Bakersfield Memories...

[Ron Hill]

Bakersfield Memories...

My first race was at Hart Park, 1955...So I have many memories of Hart Park...and Bakersfield.

When they raced around the island at Hart Park, they never had bouys in the first turn...everyone knew if someone tried to cut the course.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Ron--I figured if you didn't already have copies of this you needed it.

[Ron Hill]

36 years ago today was March 9, 1969....

And I remember it like yesterday...except, I never REMEMBERED being beat in my F Runabout....But the salt water caught up with me here...

I have many USA, VSA, SCOA and LASA Monthly papers....but ain't smart enough to scan them like you did.....Broc, might help me...

Check this out: These people are still active in Boat Racing.

1. Cathy McConnell...Jimbo's wife
2. Dave Mayer: With J. Michael Kelly driving, won 500 CC (Sprint class) Nationals 2003. He's going to DePue this year.
3. Fred Hauenstein Jr...
4.Paul Grichar: Still driving those Flat Bottoms...He was at Bakersfiled. He's running the Parker 300 Marathon
5. Ernie Dawe: Still building boats for many, including Gary Lewis, Tammy Dawe and Steven Dawe...
6. Rod Zapf: Our Capnzee right here!
7. Tom Patterson: Had his Cracker Box at Bakersfiled!!!
8. Gary William's son, won 45 SS for the weekend.
9. Danny Mang: Still drives GN and Cracker Boxes, may have raced Sunday!!
10. Rich Fuchslin: His son Paul is "HOT" in the PRO Division
11. Ron Hill: Still stumbling around... Oldest son raced 45 at Bakersfield
12. Frank Zorkan: Building boats and helping any and everyone
13. Jim Schonfeldt still runs F Runabout, now and then..

Others:

Julie Seaman: Is an attorney in Fresno, never married, but adopted several children
Eric Huhn: Owns his own Heating and Air conditioning business. Has been working on my house
Steve Mullholland: Bought Gar Wood's shop in Detroit and ismaking it into a museum.
Dick Davidson: Very successful Air conditioning and heating business
Donny Hauesnstein: Flying planes in Alaska
K.C. Parson: retired in Lodi, California
Ken Scoville, Jr. is in the Marine Repair business in Colorado and Inspects at the ChampBoat Series Races
Brett May makes hydralic steering for Offshore Race Boats in Florida
Marcel Belleville lives in Newport-Ricthy, Florida and loves it...flys his plane all over hell...
Jeff Fritz is an Attorney in Yuma, Arizona

Gone but not forgotten:

Wade Terrill: My first boat was a Terrill runabout...Spent man a week in the summers at his house. He loved outboard racing more than anyone I ever knew. His last Konig A Lower unit, was sold to Eric Huhn, Eric had it for 30 years, I bought it and sold it, last month, to Joe Johnson...(Joe you take care of that foot, it was Wade's "A" unit...)
Bill Rucker Sr. Gone, but I will never forget Bill Jack Rucker's driving or his friendship: Bill Jack Rucker Jr. won the SST 120 World Championships, last year, at age 55.
Wilson Seam, Julie's dad. Great old Champion Hot Rod racer....Probably still leaving the bottom two screws loose on the exhaust plates of those Hot Rods up there in Heaven. (See Hot Rods need more exhaust relief, Wilson found by leaving the bottom two screws loose, the gasket blew out and 2 mph... He and the family, which I think Allan Fedderson was part of the family, were great competitors..) Allan still runs MODS in IOWA!!!
John Stevens was Lon Stevens son, cancer!
Vito Adragna: Helped Ted May build boats, lived his last years in Elsinore. He'd ride his bike up to see my dad when my dad lived in Elsinore...heart failure.
Roy Miner: We called him "Smooth Water" because he only raced in smooth water...Quite a guy, built some great props and engines!!! Not everyone in California liked him but he didn't care...I always liked him!!!Heart failure..
Leo Booth, a friend to all of us, from Needles. Very talented driver...very talented person. In 1979, at age 15, he built his own "A" motor and propeller and qualified in A Hydro at the Nationals...wasn't anything he couldn't do. Handsome, likeable....drugs got him...Ernie Dawe and myself took his death very hard...we thought we should done something...


Ted May is alive but not well!!!

Thanks for posting, Wayne...brought back too many memories I'm afraid!!!

[oldalkydriver]

Ron,
It sure is funny seeing LASA Programs being posted. In San Diego, The Pacific Power Boat Association used to call it's club magazines; The Starting Line and The Finish Line!
By the way, Jay Root teaches auto shop some place in La Mesa or Grossmont School District. I can't remember if Jay drove Torphanains F Runabout before Craig Spencer or after. I just remember comming back to California from Georgia in '68 and John was campaigning Jay all across the US to get US1! Another name that I saw in the Long Beach results, Steve Whalen. He was the man who got Torphanian started with the Yamaha cyclinders![IMG]

[carl lewis]

One memory I have is when ever DSH was raced either Larry Lister or Dick Davinson and or Jimmy Dawe would always get into some kind of fight either pushing, name calling or a few punches. it seemed like region 11 Vs. region 12
I do remember Ron usually taking this all in a few feet away from the action, mostlikly sizing up the action for the second heat.
Marc Lister would soon join in as well, this would go on for a heat any way and then break up so they could refuel the boats and get ready for round 2.
one year Dick decited to find a spot in the first turn where there was no room and forced his boat in there, the only problem was that Larry was there so the outcome, Dick in first and Larry dead in the water in the first turn with a broken arm.

more to come....
Carl Lewis 94-R

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Ron,

Is Hart park named after a boat racing family? There was a fine elderly gentleman from California who spent the night at my dad's house. My dad, as usual cooked a fine meal and we spent the night talking about west coast racing. I believe his name was Al Hart. He had blueprints of a racecourse he designed for maximum cornering speed. He forgot to take them with him and I intended to mail them, but never got around to getting his address.

[Ron Hill]

Al Hart was APBA's Chief Motor Inspector when my dad started inspecting.

Had Hart Park had any connection to Al Hart or any racing family, I feel I'd have heard about it. Manny Carnakis was Mayor of Bakersfield when he built Lake Ming and Lake Buena Vista...

[oldalkydriver]

Al Hart and Otto Crocker! Now there are some names from the past. My Uncle Fred Jackson (48 cubic inch hydro) used to run around together. I believe all are dead now. True, Al was the chief inspector way ... way ... way back. He later join Otto Crocker as chief timers. Uncle Fred used to go visit Al and Otto every year until Al or Otto died. I believe Otto went first, cause Uncle Fred would always go to Northern California to visit Al. I can't remember when Uncle Fred died.

About Hart Park and Lake Ming. Don't know how Hart Park got its name, but I do remember that Mrs. Ming lost a son to a boating acxcident in Hart Park and either donated the money or was in on the building of Lake Ming. Hence the name.

[oldalkydriver]

I have a couple black and white 8x10's of Lake Ming in 1962. Got to drive one of Torphanian's F Runabouts while on 3 day pass from Fort Ord. Unfortunately it wasn't the one that dad and John built in our back yard. It was the old Curly Owens boat from the fifties with a little extra bottom added to the right side. Someone thought that it would keep it from rolling to the right. As I told John, "there are two ways to keep this boat from rolling to the right! 1. Slow down as this boat did not like cornering. (Look at the old Long Beach photos if I can ever post them. Too large!) 2. Find a corner that is just as long as the straitaway! I don't think he liked either answer. Blew by every one on the back strait, then I found out how allergic this boat was to cornering.

I keep following the instructions for posting, and it still says file is 545kbs. Someone please explain how to reduce the size and I'll bring back some memories of "F's".

[Mark75H]

545 is about 10 times as big as it needs to be. Email it to me and I will resize it for you.

-Sam

Mark75H@aol.com

[WharfRat]

:) Sam, should we just say send it to either of us & we will gladly resize pics for anyone on the site :)


I will help with computer problems as well :)