Life at Lake X in the '60s

[GENE LANHAM]

Hi Gene - Ed also rode with Bill in "Old Yeller" for 1967 Bahama 500. Or maybe it was 1968. Anyway they broke a motor mount..DNF.

Hi Steve---You know----a 'hot start' in a gas turbine is a $$$$disaster. I think Mr. Kiekhaefer insisted that Ed be in that boat any time those P&W ST-6's were running---

[seeroy]

Hi Steve---You know----a 'hot start' in a gas turbine is a $$$$disaster. I think Mr. Kiekhaefer insisted that Ed be in that boat any time those P&W ST-6's were running---

You are certainly right about the $$$ issue. I never burned up a turbine, but I did a pretty good job on a P&W R2800 radial one time. i've always said, "Starting a turbine is a procedure. Starting a radial is an art."

[jackiewilson]

Shoulda tried a Cosworth STAVROS-----they WUZ a breeze.

[seeroy]

Man, that thing has big air under it! I'm surprised that a motor mount was the only thing that was broken.

Big Air was never a problem on the way up. It was the coming back down part that hurt.

[seeroy]

Shoulda tried a Cosworth STAVROS-----they WUZ a breeze.

Well Hello Jackie!! Isn't it past your bedtime? We are definitely looking forward to seeing you in November!!!

[seeroy]

Gene - A turbine needs a great big prop on the front of it instead of a little prop behind it. Maybe it's something about pushing clean cool air through the intake, although starting with flat pitch probably doesn't push much air through.

All the HOT AIR that we all push through S&F would probably get a 747 airborne without even having an engine involved. I know that I contribute my share. - Seeroy

[T2x]

All the HOT AIR that we all push through S&F would probably get a 747 airborne without even having an engine involved. I know that I contribute my share. - Seeroy

Amen to that......

[GENE LANHAM]

Amen to that......

---anyone that knows what a 'round' motor is---is OK!!

[Lake X Kid]

I think Mr. K. involvement in NASCAR racing during the 1950’s, was a precursor to his eventual boat racing endeavors and legacy. In so much as, creating a Lake X proving grounds facility to administer R&D, and have an operation base for the Mercury race division.

It is always an honor to meet industry pioneers, like Mr. K., who impacted the lives of many Mercury employees (and their families including me) in a positive way, at Lake X. I thought it is appropriate to post this photo now, being June is the month of Carl Kiekhaefer’s birth.

[Mark75H]

I think Mr. K. involvement in NASCAR racing during the 1950’s, was a precursor to his eventual boat racing endeavors and legacy. In so much as, creating a Lake X proving grounds facility to administer R&D, and have an operation base for the Mercury race division.

No, boat racing came first.


Merc sold 75 "special" "HD" model racers in 1949. The first official Merc racers were sold to the public in 1952, they started the NASCAR team 2 years later in 1954.

[Seacraft20]

I know back in the day Carl Moesly did a lot of testing at lake X and many of his race boats that were built were tested here as well. I know they many of them ran the Bahamas 500 race back in 1968-1969 in the outboard class.

I would like some help Identifying some of the SeaCraft race boats that were raced AFTER 1968, once the rules changed and you could run non-production boats. The earlier SeaCrafts that were raced were modified 21' production boats, in 1968 they built 10 hulls from a race mold that were around 27 feet. One is the #31 driven by Carl that is pictured in post number 11 above. There was a #31,#202,#25,#505,#123 and then five others. I would love to know what the others were, who drove them and some Pictures would be awesome as well if possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I actually have one of them and want to do a full restore. Just trying to find out which hull mine was raced as. Thanks







This is my boat, It was change to a cc but I am turning it back all original and need some help identifying it.

[Lake X Kid]

Lake X, a central Florida secluded test facility and R&D proving ground
Propellers powered by Mercury Outboards churn-up the water with sound
Where boat jockeys drove, circumnavigating around the clock, night and day
Wakes created by MerCruisers plowing grooves on the lake’s surface as spray
In the 1960’s hey days, the boat racing home of Sirois, Odell, Bakos, and a select few
Also Steinbeck, Ridgell, Strickland and others furthered their racing careers here too
A personal fiefdom where the Old Man, Mr. K, flew in by plane and held court
Cigar in mouth, Carl Kiekhaefer, desired allegiance to the marine company’s sport
Expansion included an offshore shop & slip, and paved airstrip from corporate profits
Administrative men like Collins, Anderson and others occupied the buildings offices
Where as some of the above mention names had their families living next to the lake
Not least of all were Wisconsin and South Florida bachelors in company trailers by the lake
And the security guards preserved the private property, by patrolling the lake’s dirt road perimeter
Driving pickup trucks with a big spot light mounted on the back, keeping out unwanted visitors
Now that Mercury Marine celebrates its 75^th Anniversary, the company long ago left Lake X
Reestablishing its new test facility home, in the Florida Panhandle’s Panama City complex
rsr

[bernie]

Go to Www.bassfishingarchives.com for some recent video taken at the Lake. JFL does an interview for this bass website. See Lake X Part Two.

[Onetime]

Nice to see video of the secret lake for those who never got to see it

Had an opportunity to go there in the early 90's and couldn't due to work. Still regret not going.

[Lake X Kid]

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending this year’s precursor to ICAST, a function known as Tackle-X, held on the hallowed grounds of Mercury Marine’s mysterious Lake-X. An “invite only” event, Tackle-X would bring industry, media and the Kirchman Foundation together for a relaxed day at the lake to talk fishing, meet with old friends and new, and visit a place few have tread on. Here’s the lead-in to the invite:

“If you can’t find Lake X on a map, it’s no accident. The legend and mystery of Lake X are the creation of Carl Kiekhaefer (1906-1983), the founder of Mercury Marine. For nearly 30 years he used the 1,400-acre lake as his private test facility and as part of his marketing efforts. He wanted someplace far from competitors’ prying eyes, and he found it with Lake Conlin, as the lake is officially identified.

One of Kiekhaefer’s most famous publicity efforts began on Sept. 11, 1957 when two Mercury Mark 75 outboards began an endurance run that lasted 34 days, 11 hours, 47 minutes and 5.4 seconds. Each of the two boats completed 4,516 laps of the lake course and 25,003.286 miles — slightly more than the circumference of Earth. The engines were refueled and the drivers changed out while the boats were on the run, averaging 30.3 mph for more than a month!”

If you thought I would pass on this invite, you’re sorely mistaken. To go to Lake-X is a dream I’ve had for many years and this would finally allow me to scratch that box off my bucket list.
As part of the media, I looked at this opportunity differently. Yes industry would be there with all their new gadgets and gizmos, normally a writer’s dream. What I was mostly interested in, though, was the mystique of the lake, the former owners and the testing that went on here for more than half a century.
To my knowledge no one has ever videoed Lake-X for the public. On July 15, 2014, I not only had the opportunity to video the lake, I was able to get Elite Series angler Bernie Schultz and former Mercury Marine employee, John Litjens (who worked for Mercury for 45 years and ran Lake-X for a number of years) to do an interview of the lake for us. It’s a pretty cool look into the lake and its mystery for all who have been involved with outboard motors.

To see video & article, go to;
http://bassfishingarchives.com/short...#disqus_thread
Courtesy of Bass Fishing Archives.