Parker 9 hour history

[mr fun]

just spotted this in the photo gallery, must be from the early sixties. http://www.screamandfly.com/gallery/...nship&cat=3079

when did the Parker Enduro begin? gotta love the lady helping fuel the boat in the water in a dress we've come a long way, fun out

[Capt.Insane-o]

Today she would be in a thong with pasties.

[mr fun]

you got my thought, anyway after that, I'm curious as to the beginning of the "PARKER". j

[willabee]

......, I'm curious as to the beginning of the "PARKER". j

The Parker Enduro first ran in 1963. Seems like I read somewhere that it had forty-some entries that first year, mostly the "California Chrome-Nut" inboard folks. Entries increased every year to over one hundred by 1968. Early on, the inboards dominated and they took the top prize through 1969. However, the outboards kept improving and started breaking into the top ten finishers list.

Finally, in 1970, the outboards won! Allan Stinson & Jerry Wallin drove a Desilva Wing powered by a pair of Evinrude V4 single pipe outboards to first overall while the outboards took something like nine of the top ten positions. The next year a single Molinari/Johnson driven by Johnny Sanders & Tom Posey took the top spot! Jimbo McConnell & Ted May pushed a single Scotti/Evinrude to first in 1972. Mercury finally cracked the winners circle in 73 with the Berghauers, Denny & Dewey, driving a Molinari powered by the 99 inch six carb C6.

In the name of fuel conservation, the race was reduced to seven hours in 1974. The once dominate inboards had no chance against the outboards and their entry numbers had diminished dramatically. The Mercury KT package (V8 with a stern drive) arrived on the scene in 1973 and new life was brought to the inboard faithful. The KT's proved they could run with the outboards, they just had trouble getting those big V8's to last seven hours.

Here's a typical Parker action shot ..... Jim Merten/Boots Spellman in a Switzer Wing powered by Merc 1250 stackers. Finished 1st outboard, 2nd overall in 1969. Showed that the outboards were about to break the inboard hold on numero uno.



In 1977, Lou Brunette lead until the last fifteen minutes when his Marathon/Chevy KT came to a stop with a dead battery. I'm pretty sure it was the Speed Marine entry driven by Mitch Lembke, maybe a Molinari/Jaguar combo, that finally took the winners trophy back from the outboards, late 70's I think.

Now I'm curious as to when it ended?

A few Parker winners ..... the first KT to enter way back in 68, Bill Cooper & "Fear" (that's how he listed his co-driver ) in a Molinari powered by a warmed up 265" Chevy and an McI speedmaster.

[Bob V]

Winners of Parker Enduro - Courtesy of Ron Hill

1963 Tom Davis
1964 Mike Wallace and Bill Cooper... Tiny Tim
1965 Bob Nordskog.. Viking Spirit
1966 Mike Wallace and Bill Cooper... Tiny Tim owned by Tim Wallace
1967 Louis H. Brummett...Mandella "Rawhide"
1968 Louis H. Brummett.. Mandella "Rawhide"
1969 Howard McCormick... How About That
1970 Allan Stinson and Jerry Walin...Outboard DeSilva Wing
1971 Johnny Sanders and Tommy Posey... Abilene Marine owned by Alan Yaw
1972 Jimbo McConnell and Ted May...Black and White Scotti
1973 Denis and Duane Berghauer...Mercury/Molinari
1974 Bill Seebold, Jr. and Cee Van der Velden
1975 Renato Molinari and Bobby Herring
1976 Geoff Briggs and Bob Larson...Larson Marine, Stockton Special
1977 Renato Molinari and Bobby Herring
1978 Ron Hill and Fred Hauenstein...Brad Miller's Crazyhorse Campgrounds
1979 Bill Seebold
1980 Bob Spalding and Kenny Stevenson
1981 Johnny Sanders and Don Johnston...Arcadian Motor Sports owned by Jim Hauenstein
1982 Jimbo and Ron Ackerman
1983 Art Kennedy and John Sherlock
1984 Jimbo McConnell and Ron Ackerman
1985 Mitch Lemke ..Speed and Marine Jaguar Powered
1986 Dick Sherrer. Seebold "Crusader" powered by an Ed Lane 2.4 Mercury
1987 Don Johnston and Johnny Sanders...Jim Hauenstein's Arcadian Motor Sports
1988 Don Johnston and Johnny Sanders...Jim Hauenstein's Arcadian Motor Sports
1989 Scott Gillman
1990 Francois Salabert (France)
1991-93 No Race
1994 Greg Foster...Crane Rental Service
1995 Jason Campbell...Steel Marine of Phoenix, owned by Scott Steel
1996 Todd Bowden...Concrete Coring Company
1997 Todd Bowden...Boat 34 Bowden Development
1998 Todd Bowden and co-drivers: Tracy Hawkins, and John Schubert of Texas.
1999 Todd Bowden
2000-04 No Race
2005 Ben Marrone and Paul Grichar...Plan B...Frank Marrone and Sons Pumping
2006 Chad Hill and Pat Bowman...BMB Storage, Parker and Fred Bowden
2007 Joe Abellera...Havasu City, Arizona
2008 John Lane and John Roth
2009 Gary Hairbedian Schida Twin Turbo "Restless"
2010Joe Abalera 2.0 Liter Mercury
2011Greg Gluck/Mike Nobel Rayson/V-Drive
2012 Team #435 Steve Nolind, Scott Nolind and Tony Scarlata *** Co-Winners California Gold Team: Fred Bowden, Al Stoker and Drivers Greg Foster and Chip Watkins
2013 Tim McDonald and Mike Quindazzi, Jr. STV/Mercury

Todd Bowden and Johnny Sanders are the only four time winners...
Jimbo McConnell has three wins...
Chad Hill and Ron Hill are the only Father/Son winners of the Enduro.

[willabee]

Winners of Parker Enduro -
1963 Tom Davis

1985 Mitch Lemke ..Speed and Marine Jaguar Powered

1991-93 No Race

1994 Greg Foster...Crane Rental Service .....

So 63 was correct for the start, Lembke's KT didn't win until 85 and the last running of the race as we knew it was 1990. Thanks for the info ....

[Bob V]

I think that this was the Jaguar Powered Silver Wing, ET79, that Lembke drove to the win in 1985.

Then in 1994 Greg Foster won it in ET80 - Sasquatch

Willabee - If you had not developed the KT program the KT's and ET's may have never been

[mr fun]

Holy Freikin Schitt, !!! Willabee thank you so much for your information, and Bob V thank you so much for your information. my mind is spinning, the photo Willabee posted is of the "Ron Jones" that made me in '76 or so think offshore for tunnels are the future. http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1166646268 only BK posted a picture of this hull in the Art Carlson thread on this page. I have searched long and hard to find pictures of this rig. also the the "silverwing" hull, and thank you guys so much for posting them. Hopefully Jackie Wilson can help me understand more of these applications. thanks again, fun out

[willabee]

I think that this was the Jaguar Powered Silver Wing, ET79, that Lemke drove to the win in 1985.

Then in 1994 Greg Foster won it in ET80 - Sasquatch

Willabee - If you had not developed the KT program the KT's and ET's may have never been

You're probably right, if Mercury hadn't decided to build that KT package, I doubt there ever would have been a successful KT/ET class.

Yes, that's the winner ..... do you remember who built the Silverwing for Speed Marine, I always thought it was a Molinari.



Typical scenery on the Colorado River the first Sunday every March "back in the day" .....

[PARKER RABE]

That #80 boat is here in clearwater on display at a restduant on 49th street

[milkdud]

Dang. I was in Clearwater 2 years ago. Wish I could have seen it.
C

[Bob V]

You're probably right, if Mercury hadn't decided to build that KT package, I doubt there ever would have been a successful KT/ET class.

Yes, that's the winner ..... do you remember who built the Silverwing for Speed Marine, I always thought it was a Molinari.

The Silver Wings were built by the Lembkes at Speed and Marine. I have posted some of the history below - courtesy of Ron Hill.

[Bob V]

Here are two pictures of boats from RB (Richard Berg) Racing / Speed and Marine that Mitch Lambke drove. The GN79 is the Yosemite Sam. It was the most winning boats of it's time. The ET79 is Mojave Max, the predecessor of the Jaguar powered Silver Wing. The third picture is the first version of Sasquatch, owned by Art Williams.

[Bob V]

Two more very well known ET boats were ET96 "Vapor Trails" owned by Ricky DeMontrond and ET1 "Walker Lake Special" owned by Jack Roark.

[willabee]

Two more very well known ET boats were ET96 "Vapor Trails" owned by Ricky DeMontrond and ET1 "Walker Lake Special" owned by Jack Roark.

That brings back a bunch of fond memories.

Prior to getting involved with the Merc KT package, I really had no reason to pay much attention to the inboard side of racing. That all changed because they became part of our 'target group' for new sales. I got to meet all those folks you just mentioned and more. Went to a couple of their race meetings, got hammered a few of times, but was always reminding them that if they wanted 'revenge' on the now dominate outboards, this new package we were working on was going to be the way to make it happen.

Initially, I don't think they trusted me very much (an outboard company guy), but as we bumped into each other more and more that feeling went away. They were a really great group of people and loved their boat racing. For the most part, they really weren't believers in the stern drive/tunnel package, they wanted to run the equipment they had been running for the last ten years. But, when our tour of four races was over, I think they realized they had to change to be competitive and started to convert. I know they really enjoyed running in the KT/ET class.

This early KT, a monster 482" block coupled to a #3 SSM in a 22' Jones lead the 69 Elsinore 500 by 5 laps ..... 25 miles ..... at the half way or 250 mile point in the race ..... nothing could run with it! It is shown here passing the triple outboard 22" Jones that did ultimately win the race, but only because the stern drive entry had some kind of an accessory pump failure. The inboard folks rewrote the rule book after that performance and the inboard/stern drive concept was not allowed to run at these special events.