Big Orange Racing

[Maureen M]

Hi everyone -

Here's a post from the General Discussion forum - I figured you all would be able to shed some light:

Big Orange
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some of those boats are incredible , i like the stuff from big orange marine , ive never heard of those guys , man those twisters are nice .....those boats look brand new...
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Parker -
I don't know much, but Allison had some info/pics on display. There was a pic of the Big Orange Racing Team in 1974 in Eufala, Alabama at the APBA Closed Course Nationals. The team members were Chuck Rutherford, Hall B. Haynes, Joe Burgess and Bill Camera. Those boats were very nice in person :D .
Hopfully someone else knows more - I'll crosspost in the racing history forum.


Maureen

[Ray Neudecker]

Most of the Big Orange boats were driven by Joe Burgess. He dominated V bottom racing for several years in almost every class at one time or another. Many races he ran 3 to 4 different classes. He died in St. Louis testing a tunnel boat. Started racing in high school. His mother and sister were his pit crew. Every time I looked at one of those boats, I could see the blonde hair and big smile.
Nancy scanned all of the pictures and could provide for the website. A lot of boat racing history on those boards.

[PARKER RABE]

man in all my years of boating ive never heard of them ....great pics .

[Maureen M]

Most of the Big Orange boats were driven by Joe Burgess. He dominated V bottom racing for several years in almost every class at one time or another. Many races he ran 3 to 4 different classes. He died in St. Louis testing a tunnel boat. Started racing in high school. His mother and sister were his pit crew. Every time I looked at one of those boats, I could see the blonde hair and big smile.
Nancy scanned all of the pictures and could provide for the website. A lot of boat racing history on those boards.

Wow...that Big Orange team photo must have brought back memories then. What a loss..

Ray, would you please pass my email address along to Nancy? That whole display was fantastic - I tried to take a few shots but the glare on the plastic was too much. I also read many of the articles that were out on the table. It was like reading the history of powerboating, all in one spot.
If Nancy is ok with it, I'd love to post some of those pictures. My email address is mmurphy@screamandfly.com and my cell is 516-641-6776 (I'm heading to FL this weekend so I might not be near a computer for a day or so.)
I can add the photos to the article we're putting together about the event, or make a separate section for them.

Thanks,

Maureen

[Raceman]

The first time I ever met Joe was at Knoxville at the NOA kilos. I don't recall the year, but he had an OMC V6 on a 16 Ally. As it passed the timer on the high end it wobbled a little and Joe apparently jumped off the gas. The nose dropped, it took a big hop and looked like it went 50 feet straight up. Somebody said he'd made a 115 pass when it went, but since he didn't make a return there was no record of it. (kilos require one in each direction) It broke Joe's back in a couple of places if I remember right. Seems like the OMC was a CCC or an RS, and I think my boat went like 103, so it must've been around 1976. Somebody also said that he'd had an Allison V there a year or so earlier with a pair of T2's on it. He was a GREAT driver and an asset to the sport, and the big orange stuff was usually cutting edge and non conventional to say the least.

[Dale]

>>Every time I looked at one of those boats

I know what you mean Ray .. it brought a tear to my eye when I saw those
pictures ..

Paul introduced me to Joe in June 1970 at my first race, he told Joe to teach
me the ropes and dont let me get hurt, and told me to do everything Joe said
even if I thought I knew better :) Paul and Joe set my boat up and while I
could run with Joe speedwise.. I could never drive like he did .. I dont think
anybody could fly one through the turns like Joe ..

everybody I have heard mention him remembers the big smile .. he was about
2 years younger than me and we had a blast every place we went . .. after the
nationals in 1971 I got married and went in the service and my racing ended ..

here is a picture from bridges website
http://groups.msn.com/bridgesboats/bluespringsbay.msnw

..dale

[Ray Neudecker]

Maureen, I gave Nancy the message and she will be in touch. The employees will be on vacation next week, but she will get in touch.

[Maureen M]

Maureen, I gave Nancy the message and she will be in touch. The employees will be on vacation next week, but she will get in touch.

thanks Ray, I appreciate it. I know a lot of people weren't able to get to the Allison Rally, and they'd love to see those pictures.

Maureen

[Rocket]

Funny you should post this,,,,,We just had a long conversation at our Awards banquet last weekend in WACO Tx about "Big Orange Racing"! :)

Everybody that knew them,, seemed to speak highly of the team! I guess they were from Oklahoma or something?

They said the company was still in bussiness! ;)

[Ray Neudecker]

They were from Middle Tennessee. They raced at most major races in the country. Big Orange Marine in Gallatin ,Tn. is still aropund. It was originally started and run by Joe and his sister took over after his death.

[Superdave]

I believe his place was on highway 109 in Gallatin. I have a friend that raced with/for him and helped him rig those Twisters. He went on to race himself in the PROP tour with the Seebold's. Ray Anderson is his name and he has a dealership in Madison,TN. He and Joe were pretty tight. Joe and his family were some of the best people around. Always willing to lend a hand or give advice. Ray had a STV with twin 2.5 Mercs on it. The engines were mounted with the lower units angled towards themselves. The transom was cut at a 10° or 15° angle acroos the top each side on center. That was a strange looker.
SD

[PARKER RABE]

STV WITH TWINS ?????? WHAT ???? :confused:

[Bruce Washburn]

The Big Orange Boats were owned by Dr. Chuck Rutherford. The motors were maintained by Jesse Anderson. Both Jesse and Chuck lived in Louisville Tn. which is also the home of Allison. I am sure Paul and Darris also helped oversee the set up of some of the boats. I can remember seeing an 85 Hp on a 13 or 14, 150 on a 15, t2x on a 16, T3 on a 16 veepad, and two twin rigs with v6's all at one race. I think Joe had a 13 with a 75 that he ran in APBA. Most of the races that the Big Orange group ran were NOA. All the boats were very competitve. Chuck's 20 ft twin 2.4's with Joe at the wheel was the boat to beat in that class. The twins were a real crowd pleaser. On a lemans start Joe would almost clear the water.
Chuck also had a real light 20 that Winfield Scot ran in Mod VP for a short time.

[MN4V]

Big Orange Marine boat, 1981. At Ironton, OH or Hunington, WV.
Mark N
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm315/MN392/BigOrangeMarine1981.jpg

[php]

Winfield still has one of the boats it has #58 on it they used that # after Joe was gone. He takes it out for a run once in a while. At Guntersville Al. around 79, Joe put the twin in an when he started it the motors caught fire Joe jumped out of the boat an swam to shore. I was standing with Chuck an as we watched it burn Chuck said the bad thing about this is one those motors is borrowed There was not much left of both powerheads an deck of the boat. I have some pics somewhere will try to find them.

[raymar]

I remember seeing Joe race in many different places but the race I remember most is one at Lake Barkley in Ky. where he raced a 15 foot Allison with a V4 Johnson against some tunnel boats. (I don't remember the class, probably U1) Joe would swing wide outside the tunnel boats in the turns and still lap them during the race.
I always looked forward to seeing Joe drive the V-bottoms. He is greatly missed.

[Backfire]

The Hot Springs Boat Racing Club saw a lot of Joe Burgess back in the '60's. and early 70's. Always a smile, always on the clock, winner most of the time. I'll try and find some pictures.
Backfire ;)

[gemini]

No OPC race was complete without Joe. If all racers had his attitude and smile there would still be a great OPC division today. He could compete with a tree log painted orange and a paddle in any class.

[smokin'joe]

Most of the Big Orange boats were driven by Joe Burgess. He dominated V bottom racing for several years in almost every class at one time or another. Many races he ran 3 to 4 different classes. He died in St. Louis testing a tunnel boat. Started racing in high school. His mother and sister were his pit crew. Every time I looked at one of those boats, I could see the blonde hair and big smile.
Nancy scanned all of the pictures and could provide for the website. A lot of boat racing history on those boards.

This is a very old post, but I'll add my 2 cents anyway. Joe was the driver, Chuck Rutherford owned the boats, and,so far as I know he still owns the boats. Joe would generally drive if someone asked him. Late in the fateful day, he finally drove the tunnel that killed him. That was at least 5 yrs. before cells were required. Joe was a very good and fair driver, but he did not dominate V-bottom racing 1977-85. I don't know the history in NOA prior to 1975 but he did not dominate in APBA before that date. The photo (Eufaula, 1981) shows Joe on the inside and my EP rig on the outside in GP Class. I added weigh, stepped up to run and got around him before 3 laps, but we'd both jumped the gun. Danny Critchfield, who'd also stepped up from EP, won after running way behind us. Back at the scales, Jay Cox yelled to Danny, "It's better to be lucky than good!".