smokin'joe
01-03-2009, 07:04 AM
In 1960 the Scott 75 wouldn't compete with either the Merc 800 or the JohnRude 75. The JohnRude dominated for most of the season because the Mercury 80 had a huge clubfoot and low gear ratio (2:1) while the OMC 75 had a small, quicksilver-like unit and high gearing. My Dad complained repeatedly to the Kiekhaefer Corp., and finally late in the season they sent us two sportsmaster gearcases. At season's end, we held 4 straightaway records
with Mercurys, and Paul Allison held a fifth (unlimited).
Photo 1: Start of the 1960 Ft. Loudon Marathon, showing a (Qunicy?) Mark 78A/14' Allison, and Scott 40/Aristocraft driven by Clyde Holsonback. A stock Merc 70/Allison would easily run 53 mph, I set one up a year later. I was late for the driver's meeting and couldbn't run, another late driver asked Jay Cox to drive, he won the 40-50 class that I'd won a year earlier. Jay and I teamed up for a brief period in the late 1970s.
Photo 2 shows my 40-50 rig (held the record at 42.5 mph). With a Merc 800 with sportsmaster gearcase, driving from the back seat, my dad broke 60 mph in the fall time trials in unlimited class. I threw out the seat and ran 60.5 mph with my butt against the transom. Paul Allison had set up a similar rig (with borrowed motor-he was a strong Johnson fan until the sportsmaster gearcase came out), he trimmed out more and set the record above 61 mph. We were the first three in history to break 60 mph in NOA (or APBA!) 'OPC' time trials. The photo above left shows the same 13' Allison with twin Mark 58s.
Photo 3 shows my record setting 70-80 class rig. It ran about 56.8 mph after Paul crawled under the trailer and bondoed a wedge on the trailing edge of the bottom. That won me the Wynn Oil diamond pin and $100. My mother forced me to buy a wool suit with the money, I had to give up boat racing and enter the university the next year. Jay continued, won the Orange Bowl Regatta in 40-50 at least once driving the post 1061 glass Allisons that would roll up on the side and turn like a dream, then hit 50 mph down the straightaway with a Merc 500, the first production outboard with tuned exhaust. Paul had been a hot Scott fan before the Johnson 75, but after 1960 he was Mercury all the way (except in EP after 1975, where nothing could match the loop charged Evinrude 75, and where I often added weight and stepped up to win GP as well).
with Mercurys, and Paul Allison held a fifth (unlimited).
Photo 1: Start of the 1960 Ft. Loudon Marathon, showing a (Qunicy?) Mark 78A/14' Allison, and Scott 40/Aristocraft driven by Clyde Holsonback. A stock Merc 70/Allison would easily run 53 mph, I set one up a year later. I was late for the driver's meeting and couldbn't run, another late driver asked Jay Cox to drive, he won the 40-50 class that I'd won a year earlier. Jay and I teamed up for a brief period in the late 1970s.
Photo 2 shows my 40-50 rig (held the record at 42.5 mph). With a Merc 800 with sportsmaster gearcase, driving from the back seat, my dad broke 60 mph in the fall time trials in unlimited class. I threw out the seat and ran 60.5 mph with my butt against the transom. Paul Allison had set up a similar rig (with borrowed motor-he was a strong Johnson fan until the sportsmaster gearcase came out), he trimmed out more and set the record above 61 mph. We were the first three in history to break 60 mph in NOA (or APBA!) 'OPC' time trials. The photo above left shows the same 13' Allison with twin Mark 58s.
Photo 3 shows my record setting 70-80 class rig. It ran about 56.8 mph after Paul crawled under the trailer and bondoed a wedge on the trailing edge of the bottom. That won me the Wynn Oil diamond pin and $100. My mother forced me to buy a wool suit with the money, I had to give up boat racing and enter the university the next year. Jay continued, won the Orange Bowl Regatta in 40-50 at least once driving the post 1061 glass Allisons that would roll up on the side and turn like a dream, then hit 50 mph down the straightaway with a Merc 500, the first production outboard with tuned exhaust. Paul had been a hot Scott fan before the Johnson 75, but after 1960 he was Mercury all the way (except in EP after 1975, where nothing could match the loop charged Evinrude 75, and where I often added weight and stepped up to win GP as well).