Lone Star Boat Racing Association

[jrome]

Dale Sellers drove 250 cc Hydro and was good at it. I was just talking with Denny Henderson about him and thought that I would post some pictures of him. We have some great memories of him when we were all members of the Lone Star Boat Racing Association. Bobby Wilson and Dale were a "tuff" team to beat!!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Photo No.3 Wonder what happened? Maybe he blew an engine, hole in a sponson, crew deserted?...........He is flying the Lone Star flag upside down.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Some people would think we were crazy to spend a weekend getting beat up, standing in water for hours on end,skimming and flying plywood (as Jim McKean said) over the water at bone breaking speeds for 20 bucks.

Dale Sellers not only did all that, but if memory serves me correctly he hung red iron for a living. He helped build the original Six Flags over Texas--the tall tower you drop from.

He is standing hundreds of feet above the ground and the wind starts a big beam spinning around. I ask him "what do you do?" He said "They let one end bang into the building." He also added that you have to pay attention.

Dale....Here are some photos for you.

[Mike Schmidt]

Second shot down, is that Denny looking at the motor?

Michael D-1

[jrome]

yes that is goldie locks henderson.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

If you ever raced Alkies in Texas, keep tuned in. You may find a photo of yourself.

[Guy]

Wayne,
I don't remember the year of the San Antonio PRO Nationals (1978 I seem to believe), but I do remember a rather amazing flip (I think it was a blowover in a 500 or 700, but it was so long ago I can't recall) with a comical out-come. I'm thinking that it might have been you (or you might recall who it was).

David Eldredge, I believe Kristi Hellsten and myself were wading in waist deep water watching a high flying Butts Hydro making a few laps. On the last lap, the guy dumps it right in front of us! The driver flew through the air flailing like crazy, and finally landed in the water & weeds about 10 feet away from us.
After ran over to him and made sure the driver was ok, we told him he gets an overall score of a "9" on that flip. The driver then responded, "Geesh, what do I gotta do to get a "10" ??!!" We said "you gotta land in that", as we pointed to a chair sitting in the water about 3 feet behind him. The driver then stood up, shook his head and walked off mumbling something about a tough crowd.

Was that you??!!

Guy

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's A great story, but it wasn't me. I was in the air numerous times, but always managed to land back in the water right side up except in DePue 1974. That was my only "real" blowover. Maybe someone out there will remember. Let's hear some more stories.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Guy---Was thinking about your story, and if I were to make a guess as to who that was, I'm saying Pete Voss. If it was him, he is telling the same story about you kids from his point of view. He's a funny guy.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here's some old photos I dug up from the time I started racing in Texas

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A few photos from Marine Creek Lake Fort Worth 1975

[denny henderson]

It was Don Nichols. He said, "It was feelin so good." It was a new aero-wing and D Konig. He ended up with a small cut over his eye. Doc Collins put a bandaid on it and told him "You ain't hurt," and sent him on his way.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

After Ray Hardy sold his hard chrome plating plant in Chicago, he moved to Texas and raced with us Lone Star guys. For those who have raced at Beaumont know the milling area is a little tight and spectators watching from boats have a line they're not supposed to cross. Sometimes boats sneak across and they have to be told continually to move back. The dude in the yacht probably figured he had enough money to put his boat where he wanted to.

Anyway, Ray and another boat were watching the clock. At the last minute they realized they were on a collision course with the yacht. Ray was unable to steer out of the way, I think because of the boat to his inside. One of his pickleforks punctured the yacht. The owner ran up to the bow and jumped down on Ray's boat and attempted to punch him out. Of course Ray was well padded with his Lifeline jacket and helmet on. The other guy also got scratches on his ankles from Rays deck as his feet punched through the thin plywood. See the duct tape on Ray's deck where he poked through, and the taped up picklefork. I wish I could remember what was said that Ray was reponding to in the third photo.

The last I heard the owner of the Yacht sued APBA, but I never heard the outcome. Unfortunately in Texas, big money and stupidity oftentimes win out.

[denny henderson]

Wayne,
My dad started taking me to boat races in 1950 and I have seen and heard many, many boat racing stories over the years. Without question the two funniest things I have ever seen at a boat race both happened at Beaumont, and I think they both happened on the same day. The best was when Ray Hardy hit the drunk yacht owner, as you described. I believe the court case was finally dropped after a few months. Thanks for reminding me of my favorite boat racing story.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Denny--what was the other story?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Just a few photos laying around. Don't know if the first one will turn out. Got kind of weird when I edited it.

[PaulThurston]

I love the look of those runabouts. They look great fun.

[jrome]

Here are some old photos of good friends from the Lone Star Boat Racing Association days. Does anyone know who the run about driver is?

[David Weaver]

Joe,

The 4th photo down must have been at Alex. in 1972. Behind a youg Denny Henderson is my dad's boat trailer. It is easily recognizable by the University of North Carolina Tarheel sticker in the left corner of the door. That had to be the hottest race I ever attended. Louisiana in August was tough.

David Weaver

[Tim Small]

When I was driving Elmer Grades 250 back in the day, we were at the 79 nationals at Alex. In the first final heat I had the inside going to the first turn, but when I got there and tried to back off, the pipe and throttle stuck wide open. If I would have tried to make the turn I would have barrel rolled it so I tried to swing wide hoping to not flip and have 11 guys run me over. Well here comes Dale from way on the outside where he liked to start. I started to swing wide when it felt like a train hit me from the right side. Dale hit me broad side and had a terrible flip. I turned back to see if he was OK when I noticed I was sinking. I made it back to the pits, but dale had a bad back injury. I have always felt bad about that accident and never got to say I was sorry to him. The only funny thing about the whole story was that it was a brand new Yale that we borrowed from Nick Birbirie after Skip didnt qualify. Nick kept everything spotless and Elmer said to Nick, dont worry if we scratch it I will buy it. Well when I came in from the wreck Nick almost cried when he saw the boat. Needless to say Elmer bought the boat.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Tim--Might this be you in Nick's boat?

[Tim Small]

Wayne, Dont think thats me. That looks like a Butts from the last photo. I didnt quite go all the way under. We kept the engine above the water and patched the boat up for the final. I won the final, but Malcolm Harden had a 1st and a 3rd, and I had a 1st and a DNF. Great stories and photos you have been posting, keep it up, it brings back great memories.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Barbon, Lake Corpus Christi, TX 1974

[Jeff Lytle]

Looks like an early 4 pipe RC-5 Yamato hanging off Jim McKean's hydro.

[jrome]

Here is a rare picture of Wayne Baldwin driving a runabout. Louis is in front in his Fillinger. Wayne told me about one of his early races when he conked out in the first turn. Louis Williams came by him within a few feet and washed him down. Next lap, Wayne drifted out a little further, again Louis came by him again just as close as he did the first time. I think he was trying to intimidate the young racer. :)

[jrome]

Welcome Joe Cohen and Craig Lawrence.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Some shots from my newly found pile of pictures.

[kjmcbride69]

The picture of mom and dad is great. These pictures really bring back alot of memorys. :) :)

[denny henderson]

Wayne,
The incident I was refering to envolved Louis Williams friend "Roddy", and was funny only to those of us who saw it happen. There was a pier that extended out into the river 20' or so, with pleasure boats tied along side it. To help drivers see the flags, there would be a flagman out on the end of the pier. That day it was Roddy, and by 3 or 4 o'clock he was waving around more than the flags were. Craig and I had been watching him for some time, staggering around, waving flags, when suddenly he just toppled off the pier and disappeared into the bottom of a pleasure boat.
We ran out and found him curled up and sound asleep. He never even knew what happened. I guess you had to be there.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Barbon, Lake Corpus Christi 1974.

I want you guys to tell some stories about things that happened at these races.

Those of us in the Corpus Christi Boat Club decided to build our own portable toilets and store them on the ranch part of Barbon to save money. They were BIG. About 4 X 4 X 8 with 4 X 6 skids. They were heavy and it took 3 or 4 people to load them, but there were always racers around to help when we needed to move them.

It was the evening before the race in 1974,( I think it was the Texas State Championships), we were sitting around drinking beer and decided it was time to bring the two wooden toilets to the spectator area. We had sealed them up and nailed the doors shut after the races the previous year in order to keep critters out. A couple of guys handled the front of the skids, and handed off to some guys in the pickup. I was handling the rear skid on the side where the door opened, and when the toilet was tilted up, the heavy door opened so I just grabbed the door frame with my right hand to load it in the pickup. One of the San Antonio racers was standing there and he slammed the door shut with both hands, put his head down and pushed hard. It just so happened that he wasn't paying attention that he closed it on my right hand.

That wasn't the bad part. My hand was where one of the nails holding the door shut was. The nail in the door went through my hand between the middle finger and the right handed ring finger about halfway down my palm. I started hollering and everybody bailed out of the pickup or took off. They thought a bunch of wasps was attacking. Me, the guy holding the other rear skid and the one who slammed the door are still there holding on the the toilet so it wouldn't fall on us. In the meantime, I was still pinned down by the nail. I was hollering "open the door....open the door". Then when the others realized what was happening, they jerked it open and freed me.

The next day I could only close my thumb, index and middle finger so it was a little tough driving, but that's racing. We all had a good laugh about it.

[Miss BK]

Ouch! That story sounded painful. Glad you didn't get a serious infection, considering the nasty germs that must have been on THAT nail! :eek:

Hey! Is that little blonde tyke Sean McKean standing next to the gas can in the 4th photo???

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Good eye Val. Not 110% positive but that would be my bet.

Made it to the Doc Monday for a tetanus shot. The night before the races I took the recommended course of treatment to kill the pain. Looking around, you might have thought just about everyone had been nailed to the latrine.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These photos were taken by my cousin John Lacey. It was about 4 months before I started buying cameras and lenses.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Wayne and Denny:

The final outcome on the deal with Ray hiting the pleasure boat was about 4-5 years after the incident, APBA or I guess the insurance carrier settled with the drunk on the boat. The settlement was not for damage to his boat when Ray hit it, but the damage incurred to his ankles and lower legs when he jumped down on to the front deck of Ray's hydro and punched through the top deck and lacerated his legs and ankles. I know because Ray called me with the comment "guess what those dumb SOB's did about the accident", and then related the settlement story. He had to sign the papers on the settlement and the amount seems to stick in my mind as approx. 5000.00 they gave the dummy. Ray loved the sport and the people in it, and after he passed away last summer, Eileen and I were contacted by his surviving daughters in Chicago, and asked to put his ashes in Lake DePue. Thanks to many of his friends from that time period he raced, he made a few more laps around Lake DePue, and even won a few heats. Almost won the 250 Hydro championsip as deck rider but an engine failure did him in. We also made a small deposit in Fort Buhlow lake in Alex in the fall. He was one of a kind like your Dad Wayne, and there will never be another like him.

On another subject Wayne, tell the story about the jet boat guy that used to pester you to race him at Barbon when you and your Dad were testing. That is a funny one.

Bill Van

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I'm not sure this is the same one Bill Van, but there was one guy that kept wanting to race while we were testing our A hydro. (I think). Our A was probably running about 80 or a little better. He said his speedometer only went to 100 and he had it pegged. I don't really remember actually racing him, but I guess he hung out until we went back for another run, and I blew him away. We found out he had the pitot tube hung off the jet drive. If this isn't the right story, please tell the other one. Seems like I have forgotten a lot. BTW Bill Van, find Sam's thread on Your First Boat Race and tell us when you got started. Seems like you never told me before.

Wayne
P.S. After that I will post some pictures of you. You snuck in and signed on when I wasn't paying attention.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Correction Bill Van. This is all still fuzzy in my mind. I vaguely remember the story, but now that I think about it, it was Tim Butts that it happened to before he moved to Texas. I'm not sure of which story you recall. You'll have to refresh my memory.

Wayne

[SixCylRunabout]

I saw a runabout in the last pic on post #10 with T*73 on it and was wondering if that may have been Cleabern Phelp's old boat? I asked the Phelp's about it and they said they couldnt tell but he thought that you may have ended up with his boat. Can you shed a little more light into the details of that boat for me? I drive Super E hydro and runabout for him now and he still carries the same numbers on his boats. Thanks in advance Dwayne Laramore Buna Tx.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I don't think so Dwayne, but then again that was a long time ago. The A-B DeSilva on the far side was new from DeSilva via Bryan Marine. I can't remember if the C-D runabout that I think is the one you are referring to was new or used. If it was used, it probably came to us through Freddie Goehl and Arlen Crouch as well, but that would have been in 1966 or early 67. The first C I ran on it was a 2 cylinder Konig that was a vibratin' torque machine. We gave up on runabouts (no comment Steve) in 1969, and I don't remember where they ended up. What year did Phelps get rid of his runabout. As far as numbers go, are you saying that he has the number T-73? Maybe he got some of my old stuff.

Can you post some pictures of the rigs you are currently racing?

Wayne

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks for those photos David. Love that number. Hope ya'll have some more stuff to post from Alex. Was Artie Lund there? Still curious about the T-73 runabout of Cleabern Phelps.

[SixCylRunabout]

Wayne I got some info on Cleabern's racing career, he ran from 1956 to 1964. He had two Ashburn runabouts, a C/D boat and an F boat. He also had an F hydro that he ran a six cyl merc on, all three boats used T-73.According to the Phelps', Cleabern got out of racing about the time you got into it and just happened to pick his old number. When Cleabern got back into racing in 1990 he used his old number. Hope this helps clear things up. Thank you David for posting the pics of Cleabern's boats for me. Now I wish we could get a video or some pics of my "low altitude flying lessons". If anyone happens to have any please let me know. Dwayne Laramore T-73

[Master Oil Racing Team]

What a weird co-incidence. Our first real season was 1966. We had a DeSilva on order during the winter of 65-66 and we joined NOA. I had applied for the number T-65, but they rejected it...said someone else had it. So I picked T-73. I guess Cleabern didn't run NOA. Nobody ever told me that it used to be someone else's number. And I never DID see a T-65. BTW, which of the boats that David posted were you referring to.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I had a lot of road time yesterday on the way to & from Chihuahua (Texas, not Mexico), & I thought about the Memorial Day race at Highlands, Texas in 1975. Couldn't believe it was 30 years ago. I stuffed my D Hydro on the back straight doing about 90 or 95. Spent 10 days in the hospital and was out for the season except for the last race at our house in October. There were three funny stories that came out of that crash.

I came to in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I had been chewing Dentene gum and decided to take it out of my mouth. I reached in, pulled it out and handed it to one of the attendants. Instinctively he reached for it then suddenly recoiled, pulled his hand away and had a look of horror on his face. My face had blood on it and there was a big gash on my chin. I said to him "I don't feel like chewing this anymore." Then he calmed down and got a cup or something for me to put it in. I guess at first he thought it was a piece of jawbone or something.

My Dad had one of our pit men drive him to the hospital. He had a Chrysler with a big 440 engine---lots of power. They were on the access road behind a guy driving a step van. He was putting along about 20 or 25 mph oblivious to everything else. Jim was honking his horn and flashing his lights, but the guy wasn't paying any attention. My Dad was cussing, & he told Jim to drive around him on the dirt. Jim pulled over into the bar ditch and gassed it. That Chrysler started trenching the grass and they took off. There was a loaf of bread on the dash board and my Dad was going to bash the driver with it as they passed. He was angry, frustrated and worried all at the same time. Just when they got even with the driver, my Dad slung the loaf but it hit the doorframe of the car and split the bottom open. Here is this guy just Groovin' along having a wonderful time when suddenly he is pelted with about 20 slices of bread and dirt and rocks bouncing off his windshield. The poor guy was startled and swerved to the right, probably wondering what that was all about.

After about a week in the hospital, they made me get up and start walking down the hall. It was a Catholic hospital, so there were nuns frequently in the hallway. I had long hair then parted down the middle, and I had just started growing my beard because I couldn't shave. I was barefoot and wearing one of those hospital gowns. My Dad used to like to joke that whenever I passed one of those nuns in the hall, they would cross themselves.

[SixCylRunabout]

The boat I was refering to would be the hydro. I blew it over at Alexandria on April 23 or at least that is what I was told later. I don't remember much about the whole thing. I had a concussion and no other injuries, other than being real sore for about a week. It cracked some paint off of my new BELL helmet and broke one of the clips on the leg strap of my Lifeline jacket. Needless to say I hit the water pretty hard and don't plan on doing it again. Dwayne T-73

[jrome]

Below, you will find the pictures of Artie Lund and crew, Charlie Bailey and Robert, Joe Henderson, and Papa Smith with me.

[Coon Chance]

Wayne, I remember that crash. I think a spectator boat made a wake that caused the crash. I remember my grandfather (Jack Chance) being so upset that you were hurt, he was ready to quit racing that day..



I had a lot of road time yesterday on the way to & from Chihuahua (Texas, not Mexico), & I thought about the Memorial Day race at Highlands, Texas in 1975. Couldn't believe it was 30 years ago. I stuffed my D Hydro on the back straight doing about 90 or 95. Spent 10 days in the hospital and was out for the season except for the last race at our house in October. There were three funny stories that came out of that crash.

I came to in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I had been chewing Dentene gum and decided to take it out of my mouth. I reached in, pulled it out and handed it to one of the attendants. Instinctively he reached for it then suddenly recoiled, pulled his hand away and had a look of horror on his face. My face had blood on it and there was a big gash on my chin. I said to him "I don't feel like chewing this anymore." Then he calmed down and got a cup or something for me to put it in. I guess at first he thought it was a piece of jawbone or something.

My Dad had one of our pit men drive him to the hospital. He had a Chrysler with a big 440 engine---lots of power. They were on the access road behind a guy driving a step van. He was putting along about 20 or 25 mph oblivious to everything else. Jim was honking his horn and flashing his lights, but the guy wasn't paying any attention. My Dad was cussing, & he told Jim to drive around him on the dirt. Jim pulled over into the bar ditch and gassed it. That Chrysler started trenching the grass and they took off. There was a loaf of bread on the dash board and my Dad was going to bash the driver with it as they passed. He was angry, frustrated and worried all at the same time. Just when they got even with the driver, my Dad slung the loaf but it hit the doorframe of the car and split the bottom open. Here is this guy just Groovin' along having a wonderful time when suddenly he is pelted with about 20 slices of bread and dirt and rocks bouncing off his windshield. The poor guy was startled and swerved to the right, probably wondering what that was all about.

After about a week in the hospital, they made me get up and start walking down the hall. It was a Catholic hospital, so there were nuns frequently in the hallway. I had long hair then parted down the middle, and I had just started growing my beard because I couldn't shave. I was barefoot and wearing one of those hospital gowns. My Dad used to like to joke that whenever I passed one of those nuns in the hall, they would cross themselves.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Western Division Championships for Watermelon Eating. Marine Creek Lake, Fort Worth 1978.

1. All eyes are on the clock at the approach.

2. Good Start! No gun jumpers.

3. Joe Cohen takes the lead over his closest competitor.

4. Ray Yates, Jr. floods out in the turn.

5. Joe Cohen, Texas transplant from Minnesota, takes the win and moves into the top seed position.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

In the early seventies about the time of the first oil embargo and the 55MPH speed limit inception, everyone was getting speeding tickets right and left going back and forth to the boat races. Baldy showed up at a race he was promoting at Dayton Hydrobowl driving his usual Surburban but this time there was a 48" inch long florescent lite tube on the top of the dash right behind the windshield. The tube was wrapped with copper wire very neatly wound very tightly from one end to the other of the tube, and there may have been some electronic gizmo attached to the end of the wire, I don't remember now but knowing Baldy, I wouldn't be surprised. Anyway everyone there of course was very curious about the purpose of the light tube and immediately wanted to know what it was for, me included. Baldy went into a long explanation about how police radar at that time could be fooled into thinking that a car was not traveling over the speed limit, but within the legal speed, by a combination of the effect of the gas inside the tube in conjunction with the distance between the coils wound around the tube and the relationship between that distance and the waveform or some such BS of the radar wave being aimed at you by the cops. Anyway, it made you "stealthy" way before the term came into wide use and caused you to either not appear on the radar or if you did at some speed below the legal limit so you didn't have to worry about getting a ticket. Since Baldy was involved in the promotion to the race, he arrived early, probably at least by wednesday before the weekend. This gave plenty of time for a large number of boat racers to get to the local hardware/electrical stores near to the lake and buy lite tubes and copper wire. There was much discussion the next few days about just how far the coils of wire had to be apart when wound around the tube and the correct placement of the tube on the dash behind the windshield to be completely effective and render you invisable to police radar so you could drive home as fast as you wanted with out getting a ticket. The race went off and sunday afternoon late as Baldy was packed up and pulling out to go back to Barbon, he happened to stop at a trash barrel next to my trailer, and pitched the lite tube in it. I immediately asked why he was disposing of it, and he gave me that s**t eating grin and said, "got ya again, didn't I", and then laughed that laugh you would never forget if you heard it once.Well he did of course, but not only me but a bunch of other guys also. There were many other "gotchas" from Baldy over the years I knew him, but never mean, just in great fun. I really miss him.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Bill Van--That flourescent tube scheme came from my brother-in-law who was stationed at Fort Benning, and some radar guys told him about it. The real convincer was when Frannie Patrillo rigged one up on his blue pickup with a camper shell. Someone had a radar gun and it would not pick him up. So, like you say a bunch of guys went out and rigged one up. By the time we got to LaCrosse for the nationals the following weekend I think everyone had a ticket except Frannie. Turned out that he had a cop friend back in New Jersey check out his pickup and for some reason it was stealthy with or without the tube. We had a lot of good laughs, & that was one I always will remember.

[lizzie henderson]

Some people would think we were crazy to spend a weekend getting beat up, standing in water for hours on end,skimming and flying plywood (as Jim McKean said) over the water at bone breaking speeds for 20 bucks.

Dale Sellers not only did all that, but if memory serves me correctly he hung red iron for a living. He helped build the original Six Flags over Texas--the tall tower you drop from.

He is standing hundreds of feet above the ground and the wind starts a big beam spinning around. I ask him "what do you do?" He said "They let one end bang into the building." He also added that you have to pay attention.

Dale....Here are some photos for you.

Hey, I know that little gal driving the #86 boat! I sure had great fun all those years I raced against those Wilson boys and everyone else. Had fun building that boat and painting it too. I have your dad to thank, Wayne, for helping me get started with my rig. And, oh yes, "Goldie Locks Henderson" too for helping me get it set up at my first race. That got us started and after 27 years, we are still together, and still racing.

[lizzie henderson]

Hey, I know that little gal driving the #86 boat! (top of #3 set) WOW, I sure had great fun all those years I raced against those Wilson boys and everyone else. That boat was the first of many that I would help Denny build over the next few decades. I have your dad to thank, Wayne, for helping me get started with my first rig. And, oh yes, "Goldie Locks Henderson" too, for helping me get it set up at my first race. That got Denny and me started, and after 27 years, we are still together and still racing. :D

[lizzie henderson]

Hey, I know that little gal driving the #86 boat (top pic in #3 set). WOW, I sure had great fun all those years I drove and raced against those little Wilson boys and everyone else. That boat was the first of many that I would help Denny build over the next couple of decades. I have your dad to thank, Wayne, for helping me to get started with my first rig. And, oh yes, "Goldie Locks Henderson" too, for helping me get it set up at my first race. That got Denny and me started, and after 27 years, we are still together and still racing. :D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Glad to hear from you Lizzie. I've got a bunch of pictures of you to post. In the meantime, some other LSBRA guys. Mostly from San Antonio this time.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Lone Star up North. Winona, Minnesota

[Master Oil Racing Team]

More of Winona. 1975

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I graduated from college Dec 71 & had to go to work Jan 72, so Alexandria that year was a good escape. That was also the race where the first CDF Butts Aerowing went into the water.

[Mike Schmidt]

Wayne, you should have made the trip. Was some great racing. Henderson killed the field in 250. Won all three heats. Was by far the fastest and drove his butt off.

Nicholson damn near won 250 Runabout. He had the fastest boat out there and drove real well. I think he ended up second.

You would have been very proud of both of them.

Michael D-1

[Master Oil Racing Team]

....DePue came too early after my vacation. A few more weeks and I could have covered it. Talked to Louis Williams today and he was filling me in. I'm very proud of the Lone Star guys. And I know it wasn't intentional so don't feel bad, but you left out Sean McKean. I understand he put in a solid sterling performance in 700 hydro. Wish I could have seen it. Besides not being able to talk face to face with Johhny Dortch & John Jr, my Texas friends and you and others I would have liked to have met Mike Johnson. I am going to work on trying to make it next year.

[Doug Hall Y51]

Wayne, like Mike said you missed a great time. Depue is always a great place, wether you are racing or just there to see all the great people. We worked our butts off and came up short but we had a great time. It is always great to see all the older racers. John Dortch was there again and it is always great to see him. Lets make plans for a big get together next year. It would be good to see Stan Leavendusky too. I see he joined BRF. Wayne keep posting those great pictures and we hope to see you at a race soon.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks Doug. I've heard from several people already about what went on. The other day I forgot to congratulate the Lone Star guys for their performances. Great job Denny Henderson, Sean McKean, and ......Bruce Nicholson............you have too much history not to be a member here.

Ray Yates called today and is changing the date for the LSBRA reunion. Now just because you don't live in Texas doesn't mean you can't come. Johnny Dortch and John Jr. are both honorary members. Reles LeBlanc and Don Nichols are from Louisiana and have always been members of LSBRA, so you come too David Woodall. If you like raceboats and want to come to the historic Baytown Boat Club, just hang loose until the new date is firmed up.

Now the reason for this post at this time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE RAY T-7Jr!

[jrome]

Neches River Festival located in Beaumont, TX during the late sixties.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Joe Rome told me this story today, that I had never heard before. It occurred at Dumas, Arkansas. Wasn't there & don't know the year, but it brought tears to my eyes I was laughing so hard.

Ray Hardy came to Texas from Chicago around 1974 and we adopted him as an Honorary Texan. For those of you who never met him he was a mechanical genius and inventor, and he talked out of the side of his mouth in gangster fashion. Not meaning that he lied, but sounded like someone from the mob.

He got to Dumas late. Too late to test, and he was warned if he didn't check into the only motel soon, he might not have a room. So he and Bill Van Steenwyk decided that he would check in and leave the women with one car to get to the course the next morning. They would leave together at 6 am to get some testing in. Ray had a pretty good time checking out the hospitality of Dumas that night.

Bill Van was in the parking lot waiting for Ray at 6 am. After 15 minutes Bill Van called the room and Ray said he would be right down. Another 15 minutes passed and he called again. Ray said he was going to take a shower and be right down. Bill Van said he would give him a little more time, but if Ray wasn't there, he was going to leave. Bill Van got tired of waiting and was starting to drive off when Ray came limping up. He was beet red with a mouse over his eye that was swelling and he walked with a limp, and obviously with a bad headache.

Bill Van asked, "What happened to you?" Ray said after the last time he called he got into the shower and turned the cold on full blast to bring him around. "YEEEOOOOW!", Ray screamed. The hot and cold faucets had been reversed. Being scalded, Ray grabbed the shower curtain to block the steaming blast and got tangled up in the shower curtain. He lost his balance and started falling out of the tub. He put his free arm out to arrest his fall, which he did on the rim of the toilet. But, being wrapped up in the shower curtain, it was jerked from its mooring and slammed down on the back of his head, then knocked the toilet lid* down. The toilet lid slammed shut and smashed Ray's fingers causing Ray to fall head first to the floor, still partway in the tub. Hearing the commotion, Ray's wife jumped out of bed and ran toward the bathroom. "What is it Ray? Are you alright?" she hollered. Tangled up and trying to recover, Ray yelled "DON'T COME....SMASH!" The corner of the door caught Ray squarely on his eye. Joe says Ray wasn't worth nothin the rest of the weekend.

*It appears the moral of this story is..........don't leave the toilet lid up!

[jrome]

Bill Van actually should get the credit for this story instead of me, because he was an eye witness to this story. Wayne did a great job of telling the story as told to him, but Bill Van knows it play by play. Maybe Bill will tell us some more Ray Hardy stories, I know he must have a few good ones.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

....Joe Rome called. We got off the subject and ended up with the story about Ray Hardy. As we dubbed him an honorary Texan, and he lived out the rest of his life here in Texas, I put the story on LSBRA.

Now the photos of Calaveras Lake in San Antonio 1974. You may note a big power transmission line, or the towers. They went over the race course to a big generating plant that derived its cooling source from Calaveras. There was something I had happened on the back straight going under the power lines. It only happened in 250 hydro, only on the back straight. As I came close to the power lines, the motor started to cut out and the tail end of the hydro was a little squirrely. We weren't close to the water discharge so I never did understand what was going on, but something was. It happened to me every lap, but I don't think any other driver noticed anything.

[rbengines]

Neches River Festival located in Beaumont, TX during the late sixties.
I always hate that dog leg on the back stretch.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Is that cypress stump still there? It stuck up and inch or two above the water, depending on the rise of the river. It was a couple of feet across, and if the water conditions were good and the river not being squirrely, you could straighten out that dogleg a little by airing your hydro out :eek: before you get to the stump.

[rbengines]

The last time I was there I didn't see it but it had been years since I had been there.
If you weren't the inside boat in the first turn you would have to break back right and I alway was thinking I hope the waves aren't as high as my turning fin.
When I saw the old pic's of the little cove south of the launch I had forget about it being there. Here about 6 or 7 years ago the city took over the boat club and made it a city park(Very nice place now) and they filled in the little cove. Its is now a straight shoreline. It was always muddy in that little cove. Usually had a big yacht park there.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Yes rbengines. There was a private pier down there, and a lot of the yacht owners would watch the races from their boats. If you dig deeper into one of these threads, you will find a photo of one yacht that got too close and was speared by Ray Hardy in his Butts Aerowing. There were a lot of funny stories that came out of the Beaumont races.

[paul jillings]

.....try telling that to the UIM!

Over here we have raced on some quite severe right handers, with both prop riders and hydrocats - several times drivers have found themselves stuck in trees! :confused: :confused:

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Ray Yates is organizing a reunion most likely in February. More info later.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Ron Hill had mentioned on an earlier thread that he wished he had known about the Lone Star Boat Racing Association. I myself didn't know the beginnings of its history so I called Joe Rome. Joe tells me this so far via Louis Williams.

In 1952 there was an argument at a race in Beaumont. Back then the clubs all were members of APBA. It may have been an argument between the inboards and the outboards. They used to have a lot of joint races in the Golden Triangle of Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange. Lone Star Boat Racing Association was formed in Columbus, Texas. They published their own rule book, had member clubs and there were so many races per year, that the members did not venture out of the LSBRA much. There were still some drivers, however, that did still go to the APBA Nationals. When the NOA was formed in 1956, drivers attended some of those races too, but LSBRA was self supporting.

The clubs were mostly in Texas and there were some in Louisiana also. I don't remember the full list. I was driving down the road today and didn't write them down. Joe can list those along with whatever else I forget. There was no insurance. People weren't sue happy in those days like they are now. More to come.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I've been told that NOA actually started in the winter of 1951-52. That's what I get for not looking it up. Anyway, Lone Star went it's own way and later most members became dual members of LSBRA and NOA. When I started in 1966 maybe a little more than half the boats used the letter number designation of NOA, but many still carried the identifying letters of their local clubs.

LSBRA had their own State Championships (the National Championships of Texas), competion records, straightaway records and high point titles. It appears according to the rule book that the last straightaway records were held in 1970. I never attended any of these and for some reason our team only went to one race in Port Arthur which was rained out. I'm thinking that was probably 1970 and they ran the time trials on Monday, after we were gone. I don't remember any other Port Arthur races scheduled after the rainout. Interestingly, OF Christner was down and set a record in 1961.

During the winter LSBRA held its annual banquet to pass out championship trophies, high point awards, Special awards for individuals and officials, and other ceremonies. During the time that I raced it was always held in Baytown at a Holiday Inn and later at the new Baytown Boat Club. The banquet was on a Saturday night and the annual meeting to elect new officers and go over any rule changes was Sunday morning around 10 am.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here's where I got mixed up. The Texas guys got torqued up about something at a race in Beaumont in 1952. They split from APBA and went with the newly formed NOA and also had a loose confederation of clubs that had formed the Gulf Coast Boat Racing Association. Then in 1956 Bob Pressler from Beaumont had formal papers drawn up and signed forming the Lone Star Boat Racing Association. A lot of drivers still raced some NOA, but LSBRA was a stand alone organization in its own right. The initial meeting was held in Columbus, Texas because there were racers from North and Central Texas as well. The racers from Dallas at that time weren't part of LSBRA.

The local clubs and their letter designation that made it up were:

Austin A
Bayshore (later Baytown) BT
Beaumont B
Corpus Christi C
Freeport F
Houston H
Lake Charles, La L
Orange O
Port Arthur PA
San Antonio SA
Waco W

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A few pit shots from 1974. The pits were in my Dad's front yard. We had to quit racing there after he put in an underground sprinkler system in 1977. I didn't mind getting caliche dust on me when I mowed, and would have continued in order to keep a great race course. But, after Debbie and I got married and we moved to Denton, he thought real grass might look good.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I think this may have been the race at Beaumont where Louis Williams was hypnotized. His knees were hurting very much and a hypnotist said he could fix him up where Louis could race without pain. Don't remember the outcome.

[Tom Mitchell]

Wayne,
I really enjoyed the history of the LSBRA and NOA and also the pictures. I had never known about how the associations were formed. We lived in the Longview area back then and never heard of any kneel down racing going on in the 60's as it seem to have died out in northeast tx in the early 50's. I remember seeing a picture or two about the Beaumont races but they only showed the inboards.

We would hear about the Tri -Cities Gulf Coast Outboard Marathon at Beaumont for years before I finally got a boat ready and ran in it an 1963. That was the first time we had ever seen salt water.

I became aquainted with Arland Crouch and Freddy Goel and I believe that they ran with your association.
Tom

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I'm learning about the early LSBRA myself from Louis Williams, Joe Rome, and Clayton Elmer. Stay tuned, there's a lot more. What about Arlen and Freddy. Do you still have contact?. Would like to hear any stories or see some photos from those early days.

[Tom Mitchell]

I'm learning about the early LSBRA myself from Louis Williams, Joe Rome, and Clayton Elmer. Stay tuned, there's a lot more. What about Arlen and Freddy. Do you still have contact?. Would like to hear any stories or see some photos from those early days.
Wayne
I first met them when they bored a Mercury block for me in 1963. I believe that Arlen may have stopped racing about that time. I had been interested in running in the Salton Sea race and I knew that Freddy had been there as Jimmy Adair's mechanic so I stopped by there in 64 and he gave me a lot of info. I had been offered a boat and sponsorship by PowerCat and they would pay for upkeep on my motors so I figured that Arlen and Freddy would be the ones to maintain the motors and Arlen offered to sell me the motors at cost.
I didn't follow through on that deal as my Dad needed my help in a sideline business that kept me busy on and off for the next 35 years.

I sent another motor to them after that a year or two latter but the last time I talked to Arlen he had opened a new marine Mercury dealership in Bryan and was selling mostly bassboats. That would have been in about the middle 70's.

After talking to Freddy that first time about the Salton Sea race I figured that wasn't the place for my 15' boat.
Tom

[Tom Mitchell]

Wayne

You asked about pictures. Back in those days with our budget, we couldn't afford a camera or the film development if we did have a camera. I do have a snapshot or two that someone gave us if I can find them. I had a roll of 8mm movie film that was taken when Johnny Sanders and I were racing in NOA at Lake O Pines and Lake Lewisville. In the first turn of the first heat at the Pines we entered the turn even and I was on the outside. I thought his boat would out turn mine and as his rolled up I turned in under him. That was one of those times that everything goes into slowmotion! I was able to get out from under him before the right side of his boat came down. For some reason he was on my hip in the next heat.

I believe that we raced each other in 4 heats that year and believe we won 2 each. He was a class act and I have always admired him.

Tom

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A few photos from Barbon 1977. Last year to race there

[Jeff Lytle]

Wayne:

Who built the boat Denny is driving in that pic?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

HEY DENNY, IS THAT RIGHT? AND I DON'T REMEMBER IF THEY HAD A PARTICULAR BRAND NAME.


I could be wrong, but as long as I remember Denny built his own boats. Craig Lawrence also built his own boats and called them AARDVARK. Craig and Alan Register figured out how to build boats from a Marchetti I stuffed and broke the bow off of. My Dad gave it to them and they rebuilt it replacing the canvas deck with a wood one.

[shenders]

Wayne
That had to be around 72-73 right? I was the last to own it.
Gave that puppy a viking funeral in 1977 after i ordered a
new Butts at the nationals in San Antonio.. That old boat had been around for a long time.. The picture of Denny looks like a boat i bought from him but i just can't remember that far back..
Man i wish i could shake these cobweb's out..
Stan

[denny henderson]

There is a bit of a story behind that boat. Not sure how interesting it is, but I'll tell it anyway.
Craig and Alan started building boats after they rebuilt the marchetti that Wayne broke in half at Clarendon, maybe '68. Accually, I think Craig's dad Bill Lawrence, had a lot to do with convencing them that they could do it. In '74, with Craigs help, I built my first boat. A copy of a Butts Aero-wing 11'6" A hydro. None of us were smart enough to design our own, so we copied a good design. It took me months to build that first boat, but I really enjoyed every minute. We took a lot of grief from your dad and others because we copied Tim's design, so in the fall of '75 Craig and I drew up plans for our own design. He built the first one and we ran it at Firebird in '76. I ran an "A" Konig on it and Craig ran a "B" Yamato. There is another seperate story about Firebird that I'll tell later. That boat ran pretty good so when we got back from Arizona, I started building one of my own. That was the white boat that Jeff asked about. I won "B" hydro at Winona that year, Wayne was 2nd, and Danny had had a tower housing break in the 2nd heat. Thinking back on those early boats, the chines were real flat and if we hadn't set the prop so deep they would have turned over inevery turn. I wish I new then, some of what I know now.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

So, Denny....Did you have a special name for your boats like Craig did with his? Did you call it a Henderson? How did you register it? Homemade?

[DeepPurple]

Denny is right about Craig's dad being a big source of encouragement in our reconstruction of your mangled boat. Not only that, he did a lot of work on that boat as well as the subsequent boat we built. Craig's dad was a wonderful man. In fact, both his parents were great.

Regarding your hydro, I think we replaced the fabric deck with another fabric deck. I know we put a fabric deck on one boat. I remember Craig and I going to an airplane hanger with Mr. Grupe to visit an airplane parts guy to buy the fabric and the dope (not drugs). I'm thinking wood decks on hydros were not in fashion yet when we finished that boat.

alan

[Danny Pigott]

Denny Was The Boat You Won 250H At Raleigh NC Build By You.That Was Great Race You Ran.

[denny henderson]

Thank's Danny, I appreciate that a lot. Yes, I built that boat in 2001 and ran Mitch Meyers 250 on it at DePue. It runs great but I'm not crazy about the low profile look.
Wayne, I have built only two boats for other people. Bobby Wilson and Kevin Lubinski. I have always registered them as Henderson Boats. Other than a breif period in the late 80's, I have raced only boats that I built (since '74). For two years, I ran a 250 Pugh that belonged to Jim McKean. It was probably the best hydro I ever drove. I'm currently designing a new one, hope I can get excited enough to get it built before next season.

[Mark Poole]

Nice to see you here Danny. I was racing OPC in the early 80's in Ga and SC. Maybe someday when you have a little time you could write a few paragraphs about the story of the Wild Geechee tunnel boat. Do you know if the boat is still hanging under the pavillion at Rocks Pond?

Mark

[Danny Pigott]

Mark The Boat At Rocks Pond Was The Wild Geechee Too.It Has Been Gone For A Long Time. When D.F.Jenkins Passed Away The Geechee 1 Went Back To The Man That Build Them, His Last Name Was Bruce .

[Mark Poole]

I was a kid the last time that I saw the boat race at Kings Ferry. The Geechee Too did not work as well as the first one I heard. The person that built them was a cabinet builder, correct? Do you have any pics of the boat?

Mark

[Ron Hill]

Seems, as I recall, The Wild Geechee was a a red boat with a cool design. Wilbur Bunch was the owner, I think...and D.F Jenkins was the motor builder...(I thought for a long time this was the same Jenkins..Darrell, that had worked with Bill Cooper...)....I heard he was killed in some kind of a non boating accident...I do remember the pickel forks...before Molinari brought them back!!!

For many years I confused Wilbur Bunch with Wilbur Weeks...If you read Kenny Stabler's book, Wilbur Weeks in mentioned in that book...The book, "SNAKE" ain't quite up there with "Walk the Line"....but I enjoyed reading it...

If you read the book, you know why John Madden quit coaching....

[Mark Poole]

You must have seen it somewhere along the way because it was red. The boat was local legend around these parts. It was always powered with an OMC V-4 racing engine and was a unbeatable rig. It out ran many "brand name" boats of the day (around 1970-72) and it was a pickle fork design during a time when many tunnel were still square bow. It out ran many twin engine unlimited OPC boats. Even if another boat could match it on the straightaway they could not keep up with it around the corners. D.F. Jenkins was a motor wizard. Not sure if he designed the boat or helped design it. Whoever did they created one of the fastest single engine tunnel boats of that time.

[Danny Pigott]

Mark I Have Some Pics Of It But I don`t Know Where. I Drove Little Geechee At The Race At Kings Ferry In Sav. Ga. That Was One Of The Last Race It Ran The Speed Had Over Come It But On A short Course Like That It Could Still Win ,As It Did That Day, I Am Not Sure What Bruce Did For Work But He Did Love Those Boats When D.F.Quit With The Big Geechee An Was Going To Take A Mc Donald To Havasu He Got Mad Said He Would Put A Mere. On The Geechee An Drive It Himself He Gave Up That.

[Mark Poole]

Danny, if you ever dig them out, please save them. I would pay you to have them scanned or copied. I have lots of old pics from the Kings Ferry races and Beaufort races, but none of the Geechee boat. Thanks for the info.

Mark

[Mark75H]

OK Texans ... who is this?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

....as my Dad called them. Craig Lawrence, Ashley Lawrence and Denny Henderson. That Photo of Craig was published in Powerboat, but I forget what story. Craig is one of the team members of Finlay Motorsports. He will be flying in from North Carolina to attend the Lone Star reunion after they are done with the 24 hours of Daytona. I checked and their car no 28 is currently 14th out of 52 that have gone out for time trials. Looking forward to hearing what Craig has been up to these past number of years.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Craig's team, Findlay Motorsports was running 26th position with 19 hours left and 10 laps down. They have made up time and are now 12th with 16 hours to go.

[jrome]

wayne,They finished 9th in class and 11th overall. They came back a long way. Good job guys.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The person fitting the tail fin on the cabover is W.C. "Bill" Morton. He was a Baytown cabinet maker and built fine boats as well. Clayton Elmer was the driver of these boats.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I got the computer and scanner talking to each other once again. So here goes.

I called Clayton Elmer to get the story on the first two photos. He said he didn't know all that happened until he saw the photos. It was real rough that day, early in 1960, at the Bayshore Boat Club in Texas near Houston. All he remembers is they were going along, then all of a sudden the three boats were going in different directions.

L144 Lonnick Romero Lafayett, La.
T 68 Raymond Owens, Forth Worth, TX
T 28 Clayton Elmer (Hellzapoppin) Highlands, TX

[Master Oil Racing Team]

a few more pics from Clayton's scrapbook

[Joe Silvestri 36-S]

Wayne,

As always, thanks for the great pictures. I especially like the one I've reattached below. I may have to make my new C hydro, in a year or two, with a nose similar to it.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here are some Lone Star drivers from the Pro Nationals at Alex in 1978.

[rbengines]

Now your getting close to my beginnings. Second pic Bobby Dean and Truitts hydros.

[shenders]

Boy that kid in the Master Oil boat sure looks young......
That weekend was some really good racing..

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That was Neil "Bimbo" Bauknight. That was the best "B" rig we ever had. We quit racing 350 hydro after the 78 season and sold it to Bimbo. He flipped and blew the right side out at that race.

O.K. Rusty, here's some more for you, this time close to your home. Beaumont 1980. Who's L-15?

[rbengines]

You got me but looking at the picture it looks like Norman Delaune.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

As many pics as I still have to post, it's hard to believe it's been almost two years since the last set. These are from the Joe Bowdler Memorial at Baytown, Texas in 1974.

[Jeff Lytle]

Just because threads like these fall by the wayside from time to time Wayne, don't ever think for a second that no one is looking at them!

I spend many a lunch hour looking through your pics, time and time again!

Thanks for all your efforts...........They still make this the place to be :cool:

BTW........last pic--T-711 with the Master Oil Logo on the front, an old boat of yours or a team member?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I know Jeff, but some knew members don't know about all the great things in the archive, but mainly, I've been ignoring putting up the hundreds of other pics of my Lone Star friends that I spent so many enjoyable years with and its time I posted some more.

The red and white hydro T- 711 with the MX 237 logo belongs to Steve Jones. He was from Corpus Christi and was my partner in publicity. We spent many hours working on race programs, going to TV stations and the newspaper in Corpus. His Dad became a Master Oil distributor early on, around 1968, and sold to many area hardware stores, machine shops and refineries.

These pics, also from the Baytown race, were taken by my sister Jan.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I've supposed to have been working on the income tax stuff the last two days.:mad:, but Debbie never looks on this site. Hope not, because I was already busted 3 days ago. She wanted to know how come everyone else's yard was starting to green up but ours. I had to fess up. When we went to Fredricksburg last spring I had our centrifugal pump on the beach at the foot of the pier. Since the environmentalists dump a lot of our water out and I use the pump to water from the lake rather than our water well, I had a long SO cable hooked up to our 3 phase pump so I could move it lower as the water went down. When the lake gets low, it doesn't take as much water to raise the level a foot or so. During that 3 day weekend, the lake came up and covered our pump. I planned to get enough alchohol and a vat to immerse it in, then dry it out and see if it would still work. Then we got real busy in the oilfield and week after week slipped by. It's still on the bottom of the lake. Two weeks ago I ordered a new pump, but it's not here yet. I had to tell Debbie what happened. One more week and I probably would have made it. Thing is......we had a very wet spring, summer and fall so I thought I could get away with it.;) Debbie never even noticed I didn't have the sprinklers on last year.:cool::D

So here's a few more Lone Star pics before I get back to the tax mess.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That fuse delayed April fool bomb that knocked BRF off the air for several days had me worried. I was actually able to go till up the garden and get some tomatoes planted.:cool::D The following is a test...............

This is a start of probably D or F Runabout at the Joe Bowdler Memorial at Baytown in 1970. I took it with a Kodak Instamatic camera and was unable to get enough quality blown up to tell who the drivers are. I know Charlie Bailey is in the middle of the boats with an inside track. Here are the others that are probably out there, but can't tell which boats. Clayton Elmer, Roland Pruett, Bruce Nicholson, Artie Lund, Jim Mouton, P G Stepleton, maybe Phil Crown.

[Skoontz]

Wayne:

Just like I did, the forum being down gave you an excuse to do work that Americans won't do:):) I broke down and let the goats out on the lawn, that 2' deep grass was not making me any points with mama, and she is going to Parker with us.

This BRF forum ends up costing allot of money in services I no longer have time for LOL

[David Weaver]

[QUOTE=
The red and white hydro T- 711 with the MX 237 logo belongs to Steve Jones. He was from Corpus Christi and was my partner in publicity. We spent many hours working on race programs, going to TV stations and the newspaper in Corpus. His Dad became a Master Oil distributor early on, around 1968, and sold to many area hardware stores, machine shops and refineries.

These pics, also from the Baytown race, were taken by my sister Jan.[/QUOTE]

The 5th photo shows three runabouts. The closest is clearly number 77-T, often and today's Bruce Nicholsan's number. But the boat to 77-T's left has yellow paint and the driver appears to be Bruce. Any idea's or am I seeing things? Ms. Laurie has been yellow as far as I can remember.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

David...You got a good eye and I don't have a definite answer. This was 1970 and I don't have anything to really fall back on except the driver in the yellow boat not only looks like Bruce from what you can see, but mainly looks like him in the cockpit. The boat on the outside has 77T... probably taped on. It is a new Desilva and most likely was driven by Mike Anderson. The permanent numbers have yet to be painted on. I have pics of that same boat later on with Bruce's numbers painted on. Ray Yates should have the answer and I will ask him. Bruce ran Miss Laurie for a number of years, but I have seen him with boats such as the one in the foreground as well as one with baby blue and white trim. He also had A and B runabouts, but I will have to consult with Joe to remember what they looked like.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The mystery deepens. Joe says in no uncertain terms that the yellow boat is Louis Williams and Joe is the go-to man on Louis. Bruce had a similar stance in a cockpit, but it is Louis and he is getting ready to set up for the turn. This heat is either a Free-For-All or Louis stepped up into CR. The outside boat is Bruce. The face and helmet kind of threw me off, but that's obscured by the M in Miss Pam. The way the life jacket is riding up is the way Bruce's did because he cut the leg straps off at a time when the leg strap rule was not enforced. So that's Bruce on the outside. Here's where the mystery deepens.

Joe thinks that Bruce drove Red Hamilton's runabout several times. Red was out of San Antonio and raced under the number T 145. That would explain why 77T was on the wood instead of the white part. Red would put his own number in the white part. But wait....I now found a pic of Bruce 4 years later with the numbers in the same place and the white part still blank. Then later on in 1974 the number 77T is painted on the white part. THEN I find a pic of Charlie Bailey getting out of the cockpit of that same boat in 1975. Joe is going to talk to Kenneth James to see what he can remember.

[BBaron]

Wayne the blue and white runabout in this picture was one I bought from Bill Martin
and Charlie Blackwood drove it that is why it had no # on it Benny Baron
The pic. is #111 it is in Benny

[BBaron]

http://060.jpgThis is Chris Polk and myself at Alex in 1969 or 70

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Is it Polk or Pope Benny? According to the date on the picture, it looks like July 72 and looks to me to be taken at Baytown. I see Ray Yates' "Bluebird" in the background. The hydro on the right looks like Alex.

In that photo with the blue and white runabout you bought, the No. 11 boat is N.E. "Fitz" Fitzgibbon. Thanks for the info and pics Benny>

[BBaron]

The blue and white boat with a X on it was a Bill Martin boat
and you are correct it was 1972 Baytown

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Another view of your boat Benny.

[BBaron]

:)That is a good pic. Thanks Benny

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A good race in 350 hydro on the Neches River at Beaumont in 1980. No. 86 Denny Henderson is chased the whole way by Benny Aylor, no. 21. Neil Bauknight ,no. 34, is right there if any of the falter. Denny and Benny had Yamato's and Neil was running a Konig.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

.....go-to man when it comes to info on Lone Star. When we were trying to figure out which DeSilva it was that Bruce was driving, he thought it was Red Hamilton's boat. He said that it had something about San Antonio Sales on it and a picture of a BBQ pit. I remembered Surplus Sale of SA, but I didn't remember the BBQ pit. Red Hamilton is driving here at the 1977 Pro Western Divisionals at Fort Worth in 1977. The question is whether the boat is Red's or he is driving for Charlie Blackwood, Sr.

When I was looking for this picture, I came upon this photo Debbie took and I became curious. I am going so slow, the boat doesn't have any lift. It appears that I am returning to the pits. So why are the sponson's not plowing through the water?

[Jeff Lytle]

Just a lucky skip, or just about to hop on plane??

See you have your Safe-Jak on.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's got to be the explanation Jeff. Kind of like that famous French photographer, Cartier I think, who said timing was everything in a photo. He tried to catch people mid stride, or in some activity that would catch your attention. Debbie must have gotten lucky with her trigger finger.

The Safe Jak for kneelers had to be modified by trimming and duct taping so you could skootch to the back of the boat coming off a turn. Also the bottom front on mine was too long and had to be trimmed, but they worked great.

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

I am new to this forum so pardon me if this is an obvious quesiton but is there still a Lone Sar Boat racing Association and if so, are there any races near Ft. Worth, Tx ?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

No...it is not an obvious question. Sorry to say that there is no more Lone Star Boat Racing Association although periodically we have had reunions. We welcome you to this forum and hope you will share photos and stories with us.

At this time I am not aware of any races near Ft Worth, but a prime mover in outboard racing is moving into the area and she says there WILL BE BOAT RACING IN TEXAS. There has been no Pro racing since around 1984. There is still OPC racing, but I don't think there is any close to FT. WORTH. I could be wrong, and I hope somebody says so. In the meantime...tell us more about your family and the racing history.

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

I posted some of that info and some pictures in response to Tom Berry's thread 'Racing with the ODA Part I'. My dad Lynn Crews raced in the St Louis ODA form 1970-74. My Gandpa Andy Lowrey built the Lowrey 4-point hydros that we ran. My Uncles, Bob and Dave Lowrey also ran with Bob winning several national championships. In Tom's thread there is a response form Keith Kampen that mentions my Mom's cousin Charlie Lowrey. I posted a story about Charlie on that thread as well. Here are some pictures.

Me and Grandpa in 1971 with a brand new 11-8 4-point that he had just finished. I was 7 years old .

http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n396/dcrace29/boatpics0002.jpg


My Dad in Greenville Il in 1972. He had a memorable race that day with Stan (Butch) Levondusky (splg?) in C-service runabout. Probably my best memory of my Dad racing.

http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n396/dcrace29/boatpics0003.jpg

[BBaron]

There are no boat races in the Ft.Worth area that I know of
wish there was they have Drag Boat racing at Marine Creek in August
I live in the area Benny

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

I see the NBRA race scheuled for Aug 15-17 in Ponca City, Ok. I am checking into that and thinking about driving up there to see a race. It would be about a 4 1/2 hr drive for me.

[BBaron]

Well S.D.B.A will be at marine creek
August 2&3 and in Chouteau,Ok. August 16&17
Where do you live ? I am in Roanoke Benny

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

I live in the Park Glen area near 377 and North Tarrant just a few miles south of you. I knew bout the drag boats running but that has never really appealed to me. The outbourds going around in circles just bring back all the memoriies of my chilhood. I got my email reply from Kampenracing and he says they are expecting over 100 boats in Ponca City, Ok in August. I think i am going to try to make that race.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Hi Dennis:

I don't remember you, but I am sure you were one of the little "pit rats" running around at the ODA races in the early 70's. I knew your Dad pretty well along with all the rest of your family. Charlie worked part time for me in a sales job about 10 years or so ago, for a year or so. Still talk to him occasionally as he will give me a ring or me him. I was wondering the other day if he would be taking pictures at the PRO Nationals in DePue next weekend. He used to tape the races and sell the video's to interested parties, and he did a very good job as he had some very professional equipment.
Your Dad and my wife Eileen both worked for Ozark Airlines here in St. Louis, he as a mechanic I believe, and she was a flight attendent. Hope he came out better in the TWA buyout than she did. Carl Icahn stole a lot of folks retirements in that deal. I know Butch Leavendusky has spoken with Bob recently after having lost contact with him when he moved from St. Louis to the Dallas area. I understand they are going to have a visit after many years very soon.
I had a very interesting experience in one of Bob's D Mod runabouts, or perhaps it belonged to your Dad, I never knew. Anyway in the early 70's, ODA had a race (one of many) at Portage De Souix on the river in the St. Louis area. Eileen and I showed up to spectate, and someone of your group, I believe your Dad, was not there. Bob wanted to put as many D Runabouts on the water as possible, so I was asked if I wanted to drive one. I had no jacket, helmet or anything else, and I believe Bob paid for my membership for one day just to get another boat on the water. I had not been in a runabout, much less a D runabout, for at least 20 years at that point, but I told Bob I would run to the first turn with the rest of the bunch and then just ride the rest of the way. There were some very good boats in that race, and I knew with my lack of experience, the last thing I wanted to do was get in someones way. I came down on the start and everyone else was late, and I got a perfect start. All the equipment the Lowrey family had was top notch, and it was running very well, good enough I got to the first turn first. The water was typically rough as most of the river races were, and there I was at the first turn first, with absolutely no idea what to do next, and with about 7 or 8 fast D runabouts bearing down on me. I managed to lope around the corner staying out of everyone elses way somehow, and finished the race in I believe about halfway back in the finishing order. I ran several more heats that day, just enough to convince me I had not made a mistake when I gave up runabouts for hydros during my racing career. But it was fun, and that was what it was all about.
Tell your Dad, Eileen and I said hello, and perhaps we will see him again in the future.

Bill Van

[BBaron]

The drag boats really dont turn me on but
I
know a lot of people with them and go to about 1 a year

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

Great story Bill! I had Mom and Dad over last weekend to see this thread on the forum. The names and the stories that surfaced while watching Tom's pictures was really neat for me. You could just see the memories flooding back to life for both of them. Dad told a story about you going to Japan and seeing the gambling venues they used to race boats. He also said you were refereeing at the Nationals in Hot Springs in '74. Dad had the fasted boat in the field in E-hydro but just before the start of the 1st heat he noticed the pin that held the block to the stem housing was backing out. He knew what would happen if that engine came loose and he just couldn't take the chance. He headed for the pits. He then noticed you motioning to him from the judge’s stand as if to say just keep circling the course. Later you told him that several guys had jumped the start and all he had to do was finish to place in that heat. That was a 3-cylinder Evinrude that had so much torque that it would actually kick the boat a little sideways going down the straight-away. The very next time he ran that rig was at Winters Park in St.Louis just a few weeks later. He said on about the second lap he punched it coming out of the turn and it didn't jump like normal. The next turn was a little worse and the field started gaining on him. It was then that he noticed the water boiling up from under the transom. The bottom of the boat was separating and filling with water. I very distinctly remember Dad getting out of the boat and stomping on the deck in disgust. He says now it was probably good that that didn't happen in front of the field at the Nationals.

Oh man, the stories, the memories. I feel like a little kid again. I still have a story to tell about the picture I posted above of Dad in his C-service runabout at Greenville, IL. It involves Butch Leavendusky. I don't have time right now but will try to get it posted this weekend.

Great to hear from you Bill and thanks again for the great story

[Master Oil Racing Team]

......Joe reminded me that there are many more members here at BRF. And it's been so long that I posted anything about the Lone Star Boat Racing Association, that I needed to put up some pictures. So I got these out of the first page of my 1980 binder of the Western Divisionals held on the Neches River at Beaumont, Texas. Louis Williams (14T) was the main mover of the event.

In the first pic is Dan Waggoner. He was the first Pro racer to help me with motors. I was a brand new racer, and I had no clue. Dan was around 70 or 71 years old when I took this photo.

The second pic is L'il Ray Yates. His Dad Ray and I started around the same time. Ray ran A, B, and C runabout, though not all at the same time. He also pitted with, and helped Bruce Nicolson for years and still regularly talks with Bruce. It is through Ray I have tried to get Bruce to get a computer. L'il Ray continued to progress in his racing and one year at Lakeland outran seasoned Pro's including Ralph Donald and Pete Hellsten.

In the third photo is Neil "Bimbo" Bauknight. Neil was a young kid growing up in the pits when I first met his Dad Jimbo. Jimbo raced B runabout. He was a happy go lucky guy with a perpetual grin. Jimbo always wore a straw hat in the pits, and bounced around among the pits crews laughing and telling stories. The year before I took these pictures, Jimbo fell asleep in his pickup while waiting for the right time to walk to his stand for hunting deer. He had been smoking, and the lit cigarette caught the seat on fire and he died of asphixiation before the pickup burned up. At the request of his Mom we took him to pit for us at Winona in 1975. We were only too glad to do that. He had a good time there and was a big help. Neil became an accomplished racer. He bought the best 350 hydro rig we ever had.

In the next pic. Neil is on the transom of Jack Kugler. It was a narrow course and Neil was more familiar with it than Jack.

Last pic, Bruce Nicholson as usual on the inside. T88 is Doug Doering and was brought into racing by Denny Henderson and Craig Lawrence. I don't know who 444 is, but the only guy who nailed the start and had the inside was my good friend Alan Ishii.

[Jerry Combs]

I don't know who 444 is, but the only guy who nailed the start and had the inside was my good friend Alan Ishii.

Alan was always good at nailing the start! If I had been smarter I would have always made my run for the start beside Alan. I miss the fun that we had back in the late 60's early 70's.

Jerry

[Master Oil Racing Team]

...because that's where I grew up.:)

pic 1. Behind the scenes at the drivers meeting. PRO race. San Antonio, Lake Calaveras 1984. Rick Hartley (Lake Kingsland) in the orange jump suit is just left of Tom Brady (T4) from Lubbock.

Pc 2. Don't know what this was about. Charlie Bailey is taking off his helmet and talking to his sponser, Carson Howell, after making a run in Jim Richardson's D runabout.

3. L.-R. My chief mechanic Jack chance hooking up connections with pit crew Jim Roerig and Johnny "BZZZZ" Becezcny.

4. Craig Lawrence pulling into the pits. After all the crazy antics throughout the years....it's hard to believe that Craig is in charge of outitting all the Hendricks NASCAR teams with their parts before heading out to a race.

5. 11 T. Seems like this may have come up before--I forget. This is N.E. "Fitz" Fistgibbon's boat. Fitz was elderly when I first met him. He always raced runabouts. My earliest remembrance of Fitz was from the early 70's. A great guy. Maybe Benny Bob Baron can fill us in on some more info from him. But this particular pic is not Fitz. It's his boat, but I think maybe Donald Brady or someone else is driving it.

[Skoontz]

Cool pictures Wayne. That's the way runabouts all should look today.

[jrich]

Just found this site while 'googleing' something else. These pictures are a riot!! Amazing what a few pics will pry out of your brain that you haven't even considered in many, many years.
What has happened to outboard racing in Texas?? I live about 5 min from the Baytown Boat Club and everytime I see an ad for races I drive down there and it's those stinkin' 120s and tri-hulls. :p
My dad raced stockers (T-1 De Silva), but we made a few of the alky races. They let our stockers step down a class (our F ran D, etc). I saw a pic in this thread of Rick Hartley's old "Alley Cat" YO-48 "C" running with a B flathead (Rick and my dad were pretty good friends). My uncle ran some alky races, too in the T-74 De-Silva. My grandfather ran the old TORA organization, also.
Wow, a blast from the past. I can't stay off this site. I've got an 11 yr old that would eat up some J racing......if there were any around. :( We're racing karts and micro-sprints right now. Wayne said something about missing the smell of alky/castor mix. Our micros run 600cc motorcycle engines on alky and we use castor as a top end lube. Not the 20:1 you're used to, but it still smells good!!

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

Jrich, don't give up hope. Several folks fom the NBRA have been working to get a kneel-down race back here in Texas. I thought I had a race nailed down for this month here in Ft. Worth until the lake authority pulled the plug on me. I am going to the NBRA race in Alexandria, LA May 8-10 and we are scheduled to meet with some APBA tunell boat officers about getting some kneelers racing with them in July at Lake Bryan , Tx.. Several of them are wanting to get their kids involved in racing as well. They went to the APBA Winternationals at Alex last month and let's just say...they are hooked. One of the NBRA drivers , Mark Daspit from Brenham, TX, is taking his brand new CSH rig to the tunnel race the first wekend of May to put it on display and try to stir some more interest.

I realy think we stand a good chance of pulling this off. If you can get away, I think the drive over to Alex would be well worth your time. I would love to meet you and anyone else who wants to be a part of getting kneel-down racing back in TX. The more hands on deck the better.

Dennis

[jrich]

Jeff Hartley, my dad, Rick Hartley from the old TORA days. Funny story about the I-10 boat number on Rick's boat involving his old YO48 DeSilva and its demise and a subsequent insurance claim. :rolleyes:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/whitecrowjr/File0027.jpg
This is an alky race, probably C runabout, as it looks like our old D deflector on the T-1.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/whitecrowjr/File0028.jpg
My dad.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/whitecrowjr/File0030.jpg

This had to be at an alky race. Looks like Bruce Nicholson and Charlie Bailey and my dad.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/whitecrowjr/File0029.jpg

[Mark75H]

Cool! keep them coming!

[jrich]

Our old B Marchetti. This is the only hydro I remember my dad driving.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/whitecrowjr/File0032.jpg
This one said "Kingsland 1976" on the back, so that would've been Rick Hartley's place.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/whitecrowjr/File0033.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/whitecrowjr/File0034.jpg
Some familiar names on here, including a bunch from my 'hood.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/whitecrowjr/File0035.jpg

[jrich]

Got any more??

[Master Oil Racing Team]

...finally. These are out in front of my Dad's house in 1974. This is where the Lone Star circuit traditionally ended its season from 1968 until 1977.

Tim Butt's clowning around in the first pic. Second one is Ashley Lawrence followed by me taking a swig of Gatorade. Not sure who the couple is talking to my Dad. Joe Rome is behind my Dad and Ashley Lawrence is leaning on the experimental one-of-a-kind Butts.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

More from the October 1974 race at Barbon.

Looks to be some gun jumpers in that first heat. Ray Hardy is in the primer white Butts. Don't know who that is outside of Denny Henderson in the second pic. Me coming into the pits in the third, and Dennis Aylor in his rookie year in the final one.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Baytown Boat Club May 1970.

Joe Rome on right heading toward the bulkhead to lower Louis Williams' runabout down to the water. On left eclipsed is Reles LeBlanc. This was around the time Reles quit racing his own rig and began to pit for Louis. It was also when Joe was Louis' No.1. Joe didn't start pitting for me until 1971. At that time Joe was still Louis' pit man, but since Louis didn't go to some of the out of state races, Joe went with us.

second pic. Mike Murray is chasing Louis Willams.

Third is a partial view of the pits at high tide on the San Jacinto River.

Last is Mike Murray. Ron, Capn Zee, Alan, or anyone else from those days...I think this is the last runabout I drove and Mike repainted. Does it look like a Terrill? I never saw enough to remember. We bought an A/B runabout from Wade Terrill and picked it up at the Winternationals at Needles in 1969. We sold it to Mike after I stood it up on it's tail at Barbon in 1969. I just couldn't get the feel of it lifting like I could my Sids and Marchetti's, or the DeSilva's when they got light.

[jrich]

....for the pics. Keep 'em coming!! I wish the BBC still looked like that. :(

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I posted a little bit about it a long while back David, but many new members since then. As you know, Tim Butts was always an A/B driver. When my Dad asked him to build us an A/B hydro in 1972 he said he didn't want to at that time. He had built one for Johnny Dortch and Dick Scoponich. He wanted to build us a CDF hydro. Then after that he would build us an AB hydro. He ran one of our C or D Marchetti's...I think maybe at Hot Springs. In any case it was at one of the race courses in 1972. He delivered his first CDF hydro to us at Alexandria later that year. His first jab at the larger boats was on the money. We won lots of races with "Hookin' Bull". It was perfect for that time, but with as fast as motor technology was advancing, we knew that the D and F were already at its limits top end wise. Having only a few runs under his belt with the bigger motors, Tim came down for Thanksgiving that year and we put "Hookin' Bull" in the water for him to get some more time. Since he didn't know the upper limits, he built "Honcho". From just aft of the sponson, the outside five or six inches of the deck was flat all the way back to the chines ending at the transom. It was squared off, in a rectangular tubing kind of shape. Looking from the transom toward the front, you get a better idea than in the shot from high. The deck portion from the outside edge to the cockpit sloped down toward the back like a regular Butts. It was also much longer. Hookin' Bull was around 12-2. Honcho was up around 13 or so. Maybe even 13-2. Can't remember now. It was too long to come out of a tight corner even with a D or F, and it had very little lift. About the most the sponsons would come off the water was about 2 inches, and in those days the Butts' would fly high on smooth water. My Dad gave that boat to Marshall Grant because his Byers was not even close to being enough boat for the 8 cylinder Konig. Dan Kirts ended up with it and repainted it. Seems to me way back you had taken a picture of it at Alex and got me confused because I couldn't remember what it looked like. Tim never built another one with a deck like that. I think some of his idea was to channel air further back for a more level ride at speeds over 100, but it was not good for competition except with Marshall and later Dan's 8 cylinder Konig, and then it was really not enough boat if the lower units could have stayed together. In the pictures I have of it, it had three different paint schemes over the years, so maybe that's why you thought it may have been something entirely different.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I went back to some pages I placed into my binder after I got back from the Lone Star Boat Racing Association Reunion. I did not take these pictures. In fact, I was very proud to have the son of Mr. Tambareno give them to me. He was at the reunion and came up and introduced himself. His Dad took SO MANY photos of Lone Star racers that he is the only one I remember. They were all black & white. The plastic container with the 20 pics is the only bunch of color photos I ever knew him to take. They were all in the pits prior to the race. We were not there racing at that event. Don't recall why. I don't know exactly when this race was, but it was at Baytown eithere 1971 or 1972 in my best estimation. I picked out the pictures that had Joe Ricardson's rig in the pits or in the water.

I had a rare pic I posted of Mr. Tambareno from the Houston Boat Show and cooking chicken at the Baytown Boat Club in the past. All the B&W pics of my early racing career were taken by him and the best fried chicken and french fries were cooked at the Baytown Boat Club by him and his son who gave me the slides. No choices on the chicken or fries. You get a half a fried chicken and the plate filled the rest of the way with fries. They were all the real stuff. I rarely ate before racing but Baytown was an exception.

[jrich]

That's probably about right on the time. That was our old trailer and the boat still had the old paint job. What a blast from the past!!! :)

I would sure like to know what happened to all our old pictures and 8mm movies.

I appreciate the pics Wayne!

[Smokin' Joe]

I'd recognize your stance anywhere, even from behind in that photo, greetings from Austria,
Joe McCauley




Dale Sellers drove 250 cc Hydro and was good at it. I was just talking with Denny Henderson about him and thought that I would post some pictures of him. We have some great memories of him when we were all members of the Lone Star Boat Racing Association. Bobby Wilson and Dale were a "tuff" team to beat!!

[WhiteTrash 148]

Beaumont pics, post #60 , 4th pic down, #11T Me in a cloth deck Marchetti, LSBRA pics post #139 pic #5 is Donald Brady driving NE Fitzgibbons' DeSilva , There was a reason I drove hydros and Donald drove the Runabouts, of which I shall reveal at a later date-Ronald

[geodavid]

Hey Red Man. Great to see you on here. Are you still chewing?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is good...... Alan chiming in. Alan Ishii and Johnny Dortch are honorary Texans and Lone Star Members by official declaration at a meeting. They came and raced with us all the time and came to become friends with all the Texas bunch. Bill Van Steenwyk and Ray Hardy would have been except Bill Van didn't race during those years because of recovering from a bad flip driving Billy Seebold's tunnel in a test event, and Ray moved to Texas and joined Lone Star Boat Racing Association.

I've got a long job to head out to, but I will have pics of both Ronald and and Donald Brady after I get back. Will start to look them up now.

[WhiteTrash 148]

Hello Alan! Naw got married, wife made me stop,been quit 20 yrs. but still want it. Sometimes I could eat the *** end out of a tobacco truck. Besides its real hard to spit out of a full face helmet. LOL more Ronald and Donald stories to follow. Sorry didn't know you could not say *** here.

[geodavid]

Hey Ron, I am so happy to hear you are well and married. I am both humbled and flattered to be an Honorary Texan. Racing there was the best when Baldy was managing the races. Have so many great memories. Looking forward to reading more stories and seeing the pictures.

[DeLaune84]

No, my dad Norman DeLaune raced L 45.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

DeLaune84 I just spent 30 minutes looking for the picture you referred to. It would be easier if you happened to mention the number of the post in the upper right hand corner to find it easier. On the other hand.....I just spent a half hour of good times looking at the photos and remembering all my own friends. You made me think about the hundreds of photos both B&W and color of just Lone Star that I have not posted. You have inspired me to get busy again. Welcome Aboard.

[David Weaver]

Did the club have races in the Austin area?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I don't think there have been any outboard races in the Austin area for a long time David. At one time Town Lake in Austin had the best water for drag racing in the world. I was there to take pictures and witness the first time a blown fuel hydro broke 200 mph. Also Austin at one time had a champ car race in the streets ala Formula 1. All these events were very successful with thousands upon thousands of spectators. Since then Austin has become the magnet of liberals that want to tell you what to do and what they want. They certainly do not like internal combustion engines. So don't know what to tell you about local racing, because I don't know.

I did read your post on another thread David that you are working in Austin. How long will you be up there? It's a three and a half hour drive from our house. Maybe if you have time you could come visit us, or if work permits, I could meet you in between to have lunch and talk boat racing.

[David Weaver]

Wayne, I will be in the area for quite some time. We will get together! I love to see different parts of the country, so would be pleased to drive a and meet you.

[ProHydroRacer]

David,
Clyde Queen lives in Normangee, TX, he is building super sized RC airplanes. I could forward his phone number to you.
Bill

[Steve Litzell]

Just read this intire thread, man does this shake the brain cells. Don't know what it takes to become a honorary Texan but I have driven Texas boats to championships and still harass Texans to this day! Some of my best and and long time friends are Texans and I don't hold that against y'all.In my racing career, the most prized one is when Bruce Nicholson asked me to drive MIss Laurie. But the beststoryI can tell was many years ago when Bruce had ordered a couple new runabouts from DeSilva's, first one was a A boat. At that time I was was racing by doing extra work. You know, a young family and not making much $$. I needed a new boat as the new B KONIG I got from Hans Krage made my current boat, a 12'6KR I bought could not handle the extra B power. I made a deal with DeSilvas to paint boats for them in trade for a new 13'6 KR. One of the first boats I did was for Bruce. It was a A boat (250), and the usual Nicholson Yellow in color. Knowing who it was for, I spent a lot of time sanding this new hull and then laid a couple coats of clear over it to block sand the natural finish. I spent hours taping it out to meet the DeSilva scheme of the time, and proceeded to lay down some real nice Yellow from a 1980 Corvette.. after curing, I again block sanded it and laid down many coats of clear to completely hide any tape lines to the natural wood. I must say that it was beautiful. Loaded it up on the trailer at Ralph Donald's for a trip to a spring race at DePue after driving it from Florida to Ralph's. after getting to DePue, and sleeping in the truck, I got out of truck early next morning to great Ray Yates and Nicholson. They helped get the boat down from the top rack,( we had open trailers at that time), and Bruce and Ray walked around that boat a couple times giving it the " Texas walk around" that y'all do, and Bruce said to me "Damn! That's the prettiest boat I have ever seen". They then took her away and I smiled knowing I had done a good job for one of my racing Heros. But wait, it don't end there. About 30 minutes later I here a chainsaw running out of Nicholsons trailer, and he a Yates are having at that pretty boat to fit one of Bruce's home made contraptions on the transom with a worse yet Harrison short tower that required serious modifications to transom. Heartbreak city on my end, but hey not to long later Bruce asked me to wheel Miss Laurie for the first time, which leads to another story involving Denny Henderson at Alex. Fun times for sure and they are still happening! Steve

[David Weaver]

Yes. Had not seen clyde in so many, many years. Where the hell is Normangee?

[John M L390]

I know that this isn't the place to advertise an upcoming race.. But after re-reading through many of these posts.. I would like to invite anyone of you who may have a free weekend coming up this upcoming weekend to a race here in Louisiana. The Louisiana Boat Racing Association is hosting the 2017 National Boat Racing Association's Short Course National Championships in Pineville (Alexandria), Louisiana on Buhlow Lake. Should be a really good turnout. If anyone is interested in attending... I will post a link below with more details on the event. Also, the Best Western of Alexandria is offering a lower rate to anyone mentioning that they are a part of the NBRA Boat Races. Would very much enjoy meeting some of you (if I have not already, that is) if you attend.

https://www.facebook.com/GooberJohn390/posts/1437803866258241?pnref=story

[ProHydroRacer]

Normangee is between Dallas and Houston and Austin, phone 938 855 2492

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Sorry for taking so long to respond about your inquiry Steve about what it takes to become an honorary Texan. I did try right after you asked, but my computer got timed out and it all went away and I hate to go back and redo such a brilliant answer to your question. So I will try again.

There is no real way to go about becoming one. It is just the way things happen. The only criteria though was to race in Texas in the Lone Star Boat Racing Association events. Alan Ishii and Johnny Dortch used to come race with us quite a bit. Johnny and Liz even came to my Dad's to hunt with us and Jack Chance. They both hung out with Texans and became part of us. There were a few drivers that came to race with us and eventually moved to Texas so they didn't need to be honorary. There is one couple that probably should be, but because of circumstances he didn't race here. His wife did, but how can you declare her an honorary Texan without including him. So that one we may have to give some more consideration now that this has come up.

There is no committee, rules or anything laid out to give the honors. It is just a few people that just decide that's the way it ought to be, and some of them are no longer around. But, the few that's left took up your question and looked into the facts. You never raced in the Lone Star Boat Racing Association Steve, but you did drive for one of the greatest drivers in Lone Star history. If LSBRA would not have folded in the early 80's, you would have raced on our courses many times. When Joe Rome and Louis Williams bought an SK boat, you were the first one they asked to drive it. You have the right frame of mind, and BS to be an actual born and bred Texan, therefore the remaining people that bestow such honors have unanimously agreed that you, Steve Litzell, are now deemed to be an honorary Texan.

[ProHydroRacer]

There goes the state!
Hell, Rod Walk and I raced in Texas, Rod is dead and I sure in hell don't want to be Texan.
KURPS

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Yeah Bill, you and Rod and many others raced here, but needs to be more than a couple of times. But what's wrong with being a Texan?

[ProHydroRacer]

Wayne,
The couple of times we came, the Texan boys were great to us, had a good time! Texas on a whole is too damn big and HOT!
Bill

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Right on both counts Bill. Us guys from around Corpus Christi area and Stanley Henderson over in Del Rio always had to do a lot of driving to get to out of state races and most of the driving was through Texas. Most all of our out of state friends could drive in any direction to go to races. We had only northwest, north and northeast to drive. I'll go look for some pictures of you when you were down here Bill.

ADD: I just wish to clarify for me that it is BIG, but not TOO BIG. I really enjoyed traveling all over the country when I was racing, but when I started doing what I'm doing now, I could not get too far away, only two or three hundred miles. So until recently, for many years Debbie and I just traveled to different parts of Texas. Many times to San Antonio and Houston, but also the hill country, Big Bend, Galveston, South Padre, East Texas. West Texas, Dallas, Waco, Austin, Witchita Falls, Abilene, Fort Davis, and we still have a lot of places we've never come close to like Guadalupe Mountains, Llano Estacado, the Panhandle and many more. I've been in London, Liverpool, Moscow, Paris, Berlin, Puerto Rico, Los Angeles, San Diego and other cities I can't think of right now......and stayed in the state of Texas.

[Steve Litzell]

Sorry for taking so long to respond about your inquiry Steve about what it takes to become an honorary Texan. I did try right after you asked, but my computer got timed out and it all went away and I hate to go back and redo such a brilliant answer to your question. So I will try again.

There is no real way to go about becoming one. It is just the way things happen. The only criteria though was to race in Texas in the Lone Star Boat Racing Association events. Alan Ishii and Johnny Dortch used to come race with us quite a bit. Johnny and Liz even came to my Dad's to hunt with us and Jack Chance. They both hung out with Texans and became part of us. There were a few drivers that came to race with us and eventually moved to Texas so they didn't need to be honorary. There is one couple that probably should be, but because of circumstances he didn't race here. His wife did, but how can you declare her an honorary Texan without including him. So that one we may have to give some more consideration now that this has come up.

There is no committee, rules or anything laid out to give the honors. It is just a few people that just decide that's the way it ought to be, and some of them are no longer around. But, the few that's left took up your question and looked into the facts. You never raced in the Lone Star Boat Racing Association Steve, but you did drive for one of the greatest drivers in Lone Star history. If LSBRA would not have folded in the early 80's, you would have raced on our courses many times. When Joe Rome and Louis Williams bought an SK boat, you were the first one they asked to drive it. You have the right frame of mind, and BS to be an actual born and bred Texan, therefore the remaining people that bestow such honors have unanimously agreed that you, Steve Litzell, are now deemed to be an honorary Texan.

Geee Wayne, I'm so honored to be a part of you guys. I did race at one of your races though but only one time. Also attended a race at your dads place in the 70's with Hosler as a crew man. Noting wrong with being a Texan Bill, I have a lot of friends there and those of us from the south can only understand the southern ways. Texans have a good natured sense about them and are very well grounded like most from the south. It's gonna be great now as I can now hang a Texas flag in my shop! Thanks Wayne and others for the honor and I will do my best to keep ya'll proud and the Bs flowing. Steve

[ProHydroRacer]

Steve, "Southern ways" very interesting! We have been in South Carolina for coming on 14 years now, every Northern we meet here has the same problem. The Southerns all seem to distrust all Yankees. The problem is, being from Chicago we don't considered ourselves Yankee at all, we are Mid-Westerns. We treat all nationalizes the same, dislike them all. My wife tells the people here we're Born Again Southerns it help to break the ice. South Carolina is our home, love the area, and hate those damn Yankees.
Bill

[Steve Litzell]

I have always said Bill, that a yankee comes to visit the beaches and such, a damned Yankees brings move in luggage. Texas at this time like Florida and some of Georgia, has had a influx of folks that leave their home states because of taxes and govt influence. They also bring the same ideas that made their states worth leaving. Go figure, You maybe a transplant Bill, but you do have the right frame of mind to be in the South. Just need to learn y'all and eat grits and shrimp, he'll just eat some grits! Steve

[ProHydroRacer]

No to the grits, Steve, but yes to shrimp. We do have "Bless your little heart" down pat. Bill

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I'm glad you are thrilled Steve. That makes three honorary Texans. What race did you run Steve? If it was after 1981, I wasn't there. Also I cannot remember Bill Hosler racing at my Dad's place unless it was 1968 or 1969. In 1968 we ran the second half of the NOA World Championships. In 1969 we had the NOA Southern Championships there and I do not remember much of anything about that race. Maybe because we traveled so much that year Needles , Lakeland, Baytown two or three times, Beaumont a couple of times, Jackson, Tenn, Rogers, Ark, Port Arthur, Portland, Tex, DePue, and maybe another place to two. I'm betting it was in 1969 rather than the 70's. Bob Hering was there, but I don't have any pictures or newspaper articles of the results. My Dad's house was not built yet. Construction was to start in a few weeks after the race. Do you remember that, plus a white caliche road under construction? Joe Rome for sure remembers that road.

Here is a picture of the first two honorary Texans meeting in Texas at Fort Worth in 1975. That really says it all.

[Steve Litzell]

I believe it was 69 as I was still in High school, we attended a race in the northern part around the Dallas area. Then again we were at race where your dad decked Pete Hellsten as well,74maybe? I was also involve with drag cars at the time and done a lot of traveling for that too. The Picture of John and Alan is priceless. I knew John and Liz since I was about 15 or so. They always called me the dirty kid! At the time it was though that our teem would look good in white Levi's and lite yellow shirts. Not a good mix when you raced flatheads to say the least. I do remember winning best dressed at the North South Championships in Nc also at about that time. I have a picture of that one I just received from Hosler about a year ago. Well any rate, proud to be a honorary Tex with ya'll. Gonna go by a Texas flag to hang up now. Steve

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Proud that you will fly the Texas flag Steve. The year my Dad decked Pete was 1978 at the PRO Nationals in San Antonio. I didn't know you then, but you might be in some pics I took at the driver's meeting. Regarding southern talk.. "You guy's" is kind of new. Started maybe in the 90's or so. Now starting to be a little controversial. What us southern guys have found out a century two or before that.... "ya'll" covers it all.

[Steve Litzell]

The Ya'll part sure does, I had Joe Johnson ask me once, " What do you mean when you say All Ya'll?" Don't know if that term is/was used in Texas But now it may be. Seems Joe and others did not understand when I said Ya'll that ment everyone, not just a few, so i said all ya'll Joe! that's everyone! His comment was just Oh. Some just don't get it do they Ol buddy? Steve

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Had to find this thread again so I can post some more pictures. In the meantime I had to catch up where we left off. Hey David Weaver. You still down here in Texas. Give me a holler. I passed around Austin a few weeks ago doing 85 mph. I can get up that way in a few hours now. Joe's daughter lives in Austin, so maybe we might be able to work something out. Of course, if you could get away down here, that would be great too. Could show you my personal museum and Debbie could put together a fine meal.

Steve...how you doin? You got your Texas flag up? If you have an American flag it's legal to fly it same height. You fly the Stars and Stripes above all flags, except you can fly the Texas flag at the same level. We do it here in Texas, but I don't think other states know that when we entered the union as a republic one of the considerations was that we were an independent country and were allowed to fly our flag the same level as the American flag. I would suggest that if you have an American flag, that you fly your Texas flag on the same pole below it. This is to respect the American flag and to not create confusion and anger among neighbors who don't know the rule.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Now I have to fess up to a little trap I had set. A certain particular guy would always take the bait, but it doesn't happen so much anymore. He and my Dad baited each other a lot in the earlier years, and I have to say that I helped some too.

To be an honorary Texan as has been stated previously, you had to have actually raced in Texas. Not just show up with a boat. And it had to be more than one or two races over a period of time. I had alluded to this some time back, and there happens to be a guy that has spent a lot of time in Texas, but never raced here. His wife has actually raced here and is qualified to be named one. But how do you name the wife of a racer who has spent more time in Texas than his wife, and not name him? He has actually spent more time in Texas than Alan or Johhny, but he never raced here. That was because he was seriously injured driving on of Billy Seebold's tunnel boats and was unable to get into a kneeler for a long time. Some of you may have already figured out the guy is Bill Van Steenwyk. I have not heard from him since Steve was so honored, and I hope I haven't hurt his feelings. The thing is he usually jumps straight into the trap, but not this time. So this is what I had planned to lay on him.

I was going to tell Bill Van that he and Eileen could not be honorary Texans any more than my brother Mark or my Dad Baldy. We all ARE Texans. Jim Mckean raced in Texas while still living in California. Since he moved and raced here, he became a Texan. Same with Joe Flow and Al Davis. They came from Wally Roman land, but they have been Texans for decades. Same with Clyde Queen now. Bill Van spent more time down at Baldy's than Eileen. If nothing was going on in the winter, he would fly down and spend a few days. Bill Van and Eileen are part of our family, so they are Texans. That's just the way it is. And even though Bill Van didn't race a boat here, he spent a lot of time in South Texas and just across the border with his boat building business. So...sorry Bill Van about my entrapment, but you got me this time by smelling the rotten bait and waiting me out.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Now I have to fess up to a little trap I had set. A certain particular guy would always take the bait, but it doesn't happen so much anymore. He and my Dad baited each other a lot in the earlier years, and I have to say that I helped some too.

To be an honorary Texan as has been stated previously, you had to have actually raced in Texas. Not just show up with a boat. And it had to be more than one or two races over a period of time. I had alluded to this some time back, and there happens to be a guy that has spent a lot of time in Texas, but never raced here. His wife has actually raced here and is qualified to be named one. But how do you name the wife of a racer who has spent more time in Texas than his wife, and not name him? He has actually spent more time in Texas than Alan or Johhny, but he never raced here. That was because he was seriously injured driving on of Billy Seebold's tunnel boats and was unable to get into a kneeler for a long time. Some of you may have already figured out the guy is Bill Van Steenwyk. I have not heard from him since Steve was so honored, and I hope I haven't hurt his feelings. The thing is he usually jumps straight into the trap, but not this time. So this is what I had planned to lay on him.

I was going to tell Bill Van that he and Eileen could not be honorary Texans any more than my brother Mark or my Dad Baldy. We all ARE Texans. Jim Mckean raced in Texas while still living in California. Since he moved and raced here, he became a Texan. Same with Joe Flow and Al Davis. They came from Wally Roman land, but they have been Texans for decades. Same with Clyde Queen now. Bill Van spent more time down at Baldy's than Eileen. If nothing was going on in the winter, he would fly down and spend a few days. Bill Van and Eileen are part of our family, so they are Texans. That's just the way it is. And even though Bill Van didn't race a boat here, he spent a lot of time in South Texas and just across the border with his boat building business. So...sorry Bill Van about my entrapment, but you got me this time by smelling the rotten bait and waiting me out.

Wayne:

I kind of knew what you were doing when you posted the original info about Honorary Texans, so I just figured I would keep my mouth shut and see whether you said any more about it. Took a while but I kind of figured if I waited you out you would expound more about it later, and sure enough you did. Took me better than 40 years to figure that out but I finally did so maybe I am just in a small way starting to get back even.

I hate to say you don't know what you are talking about, BUT, you seem to have forgotten a few races I attended as a driver in Texas. At least two at Marine Creek Lake in Ft. Worth, and maybe another if they had one in that time frame, and I believe the town of Beaumont if I have the location correct, where Ray Hardy ran into the side of the Cabin Cruiser that was parked in the infield and then the drunk owner jumped down on the deck of his hydro to confront him about his actions, and lacerated his shins badly when he went thru the thin deck and bottom. One of many funny stories about Ray and his "adventures".

What was most memorable about that trip was the damage done to my Van when Jeannie Howard, after just starting to drive after I was going to sack out in the back, drove off a two lane highway in North Texas while lighting a cigarette, traveled up and over a guard rail, down an embankment, and then came to a stop about 50 feet on. Fortunately minimal damage was done to the trailer or boats and while everyone in the Van was checking themselves for injury, we started hearing a loud noise like a Jet airplane and then a train came right across in front us and missed us but about 10 feet as we had luckily come to a stop just in front of a railroad track. We did make it to Beaumont in time for the race, but repairs to the Van there, and when we got home, were almost enough to total it. Phil, her husband, had to wait at the airport for about 8 hours or so without knowing what had happened as this was before cell phones and we could not find phone numbers for anyone at the airport to get in touch with him.

At the risk of being accused of being over critical about your memory, and my strong concern for your well being, I would suggest you might want to visit your Neurologist , as I suspect that as you have lost something else upstairs, as perhaps it took brain cells with it as it disappeared..

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I remember you at Marine Creek and Beaumont Bill Van, but I cannot remember you driving. I have photos of Eileen, but not you. I remember once you complained I didn't have many pictures of you racing, and I told you it's because you haven't been in a boat. It was a long time before you could kneel again. I got pictures of you at our house on crutches in the pits, on crutches in a field hunting doves, and standing around watching my Dad "stab himself in the belly" while gutting a deer. I have pictures of you at two different San Antonio races. I have pictures of you in Fort Worth, and I think at Beaumont too. A lot of times when I was in the same class as other drivers, I would take pictures of them while they were testing just so I could have pictures of them. Maybe I have a selective memory of you in the pits, but not on the race course. Or maybe you could never get your motor started.:D

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Well, I scanned some more pics of Lone Star. I have to stop here first though to remember my good friend Bill Van Steenwyk. Hard to believe that it's been that long since I posted here, but not that long since we lost Bill Van. But it kinda has because time flies. It was last year that I talked t Eileen, and that seems like forever. His words will last forever. I am very glad that we got that situation regarding Bill Van straight before he passed, because except for the rules and his accident, he would have been an honorary Texan, but instead he was a Texan because he was part of the Baldwin Family.

So now I will post some photos that were from the 1976 Pro Western Divisionals at Marine Creel. Fort Worth, Texas. I have posted B&W before and including the driver's meeting I think. ( I didn't go back to see), but there is always different angles , so someone may recognize someone they didn't see before.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Hey Steve, see you Dad with his life jacket?

[JBW857]

I remember "Miss Pam", BT-11, from the Baytown Boat Club. My dad used to take my brother and me there during the mid to late 70s (?), I believe it was. I remember a guy named Benny Eilers who was a hydro racer and an older guy named Dan Waggoner (spelling?) who drove, I believe, an orange yellow colored runabout, number 77. Dan had a son who had a handicap but always showed up at the races riding a motorcycle.

[JBW857]

Also remember a UT graduate named Bruce Nicholson whom I believe was champion circa 1977 - 1978.

[JBW857]

I remember seeing C-77 race at the Baytown boat club during the 70s. I believe his name was Dan Waggoner or Wagner. He was an older racer who had a handicapped son that would show up on a motorcycle.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Yes, Dan Waggoner was from Flour Bluff, Texas. It is on the bay and just Southwest part of Corpus Christi, Texas. He had the letter C as part of the old Lone Star designation of Corpus Christi. Dan was the first racer to help me when we started out with merc deflector A and B
and a Mishey hydro. His son David had a Triumph motorcycle when I first met him. Later I think he drove Honda's. He was afflicted with cerebral palsy as a result of his birth. They were very fine people. Here is a picture of Dan at Baytown in 1970, and one of David after a hard day's racing. He is leaning against the bulkhead at the Baytown Boat Club on the San Jacinto river at Highlands, Texas.

[JBW857]

Thanks for the post. Yes, I remember now, David was his name and when I had met him he was riding Hondas. I must have been around 14-15 when I meet them through my dad. I'm 65 now. It's amazing what one can remember from the past! I can definitely remember David by looking at how his hands were. Great memories!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I talked to my old racing partner today. Clayton Elmer remembered CS Busby. He raced against him in C and D hydro. Clayton says he was from Waco and thought he had a marine business. Maybe that might help you track down his family. Joe Richardson may have known him. I don't know if Joe is still around. JRich is a member here and if he looks at this thread, he may have some ideas.

In 1967 we were at a boat racer's party at Dan and Blanche Waggoner's house in Flour Bluff. David asked if I wanted to take a ride with him on his Triumph. I said sure. I climbed on behind him and he putted out to Waldron Road close to his house. A long straightaway. He eased up to about twenty five or thirty, then he punched it. I had to grab him around the waist to keep from falling off the back. Because of the way his hands were shaped, he had a strange kind of grip and to shift he had to move his body around in sort of a jerk. So every time he made a quick shift, the bike and us jerked a quick left then back to the right to straighten up. In an instant we we up to about 90 and neither of us had helmets. He still had throttle left and I didn't know how fast we would be going when I got killed, but fortunately he backed off and turned around for a leisurely ride back to the party. The whole speed burst lasted only a few seconds, but I got a very good respect for David's ability to drive his motorcycle like that. unfortunately his skills could not prevent a stupid driver from hitting him. He was on one of his Honda's when he was killed in Corpus Christi.

[JBW857]

Wow! I had no idea David was killed on his motorcycle. Thanks for posting.

[cocacola]

My dad Howard Sandoz used to race in the 50's in the Houston area....I was born in '62 and never witnessed this.

Baytown Boat Club?

Probably no one around that remembers him.

Dad is still around and has a large display case of trophies.

Now....he loves restoring old Wizards when he's able.....some Mercury's too.

I'll inherit them some day

IF YOU KNOW OR KNOW OF MY DAD....PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

[cocacola]

My dad Howard Sandoz used to race in the 50's in the Houston area....I was born in '62 and never witnessed this.

Baytown Boat Club?

Probably no one around that remembers him.

Dad is still around and has a large display case of trophies.

Now....he loves restoring old Wizards when he's able.....some Mercury's too.

I'll inherit them some day

IF YOU KNOW OR KNOW OF MY DAD....PLEASE LET ME KNOW.


CORRECTION: He was in the BAYSHORE BOAT CLUB....Not Baytown