overlap violation by "Buttso"
Wayne:
Thanks for posting the pictures taken at 6-flags. I had almost forgotten about that trip. I will NEVER forget about the Gatorade deal thought. Thought someone had a red hot spike stuck in my instep. I had one doctor tell me if you had gout, you can drink all the beer you want, but no hard booze, another at the same time told me absolutely no beer, but Jack Daniels was OK. I didn't know which one to believe, so I just stayed with both so I was sure I was at least 50% right all the time. Eileen asked who the babe was with me in the pictures, and I told her now I knew why she says she must have had a good time in the 70's but really is not sure. Please notice "Buttso" looking over his left shoulder in the dodge-em cars. I had just bumped him good and he is getting ready to take my "safe lane" away. I also seem to remember he didn't care much for the amusement rides. Looks like he is squeezing the hand rail in two on the roller coaster.
Thanks again for the swell memories. Old friends and the times you had are the best, especially as you grow older.
Bill and Eileen
77' Alex----Alky in the wind!
Great pictures Wayne. Brings back lots of memories. I was 11 years old at that 77' race in Alex and must be somewhere in the Novice 350 photo. Dan Kirts asked me to drive Jim Kirt's boat since he didn't come to the race that Oct.
I remember 4 or 5 boats jumping the start the first heat and I was the first legal boat. Took a 5th in the second heat to win the race by 2 points overall.
You wrote an article about it in the December 77' Powerboat magizine that I still have clippings from in a scrap book somewhere.
Seems like a different lifetime but still a lot of familiar faces.
Thanks,
Chris Hellsten
Re: the double exposure of N-48 and N-66
Wayne:
Seeing that shot reminds me of something that took place at Alex that year involving the two in the double exposure and Stan Leavendusky Jr. AKA "Butch". Butch had gotten a new design DeSilva runabout of the same style as Bruce Nicholson's "Miss Laurie" because Bruce's boat ran so well and
was always the class of the large runabouts. Unfortionately, for whatever reason, except for finally winning the C runabout championship with it at Ackworth, Butch was not overly successful with it except for one thing. It liked to pitch him about 50 feet right out the side, sometimes for absolutely no reason anyone could figure out. Anyone who knows or knew Butch at that time would know that if there was anything he was, it was STUBBORN, not for the least of reasons that he had to face his "old man" Stanley Sr., when he came back in from a heat. He worked long nights on the bottom of the boat, getting advice from everyone he knew to cure the boat of that bad habit, and went to Alex that year with high hopes. This has now been 30 years ago so if some parts of the story are a little vague as to detail, the main thrust of it is true, so on with the tale. Butch went to the first turn with the rest of the group in the first heat in good shape and either at the first pin or the second the boat unloaded him big time. Fortunately, nothing hurt too bad that some duct tape and a good drying out of the engine wouldn't cure so everybody pitched in to get him out the next time, including the two from NY in the double exposure picture. Next heat was a rerun of the first time with him again being tossed out, this time thru the cockpit side as he was really hanging on this time. Pulled him in again and he wasn't really anxious to try to go out again, as he had reinjured a shoulder that he had hurt a couple of years earlier, and the boat was in much worse shape this time also. The two from NY would not hear of another heat without Butch though, and with them teasing and egging him on and helping with more duct tape and whatever else could be done to get him back out for the third time, he made it out again. They always say "third time is the charm" It was for Butch, as the third time he really busted his arse as some of the duct tape repairs let loose and the boat came apart in the first turn again, this time not to be repaired on the lake bank, or the driver either. I don't think anybody laughed longer and louder than the the two from NY and Butch still talks about that to this day whenever he picks up something wrong with that arm and shoulder. He was the typical "hard headed Polock" when he was racing and proud of it, and a hell of a driver also. He has also been one of my closest friends since the late 60's.
Just talked to him earlier in the week and he is looking forward to the DePue reunion.