Ron Hill
10-23-2006, 02:54 PM
When the concept of a GENTLEMAN'S 300 came up last year, I was all for it... I assisted with the rules, for the outboards, as I consider myself an "OUTBOARDER" and always have considered myself and "OUTBOARDER"...
I bought two boats for the Enduro, last year and in all seriousness, planned to run the 34 boat with Chad and Pat. I had consulted with several people and it was agreed that having the props shaft 2 inches below the bottom should slow a MOD VP to about 82-84 MPH.
Well, Chad's first run last year was 87 mph....scared the crap out of me, as we had promised Pat Bowman a seat in this boat in the Enduro... Last year is history, but Pat and Chad ran 45 laps, last year before they broke...Gearcase came loose and they melted the motor...
Fred Bowden had radar'd the boys and they never went over 82 in the race...But all year that 90 Plus number haunted me...When I mentioned our speed to the Rules Committee, they said, "Well, you didn't finish, so it really doesn't matter how fast you could have got..."
We'd busted the powerhead pretty good....I'd stored the boat in Apple Valley...and I thought, out of sight was out of mind....As the "300" neared Pat and Chad asked what was the plan....???? I said we need money for Ruck to fix the block, need new pistons...and frankly, I don't want you going that fast....If you'd just RUN the Enduro, I'd be fine with it, but I know you two want to WIN the Enduro. Running is easy, winning isn't....it's more dangerous, more everything...
Pat and Chad still wanted to race the BLUE WATER CASINO 300.....I finally told them, I just didn't have the money for the engine repairs, entry fees, gas and everything else. That we'd raced about 9 times this year, and I just wanted them safe at home.....
I should add, right here, that MAXIMUS, offered to sponsor the BOYS.....When I told him we weren't running....I sort of mentioned this to Chad.........when he couldn't hear me...
The next day, after I told Chad we weren't running, Chad called Fred Bowden, and told him, the story I just told, Fred said, "I'll sponsor you guys....I want to win this race, again!!!" Well, when money isn't the issue, and the boys want to run...I got Jim Ruck to "Rush" the block, I went to Apple Valley and got the boat...Pat worked on the boat, every evening after work for two weeks... and it was agrteed we'd run Division II and just race to WIN, our class...
Chad assembled the motor, Wednesday night, Thursday we headed to the river and the first thing they did was run the Division V gearcase....This WAS NOT the plan, but Chad wanted a speed reading...Well, when they came in they'd twisted the prop shaft....and I said they'd have to run Division II as this case would NOT last 300 miles....
We spent all day Friday trying to get water to the Motor...Ted Kolby, came to our pit at about 5:30 Friday and we were grinding on the water intakes and he just said, "Good Luck"....(Soares, Roth and Lane)...All helped with our water problem...Thanks again for being HONEST with us....
We really never went very fast, Pat scared the fire out of us on his first lap, he had the in-button confused with the out-button.....something you don't want done... Later, Chad gave Pat to 10 to go sign, but held it upside down and Pat stopped thinking he had one lap to go before pitting...
We'd planned two pit stops but made three, that last ten minutes lasted, a lot longer than ten minutes....John Lane, Boat 17 were catching us, boat 211, we weren't sure where was...a ton of pressure... Fred Bowden had had told me to keep my mouth should and "Let the kid drive".....But Fred....I tried to say..."Let the kid drive, we can win this."
On the way home, I said, "That gearcase we twisted the shaft on cost me $2,500, but where did I get the one we won with?" Chad said, don't you remember, Rod Audiss sold it to you for $50.....three years ago, and we had it on Jessica's ski boat??? And he added, when I went to flush the oil, before the race, there wasn't any...which usually isn't a good sign...
It was OUR DAY.... We'll be back next year, but it will be in Division IV with a V Hull....Had Foster not broken, he'd have won it, I feel...I like them V Hulls... Jason Miller was third overall and they ran with two in their V Hull ALL DAY...Maybe, just maybe, I'll ride...next year...
Hell, maybe, I'll drive the Bat Boat (007) we hit 11 on the GPS with her this year...Elvis called, he'd like to Co-Drive next year....
ADD: The reason we had a sign board, this year, was someone managed to TIP OVER on the PARADE LAP at San Diego, and toast our radios.....We won't ask Chad how he did that....My dad would have just said, "Why'd you do that?"
I bought two boats for the Enduro, last year and in all seriousness, planned to run the 34 boat with Chad and Pat. I had consulted with several people and it was agreed that having the props shaft 2 inches below the bottom should slow a MOD VP to about 82-84 MPH.
Well, Chad's first run last year was 87 mph....scared the crap out of me, as we had promised Pat Bowman a seat in this boat in the Enduro... Last year is history, but Pat and Chad ran 45 laps, last year before they broke...Gearcase came loose and they melted the motor...
Fred Bowden had radar'd the boys and they never went over 82 in the race...But all year that 90 Plus number haunted me...When I mentioned our speed to the Rules Committee, they said, "Well, you didn't finish, so it really doesn't matter how fast you could have got..."
We'd busted the powerhead pretty good....I'd stored the boat in Apple Valley...and I thought, out of sight was out of mind....As the "300" neared Pat and Chad asked what was the plan....???? I said we need money for Ruck to fix the block, need new pistons...and frankly, I don't want you going that fast....If you'd just RUN the Enduro, I'd be fine with it, but I know you two want to WIN the Enduro. Running is easy, winning isn't....it's more dangerous, more everything...
Pat and Chad still wanted to race the BLUE WATER CASINO 300.....I finally told them, I just didn't have the money for the engine repairs, entry fees, gas and everything else. That we'd raced about 9 times this year, and I just wanted them safe at home.....
I should add, right here, that MAXIMUS, offered to sponsor the BOYS.....When I told him we weren't running....I sort of mentioned this to Chad.........when he couldn't hear me...
The next day, after I told Chad we weren't running, Chad called Fred Bowden, and told him, the story I just told, Fred said, "I'll sponsor you guys....I want to win this race, again!!!" Well, when money isn't the issue, and the boys want to run...I got Jim Ruck to "Rush" the block, I went to Apple Valley and got the boat...Pat worked on the boat, every evening after work for two weeks... and it was agrteed we'd run Division II and just race to WIN, our class...
Chad assembled the motor, Wednesday night, Thursday we headed to the river and the first thing they did was run the Division V gearcase....This WAS NOT the plan, but Chad wanted a speed reading...Well, when they came in they'd twisted the prop shaft....and I said they'd have to run Division II as this case would NOT last 300 miles....
We spent all day Friday trying to get water to the Motor...Ted Kolby, came to our pit at about 5:30 Friday and we were grinding on the water intakes and he just said, "Good Luck"....(Soares, Roth and Lane)...All helped with our water problem...Thanks again for being HONEST with us....
We really never went very fast, Pat scared the fire out of us on his first lap, he had the in-button confused with the out-button.....something you don't want done... Later, Chad gave Pat to 10 to go sign, but held it upside down and Pat stopped thinking he had one lap to go before pitting...
We'd planned two pit stops but made three, that last ten minutes lasted, a lot longer than ten minutes....John Lane, Boat 17 were catching us, boat 211, we weren't sure where was...a ton of pressure... Fred Bowden had had told me to keep my mouth should and "Let the kid drive".....But Fred....I tried to say..."Let the kid drive, we can win this."
On the way home, I said, "That gearcase we twisted the shaft on cost me $2,500, but where did I get the one we won with?" Chad said, don't you remember, Rod Audiss sold it to you for $50.....three years ago, and we had it on Jessica's ski boat??? And he added, when I went to flush the oil, before the race, there wasn't any...which usually isn't a good sign...
It was OUR DAY.... We'll be back next year, but it will be in Division IV with a V Hull....Had Foster not broken, he'd have won it, I feel...I like them V Hulls... Jason Miller was third overall and they ran with two in their V Hull ALL DAY...Maybe, just maybe, I'll ride...next year...
Hell, maybe, I'll drive the Bat Boat (007) we hit 11 on the GPS with her this year...Elvis called, he'd like to Co-Drive next year....
ADD: The reason we had a sign board, this year, was someone managed to TIP OVER on the PARADE LAP at San Diego, and toast our radios.....We won't ask Chad how he did that....My dad would have just said, "Why'd you do that?"