Who burned Homer Kincaid's boat?

[Tim Weber]

Part of boat racing history is the story of the burning of Homer's boat at Depue.

I wasn't active in the alky scene at this time so all I've heard are second hand stories. From what I have heard, the mystery has never been solved or owned up to.

There must be some great stories about this yet to be told.

Tim

[Ron Hill]

Grandpa Seebold took credit for Homer "BLOWING OVER". He said, Homer wasn't going too well, so Grandpa loaned him a prop. Next thing he know is Homer "BLOWING OVER".

[racingfan1]

Good luck trying to find out Tim as I have tried to find out myself. The only thing I have found out is that the boat was set on fire in a field adjacent to the old Holiday Inn in Peru , besides that I believe the culprit will never be identified.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

What year was that?

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

What year was that?

Wayne:

Don't remember the exact year but it was a couple of years prior to 1968 as that was the year I started back racing and I remember Harry ZAK telling me about it. Surely a competitor or someone who had a grudge, although I can't visualize who would have a grudge again Homer as he was one of the most soft spoken, nicest people around the sport, and very popular also. There is always someone who will do something like that though, and someone living or dead now knows who. Just can't imagine who could keep a secret like that for so long.

He was a hell of a driver, even winning races, including APBA Nationals, up till the time he retired from work and racing. As most know who read BRF often, he once won every race at a regatta, both Hydro and Runabout.

[ProHydroRacer]

Bill, I joined Outboard Club of Chicago in 1965, first race year was 1966. The boat burning happen in "66 or '67. The thought at the time was some local kids did it.

[ProHydroRacer]

Ron, Bud Finkl race number was V-511, he was a tall skinny man, I still believe that photo is of him in Lakeland FL.

[jrome]

Talked to Tim Butts today about it and he said no one ever knew who did it back in the day.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks Bill Van. Between you and Bill It looks like you guys put it between 66 and 67. It was a couple of years before we went to DePue and before we met Homer. I believe you are right about it being Bud Finkl Bill. I knew who he was, but never actually met him. Seems strange I didn't since I dated his youngest daughter 1974-1976. That photo was taken at Lakeland, and I think I first saw it in a program around 1970. When Ron mentioned Homer Kinkaid I was wondering why he didn't have on his trademark full length white overalls. I have forgotten Homer's number, but one roster I have showed him under the number V-9. I have thought long and hard, and although every now and then I knew of some questionable things done by a boat racer or pit crew, I could not think of one person I ever knew that would do something like burn a competitors boat.

[Ron Hill]

I ran DePue, 1966-67-68-69, I somewhat remember Homer's boat burning up, but seems to me, no one was real upset about it.

Many people smoked in those day, well they still do, but boats were carried on top of cars, maybe a cigarette could have caused it, and that they just dumped it in the field to save the car.

Maybe, they didn't want to explain why they were in the corn fields.

I know why I was in the cornfield in Harry Bartolomei's station wagon, 1967.....My mom and dad called from my grandpa's in Arkansas to see if the Holiday Inn had a room (My folks thought I was staying with Harry, but I was staying with Julie). The guy at the front desk told my mom, Ron Hill is checked in with two double beds...So, my mom and dad drove down to DePue from Arkansas.

Hence, the next night, I was in the cornfield with Julie.....Her friend had a room there with Donny Hauenstein, so she didn't sleep in the car.

Homer had that new Schultz, so he really didn't need his old boat.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Hmmmm!

[ProHydroRacer]

Ron, it was a runabout that was destroyed.

[racingfan1]

There is a mention of it in Ralph's first book but it does not give a date.

[Ron Hill]

The boat was on the trailer when Homer got to the Holiday Inn. The Holiday Inn is 15-20 from Lake DePue.

The boat was found burned in the corn field next to the Holiday Inn's parking lot. It was a DeSilva Runabout.

Ralph and I speculated, that maybe a cigarette butt had landed in the boat while going down the highway. Some person (s) saw the boat burning and took it off the trailer. They didn't stay around to explain why.....

Seems, I recall Homer not being angry...

No word from Timmy Seebold!

Add I never knew it was a runabout until today!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I started racing late in Homer's career, and I cannot recall him in a runabout. Maybe that was his last one. Maybe that's why he wasn't upset that it burned. Made me think about what Louis Williams told Joe Rome back in the very late 60's. He said to Joe..."Joe...if I ever start to get into a hydro again....tie me to a tree!".

[Ron Hill]

My biggest outboard win was the John Ward Trophy Race, 1967, 500 CC Hydroplane. I never really liked hydros, my *** was always out in the open. Runabouts made sense, as they had sides, and if someone ran into you, they the boat's side, not your ***.

In 1977, I got a new Bezoat D Stock hydro, I won 14 races that year, qualified #1 for Nationals finals, but Clark Maloof beat me in the finals. I actually broke the competition record in D Stock Hydro that year.

I actually "FELL OUT" of that hydro three time in 1977, my *** hit the water and I bounced back in, all three times. I did some amazing hand springs.

But by mid 1978, I decide I was quitting "KNEELDOWN" racing, especially hydros, because it was un safe.

I always drove my hydros like"THEY COULD KILL ME". Runabouts, I drove them like I owned them.

Just saying.

I beat Homer at Valleyfield, 1967, I was 23, Homer was probably 43. I was in AWE of him. After the race he came and shook my hand. It was hard for me to believe I had just beat legend. It was harder to believe he'd congratulated me on my win.

My last C Stock Hydro race: I call the Bowman and ask what I needed to do to run CSH on my DSH Bezoats. They said use one of your L88 props, jack the motor up 3/4 of an INCH AND "go for it".

So, I jack the motor up 3/4 of an inch and head for the first turn, I'm passing the Lister boys who have won like three C Hydro Nationals in a row, when the damn boat just goes right. I fly between both Lister and do a "CHEST PLANT" (Later, both Listers said they could hear my air go out, I hit with such a "Clunk".

Monday, I call Craig Bowman and say, "Christ, I tipped over going to the first turn. I raised the motor 3/4" above where I run my 'D' just like you said." Craig says, "Where are you running the 'D'"? I say, "3/4" above the transom." Craig says, "Oh, ****, you'll tip that thing over every time". I never raced C Stock Hydro again!

[hydroplay]

My last C Stock Hydro race: I call the Bowman and ask what I needed to do to run CSH on my DSH Bezoats. They said use one of your L888 props, jack the motor up 3/4 of aN INCH AND "go for it".

So, I jack the motor up 3/4 of an inch and head for the first turn, I'm passing the Lister boys who have won like three C Hydro Nationals in a row, when the damn boat just goes right. I fly between both Lister and do a "CHEST PLANT" (Later the said they could hear my air go out).

Ron, I laughed at running a C motor on a D stock hydro. When I started playing with C, my first chance to test and race it was up at Wakefield on my D boat. I tested a bunch of props but didn't like any. Finally after testing was over, a photographer from my home town of DePere wanted to go for a ride in a hydro. The referee gave us special permission to make a couple laps. The C was set up so I used that. I had only run three blades before but had one 2 blade so I thought that might plane off better with 2 in the boat. You were there watching as we planed of with the prop hitting the bottom a tad bit. But it ran decent with two in the boat. Fortunately, Fran wanted to get out and sit on the pontoon boat anchored in the corner. Well, with just me in the boat, it ran great. When we came back in, you were laughing at me for hitting bottom with the prop. I said no problem, it wasn't my prop anyway, it was your's! An L88. You grabbed it and did a good field repair. It was fast qualifier but motor dropped a piston pin retaining clip in the final and ruined the block but I found more good blocks- the key to a 30-H.

I blew over twice in C hydro, both times when using a D boat- never after I built a smaller C boat. I had to run the D boat really loose to go fast and it had more bottom area if it got a tiny bit too high. You could run the C boat much higher with no problem. And I never lost to the Lister's in C. One of them even crashed me in Dayton to keep me from winning the Nationals. I liked Mr Lister and Larry Lister, even Lister's sister but not the one that crashed me!

Hydros are much safer with higher cockpit sides. I ran my C pretty deep, end of propshaft was almost 5/8 inch deep but kicked in a bunch. The boat rode high so I needed it that deep to have control.

[Trident]

And that would be Mark Lister? I was there, remember it well.

Agree on high cockpit sides...

And who begged for you to build a hydro with higher sides?

I could not have driven my D/E boat with 'normal' sides... I was way too big a pile. I loved the high sides, and dashboard.

[Gene East]

Ron, I believe the boat that was burned was a small runabout rather than a hydro as you suggested. Homer was hard to beat in any class, but if a fellow racer burned that boat to eliminate strong competition, he was a low life SON OF A BITCH and unworthy of being called a boat racer. As far as the theory that Homer burned the boat, or authorized the burning, I don't believe it. Homer would have owned up to it after all the uproar the incident caused. BTW: What were you doing in the cornfield?

[Steve Litzell]

Ron, I believe the boat that was burned was a small runabout rather than a hydro as you suggested. Homer was hard to beat in any class, but if a fellow racer burned that boat to eliminate strong competition, he was a low life SON OF A BITCH and unworthy of being called a boat racer. As far as the theory that Homer burned the boat, or authorized the burning, I don't believe it. Homer would have owned up to it after all the uproar the incident caused. BTW: What were you doing in the cornfield?
Testing his Cobb for fit Gene!��

[Ron Hill]

Ron, I believe the boat that was burned was a small runabout rather than a hydro as you suggested. Homer was hard to beat in any class, but if a fellow racer burned that boat to eliminate strong competition, he was a low life SON OF A BITCH and unworthy of being called a boat racer. As far as the theory that Homer burned the boat, or authorized the burning, I don't believe it. Homer would have owned up to it after all the uproar the incident caused. BTW: What were you doing in the cornfield?

We seldom get rain, most seldom do we get lightning in California. AND when you have a very "HOT CHICK" from Tucson, Arizona, you show here "LIGHTENING". But I don't recall if it was raining or not.

I'd bet anything Homer had nothing to do with it, but it may have been an accident.