Photos

[MN1]

Airmarine F Hydro heading out for a Kilo run - 1975.

[Ted March]

Mr. C. What a guy. We started doing business with him in 1980. He had never worked a V6. He said send them down. So what, at that time he was absolutely at the top of the short list. So we did. What pleasure. What a man.

Did he deliver? Oh yes. What a man.

And there are stories and stories. And they are all super positive.

What a gentleman!!!!!

[MN1]

F Runabout - Depue, IL Quincy 6 cyl.

[Ron Hill]

Nice picture of the YELLOW F Runabout of Howard Anderson's... Watching a Loop Six against a good Stevens Cross Flow is heart pounding excitement...

This is a picture of my Kilo Record in A Racing Runabout....Now called 250 C Runabout, I think.

70.490 MPH at Parker, AZ, Thanksgiving Weekend, 1966.

This was a Hill boat, but it was Carl Meyers, BU hull that I had raced in 1965 in BU, finished third in Beaver Falls, PA Nationals...at Beaver, Charlie Strang had me get on the scales, with jacket and helmet, I went about 255....Charlie siad, "No use weighing thae boat and engine and I know they weigh more than 110 pounds....I was about 60 pounds over weight, Charlie's mother thought I was a great driver...

It was Carl's Looper A, too and HIS SMITH PROP......Papa Smith and I were very close in those days...

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Gene East could change out a piston between heats.

[F-12]

You are so right, Wayne. There was a time way back when that some engine work was needed after qualifying for A hydro, O. F. had handed my Dad a new cylinder head for running nitro. The engine was hung on the back of a chair in the hotel room and Jim and Gene were doing a number on it so it would be ready for the finals. We had just come up from the lobby where John Dortsch was mixing what he called 'Rocket Fuel' behing the bar and it was a happy time during the mechanic fest that went on that evening.
This is a great picture of Gene with his trademark smile and biceps that could snap a tree in half with little effort. He just went through some back surgery recently and he is back on the net so I am assuming he is healing well. I'll let you know if I hear from him......................
By the way........I don't remember but I think we broke in the A flathead in the hotel pool.............That's how good Big John's Rocket Fuel was. At least it was a good excuse for not remembering what happened the night before.

[Gene East]

Hey guys,
I don't look like that anymore. Check out the picture on Jack McGrury's birthday posting. Actually part of the big belly is the back brace under my shirt.
I had a fussion of L3,L4 and L5 on July 18. Recovery is progressing well. Worked 8 hours for the first time today.
Boat racing ruined my ears and ruined my back, but man didn't we have fun?
Chris asked me shortly before he died if I would like to turn the clock back 35 years and do it all over again.
"DAMN RIGHT I WOULD"!!!!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

..........But.......I guess Boatracingfacts is the closest we'll be able to come. How about some stories from the inside Gene. I bet there are a lot of interesting and funny stories that we have never heard.

[Gene East]

Wayne,
How can I get a copy of that picture? Does anyone know who the guy sitting next to me is?

[Dr. Thunder]

David Letterman :D ... seriously, the whole Quincy story needs to be captured for posterity right here on BRF ...

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Gene--The full frame has Wayne Walgrave to your right, but I hoped you could tell me who it was on your left. I cropped the photo and left Wayne out because it was such a poor photograph. I looked all through my stuff when you first joined and that's all I have found so far. I will send you one with Wayne in it if you will E mail me where to send it. If you don't know who it is to your left, I hope someone can tell us. If we find out I will send him a photo too. (If he is a member of BRF.

[Gene East]

Wayne asked for some funny racing stories. I like telling this story about Jerry Waldman.
On occasion, We would haul a boat or two on our trailer for Jerry and he would meet us and stay in our motel room.
The year he won A,B,C&D Hydro at DePue Jerry came to Quincy and hosted a dinner at the best restaurant in town for all the Quincy crew and our wives.
Jerry was sitting next to my wife and our waitress got their drinks mixed up.
She was very apologetic fearing she had just blown a nice tip.
Jerry really messed with her mind by telling her "It's OK if I drink her drink. I sleep with her husband".
True,I've shared a room with Jerry, but I've never shared a bed with him . He liked to sleep in the nude. Jerry was my friend but I'm not THAT friendly!
I sure do miss him as I'm sure we all do. but we'll meet him again some day on Lake Paradise.

[Gene East]

Wayne,
My email is geast@adams.net
My mailing adress is:
4404 Cedar Ridge Drive
Quincy,Il 62305

I have no qualms about posting this info. boat racers are not harrassers. I welcome messages from any one out there

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I've been putting all my negative, transparencies and photos in heavy plastic bags. Soon as Rita is gone and we get back to normal, I'll put something together for you.

[Gene East]

You guys stay safe and dry down there in Texas and Louisiana. Our thoughts and prayers are with you!

[racnbns]

Hi Gene:
Fill in the details on this one. Waldman's 44 or six. your on the rope, engine kicks back [most of us get pulled to the engine]but Gene pulls the rig right off the starting stand. How bout it Gene?
Bruce Summers
V-71

[Dr. Thunder]

Hope this works and the boys over at the "Pit Stop" don't mind ... link to a fascinating post ...

http://b4.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1127414247&user=swampcridders

[Gene East]

Bruce,
It's all in the wrists!!!

[Gene East]

Wayne,
This story is about Paul Christner AKA Looper 1.
Paul came into his own after enduring all kinds of loving abuse from the guys at Quincy Welding.
Paul was the baby of the Christner family and at times he could be a pain as he was growing up. He was often the subject of practical jokes by all of us. Chris never said anything to us. Paul was always blamed for the little scrapes he got into at the shop. Chris never said anything to us.
Probably the worst thing we did to him happened at DePue when he was about 15.
Paul wanted to help in the pits at this race and Chris told him he'd have to clear it with me since I was crew chief. I told Paul he'd have to get a haircut. His hair wasn't really that long by today's standards, but Jim Schoch, Mark Hummelsheim and I all had flat tops. Jack McGrury had short hair as well. Paul agreed to those conditions however he showed up at the races with his Beatles style hair cut.
The next thing I knew,Jim, Mark, and Jack had Paul pinned down on the bottem of the trailer with tin snips in hand. Fearing they would really butcher his hair I took the tin snips away from them and cut one small lock of hair underneath where it wouldn't show too badly.
A shot time later as I was busy working in the pits I was approached by a police officer asking to see my barbers license.
Before I could explain what had happened the cop said "I don't care if you shave his *** and make him walk backwards. Just leave him alone so I can watch the races".
That's just one of the dirty tricks we pulled on Paul. He certainly paid his dues even though he was the boss' son. It's a wonder he even talks to us guys these days.

[hshaw]

F Runabout - Depue, IL Quincy 6 cyl.
This picture is Howard Anderson of Edmonds Wa. still racing at 76 +
Deck Rider is Squish Laush.

[Thomas H]

Hello to all. I tripped across this site looking for some tips to beef up my 175 J-Rude looper, and it was like old home week. Hello to Gene, Uncle Frank, Uncle Paul, and others too many to mention. To most, I was the snot-nosed brat that was in charge of menial tasks like wiping the boats, getting burgers for the crew, and helping to hold the boats up while that monster Gene pulled on the rope. I have this picture in my shop on the wall of fame, for obvious reasons. I hope that you all will enjoy it as much as I do.

Thomas Hull

[jrome]

Thomas,Thanks for joining BRF and posting the great picture. Joe

[Ron Hill]

Thanks for joining and posting......for SURE...I see Chris and Jimmy (Schock) there and it brings back SO MANY MEMORIES.... The "TOILET BOWL" was so cool, Who would have thought to cut up a perfectly good 20-H housing to make a gas tank???

[Thomas H]

How about this one?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thomas--you just nailed the essence of Dieter Konig. His mind raced with thoughts about motors and racing. A picture is worth a thousand words they say and this is the Dieter I think anyone that was ever around him can remember.

It reminds me of the day we were hustling around Berlin getting parts to put together a 500cc speedway bike he had to get together in a couple of days for racing. We went to a number of small handcraft shops. To pick up a really light fiberglass faring, a small fuel tank that had been cast, a seat. We were running all over, and constantly Dieter thought and talked about racing. We got back to his wife's Mercedes from one of the little shops on the Ku-damm when he hesitated as he started to put the key in the lock. He looked up at me and said "This isn't my car. Mine doesn't have the wool seat covers." We walked to the end of the block, turned around went all the way back to the other end, but no car. There were lots of other Mercedes' but maybe one of the burgundy color and he recognized it at once that it was not his. We walked back to the first car, he tried the key and it worked. When we got back to his house he asked his wife Flo, "When did you put those wool seat covers on?" Flo replied, "About three months ago."

[Thomas H]

Gotta give the credit for the Photo to good ole Uncle Paul...........He gave it to me several years ago. Glad you liked it.

[Gene East]

Hi Tom
Good to hear from you. Really enjoyed the picture of your Grandpa,your Dad and Jim. Judging by how young everyone looks,I'd say this picture was taken while I was in the Navy.
Your Grandpa used to call me "Admiral Numb-nutz" back then.

The picture of D. Konig reminds me of the time I caught him sneaking an intense peek at an A Looper we had torn down INSIDE the trailer. He didn't realize I was standing there. When I said "Runs pretty good doesn't it"?, he jumped, smiled and said "Ja". He may even have blushed a bit!

Like your Dad, he left us too soon, but I'm sure that he, Earle, and Chris are
competing fiercly on Lake Paradise.
Merry Christmas everyone!

[MN1]

Here's a cool photo taken by my brother (Greg Nelson) at the 1974 Pro Nationals.