Hot Singles ! - Pictures

**GENE LANHAM** · 05-07-2009, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by willabee

The man with the glasses behind Renato is Bill Steele. At that time, I think his official title at Mercury was VP Engineering. He reported directly to Mr. Kiekhaefer and all racing efforts, including Offshore and OPC, went through him. When the Racing Team was formed, Garbrecht became Manager of Racing for OPC and he reported to Steele. A couple years later Steele's job was split. Charles Alexander was promoted to VP Engineering and Garbrecht became Director of Racing, reporting to Alexander.

In 1968, Steele was the one who negotiated directly with the Molinari's and decided who raced what and when. The interpreter was the daughter of Carlo Rasini, a good friend of the Molinari family and a boat racer.

O. L. Steele. Never knew what the O. L. stood for, he worked for Lou and Sonny Hewes, the first Mercury dealer in South Florida. Won the Gold Coast Marathon in 1953. I was having a drink with Billy at Havasu 1969, when he told us about Mr. Kiekhaefer 'retiring' from Mercury. I think Billy's involvement with the Racing Team diminished greatly after that----

**jackie wilson** · 05-08-2009, 01:52 AM

There was a clash of personalities and Garbrecht never took prisoners.

**Old fiberglass** · 05-08-2009, 09:42 AM

There was a clash of personalities and Garbrecht never took prisoners.

Where did that put Willabee

**willabee** · 05-08-2009, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Old fiberglass

Where did that put Willabee

Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right.....
there I was
stuck in the middle with you

Actually, there is an interesting "behind the scenes" story that goes with all of this. No time to tell it right now, but I"ll come back to it.

**jackie wilson** · 05-08-2009, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by Old fiberglass

Where did that put Willabee

Smelling of roses------as usual-----doing his balancing act------- 7,000 job changes in 20 years and where's Willa-----he just told you-----STUCK IN THE MIDDLE------- Jokers to the left etc That's our boy !!!!!!!!

**jackie wilson** · 05-09-2009, 03:05 AM

Do you notice how he blends into the scenery----Will-o-the-Wisp, now you see me, now you don't. !!!!! How can you fire a leprechaun. ?????? You accept the fact that he's there, and must have a use sometime -----somewhere---- even if it's just to post fact and fiction forty years on.

**Old fiberglass** · 05-09-2009, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by jackie wilson

Do you notice how he blends into the scenery----Will-o-the-Wisp, now you see me, now you don't. !!!!! How can you fire a leprechaun. ?????? You accept the fact that he's there, and must have a use sometime -----somewhere---- even if it's just to post fact and fiction forty years on.

You might call that good survivial skills

**jackie wilson** · 05-10-2009, 04:07 AM

Originally Posted by Old fiberglass

You might call that good survivial skills

Your right !!!!!!!! He is a SURVIVOR, more than anything else. Sarky----Cranky--Historian--legend---[in his own right]-----egotistical----OFTEN WRONG !!!! BUT WILL NEVER ADMIT TO BEING SO. There must be something about him we like but i'm damned if i can remember what it is. Maybe it's because to us all he's just "WILLABEE".
You don't have to look further than this site to see first to one thousand posts, with a hundred thousand viewings coming up, even i have to agree, the old dingleberry must have something.

**Old fiberglass** · 05-10-2009, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by jackie wilson

Your right !!!!!!!! He is a SURVIVOR, more than anything else. Sarky----Cranky--Historian--legend---[in his own right]-----egotistical----OFTEN WRONG !!!! BUT WILL NEVER ADMIT TO BEING SO. There must be something about him we like but i'm damned if i can remember what it is. Maybe it's because to us all he's just "WILLABEE".
You don't have to look further than this site to see first to one thousand posts, with a hundred thousand viewings coming up, even i have to agree, the old dingleberry must have something.

Is that your way of saying Willabee is a good guy

**jackie wilson** · 05-11-2009, 01:55 AM

Originally Posted by old fiberglass

is that your way of saying willabee is a good guy

let's not talk ridiculous------- whatever gave you that misguided idea, i would have to be going soft in my dotage to say that !!!!!!

**T2x** · 05-12-2009, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by willabee

Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right.....
there I was
stuck in the middle with you

Actually, there is an interesting "behind the scenes" story that goes with all of this. No time to tell it right now, but I"ll come back to it.

More like a few thousand GG stories..........

RIP

T2x

**jackie wilson** · 05-13-2009, 06:15 AM

You do keep coming out with some "DUESEYS"----------OXYMORAN it's one of those big words like helicopter and mayonaisse ---------you sure Willabee hasn't put you up to this John?????
In a nutshell--------opposites ---------SCHISO-------kind/mean-----good/bad------ ugly/ ?????? Yeah!!Yeah!!!!! that was GG Called him "OLD UGLY" for nearly 40 years, started in TORRIGGIA on Lake Como. Willabee Has to remember that.

**willabee** · 05-13-2009, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by J. Sherlock

Now thats an oxymoron..

**jackie wilson** · 05-13-2009, 12:55 PM

Wonder how many of you remember . Kikki Vidoli, used to co-drive with Renato sometimes. Appears he had a mishap on Lake Lugano last week and suffered fatal injuries. 53 years young said the obit. !!!!!!