The USA Northwest - Region 10 Pictures

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Jim Hallum did a lot of motion pictures shoots (1959 to 1976) so for posterity here I have picked out miscellaneous pictures of other engined raceboats other than Anzanis for your viewing pleasure and I hope You region 10ers will add more as this thread is for you. Here is a start. :)

Batch 1.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Batch 2

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Region 10 Batch 3

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Region 10 Batch 4

[Ron Hill]

Last picture is at Waterford, near Modesto where we frequently ran kilos...Some of the fastest water in the world, really..

My dad used to buy Keller Speedometer and also get our re calibrated yearly. Keller (Leonard) would write us a letter, type written on the back on a small invoice..He always had news...Keller would have loved the internet..He always signed his notes "KELLER"...He never mention Jerry Walin by name, always called him the Fantum...

Great pictures of The Fantum in a BIG BEE Swift???

In the old days you never had a speedometer you had a KELLER!!!!

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Jim Hallum made up these videos using an 8mm, Super 8mm film cameras and then graduated upward with new technology electronic tape type video cameras available until 1976 to do what there is here. I went through a number of program video editors to find one that would stop action so slowed down I could lift the best frames possible to take a snap shot of what there was to then enter them here. Its time consuming but really worth it.

Digitally re-splicing and editing the same material some of which has no sound but Jim's voice dubbed in and then full racing sounds later has its challenges but its all motion pictures that are the history worth the preservation and posting. Its great to use multi-processor computers to handle the effort rather smoothly considering its age and quality.:)

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

From Alan Ishii:

Thanks for posting those pictures on boatracingfacts. I really enjoyed them more than you know. I was about 14 when we made our first trip to Devil's Lake to run an M Hydro.

*The pictures of the Quincy US 1 runabout is Jay Root. But what is personal is that my Dad is lifting on the starboard side. He died in 1974.

*Also loved the pictures of young Fantum. He was one of my role models who mentored me as a young driver. I remember him telling me how to run kilos, how to start and so much more. A great guy who I really miss a lot. Funny incident from Depue. I think it was the John Ward race in 1973. We both broke down in the first turn. Here comes a boat headed right for him as he was stopped in the water. The boat glanced off of him, but what was incredible, Fantum jumped out just before contact. He did a double jacknife worth at 10+! I was the only witness. Since he was safe, we kidded about it for years. By the way, he ran 100+ the year we were there, but did not up the record. The rooster tail looked like it was as long as a football field .I will not name the driver because he is a good friend as well. He said he did not even know he hit him?

*Also the pics of a young Lee Sutter. When he was living here working for Sunbeam, he would stop by my Dad's machine shop almost every day. They were great friends. Lee is a wonderful guy.

*There is even a shot of me that you posted. I am driving the red, no number runabout with the four pipe Yamato for Jim McKean. The motor had tremendous power. The stationary pipes were what held back the top speed.
*How did you like Bob Rusnak's video? There are some great shots of Lee's Anzani leading the famous Ring of Fire in B Runabout. Saw myself in the pack in that one also. We were running a Looper. The C3 runabout.


Thanks for the great postings John. They really brought back memories for a Broken Down Old Boat Racer. (BDOBR) Hope we meet someday?

*A wonderful recollection Alan. Some day we may very well meet, this is bound to happen.

Thanks. :)

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

From Alan Ishii, an additional recollection:

The runabout is a 10' 6" Collins, built by R.V. (Pop) and owned by his son, Doc. Driven by Jay Root from San Diego. powered by an "A" Quincy Flathead/ Looper.

I am uncertain of the identity of the person lifting on the left, however, am certain my Dad, George, is on the right. He raced in the 1930's and 1940's. Ran "B" and "C" Jacoby Hydroplanes.

Had a few placings in the Hearst Regatta. Saw Jay at the Depue reunion. Enjoyed seeing him and his wife. Jay also drove John Toprahanian's "F" Runabout. He had a lot of success with his "Pioneer Chicken" 4 cylinder Evinrude tunnel. I do not think either one of us made a run, due to bad weather. Doc and Jay chased the kilo record a few times, however, did not break it.

I am driving the first Yamato 500 imported by Jim McKean in 1973. The engine had so much power, that we repeatedly broke propellers. This was a 4 pipe engine with fixed expansion chambers. It would get up to top speed in seconds, however, without sliders, it lacked the top speed needed to break the record. The runabout is a brand new DeSilva. It was a lot of fun to drive.

I enjoyed your posting immensely.

-Alan Ishii

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

More batches of Region 10 pictures by Jim Hallum other than Anzanis.

Batch 6

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Batch 7

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Batch 8

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I enjoyed the pics too John. Especially the young Gerry Walin. Alan's recollections were great too. I miss my friends from the West Coast. We always had fun out there. The no. 9 post was Yelm in 1976. Several frames, including a pit shot were Ron Anderson. The shots with my boat "Quien Sabe" were 500 hydro. It would be interesting to see the actual films of Jim's. I wished I had gotten up the courage to talk to him at the races, but I was always intimidated in those days by famous boat racing personalities. Not that they put on airs, but that I was too shy to approach them.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Wayne: I think most of us were quite impressionable in our youth with people in the sport that already had a name within it. We held all those great names in awe when the NOA came to town. They were sure all there and always ready to encourage when your enquiring mind was there posing questions. Being a DSH driver early on in the 1960s and being told that only "big names" could get Quincy Flatheads and services from Quincy Welding was plenty intimidating. Just getting a set of Quincy pipes for a Merc 44 in 1971 had some aires to it because we were a stock outboard club here and those sorts of things were associating with people of a much higher and more dangerous performance bracket. It was not long after I took a bad flip with that Quincy piped Merc 44 of mine re-affirming your were starting to bump with a more dangerous side of the sport. That engine sat more to be looked at from that bad flip than run, it took a while to run it again with any heart that was always there for a stock racer.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

One thing racing is, is all about is people and we seem to forget that, these other people in the midst of engines, raceboats and their drivers running them up course, down course and kilo runs and the such like were there. Without these these people a lot of things would not be possible or done if even easier if at all. They are kids, spectators, pitmen, racing visitors from afar, engine starters, engine builders & engine developers, aunts, wives, husbands, girlfriends, uncles and family both immediate, extended and just plain lots of people. These next batches of pictures are dedicated to those people in Region 10 identified by picture view only. You readers can fill in the blanks as to who they are and maybe where they are or have been since. Its yours, its your history to idnetify with. All I can do is lift and post these batches of pictures for you.

Enjoy these batches. :)

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Batch 2

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Batch 3 Region 10 people.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Batch 4 - Region 10 people.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Batch 5 - Region 10 people.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Last Batch - Region 10 people

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Most of them were too hard to tell anything John, but in no. 17 I saw Jim Hallum and Gerry Walin, and a couple of frames, it was hard to tell, but looked like Lee Sutter and Ron Anderson. In no. 18 reply was Ron, Lee and Gerry in a frame, but I couldn't recognize the guy with the glasses. I thought maybe it might be Don Anderson. There are several good closeups of Lee Sutter and Ron Anderson One pic is Gerry Walin in what looks like a Fantum "Super Hero" costume. Gerry had that trailer for a long time. Those frames of Gerry go back to the time when I first heard and read about him John. He was one of my first inspirations to get into boat racing.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Wayne:

I know it is hard given that its real old video to do recognitions from but your doing it as best you can. I am hoping for more from as many as can. Thanks. :)