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brianT2
10-21-2002, 12:10 AM
got these from dad. this was one of the 1st APBA sanctioned Outboard Pleasure Craft races. it was held at Lake X in '60 or '61, dad wasn't positive. definately some unique rigs at this event nonetheless.
photo 1

brianT2
10-21-2002, 12:13 AM
dad thought this was the winning boat from the 6 hour!!?? marathon race held that weekend. talk about your sore butts!!?? these switzer wings are really cool boats.
photo 2

brianT2
10-21-2002, 12:19 AM
these boats are '60 critchfield 3-point hydros that were built as race boats and pleasure boats. kinda wild with the twin engines. don't think they raced at the Lake X event.
photo 3

brianT2
10-21-2002, 12:25 AM
this is a pleasure version of the 3-point hydro w/ single engine. taken at the kissimee boatacade trip in '60? hope the water was deep there! NOTE: guy diving off back of the boat!
photo 4

delawarerick
10-21-2002, 07:20 AM
I turned 52 last Sat. these pictures remind me of my youth. They used to run a boat race in Barnegut Bay NJ once a year. If anyone has any pictures of these races I would like very much for them to post em. Thanks Rick

Mark75H
10-21-2002, 06:06 PM
Great pictures Brian!

The race was held December 31, 1961. OPC became official in APBA in mid 1961. For about 5 years before that pleasure boat racing fell under APBA's "Special Event" category and did not have fixed rules. Actually each event was permitted to write its own rules. This was a bit confusing and a real bummer if you showed up with a rig that wasn't allowed at that race. During 1961 Charlie Strang wrote up what were to become the first formal rules for APBA's "Outboard Pleasure Craft" division. It appears that the first race on a course officially surveyed for speed records in OPC was this race.

NOA had formal rules for Pleasure Boat classes a few years earlier, but didn't have any really big races.

Chuck Merserau and Jon Culver won the race in a Powercat, the U-4 Switzer Wing led most of the race, but had some mechanical problem and didn't finish.....broke prop shaft or prop or something.

They also ran some measured kilos there. Culver got the Powercat up to 76...John Bakos got the U-357 Switzer Wing a little over 80mph.

SCT
10-21-2002, 06:52 PM
Does anyone know when Mercury (MR. K) bought Lake "X"? And what is the original name of the lake? Just wondering. I had the pleasure to have a tour of the Lake (it was smaller then I expected) in the late 80s. Experience of a lifetime.

SCT

Mark75H
10-21-2002, 08:50 PM
Lake Conlin was the original name. In 1957 Kiekhaefer was too cash poor to purchase Lake X because he dumped every spare nickel into the NASCAR racing cars, he could only afford to lease the property with an option to buy later.

I bet a lot of readers here didn't know that Kiekhaefer was the first big name NASCAR sponsor. The old NSACAR crowd blame him for turning a sportsman racing orginization into a professional race circuit where it takes a big name sponsor to be competitive.

The lease renewal was on 2 year terms, I don't know if they actually purchased it in 59 or 61.

H2Onut
10-21-2002, 10:17 PM
2 kewl, love them pics !

Powercat
10-22-2002, 01:28 PM
http://powercatboat.com/72.html


Write up from 1962 about the race of 1961
Danny

BarryStrawn
10-22-2002, 08:50 PM
I'm pretty sure Mercury leases Lake X from Ken Kirchman.

Mark75H
10-22-2002, 09:02 PM
Look carefully at the motors on U-77. Looks like these may have open exhaust. Look at the white just above where the exhaust would be inside.....looks like a cut spot on both engines. Brian, can you tell from the original picture?

brianT2
10-28-2002, 12:05 AM
sorry about not getting back to you mark75h. i have stared at that picture and still can't tell if that is an exhaust mod. i will try with a magnifying glass and i will also ask dad when i talk to him again. thanks to all who supplied additional info on that photo/race, its really neat tracking down o/b racing history.

T2x
11-09-2002, 12:15 AM
These pictures made my day......... Thanks T2.

Awesome stuff.....and great moments.

T2x

Mark75H
11-09-2002, 11:12 AM
Some more Lake X history:

Apparently Kiekhaefer Mercury Corporation did buy Lake X in 1959 after that 2 year lease option. But, when Carl sold to Brunswick he retained an option to buy it back. I think Carl's holding company "KAMINC" also more famously known as Kiekhaefer Aeromarine Incorporated, owned Lake X and leased it back to Mercury. I suspect when Carl left Mercury he sold Lake X to generate capital to make Kiekhaefer Aeromarine into the offshore racing motor company.

Old timers may also remember KAMINC as a brand of hardware such as remote throttle and shift controls and the maker of the original props for the famous Quicksilver racing lower units.