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largecar91
08-24-2005, 05:52 PM
I was searching the net and found this. I never knew sidewinder made a tunnel.

crazy horse
08-24-2005, 07:02 PM
That's a new one on me. :rolleyes: Looks like late 60's early 70's. :confused:

rnelems
08-24-2005, 07:16 PM
My memory is a little fuzzy here,but I believe the bottom photo was a one-off built by maybe Gary Fergeson (sp) ? The other two photos appear to be artist concepts. A good friend was a Sidewinder dealer in late 60's/early 70's,he sold lots of them but he never had a tunnel as far as I can remember. Don't think it ever hit the market. But interesting photos. Robert

Raceman
08-24-2005, 09:14 PM
It may also very well be that it's not the same company that made the boats that we commonly associate with the Sidewinder name. There was more than one back then, but I don't recall the details. Seems like one was referred to as Sidewinder by Thomson or Thompson.

rnelems
08-24-2005, 09:59 PM
Raceman,I think you got it. Thompson(sp) bought the company after they made their mark with some nice metalflake hot rods,next phase was bowriders with the signature wind shield that opened on the port side instead of the center,cool idea in 1972. But I'm still pretty sure it was Gary Fergason that designed the early ones. Help me out here.Robert

Mark75H
08-24-2005, 10:25 PM
Large should have told you guys where he picked this up: www.fiberglassics.com/ (http://www.fiberglassics.com/sidewinder/)sidewinder (http://www.fiberglassics.com/sidewinder/)

http://www.fiberglassics.com/sidewinder/sidewinderb69010.jpg

http://www.fiberglassics.com/sidewinder/sidewinderb69006.jpg

willabee
08-25-2005, 10:20 AM
I was under the impression that Sidewinder boats out of California in the late 60's was owned and operated by Kenny Baker. He campaigned a couple of twin engine tunnels in that time frame. They were painted in a stars and stripes format and had 1250 stackers for power. He drove one and Roy Zepponi drove the other.
Gary Ferguson.......why do I know that name? A Chrysler 135 stacker driver?

LakeRacer99
08-25-2005, 11:15 AM
From the glassics site that Sam linked to...

The Sidewinder trademark (for boats) was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on January 6, 1969, under the name of Los Altos Marine Incorporated, located at 4898 El Camino Real, Los Altos, California. In their 1969 model full colour brochure, Sidewinder Boats claimed to be the world's largest designer/producer of V-bottom ski boats, with manufacturing facilities in California and Canada. Built for speed, Sidewinders were designed for the ultimate in racing, skiing, and personal pleasure. World record holder, Ken Baker, had designed two high performance hulls - the famous V bottom and the new tunnel. These hulls were multi-laminated and assembled by hand. Variety and choice were the order of the day with standard and deluxe versions, thirty-two colour combinations, and power plants from outboard through inboard-outboard and jet available. Appointed with choices of metalflake trim, racing stripes, tuck and roll wrap around vinyl seating, and colour keyed all weather carpeting, these stylish, powerful, and manoeuvrable boats turned heads at many a beach. (In fact they still do!)
Models available in 1969 were the V- bottom, low profile (Lo Pro) designs in 16 and 18 ft. lengths. Both could be had in the Deluxe version (16 ft. at 750 lb. and 18 ft. at 900 lb.) or the "stripped down" (100 lb. lighter) Standard versions. They could be had in outboard (135 hp max for the16 and 150 hp max for the 18), inboard/outboard (140 hp max for the 16 and 225 hp max for the 18) or jet drive (350 hp max for the 16 and 500 hp max for the 18 - although text in the brochure claims up to 600 horsepower was available!) Engines up to 455 cu. in. could be had. The tunnel model version, used predominately for racing, was available in either a 15 ft. or 17 ft. length, and could be custom built for single, double and triple outboard engine classes.
The revolutionary Super Sidewinder 16/18 ft. design was filed for a patent (by Ken Baker and Ronald Plescia) in the US on October 17, 1969 and granted patent on November 3, 1970 (Patent Number 219,118). Subsequent patent designs were filed and granted for the 14 ft. Super, XL deep-vee, and XL Tri-hull.
In 1970, Sidewinder relocated from Los Altos, up the road to 3545 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. In 1970 and '71 boats were also manufactured in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Meanwhile Sidewinders were being manufactured under the Cobra name, by California Fiberglass Limited in British Columbia, Canada.
In 1971, Ken Baker, president of Sidewinder Marine, Inc. in Palo Alto, California was in litigation over a lawsuit filed by Sidewinder Marine against twenty manufacturers, who had copied the revolutionary Super Sidewinder design, first produced in 1970. Imitators included Marlin, Tahiti, Wriedt, and Taylor. In 1971/72 production moved from Palo Alto to Anderson, CA. and by July 1972, at least four manufacturers had admitted infringement on the Sidewinder design patents. About 1971 Canadian Sidewinder production moved to Ontario, where, by 1972, they were manufactured as Sidewinders - not Cobras, by California Glass Marine.
In 1974 the Thompson Boat Company purchased manufacturing rights for Sidewinder boats and continued to manufacture them under the Sidewinder banner at Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Later Sidewinders (by this time only the 16 and 18 ft. Super models) were built by Thompson in St. Charles, Michigan and finally in Swan Creek, Michigan.
In Canada the last Sidewinders were made in the late 1980's and California Glass Marine folded in the early '90's. The last US Sidewinder (the 18SS) appeared in the 1990 Thompson Boat Company brochure. Thompson met its demise in September 2002, when the assets were sold in a liquidation auction.

rnelems
08-25-2005, 11:19 AM
My bad,it was Kenny Baker,I had confused him with Gary Ferguson. The mind gets slow with age :rolleyes:

willabee
08-25-2005, 11:45 AM
I think all that lawsuit stuff was over the patent he had received for the wraparound windshield more than it was for hull design. When those boats came out, they were very popular and a number of companies copied that windshield, including Glastron.

T2x
08-25-2005, 01:41 PM
I think all that lawsuit stuff was over the patent he had received for the wraparound windshield more than it was for hull design. When those boats came out, they were very popular and a number of companies copied that windshield, including Glastron.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black......

Sidewinder's hull was "popped" from a Glastron 16 footer.

There were quite a few Sidewinder tunnels....in racing... all hand built and made to order in wood. Bob Van Epps had two of them in the single engine version (14' 8")and I actually drove one on it's first time in the water.... with a 1000 BP. It was the first tunnel I ever drove...in approximately 1967.

Bob did well with them including a memorable qualifying heat duel in the short course Nationals at Smith Mountain Lake that year...against Bucky Morris in the "Wild Geechee"... Bob trimmed the boat to the moon coming down to the finish and won the race by a hair...... at a 45 degree angle to the horizon.

He brought the little devil back down and to my knowledge never actually back flipped that hull or its successor.

There were also a couple of twin engine versions at the same race..... they were sort of a "poor man's Jones" and were quite similar to the more famous and desireable Ron and Ted Jones tunnels......which was interesting in that both came from the West Coast.

T2x

MN4V
08-25-2005, 02:04 PM
Here is an old Dell Craft SJJ boat my brother bought from Ron Baker in 1973.
Very similar in the decks, but very different sponsons from the Sidewinder.
Mark N

willabee
08-25-2005, 03:10 PM
I didn't know they took it from a Glastron, that's pretty damn funny.


Smith Mountain Lake.....seems like such a long time ago. Big Wally...Hauser,maybe was his last name - anyway, Wally was the man behind that race. Really liked that guy - I think he was driving a McCall with a 1000 BP when I we met - seemed like the totally wrong boat for a man that big.

You and I may have met there in 68 ( that's when the BP's came out ) - I spent alot of time flushing out leaking BP gearcases and making other adjustments for privateers at that race. A couple of them thanked me be giving me my first hit of moonshine after the race. They always used Mercurys big roller clock for scoring - I was the guy that had to set it up.

I remember the name Bob Van Epps, but can't picture the Sidewinder. Didn't Earl Bentz have something to do with Morris and the Geechee?

Something else goofy happened that year. It was something like Kitson had the lead at the end of the 6 hours, but he was having some kind of problem with his Diablo wing. When the gun went off, he drove directly into the pits and put it on the trailer, but he hadn't crossed the finish line. I'm thinking they gave the win to Jim Merten, who ran a 20' Jones that porpoised all the way around the course, all day long.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black......

Sidewinder's hull was "popped" from a Glastron 16 footer.

There were quite a few Sidewinder tunnels....in racing... all hand built and made to order in wood. Bob Van Epps had two of them in the single engine version (14' 8")and I actually drove one on it's first time in the water.... with a 1000 BP. It was the first tunnel I ever drove...in approximately 1967.

Bob did well with them including a memorable qualifying heat duel in the short course Nationals at Smith Mountain Lake that year...against Bucky Morris in the "Wild Geechee"... Bob trimmed the boat to the moon coming down to the finish and won the race by a hair...... at a 45 degree angle to the horizon.

He brought the little devil back down and to my knowledge never actually back flipped that hull or its successor.

There were also a couple of twin engine versions at the same race..... they were sort of a "poor man's Jones" and were quite similar to the more famous and desireable Ron and Ted Jones tunnels......which was interesting in that both came from the West Coast.

T2x

T2x
08-25-2005, 05:05 PM
I didn't know they took it from a Glastron, that's pretty damn funny.


Smith Mountain Lake.....seems like such a long time ago. Big Wally...Hauser,maybe was his last name - anyway, Wally was the man behind that race. Really liked that guy - I think he was driving a McCall with a 1000 BP when I we met - seemed like the totally wrong boat for a man that big.

You and I may have met there in 68 ( that's when the BP's came out ) - I spent alot of time flushing out leaking BP gearcases and making other adjustments for privateers at that race. A couple of them thanked me be giving me my first hit of moonshine after the race. They always used Mercurys big roller clock for scoring - I was the guy that had to set it up.

I remember the name Bob Van Epps, but can't picture the Sidewinder. Didn't Earl Bentz have something to do with Morris and the Geechee?

Something else goofy happened that year. It was something like Kitson had the lead at the end of the 6 hours, but he was having some kind of problem with his Diablo wing. When the gun went off, he drove directly into the pits and put it on the trailer, but he hadn't crossed the finish line. I'm thinking they gave the win to Jim Merten, who ran a 20' Jones that porpoised all the way around the course, all day long.

I don't know if Earl and Bucky were teamed up back then..... But they both came from South Carolina...seems to me that Earl didn't arrive on the scene for 3 or 4 more years.

In '68 at Smith Mountain Lake , George Linder and I ran a blue metalflake 16' vee Eltro (the first.. fiberglass Eltro made)....with twin 1250 BP's in SJJ. It delaminated on the starboard side about 1/2 way through the marathon ( not surprising..given it was the first attempt by two wooden boat builders, John Ives and Bob D'argagnon to craft something in glass....eh?)...and made great right turns for the rest of the day. The UU class Wings and Jones tunnels basically ate us for breakfast..but we hung pretty tough with the JJ Switzer vee "huggers".

I remember that Jon Culver was there with a twin engine Jones..... and after an apprehensive couple of laps....dropped out of the race... Cliff Reif (Stamper) owned it, but he had hung up his life jacket and helmet by then.

Kitson's Wing had three engines on it when he arrived...but he wisely stripped off the center motor before the race.

That was the year that Pruett ran a triple stacker Jones.... and wacked two blown powerheads off with a sledgehammer... because he was impatient about the team guys unbolting them...... and putting on fresh ones.

E.C. fired him on the spot...again. But Don went back out on the race course (with fresh powerheads..... one of which he pulled off of a race boat that was simply sitting nearby on a trailer). I was waiting to take a 1 or 2 hour shift (I forget) in the Eltro...when one of the powerheads hit the ground at my feet on the launching ramp..... (Pruett was always knocking things at my feet...powerheads, parts, people he disliked....people he liked..... people he simply cold cocked for fun....etc.) :D

Years later Billy Don became team manager for Chris Cats and finally for the Lavins in the Jesse James Offshore team..... and we worked very closely together during that period..... but he had lost a lot of steam by then..... Down to one explosion every month or so...rather than twice a day. ;)

Rest in Peace ..big fella.

T2x

T2x
08-25-2005, 05:16 PM
I didn't know they took it from a Glastron, that's pretty damn funny.

Please note concave transom and sculpted side detail of Sidewinder...and the original 16 Glastron.

At least Checkmate squared off the transom and sides when they "borrowed" the bottom..... :D

T2x

largecar91
08-26-2005, 01:41 AM
Fiberglassics is a cool site but they are missing a bunch of info. I guess I didn't read the fine print on who made the boat. It just caught my eye and was cool looking. I sent them some pics and info on some other cool old boats but it looks as though they need some help filling in a lot of the blanks.

willabee
08-26-2005, 09:12 AM
I love your Pruett story, but it was even worse than that - let me share it with you.
THE REAL STORY - BILLY DON AT SMITH MOUNTAIN

Garbrecht has us get two triple Jones boats ready for the race, fresh engines, the works. Then, for some reason I'll never understand, he tells Pruett and Joe Habay to go ahead and take these rigs to Smith Mountain ahead of the team. He tells them to just get the boats cleaned up while they wait for our arrival.

Well, asking Billy Don and Joe to behave like adults when there is no one around to supervise them is just like asking a rabbit to go fetch a head of lettuce - hey rabbit, just bring the lettuce here, don't nibble on it.....yea, right.

When we arrive I discover that our two rocket scientists had decided to put on a show for their fans. They had gone to the local fuel station and fulled both boat tanks with white gas. Then they put their clean boats in the lake and promptly burned two engines on one boat and one on the other.

I was really pissed, at them and Garbrecht, and told Gary so. He then went to the boys and told them they only had three good powerheads left between them. He told them to decide which one of the Jones boats was going to get the powerheads and who was going to drive in the race.

That's why you saw Billy Don beating and banging, they were down to one boat and were told to change the engines themselves ( something factory drivers just didn't do ). I watched, but from a great distance, and really enjoyed the whole show.

And the legend of Billy Don continues:D
I don't know if Earl and Bucky were teamed up back then..... But they both came from South Carolina...seems to me that Earl didn't arrive on the scene for 3 or 4 more years.

In '68 at Smith Mountain Lake , George Linder and I ran a blue metalflake 16' vee Eltro (the first.. fiberglass Eltro made)....with twin 1250 BP's in SJJ. It delaminated on the starboard side about 1/2 way through the marathon ( not surprising..given it was the first attempt by two wooden boat builders, John Ives and Bob D'argagnon to craft something in glass....eh?)...and made great right turns for the rest of the day. The UU class Wings and Jones tunnels basically ate us for breakfast..but we hung pretty tough with the JJ Switzer vee "huggers".

I remember that Jon Culver was there with a twin engine Jones..... and after an apprehensive couple of laps....dropped out of the race... Cliff Reif (Stamper) owned it, but he had hung up his life jacket and helmet by then.

Kitson's Wing had three engines on it when he arrived...but he wisely stripped off the center motor before the race.

That was the year that Pruett ran a triple stacker Jones.... and wacked two blown powerheads off with a sledgehammer... because he was impatient about the team guys unbolting them...... and putting on fresh ones.

E.C. fired him on the spot...again. But Don went back out on the race course (with fresh powerheads..... one of which he pulled off of a race boat that was simply sitting nearby on a trailer). I was waiting to take a 1 or 2 hour shift (I forget) in the Eltro...when one of the powerheads hit the ground at my feet on the launching ramp..... (Pruett was always knocking things at my feet...powerheads, parts, people he disliked....people he liked..... people he simply cold cocked for fun....etc.) :D

Years later Billy Don became team manager for Chris Cats and finally for the Lavins in the Jesse James Offshore team..... and we worked very closely together during that period..... but he had lost a lot of steam by then..... Down to one explosion every month or so...rather than twice a day. ;)

Rest in Peace ..big fella.

T2x

willabee
08-26-2005, 09:19 AM
That's interesting - maybe Earl and Bucky teamed in a Geechee with factory OMC power at Havasu?

Do you remember Gary Ferguson?
Bill,
D F Jenkins Was The Owner, And I Think, Builder Of The Geechee's. Bucky Morris Was The First Driver I Encountered, As They Were Running The S I Class With An Omc. There Were Several Different Geechee Boats. I Ran Against Three Different Geechee Drivers. Earl Bentz Was The Second And Danny Piggott Was The Third. D F Was Earl's Uncle, If My Memory Isn't Scrambled.

willabee
08-26-2005, 09:24 AM
You're right, I always called them 4 point tunnels. I don't remember what Kenny and Roy called them - except "fast".
Thats got to be a great poster, wish it was hanging in my house.
I thought that the Sidewinder tunnels (Stars & Stripes) weren't exaclty true tunnels. They had a full length air entrapment tunnel, but had "step" sponsons on the front, similar to a 3 point. They were run as "twins" (R class at Havasu). One of these hulls lay in a yard in Day Island / Tacoma WA for years, then disappeared (landfill victim?)I have a 1970-1971 Mercury factory poster in my office (Bill Sirois inset). It's an overview shot of the lineup front of the Nautical Inn beach. The (2) Sidewinder hulls are poised together waiting for the start. I've had this poster since I was a kid in high school. Selling Price: "Priceless"

T2x
08-26-2005, 02:58 PM
I thought that the Sidewinder tunnels (Stars & Stripes) weren't exaclty true tunnels. They had a full length air entrapment tunnel, but had "step" sponsons on the front, similar to a 3 point. They were run as "twins" (R class at Havasu). One of these hulls lay in a yard in Day Island / Tacoma WA for years, then disappeared (landfill victim?)I have a 1970-1971 Mercury factory poster in my office (Bill Sirois inset). It's an overview shot of the lineup front of the Nautical Inn beach. The (2) Sidewinder hulls are poised together waiting for the start. I've had this poster since I was a kid in high school. Selling Price: "Priceless"

Both Sidewinder tunnels that I was around had full tunnels and no steps.... If they made a four point...as you are describing...I never saw one.

T2x

willabee
08-26-2005, 03:21 PM
Both of the stars and stripes Sidewinders with the stackers had the stepped sponsons. They really weren't 4 points, they were tunnels with 4 point style sponsons. They were alot different than what you saw on the Molinari's and Jones boats. They were straightaway fast like a 4 point, but handled rougher water than a 4 point would because of the tunnel. However, they couldn't handle rough water as well as the full tunnel boats. They also didn't hook turn like a tunnel, but sort of slid, almost like a hydro. The early ones did not have the stepped sponsons.

Kind of a strange way to describe them, but that's the best I can do.


Both Sidewinder tunnels that I was around had full tunnels and no steps.... If they made a four point...as you are describing...I never saw one.

T2x

T2x
08-29-2005, 08:14 AM
Rich,

You must be kidding, with all the Sidewinder's that Ken Baker built for me and Bob and Paul and Tom Stickle you didn't know Ken had a twin 4 point ??? :rolleyes:

I see all the pictures....I'm still not seeing a 4 point.......

I took two years off from racing when I lived in Texas and Arkansas..... '70 and '71... as I recall....... Maybe you guys had them during that period?

T2x

T2x
08-29-2005, 10:09 AM
This poster of mine gets more valuable by the minute.......It's too big to scan (24 x 36 inch) otherwise I'd post it here. The shot taken overlooking the Nautical Inn beach clearly shows one of the Stars & Stripes tunnels popping up on a plane with the step showing. One of the (2) hulls ended up up in a yard in near Day Island, WA........it was stripped completely bare of its hardware and lay in the grass for 3-4 years.........then disappeared.

Find the boat...and you'll really have something. The sad thing is if each of us had only the boats and engines that we actually raced in or tested with...and nothing else....We'd have collections worth a fortune.

Unfortunately, Raceman has all of it :)

T2x

Mark75H
08-29-2005, 04:53 PM
This poster of mine gets more valuable by the minute.......It's too big to scan (24 x 36 inch) otherwise I'd post it here. .....

How about taking a picture of it and posting the picture?

T2x
08-29-2005, 05:01 PM
Does anyone know the whereabouts of Reggie Fountain's Glastron Molinari twin (Red/White)? That's the old hull I'd like to track down and get..........

Wasn't that the boat with the phone book in the driver's seat?

T2x :p

T2x
08-30-2005, 11:29 AM
Do you think phone books are "standard equipment" on new Fountain off shore boats too?

Only on the ones he drives.

T2x :p

willabee
08-30-2005, 01:22 PM
You had mentioned somewhere else about Pruett punching someone at a party at one of the St. Marys races. When you brought it up, I recalled that happening at Bill Petty's house in Wapakoneta, during the calcutta. I just couldn't recall who was on the receiving end until now - Tommy Sikes. Olegator will remember him because he used to race against Tommy's girlfriend;)

Hey..... I think I just did a blue box:D :D :D
(Pruett was always knocking things at my feet...powerheads, parts, people he disliked....people he liked..... people he simply cold cocked for fun....etc.) :D

2us70
08-30-2005, 02:11 PM
Tommy was found shot to death in Hollywood a couple of years ago. I don't think they have made an arrest in the case.I keep forgetting to ask my son who is a Hollywood Police Officer about this.

T2x
08-30-2005, 05:31 PM
You had mentioned somewhere else about Pruett punching someone at a party at one of the St. Marys races. When you brought it up, I recalled that happening at Bill Petty's house in Wapakoneta, during the calcutta. I just couldn't recall who was on the receiving end until now - Tommy Sikes. Olegator will remember him because he used to race against Tommy's girlfriend;)

Hey..... I think I just did a blue box:D :D :D

That was one of the "bookend punches".......

The rest of the story....is ...

I didn't see Pruett for a number of years after that...... until The Benihana in Point Pleasant in 1980 or so....... Whereupon...after some abrupt jostling at the bar at Jenkinson's Pavillion....another guy landed at my feet, basically out cold, and I looked up to see.....who else?.... Billy Don..... who, recognizing me and uncocking his right hand, grinned and said "Hey R-i-i-i-c-h"!.

The same thing, in the same position, he said to me at the St Mary's party after decking Sikes....

With Pruett...if you saw one punch....you saw them all.

T2x

dmilford
09-07-2005, 07:44 PM
Does anyone know how I can get in touch with Ken Baker - past pres. of Sidewiwnder Marine?

Mr.T
09-26-2005, 03:09 PM
I remember the Sidwinder tunnels well In 1969 GG called and said I want you torun a twin engine Sidwinder at Parker 9hr. Well I had never driven a twin before. Garys famous words (a piece of cake). He said get there on Mon. you will have 5 days to get some time in it. Spent the week watching roadrunners and other boats test. Kenny finaly arrived Sat. about 6pm. I got the boat in the water after dark for about 10min. My biggest concern was a glassed over plywood fuel tank. Kenny assured me it would be OK and last for the race. It didnt make any differnce because the boat blew a running pad out after 2hrs. and I got wet. Not fun at Parker in March.They took me into bar on the river and insted I drink a cup of coffee with a shot wiskey in it terible taste but did warm me up. This boat was like the ones posted by Large car and Mark 75H. I never saw that boat again. I also had a single engine stacker that year. (Great Boat) I dont think I ever lost in it. I took it back to Oshkosh in 70 and I think Bob Van Epps ended up with it. AS for Kenny Baker I was a sales rep for him and his brothers Dub and Bill in 1973 74 before Thompson took over. Had some contact with them in 75 with Gaurdian Jet Drives but nothing since. Rich Marshall drove the 4points for 2-3yrs. They were fast but like the wings they would not turn.

willabee
12-13-2005, 01:33 PM
T2X...this one's for you

Hopefully, the 1st photo will be clear enough to see the stepped sponsons we were talking about.......in the 2nd one, Roy Zepponi is showing them to all of the folks on the north shore :eek: Roy decided to go kilo record setting just before a Parker race...the boat never made it to Parker.

I see all the pictures....I'm still not seeing a 4 point.......

Mark75H
12-13-2005, 06:55 PM
Caption for the second pic should probably be .... "Hope my shoes stay in the boat!" It's amazing how many guys came out of boats and their shoes sayed in :eek:

Mr.T
12-14-2005, 09:20 AM
:) Shoes in boatI blew over in a Ron Jones single in 1969 at Miami Marine Stadium. A week later at Smith Mountain Lake Va. the Mercury guys found my shoes in the nose of the boat. They saved them for me. Meanwhile I was laying in the hospital in Miami:(

willabee
12-14-2005, 09:48 AM
Mr T - did you loose your shoes on the 1st....2nd.....or 3rd time you flipped that boat in Miami, or did we give them back to you after the first two flips and then decide to just keep them away from you so that you couldn't get back in that thing :) :) :)

You still owe me $12.45 for nonreimbursed money I spent on gas and tolls driving your wife to the hospital with a dry set of clothes and a fresh pack of Camels.


I blew over in a Ron Jones single in 1969 at Miami Marine Stadium. A week later at Smith Mountain Lake Va. the Mercury guys found my shoes in the nose

Mr.T
12-14-2005, 10:59 AM
WILLABEE The 1st and 2nd times was a barrel roll 3rd times a charm and off to the hospital. Thats when I lost my shoes I will reimburse the $12.45 in BUD LIGHT if you ever get out of Columbus and come to a CHAMP BOAT RACE. You can find the tenative race dates for 2006 at champ boat racing .com. You wasnt the only one taking care of my wife that day. Billy Don literally picked her up in the grand stand and run with her down to the pit area where they brought me in the liter basket

willabee
12-14-2005, 04:03 PM
One of Mr. T's Flips -

Funny how our memory banks recall the same event differently. Mine says it was a very violent snap.....running beautifully and then bam,gone. I thought that he got quite a bit of height and did a 540 ( I think that is one and one half revolutions ) rather than the normal Molinari " kite - stall - 180 ". I sure can be wrong, maybe the barrel rolls were violent and the flip was of the slow, stall variety.


I Was In The Grandstand For That Heat. My Camera Was Laying In The Seat Next To Me. When I Saw You Going, I Had Time To Pick Up The Camera And Get A Shot Of The Rig Completly Airborne. I Thought I Gave You A Copy The Next Time I Saw You. That Sure Was Not A Snap Blowover.

willabee
12-15-2005, 11:28 AM
:D :D :D


I'm Sure, If He Had Looked, He Could Have Seen Key West.

willabee
12-20-2005, 03:40 PM
Gary Ferguson

A few months ago, you brought up that name and I've been trying to remember why I know it..........well, I finally figured it out. He was very successful in the drag boats. For a while it was either him or Tinker Collinge in the "Molly Bee" that took home the gold in the twin outboard class. Here's a picture of Gary in his Chrysler powered hrdro.


Raceman,I think you got it. Thompson(sp) bought the company after they made their mark with some nice metalflake hot rods,next phase was bowriders with the signature wind shield that opened on the port side instead of the center,cool idea in 1972. But I'm still pretty sure it was Gary Fergason that designed the early ones. Help me out here.Robert

Dave L.
08-26-2013, 07:24 PM
One of those stars and stripe twins belonged to Tahoe Keys Marina, but campaigned with Kenny's boat. I crewed on it I think in 1971. Roy Zepponi did drive it at Havasu that year but it did not finish. Blew a powerhead and the crew at Tahoe Keys had custom wired it so it could not swap. Goofballs. The other boat ran both days (Kenny and Roy sharing driving duties) but finished out of the money. I was a fiberglasser and the boat still competing after the first day was coming apart inside. I spent the entire night reinforcing the inner frames of the boat with fiberglass and was laying in the boat fiberglassing as they drove it to the starting line for day two. It held together for the rest of the race.
The boat did have an uninterrupted tunnel but had interrupted (4-point) sponsons. Went like the Bejesus in a straight line but could not turn a corner to save its life. We used to watch the Sidewinder pass everybody on the straights but when the Molinaris turned the corner, the Sidewinder just kept on going. We estimated that when everybody else was racing a 3 mile lap, we were running 3 and 1/2 miles. I only worked on the boat one year. I think the following year multi-engine boats were eliminated from competition.
I remember we had AC Delco stickers on one side of the boat, and Champion stickers on the other, for sponsor money. We also had STP stickers on the boat for the same reason, the companies would pay you for running with their logos. We never did any place in a mercury outboard to put STP.
I left Tahoe Keys Marina after that year and never did hear what happened to those boats. They were truly beautiful boats. Would love to see a picture of them if anyone has one.

Powercat
08-26-2013, 09:15 PM
http://www.powercatboat.com/ODBR/ODBR.html
On the page link above you will see Gary's name 4 times that he set the mark in drag outboards
The links below show the boats and some of the stories on this racer
http://www.powercatboat.com/ODBR/1962_1963_GF.html
http://www.powercatboat.com/ODBR/DragNfly/1971_1972_dnf.html

Danny Leger






Gary Ferguson

A few months ago, you brought up that name and I've been trying to remember why I know it..........well, I finally figured it out. He was very successful in the drag boats. For a while it was either him or Tinker Collinge in the "Molly Bee" that took home the gold in the twin outboard class. Here's a picture of Gary in his Chrysler powered hrdro.

FUJIMO
08-27-2013, 08:08 AM
Any tunnel hull with a single step is a 4-point boat. End of discussion.

WaterZebra
09-12-2016, 05:01 PM
T2X...this one's for you

Hopefully, the 1st photo will be clear enough to see the stepped sponsons we were talking about.......in the 2nd one, Roy Zepponi is showing them to all of the folks on the north shore :eek: Roy decided to go kilo record setting just before a Parker race...the boat never made it to Parker.


One of these hulls just surfaced on Seattle area Craigslist for sale / give away on 09-12-16. Hull is located in Yelm WA!

T2x
09-16-2016, 02:03 PM
Can't find it

WaterZebra
09-16-2016, 08:41 PM
Can't find it
Ad was posted on 09-10-16 and was deleted on 09-13-16. I wish I had kept the photo files posted on Craigslist

91eagle
03-30-2017, 05:48 AM
I was searching the net and found this. I never knew sidewinder made a tunnel.
Sidewinder made the seebold eagles in Canada in the late 80s didnt they?

jackiewilson
03-30-2017, 04:21 PM
Any tunnel hull with a single step is a 4-point boat. End of discussion.

'Er------scuse me Fuji--------so if a tunnel has three steps !???????
Does that make it an eight pointer or a staircase ?
Just askin ?

Capt.Insane-o
03-30-2017, 04:28 PM
lol...