9 hour question for T2X

[2us70]

Since you and I are some of the few veterans of the 66 Orange Bowl 9 Hour race left I was hoping you can backstop my memory of this race. The race was stopped during my first driving stint. I was having some issues with my boat and I don't recall how far into the race we were when the red flag came out. Also I may be misremembering but I thought we did a complete reset the following day and ran the full 9 hours. It could also be that rattling around in that boat as "riding mechanic" just made it seem like 9 more hours

[2us70]

Yes. Really.

[seeroy]

There was 6 hour for outboards only and the 9 hour a few days later for all classes.

[Greg G]

Since you and I are some of the few veterans of the 66 Orange Bowl 9 Hour race left I was hoping you can backstop my memory of this race. The race was stopped during my first driving stint. I was having some issues with my boat and I don't recall how far into the race we were when the red flag came out. Also I may be misremembering but I thought we did a complete reset the following day and ran the full 9 hours. It could also be that rattling around in that boat as "riding mechanic" just made it seem like 9 more hours

Are you sure it was '66 or was it the January 2, 1965 "Orange Bowl Regatta 9 Hour" Endurance Race ?

[2us70]

It was 66. In 65 I was in the Army. The race was run Jan 2 and 3 of 66. The closed course races were run the following weekend.

[velox]

The race barely got going when they called it off.
George Grilley was injured when he hit a marker driving him under the front deck of the boat. He caught it between the legs and his testacies looked like black and blue
tennis balls!
I visited him in Mercy hospital where he asked me to take over the twin engine unlimited boat and race it the next day. I woke up at about 4AM and picked the boat up at a boatyard and drove to pickup my girlfriend (now my wife). On the way the trailer came loose and the boat and trailer took out a power pole, a tree and part of a stone wall.
Needless to say we did not make the race!

[T2x]

I recall it being the full 9 hours on the second day with about 70% of the original fleet. Bob Nordskog ran away with the overall win and it was definitely both Outboards and Inboards combined, and it was definitely the worst beating I ever took in a boat. The accident occurred very early in the first race and I don't think it was more than thirty minutes, if that, after the start. The start was actually handled by a helicopter dropping a bag of red dyed flour because the fleet was far too large for most of the boats to see any kind of a start boat with traditional flags. It probably took almost 90 seconds for all of the boats to cross the starting line. It was also definitely 1966, as Mr K told his crew to give me a pair of 1966 1100's after the race because of damage to my 1965 1000's caused by the bad cowl mount bolts they installed at Skyway marine a few nights before.....

And yes T2x ...Really!

[Greg G]

Did Jerry Langer race his triple OB in this 1966 race?

[2us70]

Our recollections are about the same. I was 19 at the time and still living with my folks. I was so beat up that when I woke up on Tues morning my Mom took one look at me and started crying. I think the fatal accident must have been in the second hour because I was in the boat at the time and Brooke Russel the boat owner had started the race and completed his scheduled stint. I don't recall any triples in this race. I do remember that Skyway was a beehive of activity for anyone with a factory connection before the race. Our other entry was a Critchfield with a factory provided motor. This motor was withdrawn after day one.

[T2x]

Did Jerry Langer race his triple OB in this 1966 race?

Jerry raced Offshore with that boat....

[2us70]

I recall it being the full 9 hours on the second day with about 70% of the original fleet. Bob Nordskog ran away with the overall win and it was definitely both Outboards and Inboards combined, and it was definitely the worst beating I ever took in a boat. The accident occurred very early in the first race and I don't think it was more than thirty minutes, if that, after the start. The start was actually handled by a helicopter dropping a bag of red dyed flour because the fleet was far too large for most of the boats to see any kind of a start boat with traditional flags. It probably took almost 90 seconds for all of the boats to cross the starting line. It was also definitely 1966, as Mr K told his crew to give me a pair of 1966 1100's after the race because of damage to my 1965 1000's caused by the bad cowl mount bolts they installed at Skyway marine a few nights before.....

And yes T2x ...Really!

Do you have the final results from this race? I used to have a newspaper clipping but it has gone missing.

[T2x]

Do you have the final results from this race? I used to have a newspaper clipping but it has gone missing.

Nope....sorry....dont have the motors either....