Jane Smith

[Ed Hatch]

Jane Smith raced SO and Alkies for years, early 60's to mid 70's . I believe she raced out of Riddley Park, PA for most of her racing career.

I'm restoring a Sid-Son hydro she raced in 350CC. Spring '05 debut, Lake WallenpaupackIMD

[David Weaver]

Jane and Ralph were a great pair!! Jane certainly was a class act with her white racing gloves!! They always had a boxer dog with them. Purchased Jane's 125 hydro rig around 1980 and Ralph passed away the night that we left with the boat. Last saw Jane at a race in Canadagua, New York around 1984.

My dad first met Jane and Ralph at the SO nationals in Wisconsin (195_). Jane had a fast C-stock hydro, but was a little lite on weight. So Ralph put a few sind bags in the nose to add weight. Of course these became wet and then saturated. Suddenly, Jane could hardly get on plane!

[Ron Hill]

At Beloit, 1960, my dad met Ralph and Jane. Jane didn't qualify, as was noted above. My dad like AMOCO gas, but west of the Mississippi we couldn't get it, so after Jane didn't qualify, we borrowed their fuel...

I wasn't anxious to switch gases for the final, as I had top qualifying time. But my dad knew.... I won the first heat DU and after four restarts of which I was leading everytime, I was Dq'd for jumping... Dean Chenoweth, came to me after the second heat and said, "You didn't jump any of the starts. You won." That meant a lot, but I wanted my first APBA National Championships...

The Referee's son had been disqualified by my father in 1952, at the Oakland Nationals, for a cutI foot...I think Beloit was the last time he Refereed a Nationals...

Sorry to go "OFF".....
Here are some pictures from Boat News, 1969. OWned by Ruth Ellen Wilson...Clay Smith's wido and Red Wilson's wideo

[Ron Hill]

Hope you can read it...

[Ron Hill]

Dick O'Dea did all of her engine work for years.....

[Mike Schmidt]

I ran against her in AOH (now 250cch) through the 70's. I got beat by her more then a couple of times. In fact I got wet, real wet more than a few times. She was tought. Raced BSH in Region 3 kind of tough. After Ralph passed away she sold off everything. In 1980 my wife and I stopped at her house on the way to Lakeland and picked up her Yale 250 hydro. Just a great lady.

Couple of years ago I ran into Dick O'Dea at a wake. We got talking about Jane and Ralph. Jane was at Dick's shop picking up her "A" Looper. She complained that Ralph was always messing with the high speed needle and it cost her some races. While the motor was still sitting in his test tank, Dick tightened up the packing nut and took out a hacksaw and cut the needle off flush.

In the mid 60's Jane was on a national T.V. show. I think it was called "What's my line".

Michael D-1

[High Point]

In my first racing go-around, I raced Stock Outboard from 1973 - 1976 mostly in Region 4. During this time I remember Jane running mostly AOH and BOH. I have a mental picture of Ralph standing in the water (didn’t he wear hip boots, the kind with suspenders?) next to Jane’s boat, rope on the flywheel, waiting for the starting gun.

I don’t remember a time when her engine didn’t start - she always made it out on the course. And I remember that her boats and engines always looked first class.

And I can say that I had the pleasure of racing against her too. When the 25SS class was first introduced there weren’t enough boats in Region 4 to run BSH and 25SSH separately. So the race committees allowed all 25SS boats to run against the B Stocks as a combined BSH class.

But I loved to race so much that sometimes I would step-up my 25SSH to AOH. On a clear day I could start first and be dead last before the first turn. Jane and Malcolm Harden were two that always passed me. In one race I think it happened simultaneously with one to my left and one to my right flying by.

But on a day with a little wind and a little chop, just enough that an alky would have to back off the throttle a little, or on a day with some moisture in the air, things would be different. I have a 1st Place AOH trophy from the 1974 races at Essex, Maryland that makes me smile every time I come across the box in my basement.

[Ron Hill]

Looks like the same picture of Jane that was in the Boat News article...

[Ron Hill]

A Master Oil, Wayne Baldwin photo...