Smith Mountain Lake Virginia Race, 1968 BP and Custum Craft "Bandit" sunk

[milkdud]

Hello,

It has been brought to my attention that a few people (including me) are interested in the approximate location where a boat went down on Smith Mountain Lake Virginia during a race in 1968.

The boat was a Custom Craft named "Bandit" driven by Ed Fitchett. The boat was powered by a 1968 BP inline. At this point I am unsure if it was a 1000BP or a 1250BP. Actually I

am unsure about a lot of things. :) If a rough idea can be figured out where this boat sunk and if for certain it was never found and is still there an effort may be put together to

look for it and possibly raise it. If found this would not be done for profit. If possible it would be preserved and details on how it would be shown are not yet complete.

This is all being done in fun and the possibility to see a piece of racing history again.

If anyone remembers this race, and most importantly was there to see it happen please let me know. Information can be posted on this thred, or sent to me directly using a personal

message. The lake is quite big and deep so any help is good.

If you remember how the race course was set up back in the day on Smith Mountain Lake that info would be good also. Actually any info at all will help.

I apologize for my inaccuracies, I'm sure I have a few.

Conrad

[Adam McKeon]

That is going to be a tough one, a REAL tough one. The lake was only completed in 1966 So there were really not that many folks around. Hell, there still aren't many people around.. If I had to guess the race was probably held near the Halesford Bridge. It was the " Epi-center" of everything back then and pretty much still is to this day. Having grown up on that lake and knowing many folks in the area, I can ask around via email and facebook. I know most of the old go-fast dudes on the lake. In fact my first real job was on that lake, my boss at the time ( who still owns much of the area ) had a 22 Talon with twins. It was my first ride in a Talon and probably my first time over 100. I was 14 or 15. You want to talk about a needle in a haystack, if it were a sunken pirate ship that is one thing but an old race boat??

Keep in mind they did not "clear" the trees when they flooded this lake... only the shoreline to an appr. 20' depth. So she is sitting on the bottom with 40+ years of fallen trees and silt on top of her.

I was up on Smith Mt Lake last year with my Mirage when I went home to visit the folks, which I will be doing again probably in Nov or Dec. Shoot me an email and I will gladly pass any and all info I can drum up. [email protected]

[milkdud]

Thanks this is what I was hoping for. Im going to send you an email. PS never thought about the trees, I bet that will be a big issue no doubt.
Conrad

[Bob V]

If my memory serves me, Smith Mountain Lake is where Jock Horner's gold metal flake Switzer Wing, "El Lobo," went down after he sold it to the Chrysler crew . I don't recall if that one was ever recovered. If not, it is sitting down there with a set of Chrysler stackers

[milkdud]

Hey more the merrier. Make that two needles in a hay stack :)
Conrad

[Adam McKeon]

:):):):):)

[T2x]

If you find about 14 -15 feet of blue metalflake boat bottom, that's the starboard outer skin from my 16' Eltro that peeled off in the marathon.

P.S. Was that a Marina? It seemed more like a State launching facility in a cove. Whatever...I remember Dave Switzer standing on a 10" diameter piling a few feet from the shoreline for hours observing the racing, without moving. He looked almost like some kind of sea bird and it seemed to me he was in almost a zen like trance.... the maestro watching his various concoctions doing what they did best.

T2x

[Adam McKeon]

:) :) :) :) :)

[Mark75H]

No, you are looking for conspiracies and agendas where there are none

[milkdud]

Thanks for the feedback. I would like to repeat my intentions with this. First to clear up if it happened or not. Second possibly figure out if its still there. And finally look for it and save it for viewing of some sort NO agenda for personal ownership or profit. I love the history of this sport and this is a personal research project that is interesting.
Conrad

[lastdollar]

Hi,

i live on smith mountain lake, and have been here since 1969. I was at the race you are making reference to. they were running at saunders marina, which at the time was owned by Jimmy Saunders. the marina has since been renamed and is called Parkway Marina. in the same time period there a few men named don cassidy, doc kiser, and carl higginbothom running race boats. they knew all of the people that used to race there. I believe in know within a quarter of a mile where that boat is. send me a pm
By the way, if you are one of the conrad brothers from sml, i may have something you would be interested in.

thanks

Tim

[vintage v4]

Aerial view of SML parkway marina.

[T2x]

Aerial view of SML parkway marina.

Interesting...While that layout is similar to what I remember. Some things are radically different. For instance, there was definitely a cove...but wide enough to turn in front of the pit area. The course was a boomerang of about 4 miles and there was a wide launching ramp at the end of the pit area. Obviously the lake has been developed considerably since then, but that topography seems a little off.

[PARKER RABE]

so whats the deal with this?? when are you guys gonna start looking ? how deep is it , whats the visibility??? how are you gonna look for it ? some king of bottom scanner ? if theres hydrilla on the botton ...that stuff gets real think and youll never find it ,

[rvaha]

I'm a friend of Doc Kaiser's son. I'll do a little inquiring of my own. I grew up on Smith Mt and was there today (Camp Kilowatt).
I found a boat in the late 70's when I was about 16 snorkeling in around 25-30 of water. My buddies and I raised it. Motor was laying in the boat. We put it on shore, and thought we could rebuild it. Got to stinking after a while and we resunk it. We thought we were Jacques Cousteau.

We used Scuba and a raft to raise it. Big deal for teenagers!!


We found it next to Strawberry Banks - not too far from the S curve near the State Park. Don't think this is the boat since the motor was in it. We always thought it was sunk for the insurance.

Oh -BTW - there were (are) 3 large boats sunk near the B1 marker. We used to Scuba over there. Guessing 25 to 30 footers. I think they were sunk on purpose as well.

Yes - below 40' there are trees. The depth over in the middle of the lake at Parkway is over 150'.

Local news did feature about the original bridge at Hales Ford. Supposedly they never removed it. It would be in about 80 feet of water. It runs parallel to the current bridge. I think it can be seen with sonar. Not sure if they got any pics of it or not. Visibility below 70 is total darkness.

Thanks for the memories, and best of luck!!

[milkdud]

Yep side imaging sonar will be tried. And yes vis down there is very very bad. If you can locate it on sonar its still kinda dangerous to get it. Rumor is its in over 100 foot of water. Would love to look this fall, but most likely next year. Kinda a long shot. But fun non the less.

Rick let me know if you get any info. I hear not many people dive SML very deep. Its not fun.
Conrad

[99fxst99]

An old friend, Dave Casey, also lost a boat up there around the same time period. It was a tunnel, possibly a SJ or UJ, that he had borrowed for the race. Story is he rented a plane the next day to try and locate if from the air, unsuccessfully. I think it may have belonged to a racer from Richmond named Lee ?????, had a tricked out antique panel truck he towed with. We were talking about this last Friday night, a bunch of us old OPCers got together for dinner.

[vintage v4]

There are a lot of great stories (and memories) on this thread.
I remember hearing years ago Benny Robertson sunk and lost his UJ Stinson somewhere.
Does anyone have any knowledge that this is true or remember where the boat was lost?
It would have had a Twister on it I believe.

[milkdud]

99, Do you know what Dave Casey would have been running for power? Your the second person to mention his name to me.
Thanks,
Conrad

[99fxst99]

A merc for sure, not certain as I wasn't there. I have his son's email address somewhere, maybe he will remember.

[MN4V]

There are a lot of great stories (and memories) on this thread.
I remember hearing years ago Benny Robertson sunk and lost his UJ Stinson somewhere.
Does anyone have any knowledge that this is true or remember where the boat was lost?
It would have had a Twister on it I believe.

Yes, it was his SJ Stinson, blue & white. It's at the bottom of Table Rock Lake in Branson, MO. I was there and saw it happen. 1977 was the year.
Mark N

[vintage v4]

Thanks for the info Mark, I wasn't there but I remember seeing Benny run in UJ up here at a few of the region 7 races, maybe Evansville. Very fast rig, A shame it was lost.

[L98TPI]

So any news on this? I'm a local over in the Lynchburg direction, have friends that live on the lake. I might be able to lend a hand if a search comes to pass.
Mark (another one :) )

[milkdud]

Mark, I have not gotten much further with this. Still in the back of my mind . C

[L98TPI]

I will keep this in mind also. As I talk to folks around the lake. If I come up with anything I'll report back.
M

[Old fiberglass]

I built a fast lake/race boat for a friend. He was doing a fast pass at 100 MPH at a local lake this summer then caught a side roller that rolled his boat. He ejected and is ok just very banged up......boat sunk quickly in 85 feet of water. They had the rough GPS location. The lake was man made 40 years ago nothing was cleared so due to the lack of oxygen at the bottom most of the trees and cactus are still there. His son is a Navy Seal diver and offered to look for the boat.

With the first attempt to find it he came back up and said at 40 feet it was the scariest place he had been because at 40 feet you can't see anything even with a light. They realized they would need side scan radar. So weeks later he came back with side scan radar and two other Navy seal buddies to help. Took about a day to find the boat even having a good idea where it was. Even when they knew exactly where it was the diver could not see it.....only by feel. Ironically is was standing straight up on it's transom. It took several dives to get it a line attached to it. They got it up but was a lot of work. Hull was totaled the motor was ok. After sitting on the bottom of the lake for three months the blown Chevy big block motor is racing at Firebird this weekend in another hull.

Guess my long winded point is you are going to need the right equipment, luck and experinced divers.

[L98TPI]

My understanding from chatting with a couple of local divers its about the same at SML. Cold, Dark and murky, standing trees 20 feet in from the shore, and deep enough in the center to consult a decompression table :) At least you could air bag it to the surface and tow it to shallow water or a dock. Side scan sonar-ing the whole thing would be the best idea. You never know what might turn up. :) Jimmy Hoffa?

[Cp]

.....We thought we were Jacques Cousteau.....

That's funny. I guess I was an underachiever. I just thought I was Mike Nelson.