Autograph Collection

[Master Oil Racing Team]

About two years before I quit racing I started to collect autographs. I made up some prints and took them to the races to get signed. Unfortunately, I didn't race but less than a handful of races my last two years, and most of the autographs I got were of European drivers. I made great headway with my collection at DePue though. I tried to take prints of everyone I thought would be there. I ran out of time to get all of them though. And I had some of Gary Pugh, John Yale, Johnny Dortch, and others that were there that I was unable to get. At first I was going to put these on the reunion thread, but then I thought it might be better to post them on the encylopedia. So here they are.

The first is Wayne Walgrave in his Merc Quincy looper powered Chapparal. It was taken during testing for the 1100 hydro at the Pro Nationals in Hinton in 1977. As Gene East and I were talking at DePue, we used to take them for granted when there were 6 or 8 in a heat. Just imagine the sound of this bouncing off the mountains at Hinton. When Wayne shut the engine off, it echoed back for a while.:cool: I believe Wayne came out of LaVerne, Minnesota.

ADD: I am going to post one photo at a time and give people some time to add any stories or other photos about the particular person before moving on to the next one.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I missed getting autographs from a number of people, but I was fortunate enough to get all three of these. The battle of the Jr.'s Stanley Leavendusky, Jr., Paul Bogosian, Jr. and Fred Hauenstein, Jr.

This was taken at the Pro Nationals at DePue in 1974. I believe this is D Racing Runabout, allthough it could be CRR. I had thought at first that Fred won D, but it was actually C Racing Runabout that he won that year.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I tried to get mug shots autographed too if I had them.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This one was a prize get. It is DePue 1974, just starting to rig up, and we are just wandering around to see who's here.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I happened to be outside of the VFW Sunday morning and saw Bill Hoctor showing some of his photos to some guys. I walked over and started looking. I happened to mention that I wished I had had a photo of him that I could get autographed, but iunfortunately I didn't. Bill is like very many of the racers that I didn't get any photos of before either they quit or I did. Or sometimes because we were in the same heats I never had an opportunity.

A little while after I wandered off a short distance Bill came up to me with this photograph. He said it was the only one he had that he could part with. I was so pleased. He apologized for the crop marks on the photo and as he said it, he rubbed the upper right hand corner with his thumb and the marks came off. We were both surprised. I forgot to ask him how many years ago they ran that photo. I erased some more of it as an illustration to this story. But I am thinking I may keep some of the marks on it as it is really now a part of this tale.

The photo appeared in the "CN Sports" section (don't know the publication) and was 3 columns. This was a C hydro Bill was driving. The caption to the story was "Steady as she goes". It is a prize to my collection. Thanks again Bill.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is another of those rare photos. When John Schubert was racing I didn't have any cameras. Then one day after he quit, he showed up at the nationals and I was able to get this pic of him and Jerry Simison together. John was one of the few greats from the past that I was able to get a photo of.

A side note about Jerry Simison. He is as competitive with making precision rifles and tuning them as he was in Pro racing. According to what Paul Simison told me he is in the top ten in the U.S. doing what he does. A lot of swat teams across the U.S. have Jerry make their rifles. Paul said you could read about Jerry in the American Rifleman in the section on precision tuning. I'm thinking of sending the photo of him and John together to get his signature added.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Speaking of Craig Lawrence on another thread, here is one from DePue 1974. Here Craig lands a new job with Hendricks Motor Sports and all he talks to Joe about is how he was so excited at the DePue reunion, that he wants to help Denny win a world championship next year.

Good luck Craig and tell Nataliya "zdrastvooeetye".

[jrome]

Wayne Like We Have Talked About Many Times It Is Because Of The People We Love Boat Racing So Much. The Boats Motors And The Races Are Great,but The People Is The Greatest Part For Us Andi Think Most If Not All Of Us.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

When I first met Jim he was still living in California, then about a year or so later he moved to Texas. It was because of Jim's efforts that Konig didn't go unchallenged as they began to overtake the once dominant Merc Quincy's. Jim's importing of Yamato engines beginning in the early 70's is a big part of alky racing's history. I am proud to have these photos in my collection. I don't know who took them, but I am glad that Jim sent them to me and I got them signed in the pits in DePue.

A little sidenote: Jim had run a few kilos and held the 500 hydro record that I broke in 1977. Some years later it was Sean that broke my 700 hydro kilo record I set in 1976. So these guys were special and I am glad to get their autographs.

ADD: Jim sent me a bunch of stuff relating to their racing careers that I want to put in the encyclopedia when I get some business stuff out of the way.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Hoz is one of the many greats that came out of Florida. I had already quit by the time he started running 500 hydro. But I remember him being one of the guys to beat in 250. Hoz was good at hitting the clock on time, and if he came out of the turn first....forget it.

ADD: I forget who asked him where the name Hoz comes from, and I believe he said it was derived from Hosmer. It is a family name that has been handed down from the time of the Revolutionary War. (Hoz please step in to add or correct, because there were too many tales to remember completely). My recollection was that Hosmer was THE GUY who fired the "Shot Heard 'Round the World".

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Another great guy. Alan raced with us quite a bit in Texas. We always had good times together and Alan was one of the highlights of the reunion for me and Joe.

Alan Drove for Doc Collins during the time I raced. Doc was a fine fellow. And he had a pit man by the name of Tom Baldwin. Tom and I talked many times, and we decided we weren't kin. Then it was after I quit that Joe got quite a story from Tom after he retired. When I was racing Tom worked for Bell Helicopter in the South of France. The news is out now that Bell was a starving little company in the Dallas/Ft Worth area that the CIA funded and brought into prominence then became a front. Apparently Tom was some kind of spy. Joe can elaborate. I tell ya.....the boat racing community has a wide variety of interesting people.

[Ron Hill]

Truman Capote was famous for his novel "In Cold Blood". But he wrote short stories, also...J.D. Salinger wrote "The Catcher in the Rye" (If you haven't read this book, order it on line and read it...). J.D. Salinger wrote many short stories but he's famous for "The Catcher in the Rye"....which, in the Hill Family quoteds daily....goddamn it.

Anyway, in the Truman Capote story, "A Christmas Memory" he (Truman) talks about sending Christmas Cookies to people they really didn't know, but he and his "FRIEND" considered them closer than neighbors...

Max McPeek lived in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and maybe still does. But Max always said, "When I go racing, I'm IMPORTANT in Grand Ledge." Well, when Alan Ishii said he never knew how many friends he had....or words to that effect....Truth is all my Boat Racer Friends were always like "FAMILY" to me....We were in this together.....My neighbors milked cows on Sunday and went to church...We boat raced....with OUR FRIENDS!!!!

Not seeing Alan Ishii for 25 years was like not seeing a brother for 25 years....

Thanks, Wayne for posting your "Autographs".....Your pictures are PRICELESS!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is THE picture I have been wanting to get signed for the longest time Ron. I never thought it might be possible until BRF came along. Then I tried to figure the logistics of how to send 4 copies to you Ron, then you forward them to Kay for a signature, then he keep his copy and mail the others back to you, me and Joe. Well.....I knew you would be at the reunion, and Kay was supposed to be, but you never know. When I saw him, I knew I got my wish.:D

The reason it was so important was that when it was taken, you and Kay were heroes of mine. You were both famous boat racers. I had been reading about both of you in Roostertail, Propeller, Boat News and Hot Boat. I would take the publications to high school to show all my friends the pictures and articles on boat racing. To be included in a group picture of you two was beyond my wildest dreams.

Now I have only one question. I just discovered I got back home with two copies. Either you, Joe or Kay didn't get his. (Or another possiblity--I had a fifth copy signed for the auction and forgot to put it out.) I'll check with Joe and Kay. Let me know if it's yours I still have.

[F-12]

This is GREAT picture, Wayne. I wish it was on the tables at the reunion.....(or I wish I had paid attention and seen it) Ron looks like he just woke up from a nap, you look like you're about 15, and Kay is figuring out how he is going to get all the engines ready for all his customers by the next race. Priceless.........

[wboxell]

wayne

what's the setting of this pic. about what year? kay is a hero of mine. i saw him do things at different times in different classes of boats that blew my mind:eek: . didn't he pull your head out of the bottom at depue one year? might have dreamed that story:rolleyes:

bill

[Master Oil Racing Team]

...I would have been greatful if he pulled my head out of the bottom of my a%$ during the John Ward Race in 1974, but I think Kay was off doing Mod racing at the time. I WAS stuck in the bottom of Lake DePue, as was Alan Ishii a couple of years later, but it was a couple of rescue guys that got me unstuck.

This pic was taken at the Golden Shores Winternationals at Needles, California in 1969. The purse was $30,000 if I remember correctly and it brought a few top drivers from East of the Rocky Mountains. It was the first APBA race I ever ran. Prior to that I raced only LSBRA and NOA. I knew Kay Harrison and Bob Hering from NOA and they were the only guys I knew. I only knew Ron from the magazines and also guys like Rich Fushlin, Harry Bartolomei, Dick Davidson ? and others from reading about them.

It was a very memorable race for many reasons, and one why I cherish the autographed pic.

Side note: Most of the prize money was certificates toward the purchase of property at Golden Shores. I think Kay, my Dad and I joked that we should pool our certificates and buy some lots. Had we done that, it would have amounted to far more money than we ever won. When we were coming back from San Fransisco a couple of years ago I saw a freeway sign that showed Golden Shores had its own exit:D

[Jerry Combs]

Wayne,

Thank you for posting these pictures! I haven't seen anyone since I quit racing back in 71. Sure miss racing although I doubt my old bones could take the punishment anymore.

Jerry Combs
241C, 76C, 76Y

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I miss racing too, and at this point my bones are still very enticed by offers from Ralph Donald, Dave Augustine, and others,,:cool: but here's what you can do. You like looking at the pics and reading the stories. How about posting some of your stuff in the encyclopedia. Looks by your numbers you ran in California and also Kansas , Missouri, Oklahoma area. The era you ran in was a great time for outboard racing. You may have even raced with my old racing partner Clayton Elmer.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I am not just getting autographs from racers. This is another prize one for me. I never really expected to cross paths again with Gene East, but when the Reunion started coming together, I knew he would be there. It is not a good pic, but it's all I have and the autograph by his own hand is what I really wanted. So....thanks Gene. One of the greatest all time pit men.

[geodavid]

Wayne,
Great picture! I am proud to call this man my friend. I talked to so many people at the reunion that said Gene cranked their motor before a big race. I even think he pulled the rope for us when we finished second with a "B" Looper in DePue. So that is why his right arm is longer than the left?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

When I heard Fred Miller was going to be there, I was going to make a print of his boat. Then there was talk Bob Hering might show and I thought it would be cool to get both autographs on this pic. Hopefully, I will run across Bob again some day and get his also. Who knows...I plan to carry my collection to all races I attend in the future and maybe I might also run into Terry Leatherby and John Hill. I'm not sure who is on the far left. I guess I need to look it up.

This was podium from the 1978 UIM OE World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.

[john lawrence]

Wayne: for those of us that dont know from left to rite who is who? John Lawrence

[Master Oil Racing Team]

..........you forced me to go into my racing room and look up the name of the only guy I didn't recognize. I have known the name for many years, but I didn't put a face to it. Guess I wasn't paying attention when I took the pics. From left to right Gordon Downard, Terry Leatherby, Bob Hering, John Hill, Fred Miller.

Incidentally, Mike Ward informed me that John Hill died in a bizarre F1 accident a few years back. I was sorry to learn that. Details were never published, but the rescue boat capsized on its way to shore after John was badly hurt in a crash.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I took this from the pits with my telephoto. I could kick myself for not walking up their and getting some good shots of Charlie and Ann Strang together. That's Ann sitting in the chair. The guy to Charlie's left is Lee Hertz. He wrote the Region 6 column in Propeller for a number of years. The guy to the right of Lee looks familiar, but I can't recall the name.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I like this pic because it is not only a closeup of Jim's face, but it is not a mug shot because he is in his runabout. What really caps it off historically though is the clear shot of the Merc Quincy patch on Jim's left shoulder. Jim is one of the few drivers that was already famous when I started and one of the top in the U.S. that I was able to compete with for a number of years.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Joe and I were very glad to see Tim Chance come to the reunion and be able to visit with him. His Hydroplane Quarterly captured historic moments and persons in a transitional period of pro racing. In looking back at some of the pit shots I have during the years, we pitted next or close to Tim on many occasions. I am very proud to have these as part of my collection.

The first is one of Tim coming into the pits at the Eastern Divisionals at Springfield Illinois in 1977. You can see the small wings that gave him a fit whenever he got the boat up to speed. He promptly got rid of that experiment.

The other pic is from the Eastern Divisionals at Gadsden Alabama in 1975. Tim is helping my Dad Baldy and Tim Butts get an aerowing in the water. I was trying to figure out which boat this was. The paint scheme isn't finished. It may be "Texas Tornado" which knocked me out of the 75 season and Tim B. delivered it after repairs.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Pete Nydahl is one of the few great racers I was able to get photos of when they were still young and starting out. What a great guy. Pete has been around boat racing all his life. I knew his Mom Doris would be at the reunion so I had a copy of this pic for her. We were talking at the time Charlie Strang started his speech & we never got to finish, but it was good to see the both of them again.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I actually got this one signed prior to the reunion. I had promised one for the silent auction, and knowing how things can happen, I was afraid Marshall might have to be in Nashville when Joe and I were passing through Memphis. So I got this one signed several months before we left. Marshall signed some other pics when we got to see him on the way up. I left some other pics with him I had taken through the years and both Joe and I were surprised to hear Marshall say that he really didn't have very many pictures of his boat racing career.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The last time I saw Bill Seebold in person was at a PPA race in Lake Charles, LA. in 1979. We had a great visit.

This first pic was taken 8 months after I bought my cameras and the second only 6 months, so I was very fortunate to have taken these in the last year Bill ran Pro. The first one was taken at DePue in 1972 and was Bill's last Pro Nationals to compete in.

The second one has historical significance too. This was the first AOF Pro race in Gravois Mills, MO in 1972, and also Bill's final year of pro racing. I had copies of this for Marshall and Bill, and Bill got to the reunion in time to sign a copy for the silent auction.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That concludes the pics I got signed at the reunion. I think. I misplaced some stuff, and a pic or two may pop up. But now, I will post the pics I first started out with when I started gathering my autograph collection in 1979.

This first one is one of Tim Butts' favorite shots. His, mine and Joe's most favorite photos is the "Water Wars" pic that appeared in the Dayton Daily News, but other than that, Tim always liked this one. I took it when he was testing prior to the 1977 UIM OD World Championships at Dayton. I regret that I wrote the magazine names that it appeared in, but at the time I thought it was cool. I had it hanging in my office.

This boat, an Aerowing built by Tim, ran only two races. The Pro Eastern Divisionals at Springfield, Illinois in 1977 and the OD World Championships at Dayton, Ohio a few weeks later. It was owned by Joe Michelini. Joe didn't like Tim's game plan for Dayton and when Tim refused to drive it with two 500cc Yamatos stacked up in the 1100 hydro nationals, Joe took the boat away. As far as I know, it went to Joe's warehouse where it was disposed of after his death.

[Ron Hill]

I was looking at all your pictures.... The Bill Seebold went deep into my memory.

Most kids, read Batman comic books. I read Speed and Spray, Boat Sport and Outboard...Not once, but everyday.

AS I was telling Tinker Collinge, today, Homer Kincaid, from Carbon Cliff, Illinos is still the only boat racer to have ever won EVERY Class at a race. I've never been to Carbon Cliff, Illinois....But I'm sure, whe I do get there, it will be very emotional...Having raced against the GREAT HOMER KINCAID...When I passed Homer at Valleyfield, 1967....I like kept looking back it was like...I JUST PASSED HOMER KINCAID...

Seeing Bill Seebold's picture....reminded me how Bill Boyes, Jeff Merlin and myself were coming from the 1963 Boston Nationals and I saw on the MAP GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS....I said, "Hell that is where the Seebold's live..." We stopped in front of their shop at like 5 A.M. I just stood there...

Last spring Bill Boyes and I were heading toward the Winter Nationals, coming from Iowa....Bill says, "Hey turn her...Quincy, Illinois is just down the road.." We stopped at 5th and State.....I thought I could hear a Quincy 44....

Bill Sr and Jr, were always friends...Lynn Seebold, when I first met her...I fell in Love...then found out she will Bill Seebold's wife....

When I first raced at DePue....The name I was racing against, scared me....Racing them and beating them.....either way, I was always treated as a GENTLEMAN!!!!

Thanks for the memories, Wayne!!!! Hope you find a few more pictures...

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is THE picture that inspired me to start collecting autographs on pics I took of people in racing. It's not a good picture. The lighting is bad, but when I got the pics developed from Alex in 1979 I realized that this was the only halfway decent one I had of R. Allen "Papa" Smith. He had already been a legend in racing when I started thirteen years earlier. I immediately had a print made and took it to the next race I figured he would attend. There are many autographs I wasn't able to get. But I had the foresight to get this very first one of my collection, and is a real prize.

ADD: That's Benny Aylor's 350 Yamato Papa is inspecting, and it kind of does, but kind of doesn't look like a young Pete Nydahl in the further background. Is it?

[F-12]

I think you are right, Wayne. It is Pete in the background. Pop looks really good in that pic. I don't think I ever saw him REALLY upset, and he always had a smile for anyone he came in contact with (maybe Ma had something to do with that.)
I remember one time up at his shop in Shreveport, we were getting things in order for a Lakeland race and I asked him about the sand/dirt floor in his shop and why he didn't put concrete dowm. His response was priceless. He said "If I was working on one of your props, got a cramp in my hand and accidently dropped it, what would you rather it hit? Dirt..........or concrete. He was one in a million.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That is a priceless response Charley. I did see him upset once and it was with your former boss Walt Blankenstein.

It was Alex 1970, the NOA World Championships and I was in the inspection area having won the final heat of F Hydro. I have told the story previously about my Dad buying a D Konig for me and a C Konig for Clayton Elmer in 1967, and Jack Chance mounted the coils over the serial numbers and mistakenly got the motors switched. After we figured out which motor was which, Jack took a 3/8" metal stamp and whacked a D into the aluminum block. He was holding it crooked so the straight back was deeper than the curved part of the D. So he moved to the right a quarter inch and whacked it harder and perpendicular this time. So the letters were deeply imbedded and it was very clear that it was a D motor. We later on got a new D, then had Walt bore the old one out and turn piston blanks to the larger diameter bore. The F we had ran flat top pistons with cast iron dykes rings. Those rings were easy to break and there was so much surface area on them they wore out very quickly so we decided to see how a bored out D would work.

There was a rule in the rule book that stated that all motors in the Pro and AmPro divisions must have the class designation stamped on the block. This is where the point of contention between Papa and Walt was. I can't remember exactly how the motor was remarked as an F, but it wasn't as obvious as the old stamp. Those two big D's really stood out. Jack had taken a file and filed a shallow X across the two big D's. They were too deep to grind away, and he figured an X would cancel them out.;)

Papa said the motor wasn't legal as it was a D. I told him that it WAS an F. I was upset because we wasted a whole year experimenting with a CD ignition system that turned out to be unreliable. We were 1st standby in F hydro when one entry scratched. We weren't able to rig up in time to make the first heat. We were already packed up to go home. Now I was going to get tossed out because of a technicality. So I went and got Walt.

When Walt got to the inspection area he was already hot. He jumped on Papa and that just made Papa turn defensive. I think he was expecting that the motor sure enough was a D that I had stepped up, and not an overbored D that made an F. So he was clearly caught off guard and argued with Walt about the stamp. They went back and forth in a heated discussion. I was starting to feel bad because I liked them both and now was the cause of this arguing. I had seen Walt mad before but not Papa.

Walt pointed out the F, which I think may have been on the side of the crankcase rather than on top and in obvious view. Pointing, he told Papa once again that there is the F and that's what it is. Trying to make his point Papa shouted "Then what's the D D for?" Walt hollered back "Hell...it could stand for Donald Duck". Frustrated, Papa gave up and finished the inspection, and I got the win and a competition record. But for a long time I stayed away from him thinking he held some resentment over that episode.

[F-12]

Here is a scarey thing...........I remember that motor and Walt did call it the Donald Duck motor because of the 'DD' stamped in the block. He worked on that one in the evenings after dinner because he wanted to take his time and make sure it was right. Funny.........I think I remember him cutting one piston too small and had to do another in its place. I can hear Walt going off now............as I have heard it many times before. He was another that they broke the mold after ha came along. There was only one like him.
I also remember sitting in the shop one night during the time I was on the road playing music and had some time off. Walt started griping about something and while he was in the middle of it all, I wrote a country/swing song called "Uncle Walt's Blues". My partner Glenn and I used that one until I retired in 1978 all through Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. Everyone liked it so it got played alot. I think the last time we did it was at the 'Broken Spoke Saloon" in Nashville.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This one of Denny was taken at the Pro Western Divisionals at Marine Creek Lake in 1978. Jim McKean was responsible for bringing the Yamatos to the U,S, but in my opinion, Denny Henderson is the one showing the way that Yamatos were fast, and competitive and could step in to break the Konig monopoly on wins since the death of Jerry Waldman's and his successes with Merc Quincy. There were some early years where the piston ported engines were tough to get on a plane with the prop needed to win. But all the guys stayed with them until they got it worked out. Denny was foremost in bringing in wins to the Yamato camp.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The Kirts family was one of the great Pro racing dynasties. On and off the race course Jerry is a great guy. We had lots of fun chasing each other. This pic here was used in several racing programs. As you can see, Jerry is not at all excited about the boats attitude (altitude;) :D :cool: ?) He knew exactly where he was, and when it was time to let it back down a little.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Strange...I have an autographed photo of Eileen Van Steenwyk in her hydro, but not one of Bill Van Steenwyk.;) The reason is when I first started taking pictures, Bill Van and I ran in some of the same classes, then he had a severe injury to the ball socket of his hip when he blew over one of Billy Seebold's tunnels. It was awhile before he could get back in a hydro. And I don't have any good pics of him driving. But we always have a great time with Bill Van and Eileen. Since she was a stewardess, Bill Van could hop on a plane and fly wherever he wanted very cheaply, so they were frequent visitors to my Dad's house.

The pic was taken at the Neches River Festival at Beaumont in 1978. That is Marsha Thompson chasing Eileen in Formula 350 hydro.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Louis William was an undertaker by trade. Maybe the only one that ever raced boats. He was one of the best. Louis and my Dad clashed from the start. At our first race with real racing equipment he asked if "....all that chrome made it run any faster?" And when we were in the same heat he would run right up beside me as if to bump chines and intimidate me. But as I learned how to drive and got to understand his type of humour we got along better. Joe Rome was Louis' number one pit man when I started to race. When I transferred to Southwest Texas State College, I soon learned Joe was going to school there also. Later Joe pitted for us at out of state races that Louis didn't attend, and it was Joe's friendship that mellowed our relationship with Louis. Now and for many years Louis has been a good friend. This was one of my first and most sought after autographs I got when I started my collection.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Bill Van---it sounds like pandering to me.;)

The previous autographed pics are of a lot of well known hot shot drivers (except for Papa Smith, but he was famous in his own right), but this is not what my collection is all about. Partly, it is top guns, but then it is because I had some great racing duels with these guys. However, when I started this collection, I wanted signed pics of friends of mine that I raced with, and that I now plan to hang in the "Ring of Honor" section of my racing/music room.

One of the original pics I had signed back in 1980 was that of Craig Lawrence. He signed one at the DePue Reunion of a pic of him in his runabout, but this was the first that I had him sign 27 years ago. He was one of the "Katzenjammer Kids" as my Dad referred to them. There was a collection of young guys in the Dallas area that hung around together and pitted and raced together. Originally it was Craig and his brother Ashley, Alan Registar, Denny Henderson, then along came Joe Cohen and Alan Davis, and later Troy Dunn. Of course Denny continued to race long after the others and has won many championships and has become well known to others across the U.S. Craig had some high points and other championships to his credit, but never achieved the notoriety of Denny. When this photo was signed, it was because Craig was a friend and a racer I had admired and had many good times with.

Now Craig does have a little bit of notoriety (at least here on BRF). He told us at DePue and confirmed several weeks later about being hired at Hendricks Motorsports. Craig has had racing in his blood I guess all his life and he is being paid to work in a racing shop. What a cool job.:cool: And I met his wife Natalya at the Lone Star Reunion who is Russian and looks pretty enough to be a James Bond spy.;) :D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These are two I was looking for from the reunion. I had placed them back in the binder where I carried them since 1980 for Bruce to sign. I finally got these autographs at the reunion.

Bruce is actually one of the first persons I ever raced with. It was in front of a different house we lived on in a different part of the lake. I ran in the first heat of B runabout in a Nomad with a stock B Merc and my brother Mark ran the second heat. It was very rough. I led the first lap and finished third behind Bruce in 77T and Bill Knipe in 177T.

Bruce is one of the all time top runabout drivers in PRO history. He was transferred from Houston to Gretna LA by Exxon for many years, but now he is back in Texas. The outside lane was Bruce's. He is an expert in setting a boat up. At the reunion he admitted that he would have lost some of his advantage in set ups with the way runabouts are turning now. But I'll bet he could have still figured out some additional edge to play with.

The combination of Bruce Nicholson/Craig Lawrence won many 1100 runabout races. One of Craig's duties was to pinch the fuel line as they broke over and the prop bit, then release it when they got the revs up.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The may be the first time Chris gave an autograph.:D The pic was taken at Alexandria in 1977 and appeared in the Dec 77 issue of Powerboat under the title "Alky in the Wind" I believe it was in 1980 at Alex that I caught up with him to get this picture signed. There were a lot of kids from racing families that were racing in those days, but Chris is the only one I was able to get an autograph from. I wish I had had a picture of Kristi with me at DePue to get her autograph, but I didn't. I guess Kurt was too small then and I never knew him.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Eric--Before I go to the next race I will have a pic of you to get signed. Hope you show. I had one of Gary at DePue, but when we finally got together he was just about to leave and the pic was in Joe's suburban. Tim, Joe, Gary and I did have a good long talk though.:cool:

This pic of Dan Kirts appeared on the December 1976 cover of Propeller. I don't know why I only sent a few to propeller--I think just some of the HOC and other champions a couple of times. This was also on the cover and inside some racing programs as well as a T shirt. I think it was the Pro Nationals at Alex in 1979.

I always like to see the Kirts' show up at a race. It meant there would be plenty of action. I think I had more battles with Dan than with Mel or Jerry, but I never raced against Tom. They were very competitive on the water, but in the pits we were all friends. We pitted next to them quite often. It was good to see Dan at the reunion. He told Joe "I didn't think I would ever see you or Wayne Baldwin alive again." Joe and I weren't really sure what he meant by that, but it was great that it happened.:D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I never came across that many stock guys while racing except on the west coast and I stupidly didn't go down to where they were pitted to take pics. Same with Mods. I would really like to have an autographed pic from Jo Ann Ellis. I quit going to OPC races when I was getting autographs, but some day I WILL get one from Darrell Beaulier and Gene Thibideaux:cool: But Jeff Hutchins was a stock guy that started racing a lot with us alkies. I don't know who all he drove for but I remember him driving for Dick O'Dea at the 1975 Pro Nationals and after Jim Stone was killed he drove for Elmer Grade.

This pic was taken at the Kilos at Kaukauna, Wisonsin in 1976. I always thought of Jeff as a very shrewd driver. He seemed to be at the right place at the right time. With the Kirts', you knew that they would be fighting for the front, but Jeff would just BE there. I got this pic autograped at Alex in 1979. I thought I could win at least one of the heats of 1100 hydro at Alex, but I was so out of shape it was all I could do to finish second behind him both heats.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Kurt Mischke is from West Berlin. He was the first driver from Germany besides Dieter Konig that I remember came over he to race. He ran Dieter's stuff over here a few times, but I didn't meet him until 1975 in Berlin. I became good friends with him and his wife Linda. They have a flower shop in Berlin.

Kurt was one of the top drivers in his day. He has won World, Continental and German championships. I'm not sure how many, but Mike Ward would know. The next batch of autographs are of drivers from across the pond. I got all these pics signed at my last race.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Marfred Richter No. 133 is from Dusseldorf. Back then he, along with Kurt Mischke and Bernd Tschierscke (who immigrated to Canada around 1979) were all sponsored by BOOTE Magazin. It is kind of like YACHTING with some racing coverage.

Manfred is a very personable and talented racer. I'm not sure how many years he continued racing, but I am sure he collected quite a few titles. Looks like Hans Krage on the inside.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I didn't know Ranier Bisterfeld, but I remembered him from my first race in Berlin and from the beginning knew he was a top competitor. He is from Wormradvald in what was formerly West Germany. Ervin Zimmerman drove his catamaran to a world championship in 1978. I don't remember all the classes he drove, but I think for sure OB, and OC....maybe more. His was one of the autographs I sought after and got at my last race in 1981.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Willhelm Dickoff was from Cologne. I first met Wilhelm at the Konig factory in 1976 as part of the US team competing in the World Cup. I arrived before my teammate David Westbrook from Georgia and so had the task of rigging up three new Konig Propriders. Steering wheels down to the engine mounts and thrust mounts.

Wilhelm showed up while I was in the process of drilling holes and we became acquainted. He was the one who showed me how to introduce myself to those who didn't speak German. As any true boat racer proves to be, he did his sign language and helped me with some German. He helped me in Dieter's factory and I helped him with his boat. None of us spoke each other's language.

When Dieter towed the boats to Spandau, we ended up pitting next to Wilhelm. Wilhelm had an accident during one race where his boat was too damaged to race and he hurt his leg. Two weeks later however, he had his boat back on the water at Karlshaven for a one hour marathon. A one hour marathon with an alky burning Konig. After thirty minutes or so Wilhelm was back in the pits limping. I seem to remember he came in on his own, but just couldn't go any longer.

Every race I ran in Europe Wilhelm was there and we always hugged and talked. He never spoke any English, but my German got better. When he came to the OD World Championships at Laredo, Texas in 1980, I loaned him my boat SHADOWFAX. I was racing my OD on VIBORA de CASCABEL then, but SHADOWFAX was still a formidable boat. As it turned out the weather howled from the north and no North American drivers went out. Wilhelm finished fourth in SHADOWFAX.

He was a special friend because we never really had a regular conversation together, but as boat racers we had a bond and understood. Germans have a great interest in the American west with cowboys and indians and so Wilhelm and I did a lot of sign language also.:cool: :D And I must also tell about when Wilhelm made his first (I think only) trip to the U.S. in 1980 for the OD World Championships, he arrived in Houston with Ernst Kozielski. Neither spoke English and Joe Rome was there at the airport to greet them and pick them up. They spent the night at Joe's house.

It was Joe who informed me a couple of years after I quit racing that Wilhelm Dickoff was on a tour bus in Thailand that plunged off a cliff and he was killed.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Wilhelm was a great guy Tom. And you are right. I have met people from many parts of the world and they are all good people. Boat racers are the best. The bad people are the higher ups in the government that feed people propaganda for the sole purpose of continuing their reign of power, corruption, and lining their pockets. All the average people want is a life of freedom, liberty, and the ability to live with their families and friends like they want to.

Number 34 is Ekkehard Knappe from Berg-Gladbach in West Germany. (When I write these stories from my racing days the places are named as they were back then. West Germany was referred to as BDR and East Germany-DDR) I didn't know Ekkehard very well, but he was a fine guy and top competitor. He was the first I saw to run OC on a catamaran. If the water was rough, he was the one to beat. He still finished high even on smooth water.

At one of the races in Berlin, Ekkehard was at a press conference and photo op with Hans Krage, Kurt Mischke and myself.

[jrome]

Wilhelm Dickoff, Ernst Koszienske (worked in the accounting dept in a hospital in Hmburg, Germany) and Kurt Reinicke (a taxi driver from Hamburg who spoke the best English?) came to my house in Stafford to spend the night before going on to Laredo the next day for the World Championships. That night we were sitting around the table looking through my boat racing scrap book and all of a sudden Wilhelm jumps up and says in German 'Thats me!" while looking at an advertisement for a television set. The picture of the television had a picture inserted on the screen and it was a picture of Wilhelm racing in a borrowed boat in Budapest, Hungary Evidently someone had taken his picture and sold it to an ad company who used it for the TV ad in a Houston, TX newspaper, which proves it is a very small world. Wilhelm got a tremendous laugh out of seeing his picture in Houston newspaper. He autographed the ad for me. I enjoyed my time visiting with the 3 Germans even tho there was a slight language barrier. Boat Racers are the same all over the world. Wayne Baldwin and I had always wondered who the boat racer was in this ad. Wilhelm solved the mystery for us. The pictures below are of the advertisement and the other one is Wilhelm's racing post card.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This kind of stuff is too strange to make up and you will only find it on BRF:D Joe spotted this ad in the paper and cut it out. It was probably four or five years before we met Wilhelm, maybe longer. I can remember being at Joe's house and trying to guess from the clues as to who it might be. Joe was also at a restaurant one time and spotted little packs of sugar with an outboard hydro printed on the packs. He saved one for himself and gave me one. Maybe someday we'll come across the model for that artwork.;)

[epugh66]

Ekkehard Knappe has two children involved in racing. Back in the day, I raced against Klaudia and currently Knute races. Interesting that is boat has a Yamato decal, surely the only Yamato "O" series engine in Europe at the time.

The story about Wilhelm Dickoff reminds me of Oliver Franke's dad, Werner. No english spoken, just smiles and head nods. We were repairing boats at the Franke's shop after Ober Havel and kept hitting staples with his good chisels! Still, he just resharpened them and kept smiling:)

[Master Oil Racing Team]

You're right about the only Yamato at the time Eric. I had forgotten to mention it, but I remember at the time, he had the only one I had seen. One reason I took particular note was because some of the OB Yamatos in the US had a hard time getting on a plane with the prop they wanted to compete with. Here was Ekkehard in a tunnel which was larger and had the tunnel planing surface, but he didn't have any problem getting up. If he would have his boat would have caused trouble at every turn bouy.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Joachim Mareth is Dieter Konig's nephew. His Mom Margaret also worked at the factory. Joachim must have gotten his quietness from him Mom. But I finally got some smiles out of him after I got to know him. I think he was OA World Champion sometime in the mid 70's and I think he probably won others. He was at this time the defending European and German champion. I think Joachim also held some speed records. He lived in West Berlin and I saw him just about every day at the factory. Joachim was of slight build and he could really drive an OA proprider.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Erwin Zimmerman was from Enns Austria. Erwin was a tall, handsome and young racer who had everything going for him. He was already multi World, European and National champion when he was killed. He could have had a big head, but he didn't. He loved racing and was friends with all those who raced. Besides boats he also raced some sort of off road buggy with his same number 77.

Erwin was well known by all boat racers in Europe and if I remember correctly was just starting to race OPC. I have no doubt that if he wouldn't have been killed he would have been as well known over here as Molinari, Scotti, Van der Velden, Spalding, Jenkins and others from across the pond. I can't remember exactly, but it seems he was transitioning from a kneeler to a laydown boat when he flipped in a turn. His helmet was speared by a lower unit.

He was a good friend and was one of a group that fully supported what we were trying to do with UIM in the states.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Micheal Werner Kerpen, West Germany.

This photo was from 1976 in West Berlin. Michael became one of the foremost drivers in Europe with many championships. If you do a search here at BRF with his name you will come across a link that will show a very fine interview with Michael in his shop with some nice looking F1 motors.

[Steve Ketzer, Jr.]

That's quite a history you guys are building. I'm really getting a kick out of seeing the names, trailers, boats and boat numbers again. My old man would have got a kick out it, too. Greetings all: Steve Ketzer, Jr. L-113.

[jrome]

Steve , We would love to see some of the photos of the Ketzer Racing days.Glad you are here with the brf family.

[Steve Ketzer, Jr.]

Will do, Jrome, maybe after the holiday season; and I'm sure I have a picture or two of Tommy Goslee, Butch Leavendusky and his old man, Tim Chance, Micky McGuire and the like: circa 1967-1978.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Okay Steve.....Christmas is over, New Years is over as is Valentines, President's Day, MLK, St Patricks, and Easter.;):D

Here's my latest. I didn't know Art before BRF. Now he and Nancy are friends of ours and we will be looking forward to their next trek down from the frozen north next year.

[Steve Ketzer, Jr.]

Well, I didn't get what I wanted for C'mas. i.e., no way to get my slides onto the computer (yet), but I did get a unit to copy VHS to DVD. I sent an email to Master Oil Team, please check it out. In the meantime, I'll get back with it.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Got Steve's E mail. Hopefully, soon there will be some old converted 8mm alky footage on BRF.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

As is typical, I get close to the end of a project and it slows down. There are a few more autographed pics to post. Here's another.

This one was taken between heats of the 1977 OD World Championships at Dayton, Ohio. To me it is a poignant photo because Tim and I were locked in serious match for the title. For me it was to retain the title. For Tim it was much more than that. He had never raced the 700cc brutes before and Dan Kirts had told him a month before that he was an A/B driver....he had no business driving D's. In fact, Tim was a bit terrified at the speeds we were dueling sponson to sponson at. This was taken during the required two hour span between heats. Two great friends , my Dad and Tim Butts, relaxing in the pits as much as you can with the underlying tension of just waiting....and thinking.

[F-12]

Tim didn't look too tense and Dad didn't look too worried......... How did it end up? I have been gone for a while and hang on your every word regarding the coverage you bring on these races. Wish I could have been there.........

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Yeah Charley, you're right about the look. I guess you had to be there. You know how it is just before racing starts? You are not hungry. Time had drug on enough that Tim needed to eat and had a box of chicken....I think. That smile was because I was taking a pic with my wide angle lens of him having lunch. Charley...if you go to the middle of An Amazing Story part 1, I think that's about where the story of this race starts. It ended up with Tim winning while sitting on the bank in the pits. It was the most formidable series of racing I ever encountered, and it was won by the best man. Tim only built a boat to race that series because we were solidly into promoting international racing, In 1977 the U.S. was awarded the UIM OD World Championships. That's why Tim built a boat for Joe Michelini, No.V8, and entered the race.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Johnny Woods and Paul Bogosian were from the same area...around St Louis. I had a lot more photos of Johnny, but I loaned out a carousel of pics and they disappeard. Johnny either started racing inboard hydros just before or after this race in DePue...the 1972 pro nationals. Johnny came to the DePue Reunion (I think from a threat or coercioun from Ron Hill if he didn't) and he got such a reception that he had to take up the microphone. You can see the pic in APBA's PROPELLER. It was made clear that he now went by the name of John, but in the spirit of the times and what everyone knew him by in those days, he signed his name Johnny. And Paul had to leave early to take a flight to Australia. I didn't get a chance to find out what had actually happened to warrant Paul's pointed finger. I must have known at the time, or I wouldn't have pulled up a camera to take the pic. My guess is that it had to do with D runabout.;):D:cool:

[jrome]

Wayne ,I Told You Along Time Ago I Thjink Paul Is Telling Johnny To Go West Young Man.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I forgot to ask him at the reunion Joe, but from the look on his face it looks to me like he's telling someone else where to go.;):D

Here's one of our old friends from Hot Springs....Tom Goslee. I met Tom early on in my career, probably at Texarkana in 1966. I don't recall any national race that Tom wasn't there racing.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is a rare pic. Ruth Butts testing a new Aerowing at my Dad's place.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here's one of Bruce Summers from DePue 1974. Don't know who the deck rider is. Maybe Bruce will tell us.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I remember the Landini's from Berlin 1976. I got to Berlin before my teammate David Westbrook and had three new propriders to rig up. An OA, OB and OD. Remo and Guiseppe Landini with their pit crew showed up standing just outside a large door on the backside of Dieter's factory. I climbed out of the cockpit of one of the boats and walked up to them. It was Guiseppe I spoke to first. The first words we had each of us discovered that we had a language gap. Guiseppe touched his own chest with a finger and said either Landini or Guiseppe, I forgot which. Then he touched my chest and asked "Tu?" I didn't respond so he again touched his chest and named himself, then touched me and asked once more "Tu?" , at which point I said "Wayne". Although we never actually had conversations, with sign language and a common love of boat racing we became friends. We pitted next to the Landini's at the race and helped each other. Over a number of years we exchanged Christmas cards. I loaned Guiseppe one of my boats, and he almost won the OB World Championships in 1978. This photo was taken in Berlin. It was signed by both Remo and Guiseppe as well as a couple of their pit men. I don't know what the greeting says.

[F-12]

Wayne........Isn't the boat Guiseppi is driving a laydown? It looks like he was flying it a little high before the turn and had to move up to keep it in the water. Just caught my attention.................

[Master Oil Racing Team]

No Charley...and it was Remo driving. He was in a kneeler as they call it and Dieter's nephew is in the proprider on the inside rounding the bouy. These are one pin turns, so Remo's sponsons would have been buried as he scrubbed off speed. At this time most drivers had the laydown propriders, but some still drove kneelers, and one of the most successful still was Erwin Zimmerman from Austria. You can look at the way he was up on his knees and leaning into the turn is kind of like the way the stock guys in round chine runabouts use body language to make inside fast track on a turn.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I always loved being around Hans. He lived life to the fullest. He was very passionate about boat racing and he lived for speed. The BMW motorcycle factory in Berlin gave Dieter 2 bike frames. Dieter put a 350 Konig on his and Hans put a 500cc Konig on his own. He specialized in customizing Porsche automobiles. If he got a wild hair, he would sprint at high speed down a boulevard. One time on the way to a race in West Germany he got so mad when he was telling me about when Renato Molanari ran over him (Hans swears it was on purpose) he was pounding the dashboard and steering wheel. The he put both hands on the ceiling and told how he pushed up against the bottom of Molanari's boat. Walt Blankenstein's wife was terrified at the way he drove along without any hands on the steering wheel.:eek: There was only one Hans G Krage..no 12.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Wilfried Weiland is from Austria. Among other accomplishments, he was UIM OD World Champion in 1980. He is a great guy and always had top notch equipment and pit crew. Wilfried was also able to land some great sponsors i.e. Shuh Ski and Citizen Quartz. I have a funny story to tell about him coming up on An Amazing Story Part II.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I can't really remember this driver. It appears to be Bill Berkholdt, but I can't remember him. The pit man lifting his boat out of the water is Otto Markus No, 99 from Hagen, West Germany.

[mintominto]

Great to see this stuff, please keep it coming.

In the 2nd photo signed by Hans, the boat in the background looks like a Burgess with a Volvo/Konig motor. Just wondered if you know who may have been driving it ?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That was Erwin Zimmerman from Austria Minominto.

[mintominto]

Many thanks to you Wayne.

May I also ask what event that was and how those boats compared in performance?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That was at Strandbad Oberhavel in West Berlin not too far from Tegel Airport Mintominto. The event I went over for was the UIM OD World Championships in 1977. It was billed as the World Cup with German Championships in the other classes. Your question has caused me to go to the program and discover an error. While Erwin Zimmerman drove Ranier Bisterfeld's cat in the OD World Championships at Berlin in 1978, it was Wolfgang Ludwig driving the Volvo Konig powered Burgess in this photo. While I was looking at the contact sheet I discovered a pic of Erwin Zimmerman with his distinctive helmet in his kneeler in the same heat, also no. 77. Michael Werner, Roger Jenkins, Gunter Becker and Karl Heinz Kahl were also in this race. I didn't know Wolfgang Ludwig, and always connected 77 to Erwin. My apologies, but it is correct now.

Here's a bonus pic for you Mintominto. I brought this photo with me to my last race in Berlin 1981 to get Roger Jenkins' autograph. Unfortunately he didn't make that race. It's extremely unlikely we'll ever cross paths again so that's one I missed. The one I truly regret the most though is of all the opportunities I had, I never got Dieter Konig to sign one of my pictures.

As far as performance, the propriders are actually pretty good on the one bouy turns. The cannot turn like a cat, but the bottom designs of these European boats allow quick deceleration and they can get back on top quicker than the cat. The propriders are much faster down the straights. From what I remember back then, the cat could stay on the throttle longer and would close the gap at the turn, but overall the proprider was quicker. However, if it got a little rougher and the proprider was more sponson pounding than flying, then the cat would be superior. I never ran on enough variety of courses to get a good handle on it and cats were just coming into the 500 and 700cc classes when I quit. I did watch Hans however in an alky fueled OE proprider trail in Cees Van Der Velden's wake in an ON for about 45 minutes before hitting a log. Cees was able to steer so that the floating debris went between the sponsons, but Hans was unable to avoid it.

[mintominto]

Thanks once again Wayne, you are a true gentleman for going to all that trouble.

I remember Roger running that set up here in England during the mid 1970's but never got to see it up against the propriders.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The best I can remember Sam, is that they were very competitive. I only watched them run only a half dozen times though, so maybe others can give more of a perspective. Maybe Mike Ward may have some stats on them. It seems most of the top drivers at this race were running them.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The World Championship races attracted a lot of the former races I had taken pictures of in the past and had hope to secure autographs from. As in the past I grabbed some discarded photos to take with me, because the autographs were the most important. The first one here was signed by Cindy with her maiden name Hosler. It was taken at Alexandria, Louisiana in where she won a national championship. This photo of Cindy was published in Powerboat.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Lowell Schumacher got a kick out of this one. He was down at Gary Pugh's pits. They had just spent a couple of weeks putting together a very fine new boat going over to Europe. James Aderholdt drove it at Florida. Lowell was still working with Tim Butts when this pic was taken at Winona in 1975.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Another boat builder. I got to introduce my son Andrew to Rich Krier. Rich explained to us the circumstances that led to the designs and trials in developing the new style runabout. Rich had a laugh out of the college days "hippie" get up, but he couldn't indentify the rider. It was taken at the Eastern Divisionals at Springfield in 1977 and I don't have a roster of drivers.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I had been carrying these three photos around since I first started my autograph collection. I finally was able to get Todd Brinkman, Jr. to sign them.:cool: The first was from Alex around 1977, & maybe the second also. The third was was taken at Hinton in 1977. It was great to see Todd again, and despite all that he had on his plate at Lake Alfred, we did get to visit for a little bit.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This one of Bob Rusnak was taken when he won the 250 hydro nationals at Hinton, West Virginia in 1977. I didn't know Bob when I took the picture back then. I have gotten to know him better....especially since his daughter Lorraine married Sean McKean. In February Bob will have a Texan grandbaby.:cool::D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

It was great to see Pete Voss again, and especially back in a boat after his accident at the Nationals last year in DePue. Pete was with me at the last race I ever drove in Berlin. It was a laugh a minute back then, and Pete still hasn't changed.:D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here's a couple of Bill and Eileen Van Steenwyk. There is a puzzle to the first pic because it doesn't exactly look like Bill Van in the boat.....but then I don't remember what he used to look like in a hydro. For the most part I was racing in the same heats he was. Then after I took up my camera, I snapped this pic at DePue in 1972 of him in C hydro. He said it was Eileen driving, but Eileen never drove C hydro and surely didn't race in 1972. Within a little more than a year, Bill Van blew over one of Billy Seebold's tunnels and was in the hospital for awhile, then many months on crutches and therapy. Seems to me that it was 4 years before he was back in a boat, and then.....not in a C hydro. As I explained to Bill Van..."This has to be you in the boat. After what you went through, you could never have set this way in a boat again and we forgot what you looked like in a boat before.":rolleyes::D So we agreed it was him....hence the comment. Thanks BVS.:cool:

The next one is one of my favorite girl racers...Eileen. After going through all that stuff about Bill Van she asked what she should write. I think Bill Van must have been jealous about his belated photo because I got one of my very first autographed photos from Eileen in 1980 and I told her that she wrote on the first one something about a good looking guy....hence her comment. All in all we had a great time and I smile every time I think about the times we had together.

[Allen J. Lang]

Hi Wayne- I see that you have met over the years many of the Long Island Eastern Outboard Racing Club. Our Little club ( I still belong) have over the years produced many national champs. I see you got the autographs of Bob Rusnak and Pete Voss. Have you pictures of any others from Long Island?
Unfortunatly several have passed on such as Bill Fales, Dick Scopinich Bob Hooghkirk, George Scudder among others.
Always ENJOY your postings.
Ye Olde Desert Geezer :cool:

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I didn't know George Scudder Allen, but the first three were friends of mine. I'm not sure who all are "Long Islanders" but, yeah I've got a lot of pictures of some of them including Jim Gohery and Dick Scopinich with the "Happy Valley" team. From time to time I see someone post stuff on the Eastern Outboard Racing Club. I'll try to post some of the guys on that thread.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here are some pics of Rex Hall, Jr. In the first one he is talking to Hans Krage at Firebird Lake in Phoenix. The second one was also at Firebird Lake in a test session in 1976. It appeared on the inside cover of Powerboat. The final one was also in Powerboat, but taken at the Eastern Divisionals in Gadsden Alabama. He came into the pits hot and wanted to alert his pit men that if they weren't quick, they would be drying out a motor.;):D

[Bob Rusnak]

This one of Bob Rusnak was taken when he won the 250 hydro nationals at Hinton, West Virginia in 1977. I didn't know Bob when I took the picture back then. I have gotten to know him better....especially since his daughter Lorraine married Sean McKean. In February Bob will have a Texan grandbaby.:cool::D

Wayne, both me and my wife Kathie were thrilled to see the picture of my boat "Miss Lorraine" on BRF. This is a picture of the boat just before the 1977 Nationals with Lorraine sitting in it. Now so many years later Lorraine is married to a great boat racer (Sean McKean) and will "maybe" another racer will follow in Dec. Great to see you at Lake Alfred last week. What a great event and thank you ....Bob Rusnak N-96

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I had gotten an autograph from Jeff Hutchins at Alex in 1980 at the first round of autographed pics. It was one of him in I think A stock hydro at Kaukauna in 1976. You can go back to the beginning of this thread to check that out. I had this pic of Jeff driving a Yale at San Antonio, Texas at the Pro Nationals with me at Lake Alfred. I had hoped Jeff would show up....and sure enough he did.:cool:

We talked about some old races and Jeff was still the smooooth guy he always was. Relaxed...talked about racing...remembered when I chased him two heats at Alex...and said "You told me I was Speedy Gonzales...You kept catching up to me...but I would squirt ahead!".

Over the years Joe Rome and I talked about different drivers and we always figured Jeff to be the most cool headed. He never got rattled. He never worried about the start. He didn't seem to bother about his starting position. And he didn't seem surprised to be the first one to see the checkered flag drop when he crossed the start/finish line.

I was very happy to visit with Jeff at Lake Alfred, and had some other things to talk about, but that's the way it is when you see too many old friends to spend time with in such a limited amount of time.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This pic was taken of Gary Pugh early on in his career when he was the man to beat in 125 hydro. I think it was taken at Alex in 1976. I had a couple of good visits with him. He got me though when I was trying to find directions to Lake Alfred from Winter Park. My son Andrew was picked up at the airport by his friend David Montgomery a couple of days earlier and were staying at Winter Park where David attends college. I had asked Ralph Donald if he knew where Winter Park was and he told me Bill Hosler could tell me. I found Bill talking to Gary. I asked Bill "Do you know how to get from Winter Park to Lake Alfred?" Bill says "Winter Park or Winter Haven?" With a big grin Gary says "You're already here!":D

[Peer Krage]

I can't really remember this driver. It appears to be Bill Berkholdt, but I can't remember him. The pit man lifting his boat out of the water is Otto Markus No, 99 from Hagen, West Germany.

Hey Wayne,
its me once again Peer Krage i cannot believe how much stuff about the old times you put in BRF i could quote to so many treads but on this one i can tell
you the truth this Bill is called Bill Berkei and he is my father in law.
He was for several years the mechanic of Ötte Markus.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks Peer. What a coincedence. All around the world, BRF is the place to come for information on boat racing.:cool: I got your E mail with the autographed card. I am going to send to you a picture I took of you at Lakeland in 1993 for your autograph also.

ADD: Did you show your Father-in-Law the picture?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is the first of many of my photo's I was able to get signed at the Old Phart's Convention at Ralph Donald's place in Naples, Florida.

It was great to once again visit with Ron Anderson.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I sure miss Walt Blankenstein. We had some good laughs and experiences together. He and my Dad were great friends. They were both outspoken and not afraid to say what they thought. This was Walt and Ron and Don Anderson in the pits at Alexandria, Louisiana in 1973.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Bill Seebold, Jr. driving Miss Folsom for Marshall Grant. This would be the last alky nationals Bill drove before going full time OPC. It was DePue in 1972. It looks like Bill Van in front.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Lee Sutter at DePue in 1972. I can't think of who V-1 is. Can't tell who the inside boat is, but kind of looks like the way Jim Stone kneels in a runabout.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Ron Anderson really got a kick out of this picture. I promised to send him a copy to show his kids. He said they wouldn't believe it.:D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Dr. Phil Wagner at the first Hot Springs Invitational in 1972.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is one I am especially proud of. I had posted it way early on in the autograph collection after I got John Schuberts autograph at the DePue Reunion. I always hoped I would be able to get Jerry Simison's autograph to complete the picture, and now here it is. It was taken at the Grain Belt Eastern Divisionals at Winona, Minnesota in 1975.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A lot of these pictures are old and faded and nearly 40 years old. When I got ready to go to the Old Pharts Convention, my scanner and computer weren't working. I had wanted to get some autographs of Bill Seebold pictures from his OPC days, but I couldn't scan them. So I pulled stuff from my photo album and took them with me. That's where the shots of Bill, Lee Sutter, Phil Wagner and some of Jerry Simison come from. So here's another of Bill driving Miss Folsom at DePue.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is another of Lee Sutter, but this time at Fort Buhlow Lake in Pineville (Alex) Louisiana in August 1973.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Another of Phil Wagner and also from Fort Buhlow Lake in August of '73.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I had cornered Bill Seebold and Lee Sutter together to get a bunch of pictures signed. When Bill saw this one, he made sure he got Lee's attention then said loudly with a big grin:D "Hey Wayne....why did you take this one with Lee out in front?".

This was another from the 1972 PRO Nationals at DePue.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This photo was taken at the 1975 Eastern Divisionals at Gadsden, Alabama. Phil was testing the boat, but it seems like Jimmy Aderholdt was supposed to drive it. Shortly before the race Jimmy noticed the clamp bracket holding the tower housing tube had a gap, so he tightened it up. When he pulled out of the pits, he started to turn right, but the motor was bound tight. Phil had had Walt Blankenstein machine some of the surface off the bracket so he could tighten up the steering.:D

I asked Phil "Isn't this a Hedlund?" and Phil said "Yes". So Ron and Gerry Hedlund were a few feet away and I got them to sign it along with Phil. Ron said this was the last hydro they built. It was built for Mercury Marine for the 25SS, but it was never put in the water. Phil found it behind Elmer Nord's house and it had lost its cover and tipped over. The bow was filled with water. There was not much wood damage, but it was stained heavily on the bow hence the black paint job. Phil set it up for M Hydro with a single cylinder Konig.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Every story I ever submitted to Powerboat, Powerboat & Waterskiing, Motorsport, The World of Speed, and some trade journals were published and never edited with the exception of a paragraph in the Propeller. Not that I am a good writer, but I guess everything fit OK. The titles to my stories and paragraphs were another thing entirely. The titles I sumitted were merely the title of the race, dates and where it was held. The editors were better suited to finding a suitable title to the story that put it into perspective. And I always hated writing captions. But, the photos needed to identify people and other objects in the pic. I don't recall any title or caption I ever wrote being used. The editors were much better at that, and I never knew which photos they would pic for either content or layout. So...that being said...

The photo that Phil Wagner signed above was one that was submitted to Powerboat in 1975, but not published. They used different ones in the story of the Eastern Divisionals held at Gadsden on Green Lake. After Phil signed the pic, he happened to turn it over and read the caption. Then he got everyone around him to read it and said, "Look what 'MY' buddy wrote about me".:D I had forgotten about that, but we all got a good laugh.:)

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A couple more of Lee Sutter. The first was at Alex (Fort Buhlow Lake) in 1973. Motor trouble.

The second was at the Grain Belt Pro Nationals at Winona in 1975. This photo appeared in Powerboat and Lee won the 350 runabout title.

[Ron Hill]

My best friend in this era was Jack Woodruff. Jack was four years older than I was. He had raced boats for four years but quit when he entered college in '58.

Jack never beat me, his parents could have bought my parents out with their pocket change, but that never kept us from being the best of friends. Jack's dad loved race horses and racing. Their boat trailer was made from a horse trailer.

Jack was a sheltered kid, and had never spent a night away from home until he was 16, when stayed at my parent's house with me. His mom called four times the first night he stayed with us.

Jack could drive, I wasn't old enough. So with my brains and his car, we had adventures. We surfed about every other day, we water skiied, stayed at their trailer at the beach, went camping....drank orange freezes everyday! (52 cents with tax).

Anyway, when the Seattle Nationals came along Jack and his mom drove up to watch, as Jack had said he'd get back in racing after college. Jack and his mom got to Seattle early and was finding their way around town and some how met up with Lee Sutter.

I don't recall if Lee raced the Divisionals at Long Beach that year or not. But by the time we got to Seattle all Jack could talk about, for four days was "B" Sutter. "B" Sutter could do this. "B" Sutter could do that. "B" could drive a runabout.

I always thought I was the "STAR" but Jack had decided "B" Sutter was "THE STAR".

It wasn't until I was at the Beloit Nationals, 1960 that I found out "B" Sutter was really Lee Sutter. From that moment on, I have always enjoyed Lee's friendship and always been impressed with his ablilites.

Jack graduated from college in June of 1962, we went water skiing that first Saturday after graduation with his financee and four BEAUTIFUL college grads young women....I was a high school grad.

Jack was killed a in a car accident the following Wednesday.

I never see "B" Sutter without thinking of Jack!!!!!

Wayne, thanks for posting these pictures!!!!!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The thanks goes to you Ron. If not for your forum...the original collection would still be filed away, and the additions would not have happened.:cool: Looking forward to more autographs at DePue now that I have gotten some new pics.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Ron has spoken a number of times on different threads about Dr. Phil Wagner, who traveled and pitted with Jerry Waldman. Note the number and colors of his runabout. I always liked the name too. HYDROPHOBIA. I never asked if he didn't like to drive hydros, or he was pulling the "string" of the King of hydros.:D I'll ask next time I see him.

The first time I met Phil was at Alexandria in 1978. It was a Friday or Saturday night after the races. My brother Mark was pitting for me then and he wanted me to cross the highway with him from the Holiday Inn where we were staying to the Ramada Inn where Jerry Waldman was staying. He had met up with Anne Finkl earlier and wanted me to accompany him as he was not known among racers out of Texas, and he wanted to hang out with Anne. Anne was the sister of Phil's wife Joanie.

I'm not sure whose room we were in, but Jerry's gang was all there. I can't remember all the people in the room at the time, but I remember there were Crown Royal bottles and bags. What stands out in my memory was that Johnny Carson was on the tube and people were talking, laughing and catching the interesting parts of Carson. Phil Wagner called me "Doc." He was the real doctor, but he called me Doc, because he said I looked like Doc Severeson who was the band leader for the Johnny Carson Show and played trumpet (for those who didn't know). Of course I didn't look like Doc , but in those days only Artie Lund, and a very few others had mustaches, and mine closely resembled that of Doc Severson. We had some good times together for several years.:)

This pic was taken at Alexandria, Louisiana in 1973.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This photo was taken also at Alex in 1973. Jerry Simison was driving for Marshall Grant at that race. I am not sure why he is in Dick Hoppenwrath's runabout. Dick was pitting for Jerry here also. So this is kind of a one-of-a-kind picture. Dick almost drowned after flipping in B hydro in the first turn at Alex and his wedding band was hung up in the throttle cable while he and the boat were upside down. To me, it happened before this race, and I think Dick was just pitting for Jerry now, but for some reason Jerry was in Dick's runabout. Jerry is coming to Midland, Texas this year for a shooting event and asked how far it was from my place. I told Joe Rome that if we can swing it we both need to go out there a visit with Jerry and watch him shoot. I'll ask about the pic then. Don't know why I didn't when he signed it. Guess I was so excited to see him again. For those who don't know...he has Parkinson's but has done real well in the last couple of years. It's a little hard to read, but he wrote that this is Dick Hoppenwrath's boat. This is another of my priceless autographs.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Got a new bunch of autographs today. The first is Ken Scoville and Darrel Beaulier. I've know Darrel for a long time, but I just first met Ken yesterday. I knew of him, but had not previously had the pleasure to meet him. We had some good long talks about some west coast drivers we knew. BTW Alan....he says to tell you high.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This one I took of Darrel Beaulier at La Port Texas in October 1974.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Another one of Darrel.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

One of the things I always admired about Darrel is he seems to take things in stride. He did admit though that this wasn't the best way to get your picture taken.;):D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Last one of Darrel. I printed this one in 1975. Like most of the original photos I got autographed, they came out of the reject box. Too light...too dark...or not the right one to send to Powerboat. I never really planned ahead to set up the darkroom to get really good quality photos for my autographed pics....so the one I dug out for Darrel to sign fits the bill. Darrel said who the other guy in the pic was, but I was talking to Mike Tilton at the time and forgot.:confused:

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I had asked John Schubert where his Dad, Bob, was on Saturday, but was unable to find him. On Sunday I gave a pic to John to show Bob, and tell him I needed an autograph later that day. John asked at first "Are you sure this is my Dad?" I told him it was. I talked with him and Michael about when I took the pic, and they were both born by then, but were too young to remember. I finally tracked Bob down and got his autograph. I didn't look the same either but we had a good laugh and then he tried to sell me a tri hull. I have heard from more than one source that without the Schuberts there would not have been the beginnings of the Texas Tri Hulls. This pic was taken as Bob was returning to the pits I believe at La Porte Texas in 1975.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This one I took of Walter McFerrin at an OPC race at LaPorte, same race as the earlier ones. When I first met Walter, he was pitting for Charlie Bailey on Carson and Dixie Howell's team from Baytown. It was when I started going to OPC races I learned he drove too....and pretty damned good at that.

Darrell took this pic back with him and got Walter to sign it. I think I will start a new book just for the OPC guys. Seems I'm beginning to get enough to do that.

ADD: When I developed this print around 36 years ago, I didn't realize I had the negative in the carrier backwards until I got it out of the wash. I could have reversed it on my program, but I left it like it was. I hope Walter didn't think I did it on purpose sending him a message he had his head screwed on backwards.

[1169 Crusader]

Last one of Darrel. I printed this one in 1975. Like most of the original photos I got autographed, they came out of the reject box. Too light...too dark...or not the right one to send to Powerboat. I never really planned ahead to set up the darkroom to get really good quality photos for my autographed pics....so the one I dug out for Darrel to sign fits the bill. Darrel said who the other guy in the pic was, but I was talking to Mike Tilton at the time and forgot.:confused:

Not sure if this is the same race, but the picture looks like Baytown Boat Club. If that other boat is Gene Thibideaux, then I'm right behind them . If this is the case, then that was my very first race. The very 1st turn of the 1st lap, I went right behind Darrel & he trimmed it way out & gave me a pretty good shower. I was wearing goggles & after that heat I switched to a faceshield. Darrel said that was my initiation.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

It does look like Baytown and I did take a few pics there around 1974 I think. I will look at the contact sheets. If it is, I will send it to you along with another to return with your autograph for my collection. I still need to scan the ones of you riding the tail at La Porte as well.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here is one from the Corpus Christi Derby a couple of weeks ago. I don't have my notes with me right now so I can't identify the driver. I will later unless someone beats me to it.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This one I do know. "Scary Jerry" Rinker. When I got this signed I told Jerry that my old racing partner was Clayton Elmer. His eyes got wide and he said..."Clayton works for me"....with a huge grin on his face. I told him "I know". Clayton called me at the end of the next week. He said Jerry had found another tri hull covered in weeds and drug it out to fix it up for an upcoming race.:D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's what Mke Tilton said everytime he announced Micheal Schubert idling out of the pits to warm up. He told the ever changing crowd that Mike got the nickname for being able to come out of nowhere, or being so out of the picture, to end up on top. That's what he did here too. I don't have my notes in front of me but Michael was one of the key players all along, having won one, come up from behind in another, etc. and finished second in the run for the trophy.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Cory Walker.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Don't have my notebook for the name.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Another one from Corpus Christi.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Whitney Terry.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Dustin Terry

[Master Oil Racing Team]

next to last one of the Derby.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Final one. Should have finished up this series a long while back. I'll add names when I find my notebook.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Kenneth (Curly) James riding deck for Charlie Bailey (not shown). This was at the Pro Nationals at Winona in 1976. Behind Kenneth is one of Artie Lund's pit crew and to Kenneth's left if Monty Crowell.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This was a unique race for Charlie Bailey and me, and I am glad I have a few photos for the record. It was at the UIM World Championships for OA, OD and OF and the other classes were given UIM status for North America. It was in 1973 at Alexandria, Louisiana.

There were several things that made this special for us. First, the boat , and motor I think, belonged to Roland Pruett. It was a Morton runabout built by Jim Morten in Baytown, Texas. So Charlie was driving his long time rival's boat. It was my first and only ride in the cockpit of an F runabout, and the same thing for being a deck rider. Allthough Charlie had many victories driving Merc Quincy loopers, it was the only time I was part of a winning team powered by a looper, but I am proud to have been a part of that win. Finally, Charlie and I were in a tight race for high point with maybe only one or two races left for us. He got the points for this championship, but I got none. I was thrilled to be able to ride in this boat for another reason. When I first saw this boat at Baytown I fell in love with it. Roland could really drive it. It had a nice paint scheme. White with red and blue trim,....And Pam was the name of the girlfriend I had when I first started racing.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Head shot of Charlie and me sitting in the boat prior to the start.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Start of the first heat of two man runabout. As usual Charlie Bailey started on the inside. Riding for Bruce Nicholson was Craig Lawrence. Some day I hope to get his autograph on this picture to make it complete.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I handed this photo to Charlie Bailey to sign and he said "Who's that?" I told him "That's you!" He did another take, laughed and said he couldn't believe it. It was taken at Alex in 1972.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A great package came in the mail today. Ron Anderson sent back four photos he took back home to get signed for me. The first one I took of Bob Hering before he won the OE World Championship at Dayton, Ohio in 1978. This was the day before racing after he was done testing.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I Took this photo of Mark Demaray from Settle in one of the heats of 125 hydro as he cruised to victory at the Oly Pro Nationals at Winona, Minnesota in 1976. It doesn't matter which heat because he put in an almost identical performance in each one, winning both with only two seconds difference in total time between the two heats.

The second I took the following month under the shade trees in the pits at Lawrence Lake near Yelm.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The final one of the latest bunch I get exited about because I was able to get signatures of all three in the photo. I got quite a few with two or more signatures which is quite a deal to me since it has been almost thirty years since I was in a race boat. This one was taken in Hinton, West Virginia after the Pro Nationals in 1977. Left to right Howard Anderson, Howard Shaw and Joe Rome. This is the official turning over of the Washington state flag to official keeper Joe Rome. Some of you may have read about the flag rivalries between Regions 11 and 12 and 15 during the 70's. I think this was the final flag to be signed by the losers drivers and turned over to the victors. A followup on this particular flag. During the 2005 DePue Reunion Joe Rome handed over to Howard Anderson personally knowing that it would mean a lot to him. I wonder if anyone in Region 12 could write down the names of those in attendance who signed it and post it here. Even though you can't read them, they would officially become part of my signature collection and I woul like to read again the names of the many friends I have in Region 12.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is not the original picture I wanted autographed, but as I was in a hurry before leaving for the world championships and I couldn't find the other photo, I just copied this one. Ray signed it in Florida. Before I leave for DePue, I will find the other and take it to DePue where both Ray and Alan will be there to sign the photo I originally planned for.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is one I've been after for a long while. I wasn't sure I would ever get it. When Al Davis showed up at the Lone Star Boat Racing Association at the Baytown Boat Club in 2006, I did not have a picture for him to sign. I had a lot of the locals, but he was in the Dallas area. I guess with all the hype I should have come prepared, but I didn't expect Tommy Posey from that same area to show up either. Nor Jim Slack from Lufkin.

Then when Joe Flow had Jim and Sean McKean, Denny Henderson, Jim's pit man Billy, and the ever elusive Dick Frye show up at Corsicana to test the "Hot Foot", I wasn't expecting to see Al there. He is a quiet reserved type of guy, but steadfast to the end. At DePue, I was finally able to get his autograph on a photo I took of him in his hydro at Firebird Lake near Phoenix in 1976. Imagine having to travel all the way to DePue to get the autograph. Well...anyway I finally got it, and here it is. Thanks Al.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is a photo I took of Jimmy Aderholdt testing on Lake Catherine near Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1972. I always liked this photo of Jimmy, and I finally caught up with him to sign it at DePue. The colors are not right even though I made the copy from the original negative, but no matter. It's the autograph that I wanted.

[Karen Cadle]

Lee Sutter at DePue in 1972. I can't think of who V-1 is. Can't tell who the inside boat is, but kind of looks like the way Jim Stone kneels in a runabout.

Wayne, My Grandad still owned V-1 in 72 and we would have been at Depue. Possible drivers: Tim Chance, Sam Hemp, Dale or Loren, my brother Mike, or Bill Ela.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

This is one I've been after for a long while. I wasn't sure I would ever get it. When Al Davis showed up at the Lone Star Boat Racing Association at the Baytown Boat Club in 2006, I did not have a picture for him to sign. I had a lot of the locals, but he was in the Dallas area. I guess with all the hype I should have come prepared, but I didn't expect Tommy Posey from that same area to show up either. Nor Jim Slack from Lufkin.

Then when Joe Flow had Jim and Sean McKean, Denny Henderson, Jim's pit man Billy, and the ever elusive Dick Frye show up at Corsicana to test the "Hot Foot", I wasn't expecting to see Al there. He is a quiet reserved type of guy, but steadfast to the end. At DePue, I was finally able to get his autograph on a photo I took of him in his hydro at Firebird Lake near Phoenix in 1976. Imagine having to travel all the way to DePue to get the autograph. Well...anyway I finally got it, and here it is. Thanks Al.




...........and I can't remember who took it now. May have been you Wayne, or it could have been Denny Henderson. The pic features Al standing by the corner of a trailer, if I remember correctly, gazing out into space, possibly at action on the race course, and with his hand near his face. The interesting part of the photo has to do with what he was doing with his hand, or more specifically one of his fingers.

Anybody have that picture still around?? I would love to see it again, although Al possibly would want it to go away forever, and maybe it has if he had anything to do with it.

Maybe it will surface again, possibly here on BRF??

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Did he have on a straw hat and the picture was shot low and mostly head and shoulders shot?



That sounds like the right angle and composition, but the key is his finger. Do you know if it still exists? Would love to see it again, as it captures some of those times perfectly..

[Karen Cadle]

Dale & Cliff, 1972.

[Gene East]

Thanks for the clues Karen, but as I read what you said it was like some one whapped me upside the head with the handle end of a starting rope. I don't have the full roster of drivers at the 1972 nationals, but I checked and Loren Kaus made the finals. I could kick myself because I saw him at DePue and could have gotten his signature as well.

Wayne, You and I worked the silent auction at the reunion in DePue. Loren gave us a couple of "SPAM" t-shirts for the auction. I'm sure many people were thinking, "What does Spam have to do with boat racing"?
Actually, quite a lot!

In addition to Loren, Dale and Cliff Kaus; Cliff Johanssen and Frank Earl were all from the Austin, MN area and some if not all have worked for Hormel the maker of "The ham that flunked it's physical, but won the war"!

Every serviceman whether he/she served in combat or not is familiar with Spam. In fact while loading supplies on board the ship, it was quite common for a sailor to stash a can or two of Spam for late night snacks.

Of course I would never have done that. It was against regulations!

Tasted pretty good on midnight watches, OOPS!

Next time you post one of your recipes could you use some Spam?

[Gene East]

Bill,

I do remember some references to Spam on the Baldy thread. I remember you didn't seem to like Spam! Something about the gelaten it's packed in I believe.

I love the stuff, Norma won't allow it in the house but I take it in my fishing lunch when she stays home.

Ann Chance made me a Spam sandwich for breakfast at DePue this year. Thanks Ann!

Spam goes great with eggs and most anything else. Diced in macaroni & cheese is super!

Re: Hostess.

Sorry to see the brand die.

I used to work for a trucking company that hauled from the bakery in St. Louis. The whole neighborhood smelled like Grandma's kitchen.

I hope "Twinkies" reappear somewhere down the line.

How's this for a recipe?

One slice of Spam 3/8 inch thick nicely browned on both sides sandwiched between 2 Twinkies.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I'm not sure you got what it takes to be a chef Gene. I like Spam and Twinkies both, but the Twinkies would not make a good sandwich. Once again unions cost too much. I hope the he11 green energy companies don't unionize. They will go bankrupt as soon as the ink is dry and four times the bailout. I can't figure out how we keep bailing out green energy before they even start production.??? Oh well forget that.

Baldy liked spam. When the housekeeper/cook burnt the roast so black I hammered a nail into it and tied it onto a doorknob, Baldy started doing more than doing barbeque. Two of the early things he cooked were S.O.S. and also grilled Spam with side dishes. Seems like he might have also done something grilled with Spam that had mustard. Have to think about it.

[sst60racer]

You Don't know me but I saw your Picture of Jerry Siminson! I have been a friend of the Family for well since I was about 4 years old! My Father and a couple of my Uncles would Crew For Jerry and I worked For him when I got older at his marina. I grew up with Fast boats and was and still am good friends with his Son Todd. Because of Jerry I started Racing and was able to get all the way to F2 and I was 2003 US1 in SST70.
I wanted to let you know this past Summer Jerry Was moved into a home because of his parkinsons(bad Spelling) His wife couldn't take care of him anymore, he doesn't remember much anymore, this is sad because he is a wealth of Knowledge and a all around great guy! He did make one helluva pistol or rifle!

Chris Waalen



This is another of those rare photos. When John Schubert was racing I didn't have any cameras. Then one day after he quit, he showed up at the nationals and I was able to get this pic of him and Jerry Simison together. John was one of the few greats from the past that I was able to get a photo of.

A side note about Jerry Simison. He is as competitive with making precision rifles and tuning them as he was in Pro racing. According to what Paul Simison told me he is in the top ten in the U.S. doing what he does. A lot of swat teams across the U.S. have Jerry make their rifles. Paul said you could read about Jerry in the American Rifleman in the section on precision tuning. I'm thinking of sending the photo of him and John together to get his signature added.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Very Sad to here he had to moved into a home Chris. A couple of years ago I went to an after New Years gathering at Ralph Donalds place in Florida where there was a bunch of outboarders from stock, through mod's, alky and OPC. I not only was thrilled to see a lot of my old friends like Ralph and Shirley, but also Bill Seebold, Bill Van, the Brinkman's , Clyde Queen. Bill Hosler and family, Jimmy Aderholdt, Dr. Phil Wagner, Ron and Don (Dewey) Anderson, Lee Sutter, I can't mention all the names of the people I saw there including legends I new of but never had personally met until then. That's where I first shook hands (unless it was Berlin 1977 and we couldn't remember) with Lars and Karina when we arrived at the entrance at the same time. All of this....and what my greatest memory of that night was sitting down and talking with Jerry and his wife. Not taking away from any of the other guests, but this was extra special. I had brought a lot of photos with me that I had taken through the years and Ralph had told me an approximate guess of who might be there. That guess was what I used to print the photos I would bring. I missed many, but my most prized from that night were the photos that Jerry signed.

He bought a lot of pictures that I had taken of him after his brother Paul went on other photo assignments. That night Paul was there too and took the group photo. It was a totally amazing gathering.

I had talked to Paul at length. I praised his beautiful photography and thanked him many times for helping guide me in not just boat racing photography, but in the photo path he loved. As with any of these type of get togethers, it takes awhile to see everyone you haven't seen for awhile, and in this case to talk with people you have heard about or read about, and after awhile things settle down so everyone can have good one on one talks. That's when I got to talk privately with Jerry and his wife. I had told Paul earlier that I was really wanting to get an autograph of Jerry, but I knew that he might be reluctant because of his Parkinson's. Paul told me that his doctor prescribed a new medication and it did wonders. He said I should go ahead and ask Jerry for his autograph.

It was just Jerry, his wife and myself at one small table near the bar and I asked Jerry for his autograph. I had told him that I was getting autographs from all my old boat racing friends and he immediately accepted. I had one of him and John Schubert that John had signed the year before, and I had several others I had taken about that same time in the mid 70's. Jerry had a big smile on his face looking at the photos, and his wife was looking at him while Jerry looked at the pictures. I know, because I looked at her looking at Jerry looking at the pictures.

I did not ask, but apparently Jerry had been asked to autograph things before. His wife alluded to it. When Jerry told his wife to sign my photos for him, she said "No"..."Jerry....you can do it." "You do it". Jerry took the pen I gave him, and he signed the pictures.

The last thing I remember about Jerry was him being very animated and having a great time sitting on a sofa surrounded by a bunch of his boat racing friends.

BTW Chris...I don't know you that's true, but with your family connections with Jerry, there is a good possibility that I might have pictures of you Dad and Uncles. Tell me the years that they pitted for Jerry.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These are the last two photos I got autographed at the 2012 DePue Reunion. The first one I had not posted yet, because I had posted the same photo minus one not that long before and I wanted different pictures ahead of it. However, it is a treasure to me because of a number of reasons. And I had mentioned a lot of this before when I first posted this picture, but I will repeat it again. It was my first and only ride in F runabout....the only time I rode deck, and in one of my favorite runabouts of all time....a Morton hull designed and built by cabinet maker Mr. Morton from Baytown, Texas. I was dating my first girlfirend Pam when I first raced at Baytown in 1966 and saw Miss Pam. She {Miss Pam) won just about everything she entered with the savvy Roland Pruett in the cockpit. He was a great guy and I always loved that boat.

The second reason is that when Charlie's main deck rider wasn't available, he asked me to ride with him. Uh..Oh! Charlie didn't have a regular rider! Usually once was enough. Although know one ever got hurt, most of them saw a lot of action....and it was all inside action. I knew all about it....but I accepted. Charlie and I were both in the lead for high point at Alex, and he would get the points if he won, but I could not turn this chance down.

Third reason. It was the only time I would ever ride in a boat powered by a Merc Quincy looper, and though I was a Konig guy I loved the sound and I always thought a lot of O.F.Christner. So I was in a boat I never rode in, but liked and respected the builder, didn't have a hand on the steering wheel or throttle, did not know anything about the motor other than it ran fast as hell, and had a great racing sound, and the guy who would be the pilot was an easy going maniac that would squeeze in between the bouy and any other boat close to it in the first turn.

I have posted previously several photos of Nationals with a group of four boats and four famous racers and was able to get autographs from each. This one I sadly got autographs from Charlie Bailey and Bruce Nicholson at Ray Yates funeral, and of course I signed as the deck rider before I posted it. But, I was glad to bring the photo to the 2012 reunion, and was able to get Bruce's regular deck rider's autograph. Craig Lawrence took time off from Hendrick Racing to come to DePue and visit with his old boat racing friends. His signature appears just below Bruce's.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I didn't get to the second one last night, but here it is.

When I was talking to Joe Rome before the race and reunion last year, he knew who was going to be there and had thought it would be fantastic to get autographs from some Lone Star Boat Racing members I had posted from a 1976 race and then do a remake like I did with Ray Rodda and Alan Ishii. I thought it was a great idea, and we had it all planned out because everyone would be there except Denny Henderson's cousin, and Vapor Trail Joe would stand in for him. The picture was of Dale Sellers waiting for the 5 minute gun to fire, and the pit crew was all hanging around waiting. We would use Sean McKean to stand in for Dale Sellers and get his autograph as well.

Dale was a fantastic racer and a great guy. He joined BRF only several months before he died of cancer and Joe and I tried to post as much stuff about him as possible before he passed, and his twin daughters Joni and Toni said that BRF kept him going up until his final moments. It was that picture of Dale that Joe wanted me to recreate and I thought that would be perfect. I printed the picture for the guys to sign, and then had planned some time between testing and finals to get Sean to get his boat set up and arrange the pit crew as in the original photo, with Vapor Trail Joe with his back to the camera substituting for Denny's cousin. Of course we would have Vapor Trail Joe sign in himself. Sadly though, Sean's Dad Jim passed away just before the nationals. Sean went anyway because he and everyone around knew that Jim would want that. Then things went bad. Motors kept blowing up. Sean's pit man Billy put in a heroic effort in switching, rebuilding and working on motors, but in the end.....it was time to give it up.

I had talked to Denny Henderson, Al Davis, Craig Lawrence, and Vapor Trail Joe about setting up the scene and how to pose....showing them the old picture that I had brought with me. I never said anything to Sean. It was not the time or place for it, and we all expressed our sympathies to Sean and Lorraine, and were sorry for their loss.

This is the photo that Joe remembered that was one of the first ones posted on the Lone Star Boat Racing Association website. I got all these autographs from the reunion at DePue last year.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I picked up a few more autographs I have been hoping for at the Baytown boat races the previous Sunday. First one is of David Alaniz photographer extroadinaire and took pictures there. This photo was taken at the Palacious Firecracker 200 and was published in Motorsport Magazine. This is a part of the negatives Harry Echols gave me after Joe Rome and I went to see him and his wife Pat last year. I think it was in 1972, but it could have been 1973. Probably the year Joe promised to meet me at the judges stand and was a no show.;):D

This happened at the beginning of the race. David told me the story last weekend. They started the inboards and outboards together in the marathon. Red Adair got a good start and was right up front. David got a good start as well. He came up on the outside of Red, but they were coming into some heavy chop down the back straight. David had originally planned to blow by Red and wave at him as he passed. When David saw how well Red's boat was pounding down some of the bite of the water, he tucked in behind him riding just inside the fanned out wake on the portion to the outside of the prop wash. David was probably a little too impatient, and made his move too soon to pass Red. As he told me, he still had on his mind looking Red in the eye and giving him a passing wave when he moved outside the wake and immediately dropped the outside sponson in the leading hole of a broadside smashing wave. He rolled instantly and his Merc goughed a hole in the mud. If you look at the pic closely, you can see the flywheel and everything below packed with mud. It was very shallow. I never noticed that until David pointed it out in the picture at Baytown.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I took these two pictures of Clayton Elmer while he was testing at our little race course in front of Baldy's house in 1972. Clayton had moved to Corpus Christi, Texas with his wife Doris and Kids Paula and Donnie in 1968 to be manager of the Marine and Motorcyle shop that Baldy and his partner Joe Hendricks had bought in 1968.

Clayton's management of the store left him little time for racing, but he did when he could.

In this photo, Clayton was driving a BellCraft. He was testing prior to a race. He did not like it. There may not have been anything at all wrong with it, but Clayton had been driving Marchetti's for the last several years and after being off and on, the feel may have just been too much to feel comfortable with. I tested it as well and I didn't like the lightness and high cowl. It felt like I could get in trouble real quick. I never drove it again. It was a color neither Clayton nor I ever used. It might have been Fred's Cafe Orange.

I have to say that I have been wanting this autograph for a long time. I took these photos with me to Ray Yate's funeral and got autographs there from Bruce Nicholson and Charlie Bailey, but it was the first time I had seen Clayton and Doris since the Baytown Boat Club reunion in 2006, and before that since 1974. So I got hung up in conversation and forgot to pull out the prints for Clayton to sign. I was lucky to be able to make the Baytown race a couple of weeks ago and Clayton, Joe Rome and I had some good quality hours together watching the races.

Our very first alky race where we actually had legal boats and motors was at Highlands, Texas (which we always refer to as Baytown) and we were pitted between Reles LeBlanc from Delchamps, Louisiand on our left and Jack Chance and Clayton Elmer on our right. We followed Reles in to the race course and backed in next to his trailer where there was room. We didn't think about it at the time. Most racers were clustered closer to the judges stand, but Jack had his trailer away to the right side. It was a big trailer with lots of boats, and we didn't think about the space he had probably laid out for their boats. After meeting Jack, he figured out that we had no clue, and so helped us in every way he could. Clayton joined in and we got set up and ready to race.

It was that very first race that my Dad, Jack, and Clayton hit it off, and after spending a whole afternoon of racing and lifting boats up and down a five foot wall, we were friends for life.

Jack Chance taught me the mechanics I know and Clayton taught me how to race. After my Dad took over finances of boats and motors and we became a team, Clayton was instructed (and he didn't need to be) that he was not to give me any favor. Win all the races he could. It did not matter if I was challenging him. If he had an overlap to wet me down, he would. We had some great races together, and one photo of us side by side just into a corner was in a bunch of programs in Texas and at Alex for several years.

I am proud that I could ever achieve the accomplishments of Clayton Elmer. The year before I started racing, I watched Clayton and Hu Entrop in a famous F Hydro duel on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Clayton ended up winning. And now I have the pleasure of a photo with the autograph of my biggest hero of boat racing. Without Jack and Clayton we might have made it anyway....but they took us under their wing the first day.

ADD: The autographs are not there. I edited the pictures to reduce them, but the autographs should have been there. They were at the extreme top. I need to start pointing out to my friends the best place to sign. Many sign at the edges, and if the photos are framed, the autographs will be cut off. I will try to redo this tommorrow so the autgraphs show.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These are pictures of Alex Wetherbee that his son Steve got autographed for me a couple of weeks ago. Soon I should have some of his brother Tommy. I first met Alex, Tommy and Steve in the mid sixties. They were tearing up the courses with their Quincy Loopers.

Alex was a youngster when he first started racing boats and became factory driver for Morphew boats when he lived in Paris, Texas.

The first photo is a Morphew hydro taken at a race in Arkansas or maybe Paris.

The second one was taken in New York after the 1949 Albany-New York Marathon. Alex would have won the B class and would have finished ahead of some D's and F's had he not run out of gas just before the finish line. His was the only Morphew with an afterplane they had added before the race. Most of the other boats were bucking a lot in the rough water, but Alex's ran more smoothly, and thus faster. There are two filmstrips of that race on U Tube. One is 10 minutes long, another is 20 minutes long, but is the same one as the first that repeats. A different version of that same race is 25 minutes long and was sponsored by Mercury and narrated by Paul Harvey. In that particular film there is about a 5 second clip of Alex around halfway through the race. The building in the background of Alex standing next to his Mercury can be seen in the shorter version of the race.

The last photo was taken at White Rock Lake near Dallas and was site of the 1950 APBA Nationals. When Steve was asking his Dad who the other gentleman was, Alex couldn't remember. After reading off some names of drivers who competed in the race Alex said he was sure it was "Tex" Flagg. The name of the winner of a four cylinder runabout class was H.L. "Tex" Flagg. Steve and I both think this is probably BRF member William "Tex" Flagg's Dad, and the 1950 National Championship boat and motor. I hope Bill sees this post and lets us know if it is indeed his Dad. The Wetherbee's lived in Denison, Texas at one time, and it's possible that they were friends back in those days.

After Steve gets me more information, either he or I will start a Wetherbee Family boat racing thread. Steve is a packrat too, so he has a lot of stuff to dig out and post.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

These are pictures of Alex Wetherbee that his son Steve got autographed for me a couple of weeks ago. Soon I should have some of his brother Tommy. I first met Alex, Tommy and Steve in the mid sixties. They were tearing up the courses with their Quincy Loopers.

Alex was a youngster when he first started racing boats and became factory driver for Morphew boats when he lived in Paris, Texas.

The first photo is a Morphew hydro taken at a race in Arkansas or maybe Paris.

The second one was taken in New York after the 1949 Albany-New York Marathon. Alex would have won the B class and would have finished ahead of some D's and F's had he not run out of gas just before the finish line. His was the only Morphew with an afterplane they had added before the race. Most of the other boats were bucking a lot in the rough water, but Alex's ran more smoothly, and thus faster. There are two filmstrips of that race on U Tube. One is 10 minutes long, another is 20 minutes long, but is the same one as the first that repeats. A different version of that same race is 25 minutes long and was sponsored by Mercury and narrated by Paul Harvey. In that particular film there is about a 5 second clip of Alex around halfway through the race. The building in the background of Alex standing next to his Mercury can be seen in the shorter version of the race.

The last photo was taken at White Rock Lake near Dallas and was site of the 1950 APBA Nationals. When Steve was asking his Dad who the other gentleman was, Alex couldn't remember. After reading off some names of drivers who competed in the race Alex said he was sure it was "Tex" Flagg. The name of the winner of a four cylinder runabout class was H.L. "Tex" Flagg. Steve and I both think this is probably BRF member William "Tex" Flagg's Dad, and the 1950 National Championship boat and motor. I hope Bill sees this post and lets us know if it is indeed his Dad. The Wetherbee's lived in Denison, Texas at one time, and it's possible that they were friends back in those days.

After Steve gets me more information, either he or I will start a Wetherbee Family boat racing thread. Steve is a packrat too, so he has a lot of stuff to dig out and post.
Surprised he got that far with the sand cast clamp brackets & swivel bracket. They broke many that year so the next year Merc came out with the KF7HD with forged clamps & swivel brackets. My dad finished 4th that year with a KF9 with the HD parts which Merc provided at Albany(actuallt Schnectady where they tested) on a Sid Craft. His cockpit side tanks developed a leak & he had trouble seeing to even finish. They had to lift him out of the boat.

[Ron Hill]

Dale & Cliff, 1972.

This looks like the B Looper that I raced in 1967 for Harry Bartolomei. Any history on this motor?

[Karen Cadle]

Lee Sutter at DePue in 1972. I can't think of who V-1 is. Can't tell who the inside boat is, but kind of looks like the way Jim Stone kneels in a runabout.

Wayne, it's my grandfather's runabout. My wager is it is Loren Kaus. Jim did not drive for us.

[smittythewelder]

Hi, Wayne; the photo to which Ms. Cadle refers (Page 13) of Lee Sutter and another 350 runabout running together is probably a rarity in showing the engine Sutter was running.. Though you might not see it at a glance, what jumped out at me was that "Suds" (Charles "Honker" Walters had his own nicknames for everybody) was running one of the last of the Seattle-style Anzanis developed by Jim Hallum and Ron Anderson, and that it had bounce-pipes, the local term in those days for expansion chambers. Up to that point they had kept the poor old Anzanis competitive with open megaphones, lots of carburetion, and a heavy dose of nitro. Once they got the bounce-pipes sorted out, they didn't use nitro again. Those curving ram's-horn pipes coming out of the top and bottom of the Anzani block made for a unique sight, besides being a lot of cutting/fitting/welding.

With the cast iron Anzani block, and all the carbs and pipes and mechanisms, that had to be a top-heavy set-up, but if you wanted a driver who could set up and prop and work with the crankiest of boat/motor combinations, Lee Sutter was The Man.

[Ron Hill]

I will be attending Phil Nichols Memorial this coming Wednesday, 1/11/2017. I'm hoping my brother, Alan, will be there.

Wayne, this autograph section gets better every time I look at it. Thanks for posting it.

[Ron Hill]

This is one I've been after for a long while. I wasn't sure I would ever get it. When Al Davis showed up at the Lone Star Boat Racing Association at the Baytown Boat Club in 2006, I did not have a picture for him to sign. I had a lot of the locals, but he was in the Dallas area. I guess with all the hype I should have come prepared, but I didn't expect Tommy Posey from that same area to show up either. Nor Jim Slack from Lufkin.

Then when Joe Flow had Jim and Sean McKean, Denny Henderson, Jim's pit man Billy, and the ever elusive Dick Frye show up at Corsicana to test the "Hot Foot", I wasn't expecting to see Al there. He is a quiet reserved type of guy, but steadfast to the end. At DePue, I was finally able to get his autograph on a photo I took of him in his hydro at Firebird Lake near Phoenix in 1976. Imagine having to travel all the way to DePue to get the autograph. Well...anyway I finally got it, and here it is. Thanks Al.

I'm not sure what year, but seems this maybe up in Michigan!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The picture of Alan Ishii and Ray Rodda Was taken at Winona Minnesota. It was the Grain Belt Pro Nationals in 1975. I took a lot of pictures that year because I hadn't recovered from my crash on Memorial Day yet. Tim Butts drove our 250 and 350 hydros and Charlie Bailey ran 1 heat with our 500 hydro and set a record.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is a test for posting pictures

61429

61430

[Master Oil Racing Team]

computer guy finally figured a way to do it. All my old pictures are now too large. I have to shrink new ones and go about it differently. Don't know how much of a pain it will be, but I will try to learn once again a new way to get pictures on here. Have to make chili now.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Don't like it that61503 way

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Can't believe that it's been that long since I posted here. Think I have several new photos I haven't posted yet. However, I did get some new ones today. Steve Wetherbee and I went to see his uncle Tommy at a nursing home in Alice, Texas. Steve was planning on bringing Tommy to my house to visit, look at my little boat racing museum and sign the photos, but he fell and messed up his his pelvis a week or two before he was to come over. Tommy had to go to a nursing home, or a rehab place to get through all his convalesence and since he has been doing well, Steve and I went to Alice today to visit and get the photos signed. We spent a very nice hour and a half visit outside under a wooden canopy. Tommy was doing very well and was very happy to see us. We will go back soon to visit again. Tomorrow or the next day I will post the pictures.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here us the first photo, and it is a race at Highlands, Texas in 1974. The Highlands race course on the San Jacinto River is more commonly called the "Baytown" race because the Baytown Boat Clube is about 100 yards in a stright perpendicular line behind Tommy's Gentex life jacket. Baytown is a close nearby city where out of town races stay.

Tommy has grit on his expression like he was fixing to start that D Konig, but as you can see he has more than a full wrap like he is trying pump water out. I need to ask him next time I see him why he had to do that. I don't see anyone plugging the holes with fingers to help get water out. This was Tommy's final year of racing, having recovered from a bone breaking wreck at Hot Springs the past summer. He was testing when some cruiser showed up with a big wake and suddenly no place to go with the spped up. It was his first race after having bought, rigged out and tested his new Butts Aerowing. It was also his first Konig motor....a D!

Tommy broke 18 ribs and had a punctured lung. They brought him into the same hospital Jerry Waldman was taken to the previous year. They left him for awhile in his wet clothes in 68 degree temperature and he thought besides having a hard time to breathe, he might freeze to death. The same nurse that was there when Jerry Waldman was brought in was the same one that received Tommy. Tommy said she was very indignant and unlike any nurse he had ever had to be around before. She said to him "What's the matter with you people?" Then proceeded to lecture him on doing things that are dangerous and can kill you.

Tommy came back the next year, but only ran at Baytown and at my Dad's house only about 10 miles from where he lives now.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These pictures were taken in Baldy's front yard at Barbon Estates on Lake Corpus Christi on March 31, 1973. Tommy Wetherbee had just bought a D Konig and a Butts Aerowing. He was testing for the first time. We took delivery of the first CDF Aerowing that Tim built at Alexandria, Louisiana in October 1972, so this was an early CDF Butts hydro....maybe the second one he built. In the beginning Tim was building mostly AB hydros. During December of 1972 Tim Butts came down to test drive "Hookin' Bull", that first CDF hydro he built for us. He wanted to see what kind of power was there and get a feel of the handling at speed so he could try to improve on his design for the bigger boats. We did this kind of thing with Tim the whole time we raced. I'm willing to bet that Tommy's boat was the second built and was different from the first with changes made from his test driving three months earlier.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I got to thinking last night that one of the first Aerowings that Tim built after the successful run at Alex in 1972 was A C hydro that he built for Armand Hebert. Armand set a record with that boat in 1973.

[racnbns]

Here us the first photo, and it is a race at Highlands, Texas in 1974. The Highlands race course on the San Jacinto River is more commonly called the "Baytown" race because the Baytown Boat Clube is about 100 yards in a stright perpendicular line behind Tommy's Gentex life jacket. Baytown is a close nearby city where out of town races stay.

Tommy has grit on his expression like he was fixing to start that D Konig, but as you can see he has more than a full wrap like he is trying pump water out. I need to ask him next time I see him why he had to do that. I don't see anyone plugging the holes with fingers to help get water out. This was Tommy's final year of racing, having recovered from a bone breaking wreck at Hot Springs the past summer. He was testing when some cruiser showed up with a big wake and suddenly no place to go with the spped up. It was his first race after having bought, rigged out and tested his new Butts Aerowing. It was also his first Konig motor....a D!

Tommy broke 18 ribs and had a punctured lung. They brought him into the same hospital Jerry Waldman was taken to the previous year. They left him for awhile in his wet clothes in 68 degree temperature and he thought besides having a hard time to breathe, he might freeze to death. The same nurse that was there when Jerry Waldman was brought in was the same one that received Tommy. Tommy said she was very indignant and unlike any nurse he had ever had to be around before. She said to him "What's the matter with you people?" Then proceeded to lecture him on doing things that are dangerous and can kill you.

Tommy came back the next year, but only ran at Baytown and at my Dad's house only about 10 miles from where he lives now.

Must have got some water. No plugs in it and he's drying it out.
Bruce

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's right Bruce. When we got water in a motor we would cover all the spark plug holes with our fingers. It was quicker that way. And you could tell when most of the water was out when mist quit coming out of the holes.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Both Tommy and his brother Alex wore these fighter pilot helmets. I believe they probably became illegal around the time Tommy quit racing. I scanned this photo twice, and for some reason a blue tint was in the shadows. I couldn't remove it. The picture is totally black and white, so I hope my scanner isn't going to go crazy on me.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These final two photos were taken from the pits on Lake Corpus Christi in 1971. Last race of the year in front of my Dad's house. It was my final year of college at South West Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. I took a photography course just like I did as a sophomore in high school and we used the same exact camera as did all high schools and colleges in Texas at that time. It was a Yashica D double lens reflex camera shooting a 2 1/4 X 2 1/4 negative. The bottom lens was the actual light gathering lens with an aperture for the negative. The top lens was strictly for focusing.

Tommy is in a 12-8 Marchetti that I picked up from Nick Marchetti along with a new canvas deck 11-4, and a canvas decked "aircraft carrier" 13-2 Marchetti. I could lay down in the cockpit all stretched out and not bump my head or toes. Joe Rome might've fit too. The looper was a D that Raymond Jefferies put together himself up at Quincy in early 1968. It was built for up-and-coming driver Joe Bowdler out of San Antonio, Texas. Unfortunately, he contracted a virus that caused his heart to stop and he passed away without ever testing the motor. Tommy bought the looper and the Sidcraft from Joe's Dad, Sid Bowdler. Tommy tested the looper on the Sid, but it was way to small a boat for that power so he bought the Marchetti from my Dad and had a wooden deck installed.

That is Tommy's daughter Marsha in the cockpit with him. She was wearing my Gentex life Jacket and Bell Helmet. If you look closely at her left hand you can see a ring. We were to be married sometime in the next year, but no date had been set yet. I had picked up the ring and given it to her probably only a few weeks before this picture was taken. Marsha did not find anything she liked when we went to the jeweler so she told him what she wanted, I paid him and waited for it to be made. When I went to pick it up, he asked me if he could buy it back and I told him No! After I finished all my finals and came home for the holidays Marsha laid it on me that she didn't want to marry me, and gave me the ring back. I was totally devastated, but there was nothing I could do to change her mind.

I went back to the jeweler sometime in January 1972 to see if he still wanted to buy the ring back. Without hesitation he gave me a full refund. The ring was a different style than you would normally see in those days. It was simple yet elegant and the jeweler apparently had a customer who fell in love with it when he showed it to him or her, and got a much better offer than he originally quoted me. So the first chance I had, I drove up to Sequin, Texas to Mr. Seidel's camera shop. Our photography professor was always telling us about Mr. Seidel's shop a half hour south of San Marcos. He gave discounts to photography students.

I remember having a long conversation with Jerry Simison's brother Paul at a race at Lakeland, Tennessee. Yes, Tennessee, not Florida. Marshall Grant was the power behind organizing the race and all the big name drivers east of the Rockies came. Paul was shooting with all Nikon 35mm equipment. He said it was more expensive, but for the 35mm format it had the most to offer and was reliable and of the best quality. Leica was right up there in quality but had limited lenses and other accessories. I bought my first Nikon with a 50mm lens at Seidels, along with a Nikkormat body, a 135mm lens, and a 200mm lens along with a carrying case and other accessories. That diamond got me into the picture taking business. I knew I needed a longer lens for boat racing shots, but now I had a job, and a longer lens would come along soon enough. At least by the time racing picked up in the spring.

[Mr Pete]

In 1992 I received in the mail a Limited Edition, Powerboat Magazine " 25th Anniversary Special" / Pictorial. I was a crew on the F-1 Tunnel Boat ( Wendt) and the Aronow Unlimited team earlier years. I kept the magazine with me, to have everyone I could sign inside it. In San Diego, both F-1 races & Unlimited shared the weekend.

As I toured the pits for autographs, ... It was funny.... I wanted to gather as many signatures as I could, but time was limited. ( I was on the F-1 Team ).....
Every person I met signed in the magazine, ... but.... They all said, " Ah, cool !! " As they looked at all the pages, before they gave the magazine back to me ( slowing down my mission )..... It was all fun, and quite the experience!!

( I don't know how many pics I can post.)..... There is one signature, ..a driver I knew well.... but since forgot, he signed a 'generic page'.... maybe someone will recognize the signature??

[Mr Pete]

To finish my long post.......
Here is the signature a driver signed, but ( darn it)... I can't remember to whom this signature belongs to.....
Anyone recognize this??

[Jeff Lytle]

Earl Hall?

[Mr Pete]

Earl Hall?

Boy, oh, boy.... He does not ring a bell....

[Mr Pete]

My gosh...... I can't leave out my most important signature in the Powerboat mag.......
( I have that magazine ( shown next to Howard), and most every boat magazine Howard is celebrated ....

[Ron Hill]

The picture of Nordskog in #3, Glastron Carlson Molinari is not Dick Sherrer. And the Style Craft with US 1 is not George May... Signatures are correct pictures are wrong.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Wow, what a magazine, and what a collection of autographs. You have one unique magazine there.

[Mr Pete]

You reminded me..... George & Dick did say, " That's a photo similar to their boat"...... Just so they had a spot to sign.....
Thanks for the historical clarification !!

[Mr Pete]

The picture of Nordskog in #3, Glastron Carlson Molinari is not Dick Sherrer. And the Style Craft with US 1 is not George May... Signatures are correct pictures are wrong.

To add to my experiences around all those great moments.......
I was the transport driver / crew on the Aronow Unlimited...... I joined the team in Marin County, Ca., when I worked for Howard Arneson.... The Aronow was brought to our shop, along with Jerry Gilbreath. We removed the Cosworth engines ( a lack of torque )..... And installed the pair of Keith Black 408/ flat crank 'sprint car' Hemi engines. When the change was done, the next Unlimited race was in Tri Cities. Howard offered me to take a 'break' to haul the Aronow for the remaining season. We drove to Tri Cities....

I remember Bill Muncey.... just returning from a jog at the hotel.( It was hot out, and Bill looked "red as a beet") We spoke for a moment then he later went to the boat..... We were pitted next to the Atlas team..... We all watched Bill's testing.... We saw the Atlas blow over.. ( horrible)............

All the teams went to Seattle for the next race..... We 'borrowed' a space at the Atlas shop..... Later that week, there was a memorial / celebration at a restaurant/ boat harbor for Bill. I was in the restaurant with Chip Hanauer, having brunch......Just him & me...... I sat there as Fran Muncey came over and sat with us for a moment... I actually heard the "moment"..... Fran asked Chip to drive for them...... ( What a moment )

[tfitschen]

I remember Bill Muncey's fatal crash being in 1981 in Acapulco, Mexico in October of 1981.

[Ron Hill]

Muncey was leading the final heat of the World Championship race at Acapulco (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acapulco) on October 18, 1981,[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Muncey#cite_note-decrl-4) when he died in a blowover (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motorsport_terminology#B) crash while travelling 175 miles per hour (282 km/h).[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Muncey#cite_note-mshofoa-2)[5] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Muncey#cite_note-tbapmdic-5)[6] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Muncey#cite_note-bdmdabc-6)[7] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Muncey#cite_note-mkiac-7) He was buried at Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, California (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonita,_California).[8] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Muncey#cite_note-8)

[Mr Pete]

I remember Bill Muncey's fatal crash being in 1981 in Acapulco, Mexico in October of 1981.

My bad...... Tri Cities was my 1st hydroplane race...( The moments moved fast for me back then)... It was a long time ago...... I mixed up past memories, I did see a blow-over .... And it's true I was eating with Chip in Seattle, and Fran Muncey sat...... I mixed up Bill crash as if it happened ..... Not realizing it was a year before as the reason Chip was approached by Fran. I am a bit embarrassed how I gathered my memory......
I can only imagine that I was unaware how long before Bill passed, as I was so new to the scene..... When I was told about Bill.
EVERYTHING was "Day 1" to me those few weeks.....

Ron Hill...... Please remove 2 credits.... I take full responsibility. :)

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Hey Mr. Pete.....it happens to us all. That was a long time ago, and I can see where someone "new to the scene" around legends like Bill Muncey and Chip Hanauer and Fran Muncey can kind of blend things together over time. I'm liking the stories you are telling and don't want you to quit, and I am guessing all the others are waiting to hear more as well.

Saw Bill Muncey in person at Dayton, Ohio in 1977 when the Unlimited and UIM OD (outbard) hydros traded heats during a day and a half program. During testing Chip Hanauer came down and sat in our pits to watch what we were doing. I was in the water working on stuff and wanted to go meet him, but I was too shy.

Four of us guys from South Texas went to Acapulco for an exhibition race the year before Muncey was killed. The course we raced on was smaller, and was about half a mile south of where Muncey blew over. All those waterways were connected. The Pacific Ocean was just west of the road where the lakes were. You could see it. The road to the pits separated the Pacific from where the race courses were, so we were all racing at sea level. Then why did our outboard motors not run well? Charlie Blackwood and Artie Lund from San Antonio were running D Quincy loopers, and Steve Jones and I were both running D Konigs. I was the only one that had CD ignition. No one could keep their engines lit during testing. We hall had to downgrade prop pitch significantly to keep the revs up and the engines from fouling. My motor was the only one not to have trouble fouling. Do not know why to this day what the problem was, but it affected all of us. I have since wondered if atmospheric conditions at sea level closer to the equator might have had some aerodynamic affect on Muncey's boat where it responded differently.

Please Mr. Pete, keep up with your stories. You were in places to tell us some interesting inside stories.

[Mr Pete]

Hey Mr. Pete.....it happens to us all. That was a long time ago, and I can see where someone "new to the scene" around legends like Bill Muncey and Chip Hanauer and Fran Muncey can kind of blend things together over time. I'm liking the stories you are telling and don't want you to quit, and I am guessing all the others are waiting to hear more as well.

Saw Bill Muncey in person at Dayton, Ohio in 1977 when the Unlimited and UIM OD (outbard) hydros traded heats during a day and a half program. During testing Chip Hanauer came down and sat in our pits to watch what we were doing. I was in the water working on stuff and wanted to go meet him, but I was too shy.

Four of us guys from South Texas went to Acapulco for an exhibition race the year before Muncey was killed. The course we raced on was smaller, and was about half a mile south of where Muncey blew over. All those waterways were connected. The Pacific Ocean was just west of the road where the lakes were. You could see it. The road to the pits separated the Pacific from where the race courses were, so we were all racing at sea level. Then why did our outboard motors not run well? Charlie Blackwood and Artie Lund from San Antonio were running D Quincy loopers, and Steve Jones and I were both running D Konigs. I was the only one that had CD ignition. No one could keep their engines lit during testing. We hall had to downgrade prop pitch significantly to keep the revs up and the engines from fouling. My motor was the only one not to have trouble fouling. Do not know why to this day what the problem was, but it affected all of us. I have since wondered if atmospheric conditions at sea level closer to the equator might have had some aerodynamic affect on Muncey's boat where it responded differently.

Please Mr. Pete, keep up with your stories. You were in places to tell us some interesting inside stories.

From what I have heard from NHRA fuel guys, "Air conditions is everything"........ I wonder if the salt in the air caused something to tweak the fuel burn? Have you raced near salt air before?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Once before. Actually raced IN salt water, but don't remember anything unusual other than salt spray can really kill the spark quick. Lots of boat racing goes on around salt water like at Miami and San Diego, but I think it had to do with being so much closer to the equator. Many of those guys in your fantastic Powerboat edition raced at Clear Lake and Offats Bayou in Texas without anything unusual going on that I could see. Salt air was all around.

[Mr Pete]

Once before. Actually raced IN salt water, but don't remember anything unusual other than salt spray can really kill the spark quick. Lots of boat racing goes on around salt water like at Miami and San Diego, but I think it had to do with being so much closer to the equator. Many of those guys in your fantastic Powerboat edition raced at Clear Lake and Offats Bayou in Texas without anything unusual going on that I could see. Salt air was all around.

That makes sense...... It's just so odd that most of your competitors were suffering similar symptoms...( you were racing 2=stroke outboards, correct?)... ( bad gas delivered to the race site?)

Hmmm....

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Correct. Two cycle outboards with 20:1 methanol /casor oil medical grade. Fuel might have been the problem, but we brought our own fuel in on the trailer. Learned in 1969 not to trust anyone supplying the fuel for you on site. The problem seemed to be air/fule ratio. It was like all the engines were running too rich including mine, and the only way to keep them from loading up (we didn't have any jets to change out because we never had to do that anywhere in the U.S. we raced) was to go to smaller diameter and/or smaller pitch props. I think we probably all went with accelerating wheels for the 500cc motors. I was only able to perform better I think because my CD ignition was giving me a better burn on the fuel, but I had to use a much smaller prop also. This was the only time that all the drivers had the same problem, and the only time we raced that far south.

The local inboard flatbottom and OPC boats were set up to run in the conditions because that was where they lived and raced. We were invited to the Acapulco Cup as a demonstration to show the people how fast small outboards could run. We were sorry that we could not put on much of a show. We were down probably twenty to thirty miles per hour. Where we would normally float our sponsons down the straight, they were just skimming the surface and pounding the water. An FMM (Federacion Mexicana Motonautica representative invited us down after delivering Mexican Licenses to us at the UIM OD World Championships at Laredo, Texas earlier that year. He was amazed at our boats and wanted us to participate in the festival which included the Copa de Acapulco. We had a great time, and all the officials and people were great. We just didn't perform because of reasons we still don't know about.

ADD: The prettiest pits we ever were in

[Ron Hill]

I don't know where the Tri Cities are but I was wondering, if you saw a "Blow Over" maybe it was.

While piloting Miss Budweiser in 1982, Chenoweth was killed on the Columbia River (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River) in Washington (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_(state)) on July 31.[14] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Chenoweth#cite_note-14) During Saturday morning qualifying for the next day's Columbia Cup (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Cup) at the Tri-Cities (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-Cities,_Washington), the boat was traveling at about 175 mph (280 km/h) when it blew over and impacted inverted.[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Chenoweth#cite_note-trrady-3) He suffered massive head, neck, and chest injuries; when pulled from the water, he was unconscious and did not have a pulse. Chenoweth was taken to Kennewick (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennewick,_Washington) General Hospital, and was pronounced dead 45 minutes after the accident.[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Chenoweth#cite_note-trrady-3)[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Chenoweth#cite_note-erghrk-4)
Less than ten months earlier, hydroplane racing legend Bill Muncey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Muncey) was killed during the last race of the 1981 season at Acapulco (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acapulco), Mexico (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico).[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Chenoweth#cite_note-trrady-3)[15] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Chenoweth#cite_note-bmkirmh-15)

[Mr Pete]

Thank you Ron...... That is what I witnessed on the water.....
( So, it was Dean I spoke to after his jog in the hot weather, at the host hotel that morning.......

It was all new to me then, and my memory is 'slight' from then....

I do remember... hauling the newly-rigged Aronow from San Francisco to Tri Cities..... I discovered the east-half of Oregon is nearly a desert !!
And the little towns, we stopped for food/gas...... The residents could not make out what the hell we were hauling..... Some thought it was a fighter jet.....

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Kinda look like this Pete? Even the Columbia River didn't have many trees growing on the banks.

How old were you back then? I always have fond memories of driving to Washington and Oregon.

[Mr Pete]

Wow, yea...... I barely remember what the landscape was, around the river.... My attention and focus was nearby ( My 1st day with a Hydroplane environment & the boat I just hauled )....
But I remember the east Oregon landscape, driving there...... I recall, there was about 6 miles of highway, cut to dirt.... For a repave..... THAT was dusty & slow !!

Showed up to the event site and washed everything !!

(( 1982 ?? )) I was 27 years old.

The second photo, shows the Aronow parked in front of my Dad's house ( north of the Golden Gate Bridge) in Marin County, California ( I slept over night / The neighbors didn't know what to think!! )..... Coming from Seattle, headed 20 minutes south to Howard Arneson's shop,...... Then continued south to Los Angeles, to Keith Black's shop to refresh the Hemi's....

Rear view ( 1st photo) was from the front yard of of Gary Garbrecht's "Second Effort Racing" facility in Lake Hamilton, Florida..... After our Clear Lake, Tx race..... Finishing the season.

Imagine the length of the rig....... 80 + feet long!!! The fun part was the trailer..... A converted mobile home trailer !! ( Yikes !!! ) I needed 2 football fields to make a u-turn, since I was hooked to a ball hitch !!

[Mr Pete]

1st photo is team member, the great Keith Black (The hat Keith is wearing is a gift we got from Red Adair. I parked the boat at the Houston pits. Then went to the restaurant for dinner with Gary Garbrecht., Keith B & Red Adair...... Gary asked me how the new pits were and I said, "Great"!! The design was fabulous for the teams. I was informed, the gentleman sitting with us is Red Adair. Red invested in the pit area.
( Red had a smile) and was happy to hear how nice the pits were! Red pulled out some 'Red Adair Oil Well Fire" hats and gave them to us.
( I still have the hat)
Next photo is Don Aronow with us in San Diego
The 2 photos of Chip..... Not really clear which site this was......

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Mr. Pete why don't you start your own thread. I'm sure you have a lot more stories to tell and pictures to post. I'm afraid some of us might forget where your stuff is posted this deep in the autograph collection. I would like to be able to go straight to your stuff when I want to see your posts.

Regarding Red Adair, Yes he did invest a lot in Clear Lake and was responsible for all the races there as far as I know. The races he put on attracted drivers from coast to coast. You could see all the top names there.

Richard Hatteberg raced with Red and also fought wild wells with him. Richard told me to give him a call if any well blew out in South Texas. Our company and Halliburton always worked with Red on blowouts in our area. One day a well blew out between our shop in Alice and the Mexican border. I called for Richard, but the secretary told me he was in Indonesia fighting a wild well. She patched me in to Red, and when he answered I told him I couldn't hear him. He told me "Just a minute" and he slowed his boat down. He told me was was in the middle of Clear Lake and the wind noise was killing the call.

My cap is long gone, but I still have this belt buckle.

[Mr Pete]

Mr. Pete why don't you start your own thread. I'm sure you have a lot more stories to tell and pictures to post. I'm afraid some of us might forget where your stuff is posted this deep in the autograph collection. I would like to be able to go straight to your stuff when I want to see your posts.

Regarding Red Adair, Yes he did invest a lot in Clear Lake and was responsible for all the races there as far as I know. The races he put on attracted drivers from coast to coast. You could see all the top names there.

Richard Hatteberg raced with Red and also fought wild wells with him. Richard told me to give him a call if any well blew out in South Texas. Our company and Halliburton always worked with Red on blowouts in our area. One day a well blew out between our shop in Alice and the Mexican border. I called for Richard, but the secretary told me he was in Indonesia fighting a wild well. She patched me in to Red, and when he answered I told him I couldn't hear him. He told me "Just a minute" and he slowed his boat down. He told me was was in the middle of Clear Lake and the wind noise was killing the call.

My cap is long gone, but I still have this belt buckle.

Cool buckle !!

( Funny..... I was wondering if my antics sort of took over this thread......

Maybe Ron has a thought for a thread to "share memories & photos "...... RON ?? What do you suggest??

Until then... I can't help myself....... ( Red Adair / Grandpa Seebold ).... OK... an autograph as required in here...

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Newly acquired by Steve Wetherbee. Steve never got the chance to race boats, but he pitted for his Dad Alex who was both APBA National Champion in B Hydro 1951 and NOA World Champion B hydro 1951. His Dad Alex was 100 yards from winning the Albany to New York Marathon in 1949 when he ran out of fuel. Steve's uncle Tommy was a top competitor in the Lone Star racing circuit from the mid sixties to the mid seventies. Alex and Tommy were the ones to beat in B hydro.

Steve has gotten big time into restoring alky motors and boats in the last several years. He has the A runabout Jim Shoch was driving when he and Jerry Simison stood their boats on the transom and clanked chines at the start at DePue in 1969. He has motors from a lot of other well known drivers as well.

This is a signed photo Steve picked up recently of Roy Rogers. It is from a promotional poster sent to all Mercury distributors in 1951.

I had trouble downloading the pic for some reason. Tried three times. If it doesn't work.... I' try again tomorrow..

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Roy rogers

Got it this time. Something has changed. Have to learn something new.

[racingfan1]

I caught this start at Pleasent Prairie Wisconsin at an USTS race.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Great photo Dale, and good job on getting all the autographs.

[DeanFHobart]

Roy rogers

Got it this time. Something has changed. Have to learn something new.

Now that is cool. Agua horse Trigger.

[WaltZucher]

I missed getting autographs from a number of Telegram betting (https://telegrambetting.club/), but I was fortunate enough to get all three of these. The battle of the Jr.'s Stanley Leavendusky, Jr., Paul Bogosian, Jr. and Fred Hauenstein, Jr.

This was taken at the Pro Nationals at DePue in 1974. I believe this is D Racing Runabout, allthough it could be CRR. I had thought at first that Fred won D, but it was actually C Racing Runabout that he won that year.
https://eldfall-chronicles.com/product/2x-golems/

Hi there! Welcome to the forum! That's a great picture, and certainly a memorable moment to have gotten autographs from all three of those racers. It's quite impressive that they all happened to be in the same place at the same time! What event did they all take part in?