Question for Mr. Kitson

[BK]

Hello Ken!
Great to have you on Scream and Fly!

Here's a question that's been bugging me for awhile:

Did you race a black Switzer at Havasu called "El Diablo"?

Everyone tells me that my memory is wrong - that all your boats were called "Miss Diablo" --- but even though I was a young girl in the 70's, I DO remember "El Diablo".

Thank you for your time! :)

BK

[ken kitson]

bk, referance to the black switzer that I drove at lake havaSU WAS CALLED MISS DIABLO. iT WAS DIABLO #3 THAT i WON THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH.JEFF BUCKLEY IN S.C. NOW HAS THE BOAT. WHEN i QUIT RACING IN 1975 i WAS UP TO MISS DIABLO # 23.WISH i COULD SAY IT WAS EL DIABLO BUT WASN'T.

[Ron Hill]

BK,

I'm a little disappointed in you....all you'd have to have done was ask me!!!! How many "Snappers" did I have???

[MN4V]

Mr. Kitson,
Can you tell us about some of your boats
you built? I believe Harold Simburger ran one of your boats in Sport J class around 1974 or 1975.
Mark Nelson

[BK]

Ken ~
Thank you very much for your reply! Are you saying that "El Diablo" never came to Havasu?
Maybe the "El Diablo" was something I read about in magazines? Back then I read Powerboat like it was my bible -- my brother and I had fights to see who'd get to the mailbox first.


Ron~
I know there has to be a whole lot of Snappers, as I read my old race programs and mags and everytime you set a new record or name appeared in the program, the boat name was "Snapper".
Even the Easter Egg boats of the 80's were "Snappers" :) How many were there?

But I DO remember the very first "Snapper" I can remember seeing with my own eyes and actually touching...

It was this one:

[BK]

PS - that's my brother's old "Gilbert built" boat parked on the left.

[Ron Hill]

I don't know how many Snappers I really had. The first was 1964. The yellow one in the picture is 1976..... At the Boston Nationals in '63 I first heard the name "Snapper".....I kind of "Stuck"...


At the last Mini Enduro, we had four Snappers....my wife's team was all women...as you recall.

Been thinking of some new Mini Enduro Rules....
for 2006 motors...Six hours.

Class One: 50 HP OPEN 2006 Legal engine (Tunnel Capsule)

Class Two: 50 HP Three Member Team: (One woman, one teen and one over 50)....(No tunnel---Vee Hull)

Class Three: 30 Hp 2006: Must be Kneel Down....BU NOD my newest class idea..


Here is a picture of my dad and me at the Utah Nationals in '73. I only ran that SNAPPER at Utah and sold it. I had run the HIll Tunnel "Snapper" at Redwood City in July of '73. (Jessica was born in October...she is going to make Barb and me grandparents in June!!!0... Dick Sherrer ran the first fuel Injected in line six on his Carlson.. Dick had quite a few Crusaders...I always loved those propellers...I miss my dad making those cool prop boxes, too!!!

[Ron Hill]

I had 3 Glastron "Snappers". This one was the 1967 Havasu Classic Winner in "T". Twin Ray Nydahl built X-115 Evinrudes..

Same Snapper I won Chicago to Milaukee to Chicago with that year...

[BK]

Jessica ---- a Mommy?
Wow.

Hard to believe this little girl is a High School Principal and soon-to-be Mommy now.

Looks like she's trying to take off with Jason before Dad catches her... ;D