment Co. A rear engine Allison turbocharged Ron Jones Designed boat 1976

[Ron Hill]

This picture is on the cover of the 1972 Havasu program...

Want to guess who it is????

[Ron Hill]

I was doing the "MATH", then, I realized it was realy arithmetic, but I'm 60 3/4 right now, if I live to be 95, I'll need to post 11.2 pictures from my boxes of pictures, every day, if I want all my pictures on BRF...

FYI, Sam 75-H, has saved everything we have posted. He's saved it on a DVD. we plan to back up our stuff every two months....

It was a "FOLD OUT" Front cover, 1972....

Give up???

[Ron Hill]

Rudy is going to run his ALLISON POWERED RAYSON CRAFT in the Parker 300, this October....

[Ron Hill]

I'm not really sure that 1962 is right, but it seems I broke the DU Record there in '62....and if you look in the background, C-2 is Harry Bartolomei's DeSilva Runabout...and on top of his trailer is his DeSilva "BULL NOSE" hydro......

He destroyed this boat in May of 1962...and I'm pretty sure I never ran the kilos at Modesto before 1962...To the left is my OLD MAN, Russ Hill, Sr., he inspected anything...seems he understood spec sheets, me, I understood BS!!!

I do know that Ernie Rose's boat was an old OUTBOARD SPEEDLINER, and he had the throttle the "WRONG" side of the cockpit...He could make that "LIL BEE" stand on its side and run 85 MPH... quite a "SHOW MAN" that Ernie Rose...

When I think about throttles on the "WRONG SIDE", when throttles came into vogue, in outboard racing, the Harrison Family from Vermillion, Ohio, Millie Harrison, the Harrison father, decided that the throttle should be on the right side to help you stay in the boat...it was about the 1930's when he installed his first throttle, it was into the late 1960's when they still ran their throttle on the "WRONG SIDE"... Hell, maybe, they where right!!!

In about 1956, Elgin Gates, Mercury Distributor, helped organize an International Regatta in San Diego...It was decided that half of the boats in each class would be Mexican and the other half would be AMERICAN... And each American was "TEAMED" with a Mexican partner....

Well, may dad was helping my partner tune his motor and every time my dad would squeeze the throttle the motor would bog down and almost quit, then he'd let off and the "SUCKER" would scream like a "Banshee Indian", finally, we explained to our "PARTNER" that he had his throttle hooked up backwards...

He said, "No, Senor, when I go too fast, I just squeeze it a little."...

Who is to say, maybe, WE HAVE OUR THROTTLES HOOKED UP BACKWARD!!!

[Ron Hill]

This picture is at an intersting place...it is basically across from the pits, but there was a time when there were hundreds of tree stumps along the shoreline. I'm not sure when they may "SQUAW DAM", but the dam forms Lake Moovalia..where the Blue Wate Casino is today...When they first flooded this area there were tree along the shoreline and when they flooded the area, the tree line gave you an idea where the water got deeper...

In the 1970 Parker Nine Hour, Alan Stenson and I were in a serious battle for second and third place...with no idea we could win....The last two hours, I could pass him throu the "S" turns but he could out run me int he long "Shoots"....As i'd get ahead of him through the "S" turns, I'd see him coming so I'd hug the treeline, for awhile He'd back off and follow me to the tunr, but, he realized I was getting away from him, so when I "BLOCKED" him using the "TREE LINE", Alna just started running over the submerged trees. To his surprise and mine, he just started "Mowing" the trees do like "POPCORN"...He went flying by me, and seriously, tree branches went flying by my head....

The raced end up, with Stinson winning by a foot, with my second and Bobby Witt, Witt Marine, Baytown, Texas, third....

After the 1970 there were no more tree stumps on the back strech at Parker...

This is about where Freddy Hauenstein's transom came out of Jmmy's Burgess, and he blew over and broke his back..but the capsule saved him....

This is me in my Scotti, about 1973..."Fast" Freddy Hauenstein was driving with me...If I still had this boat, I'd run her in October at the Parker 300!!!

[Ron Hill]

Mike Wallace and I drove together in Paris, 1971...and as I wrote here, somewhere, I broke a crank with 30 minutes left...while leading...

The next weekend was Berlin, and we didn't get to Berlin until Saturday morning, as the Seebold's, Wood's and Hill's had toured PORTUGAL and Spain...

When I got to Berlin it was so frigging cold, there was ice in the boats...I had won Berlin, with Jimbo, the year before, so had figured Wallace and I would have a chance to repeat.

To my surprise and delight, I was TEAMED with Ceasar Scotti...Seems the American Flag was on the boat with the Italian flag.....It was Scotti's call, he wanted me as his co-driver...The problem was when we went to test, I'm 6'5" and Scotti was a lot shorter....By the time they figured out how to get me into the boat, test time was over.

Unlike the year before, when I'd thrown a "WALLEYED FIT" when Leek wanted Jimbo to start the race, I agreed to let Scotti start the race... Scotti broke a crank in the first hour and I never got a ride.

Scotti ran the same boat at Havasu that year and when the race was over his boat went to me, which I only ran once and that was at Morgan City, Louisiana. Then, Ted May got the boat and he ran it forever....Until he got the RED HIGH RISE MOLINARI...the one in the posters...

Scotti's boat and Jimbo's 1971 Havsu Boat were "SISTER BOATS"... Jimbo won Havasu with his Black and White Scotti, with Mike Wallace second...

After Havasu, Mike Wallace and I (Maybe just me) agreed to be friends...and we drove together in the spring of 1972 to finish 2nd overall in a New Scotti...

Funny, we ran a brand new Mercury 17 inch pitch prop that I'd bought from Mercury and re cupped it myself...

So, was I in a brochure???..Maybe, but I don't recall ever driving the boat...with Italian flags on it...

As for Jimbo's black and white Scotti, I was to run it in January 1972 at Miami. The race got blown out, but my testing told me that it was the greatest boat I'd ever driven....

After Miami, Jimbo ran the Black and white Scotti, with Ted May, to win Parker overall, with me and Fred Hauenstein second in the black and yellow Molinari that is my avatar!!!!!

I always felt, had the Miami race been run, I'd have won it easily, as the OMC 8 Carb was "KING" then...and Had I won Miami, I'd screamed like hell to run that Scotti at Parker...and Freddy and Me would have three Parker wins to our credit....

No clue what happened to the Black and White Scotti, but Ted May's (The one in the brochure) ended up in Jay Root's hands (in San Diego) and he installed a Mercruiser outdrive and beat the fire out of the 150 hydros, so they kicked him out of the class...He may still have that Scotti in San Diego!!!!

Top picture is Jimbo, close up and the second one is from the 1972 Havasu Program (full page)..

[Ron Hill]

Gues the second picture didn't post...

Something about these pictures, maybe it is because I was in this race, but the pictures give me the feeling that you understand we were "RACING" for the win, four hours at a time...Singles, twins, and triples...

120 boats on a four mile course...

[Ron Hill]

After breaking down in the late stages of Paris and not getting a ride at Berlin, when Havasu came, I decided I was ready to win...

Omc had four new "BIG CRANK" motors with 8 carbs...Everyone else with OMC's had four carbs...

After Paris, standing in front of the Hilton Hotel, Gary Garbrecht and I started talking...I told him we were heading down to Portugaul and Spain with Woods and Seebold....(Actually, they were coming with us, as my wife had the trip planned out for she and I....I invited Woods and Seebold...

Gary said he knew how I liked the Strangs, and how much ann liked me, but would I like a good Molinari for Havasu? (Of course, with a Merc). That was the first of many serious conversations with Gary. I told him, my dad raced Evinrudes, they had given me more than I ever expected...and besides, we had more power than the Mercs.... we shook hands and parted friends....friends for another 24 years...

I got to Havasu, had I had Scotti's "SPRINT" boat that he'd won Miami with that summer and I had one of the new 8 carbs...(Jimbo, Scotti, Wallace and me)...you can tell who had them if you look on the front of the cowling on Mike Wallace's picture.....The 8 carbs, pre Strangler/Stinger has a custom aluminum air vent...Notice Ted May's boat (Uncle Ted as Miss Bk calls him, boat #34, has just a regulare cowling).

This Scotti "ROCKED". It was going 95-97, which I thought was fast enough to win, but then Don Hendrich, OMC's prop man, decided to work on my prop...basically over my dad body....but he jumped the speed to 107.

(Hendrich calims to this day, that it was right then that I went into the prop business, in fact, I had started my business in 1969.....BUT he opened my eyes when he pounded on that prop....)...

They wanted a few boat for a photo shoot, and of course I volunteered....there was about ten boats half OMC's and half Mercs...the water was like glass that Friday evening...and I had a light load and I could "Blow By" everyone with about 15 MPH on them...The engine just HUMMED...

Keep in mind, we we running singles, others were running twins and triples...but the year before, I could run 108 in my Jones twin, and when Joe Fielder nose dived of the first lap, I was first OMC, and fourth around the first lap....So, in my mind, I thought I could win this rac overall...I KNEW I could win Single, but I wanted the WHOLE ENCHILADA.

I have no way on really knowing where I was, but at the two hour mark, I came inside Mike Wallace coming out of the far turn, and I knew that I was lapping him for the second time.....I was looking at Mike over my shoulder, when I realized I wasn't going up hill, I was going down hill..

I had seen the patrol boat hooked on to a Twin Molinari, but what I didn't realize, there had been another patrol boat that had "HAULED OUT" and left a mother wake... Dick Summerfelt, from Canad, had blown over, he only had one leg, as a result of a Paris accident, but the patrol boat thought he'd just lost his leg and he was a little punchy.

As soon as I hit the wave, I knew I was going on amy ***. I pulled my feet out from under the cowling and put them on the dash and held on...I watched the nose come off, I watched piece fly off that boat...ripped the elbows out of my new driving suit...but I never left the cockpit.

After, I got to the pits, I was stilll listed as leader of "S" Class or in the top ten.... So much for winning overall...

At the end of the first day, it was Jimbo, Wallace and Ted May, 1,2,3 in Single...

It was decided that we'd take my motor off my boat, and put it on Ted's boat, hen at the two hour mark, I'd co-drive with Ted...Ted begged them not to change his motor...he said, "She's running perfect...I as coasting all day..." (which is something many of us did in marathons, you'd find a groove and stay in it...no abuse your equipmetn and Ted was a master of keeping things running...

We got up early and tested my motor, but Ted would not take my prop....Test seemed torun fine, but when the race started, as soon as Ted made the first turn, the engine quit...

Ted, with the help of spectators, took a little "BLACK BOX" apart and dranked the water out and the motor ran....but Ted dropped from third to tenth in class...

After Ted dropped down in the standing, Jack leek had me suited up to drive for Mike Wallace....but at the pit stop Walllace refused to get out...(Pay back for Paris)...

Mike drove a nice race, Jimbo was leading with only about ten laps left and he barrel rolled, but got back in....and finished third...Great story teller here, Wallace got passed for the win, by Renato, not Jimbo, after Jimbo had barrel rolled and climbed back in...Renato took the lead on the next to the last lap....

But, in my mind, Mike drove better than would have...as I was really beat up from my crash the day before, and I surely wouldn't have wanted to admit it, but I could hardly move, there was talk that Ron Hill might have won it for OMC.....but I told MIKE, I'd never driven the boat with a 1:1 and I might have lost more time learning to drive...as those boats get light, Jimbo crashed....I told Mike, maybe I wouldn't have been as lucky as Jimbo...Right here we set our sites on Parker in the Spring...

[Ron Hill]

Here is pictue of the boat that Scotti and I were to drive together in Berlin.

The second picture was when we did a photo shoot for the program, and Ted has been driving the old #33 all year...This is the boat that Jay Root ended up putting a Mercuriser in....

Does this look like the brochure picture...

[Ron Hill]

1971, Bobby Herring is telling Renato who he needs to pass to win Single engine...

I always look back and think, if...Because I had a two lap lead on Mike Wallace at the two hour mark...One must finish first, to finish first...

[T2x]

T2x, is that not Fred Hartman standing at the front of that boat?

Howdy folks.......... Ron I'm sorry it took so long to get over here...Let's just say I've had a hectic winter.

John...That is Freddy...himself.......... and that picture is of the boat that Dick O'Dea and Johnny Covals ran in the race...... we ran an identical Powercat that year and the next. Did not finish in 63.

T2x

[Ron Hill]

This is Jim Hunt, Powerboat, 1968....

Those Jones had a habit of once reaching a "SWEET FEEL", they took off... I think they needed more set back, because, they had none, except Pruett's Triple, and she rode nice...

[B VALACHOVIC]

Friend of mine Ben Price front , My cousin Mike left background entered in the Traveler 18 foot "Saturn" twin rig New York Marathon June 63. Brand new boat and engines. As the 100s were hard to get at the time,they just received the engines in time to make the race. This boat was converted to the Aqua Batic Ski Team tow rig after this and performed many spectacular ski shows over the years with Ben Price heading the twenty plus member ski team.

[B VALACHOVIC]

Another shot June 63 at the finish in N Y C

[Master Oil Racing Team]

here are a few photos laying around handy

[Ron Hill]

That OLD MAN on post number 272 the LEGEND, TED MAY...I'm guessing the picture was 1969...in Texas...If Wayne Baldwain posted the picture, the only time Ted may raced in Texas was 1969...he had my 1968 Chevy wagon....I had gone to Chicago (OMC)....and then went to DePue...Can't recall, but Ted and Paul Drake had my car in Texas...and I didn't have an OPC boatto race....No, that's not true..I went to the marathon Nationals in Trenton, Michigan....instead.

Yes, that was when Ted was in Texas....July, 1969...

[Ron Hill]

When McCulloch first started selling lots at Havasu city...they'd fly you there fre...Half the residents in Havasu bought their lots on the 445 down deal and $45 a month...9Not sure that is true today...but was a few years ago)...

Of course, if the wind was blowing in Havasu, the plane in Chicago was "DELAYED" until the following weekend... Stuff happens...

Ralph Evinrude told me ha made more money in the Havsu Land Corporation, than he ever did in Evinrude motors...

[Ron Hill]

Not sure the year, but John Drake was 13, but John passed away a month or two ago and he was 68...My brother is 71....Must have been 1949..

My dad told me that on the last straightaway before he was to pit, he'd lock his throttle and reach back and unscrew the fuel tank cap, so when they pitted they'd be quick...I don't recall anyone every saying "WE" won this race, so can assume, my dad and brother didn't win...

[lilabner]

What a great thread...hat's off to Bob especially...have a little info or corrections..
post 162 and 163 is the first Wing Dave Craig got, right after the 6 hour at Lake X..it's not the original U4 that won Winnebago...or ran at the 6 hour..it never ran right but would run good when it quit hopping..it didn't have an adjustable wing..I got to drive it in Miami..I worked for Dave in 60-61..
post 234 is a Sea Craft 4 point experimental cat, most Sea Crafts were built from American Marc hull molds..I drove this boat in the 9 and 6 hour races, that's me in the picture..I broke a swivel pin in the 9 hour while running 3rd overall and 1st outboard..and the reeds let go in the six hour while running 2nd overall and 1st in class with 20 minutes to go..
keep the pictures coming....

Butch

[Mark75H]

Thanks, Butch. I went back and edited in your comments with the pictures. I think the pic of U-4 is at Miami, isn't it? Can you tell us anything about the canopy and cowling coming off?

I guess this boat went back to Lake X as an in house boat when Craig got the next one? How was it that Craig got to have the hottest boats available?

[lilabner]

Sam
yes that's Miami and I don't remember ever losing those parts so it was probably just for repairs or such..
Dave and Mr K had a great relationship..Dave took very good care of him when he was in So Fla..his needs were met...the Merc team used Skyway as a home base..Dave was a great guy..still is..

Butch

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Ron--I Took the picture of Ted May at Clear Lake near Houston in August 1975. It was the Red Adair North America Championships. Both inboards and OPC ran. Jack Waite (in one of your pictures next to Red Adair) was referee. There was a who's who of people at the event. Bob Nordskog, Bill and Billy Seebold, Johnny Sanders, Reggie Fountain and many others.

[Ron Hill]

Looks like Bob "GOAT" Nagode congratulating Jimbo...

OMC hull... Jack Leek designed, Wilbur McDonald built...

[Ron Hill]

Fred Hauenstein and Me...Who is the OMC Team Mechanic?

[Ron Hill]

The second sing says, "Billy 'Don' Pruett is a cold blooded reptile..."

pulled by airplanes...July 1971...

They loved Bill "Don" Pruett..

[Ron Hill]

Switzer Wing..Gene Lanham...

September 1978...Boat News.

[Ron Hill]

There was a time when all boat racers were "FAMILY"....then, they PROFESSIONALIZED IT....

Maybe, a return to "AM and Pro" would be worth a try...

Jim Fox...damn, that names rings a bell!!!A Runabouts... 1971...Hmmm.

Marathon Nationals...Max Mc Peek from Grand Ledge, Michigan...had a Summer Cottage on Gun Lake....I wonder if a man could still read the sign Jim Hauenstein and I painted on the side of that cottage? It started with the letter "F"... we thought the second coat would cover it...but, when the sun was just right..the sign showed very clear....

The neighbors weren't ready for Californians...but their daughters were!!!!

[Ron Hill]

Someone in Offshore had said they didn't think John Crouse was a Journalist..... That is funny, seems he graduated with a degree in Journalism, wrote a boat racing boat and covered hundreds of races...Sounds like a REAL JOURNALIST to me...

Heavy hitters in this picture...Charlie Alexander, was President of Mercury, I think, and well, ralph Evinrude sort of says it all...

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Fred Hauenstein and Me...Who is the OMC Team Mechanic?
Ron,

His first name Mike, can't recall his last name. Had a motorcycle or snowmobile accident and during the post accident process they learned that he had leukemia, and later left us. Great guy, fed a lot of OMC 25/22 c.i. stuff to me when we were developing the 25SS class until Merc managed to regulate us out of the class. His widow later married Mike Gwaltney, and they are happily living in Kenosha, WI.

[Ron Hill]

Seemed "MIKE" was the name, but I thought Mike Gwaltney, as I recall had curley hair...so, I was confused, which seems to happen more often, now days..

Thanks for filling in the blanks...

Funny, how that 25 class went. Guys were having fun finding A-B Quickies and mid sections and "OLD" Merc and OMC Powerheads, and building motors and "RACING". Then, "BIG BROTHER" "HELPED" us....

Now, everyone sits around waiting for "BIG BROTHER" to help. or for someone to "SPONSOR" them......except me.....and everyone here on BRF, "We have a sport to save" and we know it!!! ....Keep doing your part.

[Michael J Gwaltney]

Ron,

His first name Mike, can't recall his last name. Had a motorcycle or snowmobile accident and during the post accident process they learned that he had leukemia, and later left us. Great guy, fed a lot of OMC 25/22 c.i. stuff to me when we were developing the 25SS class until Merc managed to regulate us out of the class. His widow later married Mike Gwaltney, and they are happily living in Kenosha, WI.

Mike Kukla built and raced modified stock cars in Illinois and Wisconsin. Harold "Mouse" Wade told Jack Leek about him and was hired as a technician on the OMC race team in 1968.

Mike was an excellent fabricator and welder and did most of the developement on V-4 "downstacker" motors. He also did a lot of developement work on the 4-Rotor race engines and traveled to most every race they competed.

I was fortunate to work with him for several years on the race team. He was severly injured in a snowmobile accident and later contracted leukemia. I married his widow Joanne and fortunate to raise his son Geoffrey who was named after Geoff Briggs. Geoff is now a successful research scientist.

When Mike Kukla and I worked together I became Michael "J". Guess it stuck!
Michael J Gwaltney

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Mike Kukla built and raced modified stock cars in Illinois and Wisconsin. Harold "Mouse" Wade told Jack Leek about him and was hired as a technician on the OMC race team in 1968.

Mike was an excellent fabricator and welder and did most of the developement on V-4 "downstacker" motors. He also did a lot of developement work on the 4-Rotor race engines and traveled to most every race they competed.

I was fortunate to work with him for several years on the race team. He was severly injured in a snowmobile accident and later contracted leukemia. I married his widow Joanne and fortunate to raise his son Geoffrey who was named after Geoff Briggs. Geoff is now a successful research scientist.

When Mike Kukla and I worked together I became Michael "J". Guess it stuck!
Michael J Gwaltney
Soon as I saw the name, it immediately flashed back. Thanks, Mike. Din't know that his son was named after Geoff Briggs.

[Ron Hill]

When I wrote about MOUSE the other day.... I hope everyone ,l ike Kenny, Wade, Burt, Harold, Mac, Michael, and Michael "J", Ziggy, Goat....all realize that I knew then, as I know now, they didn't work on the OMC Race Team for the money, they loved their jobs.

Then, as now, I may not show how much I cared for all the Crew, but they were and are a great bunch of people...

I loved racing for OMC at the time, it is still a very real memory with me!!!!

I tell two stories about racing for OMC...I've told both at APBA Conventions...

One was when Ziggy was driving me back to the hotel in Morgan City, Louisiana. Ziggy asked me why OMC hired me to drive? (I'm sure he fgured I'd give him a SONG AND DANCE about what a great driver I was....) but, I just said in simple terms, "Ann Strang likes me." Ziggy never asked again...

The other story I tell, was after the first time Ted May and I ran Paris...The Berghauers had sunk early, Mac and Tom McCune had ended up second and Ted and I got third...(After losing a lap because of barge traffic)... But like 97 boats started the race, and 25 finished...I was dog tired, Renato had won by like 8 laps...and I was was thirsty and the only thing I could find to buy to drink was a bottle of wine...

Ann walks up and asked if I was celerating? Hell, I said, Celebrating? Maybe, ..Those guys with the Vee hulls drive like they are drunk...nose diving and backing out of the water in front of you...Renato wins by about 20 laps..the water is so dirty you can walk on it...No, Ann, I'm not celebrating running third...I'm celebrating I'm alive....Ann said, "Give me a drink."


That was the Ann Strang I knew and loved...Charlie's mother...The same Charlie Strang that hands out fines for NASCAR.....

[B VALACHOVIC]

Charlie Strang at the 1963 Albany to New York Marathon.