I love Hinton ... the way the site is practically made for racing, the way the motor sounds echo off the mountains for a second or tow after the motors have stopped.
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I love Hinton ... the way the site is practically made for racing, the way the motor sounds echo off the mountains for a second or tow after the motors have stopped.
A few more Jeff.
Pic three............Did Joe get to go for a ride??
He couldn't have enjoyed it as much as he should...............Looks like he lost a pipe.
We'll have to get Joe to fill us in on that pic because I can't remember myself.:D But if you look closely behind the life jacket you can see a stinger sticking up.:cool:
Joe remembers that I had to get back to the pits for something. When the pipe came off I went to the pits at the far end so I wouldn't lose it. water was too deep and too many boats to walk it back so Joe hitched a ride.
Now Sam's observation and a question: You're right about the sound Sam. And the water was great. What I remember about the pit area was that it was very long and flat. A great place to spread out a lot of boats with plenty of elbow room. The course was too long for my taste though. I prefer a shorter course with more turns for a nationals. A mile and 2/3rds is for concentrating on the ultimate speed records.
Since that was the only time I ever raced at Hinton, I was wondering if there tended to be a lot of crashes. There were many in 1977, and a lot of them had to do with the angle boats approached the start. It was very deceiving when milling for the 1 minute gun, then lining up. I only went into the open water on the right once and I could see a problem with a dogleg if you were in the wrong position. I made the rest of my starts from the inside.
Some of the guys milled in that area since there was a lot of room. I always wondered if the other races held there experienced the same problems. Other than all the crashes, we all had a great time. I scanned a layout of the course as depicted in the program with added lines showing lines of approach to the start. The second pic is Tom Kirts destroying his brand new DeSilva runabout.
What's the deal???:D
Inspection Was A mile Away It Seemed Like.that Is Why I Got A Tow When I Could Get It. The Water Was Deep Even If You Are 6ft 5.wayne Would Have Been Under Water.
Everybody in a pit crew has more than one specialty.;) Joe was our deep water man.:D
Here's a pic Mal's hydro that made Tom so mad. It must have been the second heat of 500 hydro. The first heat my throttle stuck wide open setting up for turn three. It was a little spooky as I had never experienced that before. It took several seconds to get it to back off. Not knowing what was going on, I didn't trust it enough to continue racing so I returned to the pits. I didn't go out the second heat, so that's when I took this pic.
I forgot I had this one.
I raced at Hinton three times (’93, ’95 and ’97) and I’m not sure we ran the same course twice. Compared to the 1-2/3–mile course layout you posted and described, Wayne, one Stock/Mod Nationals course from the 90s kept the first turn in the same place but pulled the second turn in tighter (north?) while keeping the start line in place. This would mitigate funneling into the starting chute I suppose, but it seems like anytime the starting chute is not parallel with the bank there is going to be a problem. Another variation on the course repositioned it to keep the 1977 second turn in place, with the first turn moved south. This may have been done because of wind conditions that week, though.
There was a big painting on the wall of a cheap Chinese restaurant on Holly Hall St. in Houston (Astrodome/Reliant neighborhood) that looked just like the view from the pits at Hinton. My brother and I each lived in that area at different times and he alerted me to it so I had to check it out. (I never ate at the place as often as he did, though.) Anyway, we always enjoyed Hinton. Wayne mentioned Pipestem and staying down at the bottom of the mountain. I remember one year when my brother had too much work to do, as usual, so he stayed in the room while Mom and Dad and I went to dinner. We watched a big storm blow in while we were at dinner, the resort ended up shutting down the tram and we had to stay in the lodge at the top of the hill while Dan was stranded down at the bottom. I’m not really sure what he had for dinner that night.
We also brought an inflatable dinghy with an outboard one year when I camped at Bluestone State Park. It was a fun way to get to and from the pits each day, and a good way to make the long run from the inspection area back to our pits with torn-down engines. It has to be one of the deeper bodies of water we ever raced on—that might be interesting to research.
Yes, that was the pic I was talking about a while back. That is Mal swimming to the shore to his pits as Tom was directing him from the shore line. Man was Tom Harden mad that day.
.....here's one for you.:D
Well I'll be..................
I'll have to try to get in touch with Glen to tell him about this site, and your fabulous pics.
Glen's rig, a Shultze he named Honeycomb, was the 1st 4 banger Konig I ever saw race, and finish when I was a kid. I had seen them b4, but they always had problems and failed to finish. That was around 1973ish.
Just got off the phone with Glen!
So cool----Speaking about racing and memories we had back in the racing days. Memories like that shared with someone else who was there seem like it happened just yesterday, yet in reality, it was over 20 years ago.
I told him about how this thread has turned it's attention to the race in Hinton, and how you have posted pics. Expect him to register and log on soon. He even told me some stuff about conversations he had with Baldy :D
I'll leave that up to him to explain.
Welcome to BRF Glen!
I'm having trouble getting lighting and contrast correct between my computer and BRF. They had been gaining contrast, now this one darkened up. Here's a test.
Some down time at Hinton while the rain washes the pits down, and somebody had more motor troubles than they thought.
2nd one is still too dark. That's better. I overshot the brightness to see what would happen.
Wayne, thanks for the pictures from Hinton, I'll have to check to see if I have pictures as well.
This is a mental file that I have not been into in some time. The last power boat race I was at was in Littleton, New Hampshire, September 1984. Ed Desaire from Utica, New York came over top of me and dislocated my hip. A short time later a fellow came by and bought all my equipment.
I rember pitting beside the Master Oil Team, and Baldy commenting on my breakfast culinary skills. "Burn it and Scrape it!!" he would say . Sadly I no longer have my Master Oil T-shirt as I traded it to some Frenchman at the UIM World Championship in Dayton, Ohio the following year. I still Have the Circle Motonautique - Paris shirt which I got in return.
The #41 Schulze hydro was actually a "B" boat which I ran in "C", a wee tad on the small side for courses like Hinton, but really good in rough water that we usually had in Ogdensburg or Tonawanda. The boat had been imported into Canada in 1968 from Austria by Jim Bell if I remember correctly. The engine was VC73319 and was one of the few engines that Ric Hall had brought directly to Canada from Germany and not through Scott Smith.
George Andrews Sr. I believe was the tech inspector at this race and thought that the boat was one that he had built. The boats that he had built to a great degree were Schulze copies and he was suprised to see an original. I think that I ended up 5th overall, having a DNF due to a wire break from the battery in the first heat and a 3rd in the second heat of the finals.
Was a great regatta in a great location.
Glenn Coates
Say Glenn..................Did you make it through all 40+ pages of the amazing story yet?? Every time I check who's online........You're still there!!:)
Jeff--I can remember when I first started this thread you and David L-6 were running back and forth from your other projects to get through and it was not even two pages long yet.;) :D
Hey Glenn--welcome. I'm trying to figure out the scenario in which he might say something like that. Maybe toast? Or, I doubt you had cabrito. You could cook it quickly over a hot fire real close then scrape off the charcoaled bits. You must have clicked something in his brain.:D
Since I have been posting here I have come across letters from many old racing friends. Among them are some from you. I look forward to your posts.
Here's a couple of the drivers who joined the Pro Crash Bash.
Joe must have said he wasn't going to change clothes anymore. If I couldn't drive back to the pits, I would have to push the boat myself.;)
Wayne,
I believe that the 1 2/3 mile survey course was only used for the 1976 Stock Outboard Nationals and the 1977 Alky Nationals. There was a push to have a record course for the nationals in those days. My recollection of many races at Hinton was 4 lap races on a mile or 1 1/4 mile race course. Over 1,000 boats competed in those two nationals.
One of my early races was at Hinton in a J stock hydro. That race just went on forever!! I do not believe the large course was ever used again following the Alky Nationals. I believe that the SO's had their nationals at Hinton 3 or 4more times, but the PRO's just did not like the experience. We had some good PRO races (local) in the mid 1980's that attracted drivers from Florida and Georgia headed home from the Nationals in DePue.
DW
Hey Glenn........I just spoke to Henk Engels, he's going to look us up and register.
Do me a favour Wayne? Could you have a peek at your negative files from Hinton and see if you have any pics of Henk??
Slipstream Racing Team, A hydro, boat 97
Thanks
I'll look after I get back from the valley. What I have been thinking of and would really like to do is have someone start a thread on Hinton. There are quite a few more photos I have that I don't plan on posting here because it doesn't relate to the 700cc hydro. But, in the past I have posted some off and on at the Action and Random Shots threads that have created lots of interest. Hinton is one of those historical racing venues that can generate a lot of stories. Joe started one on Alexandria a couple of years ago. I think the famous race courses should have their own thread.
Hey Jeff, you misunderstood me. The Hinton stuff we already posted was part of the Amazing Story. I just haven't gotten to the 700 hydro stuff yet. The little sidetrips are just part of it.
When I was going through my pics to pick out the ones that would go to the story, I saw a lot of them that I know members would like, but would not fit here. And there has always been a lot of interest in the Hinton stories. The Stock guys have much more to put on than the Pro guys, but I thought it would be a good place to find all things pertaining to Hinton. I just do it that way because I can't always remember where to find something I had seen earlier. I was wanting to put some of the other Hinton pics on a Hinton dedicated thread.
Here's what I was really thinking. Not just the 1977 Pro Nationals. I already did one like that. But something like this. Maybe a google map of the race course, old programs, rosters of drivers and results from past racing, pics from all the categories that raced there plus the stories that go with racing. Maybe some funny tales from restaurants or hanging around the pits at night, T shirts, tales of travel to and from , etc. Kind of like we were doing with Alexandria.
BTW...You should have been with me today. I was looking down about 6 feet from a beautiful specimen of a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake nearly 5 feet long.:cool:
Wayne,
I imagine it is better to be 6 feet away from a 5 foot rattler than 5 feet away from a 6 foot rattler....I will have to get into my father's collection of photo's from Hinton races. He and Pop Augustine were the race directors for the 1976 and 1977 Nationals at Hinton.
DW
Here are a few pictures that I found of Hinton.
That's exactly right David. Even when I pulled up next to the dude and looked him straight in his beady eyes, I kept my arm inside the door.:D He didn't exactly like my looks either and curled up but didn't rattle. After we checked each other out, he turned and slowly slithered back in the direction he came from. It was still too cool for his girlfriend to be out and about anyway.
Too many pics from Joe to be covering at one sitting and I will be out of pocket now for awhile. It looks like one of our kid's old Power Rangers nemesis fixing to jump Joe in the deep water:eek: ;) . And Big George and his wife Susan are talking some serious stuff. I don't know what Alan Ishii is doing, but it must be plotting something with the North Dallas gang. That's some great shots of the pits and river. I hope Jeff can bring the Hinton stuff back that was part of this story;) and that we can add a Hinton thread that you can put your stuff on David.:D
Paul Guerin, aka Slipstreem Guy has just registered.
I called Paul and told him about this thread since he was in Hinton as well, helping to pit for the Slipstream Team.
He told me tonight, he thinks Greg Hall and Vic Pede were the drivers there--He wasn't sure if Henk was or not.
Sooooooooo, the Canadians that were there:
Greg Hall...............500ccH #153 Aerowing
Vic Pede...............250ccH #88 Homebuilt
Glenn Coates.........500ccH #41 Schutze
Doug Thompson.....350ccH #42 Marchetti
and possibly, Henk Engels.......250ccH #97 Rawsoncraft
One year I hurt my back bretty bad, and I asked Paul if he would drive my 350cc rig. He was a natural, winning his 1st race back in a boat in years. This was the 78 Hinton Nationals winner I bought from Doug Thompson. That's Paul driving.......Notice it says Lytle / Guerin Racing on the side.
Welcome Paul!
Jeff---according to my roster of elimination heats Greg and Vic were signed up in 250 hydro and Greg and Glenn in 500 hydro. No mention of Doug or Henk at all. Hey...good job of recruiting.:cool:
Glenn, here is one of you chasing the late great George Andrews, Jr. in 500 hydro.
Here is the roster for the 700cc hydro class. Jerry Kirts was prequalified as the defending national champion. I don't know who the other prequalifier was. Tim Butts was the Eastern Division champ, but he was not racing. I can't remember who won the Western Division. I flipped at that race while chasing Steve Jones, but Steve apparently didn't win either as he had to qualify. It might have been Don Nichols.
I can't find my notes on qualifying heats or who made the finals, but I do have a few notes in another book. I won my qualifying heat by 12 seconds. I don't know why such a big lead, and I don't know what the average speed was. One of the rare pics Debbie took on the front straight. She always took pictures of me when I was just a dot on the back straight.
No Jeff--I had described that flip way back toward the beginning of the Amazing Story when I went across the deck of Tom Berry's hydro and pushed my turn fin up. That was the Western Divisionals in 1977. It was the easiest flip I ever had.
The only boat I ever destroyed was in 1967 when I stuffed and went through the breaking up pieces of the bow. My Dad gave that boat to Craig Lawrence and Alan Registar and they rebuilt it. That's when Craig, Alan and Denny Henderson got their start building boats. It wasn't a Master Oil boat though.
Neil Bauknight crunched through the right side of the cockpit on a Master Oil boat at Alexandria I believe in 1979. He bought it from us after the 1978 season but still had the paint job. That boat wasn't destroyed though. It just needed some repairs. I can't think of any that were brought to the shore in pieces. It may have been the one we sold that Eric Pugh said they hauled back East some place. It would be interesting to see the pics and try to figure out what boat it was. Maybe Roy might remember the race course.
It must have been after you sold the boat. I remember the pic showed the right side of the boat was all pushed out like it happened in a corner, with a bunch of people lifting it out. I don't remember seeing any of your crew in the pic either.
Roy Alexander was a Canadian driver / owner of a 700ccH called Devastation. HE was always a top contender in all our races up here, and did well in the U.S. as well. Sadly, he passed away a number of years ago.
I remember the pic cause' I was putting a collage of photos together for the boat show one year, and he let me look thru his collection of pics to use. That collage of everyone's primo pics is probably in the back of someone's closet somewhere, cause' it was never seen again after the show. Perhaps some of the newest Canadian members here will remember where it went.
....and I should have left for the shop two hours ago, but I have been looking for it. This is all I have found so far.
A 10-6 Marchetti, and the only boat I destroyed. Stuffed in Clarendon, Texas in 1967.
The other two are from Alexandria, but I can't remember what year. It was 1981 or 83 I think. I did not write the year on the negative sheet and never made a contact sheet. Clue--anyone recognizing the T shirt will I.D. the year. It was Neil Bauknights boat then. He kept my paint scheme and numbers as I was no longer driving 350 hydro. I do have another pic of Neil's boat (same one) with the right side pooched out. I think it was from 1979.
I didn't find Roy's name on the 1979 roster and I don't have the other years, so I think the boat with pieces must have been this second crash. I keep finding stuff I had forgotten about.
Boy, does that picture bring back memories. Alan and I rebuilt that 10' 8" Marchetti and ran it for two more years. The boat is tied to the top of our trailer which we pulled with Alans' Corvette. I also remember you, Alan, myself, and I think Mark, hanging out at the local drive in the night before the race. We were seeing what the local "chicks" were like in Clarendon and if I remember right, there weren't any!
That's right Craig. For a Saturday night that drive in was dead. The only chicks I can remember are two nice looking ones that looked in the window of the ambulance just before they hauled me off.:( :rolleyes:
Wayne,
Your dad really started something when he gave them that boat. His generosity had far reaching affects.
Regarding the picture of the "B" boat, Que Pasa, at Alex. As you said, at the time of that wreck the boat was owned by Neil B. I was trying to remember which race and year it was and for some reason I can only remember the 79' race. I have no memories of 78' at Alex. So I called Richard, and he called Neil. Here is what Neil said. The wreck happened in 78', in the first turn of a qualifying heat. Neil and Danny K. got together. He also said Danny was running a Konig. If that is correct, then it had to be 78' because Danny ran a Yamato in 79'. We must have had a race at Alex. in Oct. that year after the Natls. at San Antonio.
We keep interupting An Amazing Story.
The interruptions help jog the memory;) , besides these are interesting side trips. :) I was looking in the wrong binder for the pics because I didn't realize how stupid we were. I ran that rig only once when it was right. It was at the Nationals in San Antonio.
Tim had built that boat then later added some extra pads on the sponsons. Dieter put the motor together for me to run at the OB World Championships at Dayton. With the power of the motor and the addition to the sponsons it became the wildest B hydro ride I ever had. It was always on the verge of being out of control. Even on the straightaways it was hard to handle. You could get the sponsons up, but the tail would hop around and when you went to set up for the turn the sponsons would dance wildly. And with the power on through the turns the boat hopped and skittered.
I qualified 6th, and was thus the standby for the American team. My time on each of the 3 laps was within a couple hundreths of a second each lap. I pushed it to the edge and it wasn't good enough. So we loaned the boat to Guisseppe Landini and he put a 3 blade Rollo cleaver on it. I never saw such a dramatic improvement in a boat's handling before or since. Because of some politics he had one heat that he won tossed out, but he finished 2nd or third overall. The boat became not only stable, but the true potential with it and the motor and prop could be achieved. You could harness the power of that motor and drive it hard all the way around the course. Guisseppe gave us that prop.
I only drove it ONE TIME when it was set up right. I should have won the nationals at San Antonio. First heat was an easy win. In the second heat I was on the inside. Tim jumped the gun and inadvertently cut me off twice in the first turn. By the time I got the motor cleared out I was behind. I quickly caught up to Dan Kirts who was running second, but I couldn't get around. He stuffed his 700 hydro just before this second heat and he was totally out of it. He never remembered running the race and some people on the bank tried to stop him because they knew he didn't know where he was.
He drove by instinct in that 350 race, and a wilder driver you never saw. He was all over the race course and I couldn't get around. I had the power, but I never knew which way he was going to go. I finished with a 3rd and a second overall, then we sold the rig complete with prop to Neil Bauknight. That was my last ride in a B hydro. Looking back I wish we would have raced it at least a couple of seasons.
I have a pic of Que Pasa somewhere with that right side pooched out, but I can't find it. I thought I posted it once before somewhere on BRF. Anyway, here's Neil getting ready to go out for that qualifying heat.