Don't let it fade away

[seacow]

There is so much racing history that needs to be documented. All of us should send in stories and importantly photos to BRF Our history of the 1950s is fading. For example if you Google boat racing at Lake Merced San Fransisco you get the current dragon boat races but nothing about the fact that Lake Merced and Lake Merritt in Oakland were important outboard racing venues right in the heart of major metros in the US . Both Lakes hosted APBA national championships in the 50s. In this article John Alden says there were 17 BUs competing at Lake Merced. I count 14 at the start line in the photo! Anyone remember the Mariposa Boat Club that hosted the Lake Merced alky races? I think Lou Pastrone was an officer then. Is this club the same as the present Mariposa Yacht Club? The unforgettable sight of 10 FFRs with their deck riders in formation at the first turn at Merced. A paltry few photos and text exists in Speed and Spray such as the one attached but that seems to be all. At the 1952 nationals in Oakland there were EU stock outboard runabouts racing! I've never even seen or known about one of those - have you?. [ATTACH]53784[/ATTACH

[Skoontz]

Feast your eyes on boat C-87, the same number in an older boat in a recent thread powered by a 4-60/ Speedifour Evinrude... 5000 spectators? Holy crapola that's what needs to be today.... Is the name Biagio the same family that raced 45 class????

[Ron Hill]

184-C was Mike Meham in BU. That became my first BOAT. I raced that boat the whole 1955 season!

Jack, Biagio was called "Racing Jack" by most people in the 1950's....Same family, I think!

[1100r]

Feast your eyes on boat C-87, the same number in an older boat in a recent thread powered by a 4-60/ Speedifour Evinrude... 5000 spectators? Holy crapola that's what needs to be today.... Is the name Biagio the same family that raced 45 class????


That is pretty neat seeing the C-87 boat number. That number for all the years I raced belong to Richard Fuchlin and now it belongs to his son Paul. Wonder if that could have been Rich or someone else prior to Rich getting that number like mine of the C-89 in one of the other post.
John Biagio who is on this site might chime in about your other question as he was from that part of Ca I believe that might be family to him. He now lives in Wash. area I believe. I know that Dave Biage from region 11 who drove CSH, 20SSH years ago then went on to 45's and is now going back to CSH here in region 11. Maybe either one of those guys might chime in as they are both memebers of this site and Hydro Racer.


Todd

[seacow]

From Speed & Spray -1952 APBA nationals Lake Merritt Oakland CA
EUs - an example of forgotten racing history.
By the way look at the tight course close to shore at the nationals with full classes - great for spectating. These days most drivers would shy away from such tight courses even for a local race.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Some great history and photos. Look at the crowd. As far as C 87...I'm like you Todd. That is Rich Fuschlin's number. Maybe Russ or Ron can fill us in.

[1100r]

Was re reading seacows post on tight courses close to shore. I enjoyed racing at Lodi Lake and if you ever raced there you know how small a course that was with crowds around most of the entire course except the west side and cement walls around the Lake. I remember one year Teri Johnson was the referee or the assit dont remember now but she was going to have the 1100r run an elimination heat instead of letting all 12 of us run as this was a very small course and most of us understood. But knowing that the spectators at most races love the 1100r we wanted to give them a show. So Rich Fuschlin talked to Teri and later the drivers along with Teri held a seperate meeting and we all were able to run all 12. Rich knew that all of us had run together at so many races and we all agreed to do that put on a show and the last 2 laps go for it. Needless to say it was a blast but the waves coming off the cement walls never allowed us to open them all the way up probably a good thing.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's the kind of stuff we never forget Todd. And it's what boat racers do. Never raced at Lodi, but heard lots about it. The respect of top racers like Rich go a long way toward making things happen. He is a true boat racer and wanting the event to go on for the sport and spectators is what boat racing is all about. Thanks for sharing that story.

[seacow]

Lodi was an ultimate boat race showcase. So were the 1100s and even more so on a short course. And those throngs of spectators from the central valley before Lodi became a higher end wine suburb of Sacramento loved every minute of the show. Ive participated in so many races on the west coast and in Canada and spectated at many more, including Unlimiteds, nationals and even great races down under. For me, nothing matched the thrill of watching and hearing and feeling the power of the 1100s at Lodi..nothing, ever - not even good sex! During the final years of Lodi I flew from Virginia to N. CA just to spectate at Lodi. I would gladly trade 2 seasons of actually racing for one more weekend of just eating the pancake breakfast, listening to the live Dixieland band, watching the 4th fireworks over the lake, spectating at Lodi and seeing the 1100s or FRRs running there again. It was the essence and epitome of racing and the inner experience of small town USA and July 4th. Union 76 once realized this and had a promotional brochure for their products featuring boat racing with photos of the FRRs at Lodi. Someone should have made a professional movie about those times.

[Ron Hill]

Greg Foster's family owns a crane business and they install many bridges in th middle of the night with their cranes. I asked Greg if his Freeway Lights would light a lake so we could race at night? He said, "Sure".

I've always thought night racing would be so great for boat racing!

Two reasons:

1. People who like boats, play with their boats during the day.
2. Some places, like Lodi Lake, get hotter than hell during the summer days.

In my next life, I plan to promote Night Racing at Lodi Lake on July 4th, with racing and fire works.

Lodi Lake was the greatest race in California. Spectators (By the thousands) would hang their legs over the side the sea wall, and when you came around you could spray them. Fun, fun course. Usually, the 4th wasn't a weekend, so we'd drive up and sleep in the park....that crunching sound under your sleeping bag was snails.

Seacow, you have a thread called "Lost Water" California has much LOST WATER........

[Ron Hill]

There is so much racing history that needs to be documented. All of us should send in stories and importantly photos to BRF Our history of the 1950s is fading. For example if you Google boat racing at Lake Merced San Fransisco you get the current dragon boat races but nothing about the fact that Lake Merced and Lake Merritt in Oakland were important outboard racing venues right in the heart of major metros in the US . Both Lakes hosted APBA national championships in the 50s. In this article John Alden says there were 17 BUs competing at Lake Merced. I count 14 at the start line in the photo! Anyone remember the Mariposa Boat Club that hosted the Lake Merced alky races? I think Lou Pastrone was an officer then. Is this club the same as the present Mariposa Yacht Club? The unforgettable sight of 10 FFRs with their deck riders in formation at the first turn at Merced. A paltry few photos and text exists in Speed and Spray such as the one attached but that seems to be all. At the 1952 nationals in Oakland there were EU stock outboard runabouts racing! I've never even seen or known about one of those - have you?. [ATTACH]53784[/ATTACH

In the old days classes had cubic inches. A's were 15 cubic inces, C's were 30 cubic inches.

I think EU was an Evinrude 4-60 that was "STOCK" "U" was for Utility (Pleasure). I'm pulling this from 60 years ago, but a Stock 4-60 had brass bearing on the crankshaft. (A C Service and a C Racing motor both had 30 cubic inches. But a Racing C had ball bearing on th crankshaft. A Service C had brass bushing, no ball bearings on the crank.

My Old Man, not knowing the rules or caring, took Elmo Pyle's "E" and added ball bearing to the crank and increased it's performance.

It was only later, like 1952, that my dad was asked to inspect realized that there were rules.

But EU, I think was a "SERVICE C" of the F Class. But only had one driver.

Jerry Waldman and Dean Chenowith were both in that picture of BU. Both lost their lives in boat racing.

Dean won thre Nationals in 1952 and got one second. Pappy Bowman was winning AU, and he decide to to go wide and wave to the crowd, Dean Chenowith, headed for the finishline and beat Pappy by about a foot.

As Mercury took control of Stock racing EU, went away!

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

In the old days classes had cubic inches. A's were 15 cubic inces, C's were 30 cubic inches.

I think EU was an Evinrude 4-60 that was "STOCK" "U" was for Utility (Pleasure). I'm pulling this from 60 years ago, but a Stock 4-60 had brass bearing on the crankshaft. (A C Service and a C Racing motor both had 30 cubic inches. But a Racing C had ball bearing on th crankshaft. A Service C had brass bushing, no ball bearings on the crank.

My Old Man, not knowing the rules or caring, took Elmo Pyle's "E" and added ball bearing to the crank and increased it's performance.

It was only later, like 1952, that my dad was asked to inspect realized that there were rules.

But EU, I think was a "SERVICE C" of the F Class. But only had one driver.

Jerry Waldman and Dean Chenowith were both in that picture of BU. Both lost their lives in boat racing.

Dean won thre Nationals in 1952 and got one second. Pappy Bowman was winning AU, and he decide to to go wide and wave to the crowd, Dean Chenowith, headed for the finishline and beat Pappy by about a foot.

As Mercury took control of Stock racing EU, went away!

Ron & all readers. "EU" which we also raced in Region 3 up to the very early 50's was limited to 33 c.i. These very the Evinrude Speedifour engines. We also ran "FU" no pun intended which was the 60 c.i. Evinrude "Big Four" engines

[oldalkydriver]

Now I'm really confused! For 60 years I thought the difference between 'C' Service & 'C' Racing was more distinct then that. Didn't 'C' Racing have heads (either 4 bolt or Hex Head) and a rotory valve? I remember 'C' Service with a solid cast cyclinder including the head and no rotory valve. And then there was 'C' Service II? Boat numbers; I've seen lots of numbers that have been repeated over the decades. I remember Alex Cockburn had C-172. A few years later, that was my number in 'A' Hydro. I could be very wrong, but didn't C-87 belong to either Fred H. Sr or Don Biagio? Speaking of the Biagio's, they lived in Norther California. They came to the races with a purple & white checked moving van.