Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

On this particular European visit the Mercury Lake X drivers (in the photo) were there to race in the Paris 6 Hour.

The team driver pairings were —
Johnny Bakos & Odell Lewis,
Bill Sirois & Roy Ridgell,
John Steinbeck & Mike Ramsay.

I know some other Mercury business was being administrated to. And that is why there are some Mercury mangers in the photo too. The photo was taken in Frankfurt Germany (circa 1967).

A side-note is regarding Bill Sirois.
Roy Ridgell years later told me about Bill stomach being squeamish the morning of the race. I mentioned that several years ago to the late, Steve Sirois (Bill’s brother) and he said, it was a situation that sometimes happen to Bill.





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Originally Posted by Lake X Kid

On this particular European visit the Mercury Lake X drivers (in the photo) were there to race in the Paris 6 Hour.

The team driver pairings were —
Johnny Bakos & Odell Lewis,
Bill Sirois & Roy Ridgell,
John Steinbeck & Dave Ramsay.

I know some other Mercury business was being administrated to. And that is why there are some Mercury mangers in the photo too. The photo was taken in Frankfurt Germany (circa 1967).

A side-note is regarding Bill Sirois.
Roy Ridgell years later told me about Bill stomach being squeamish the morning of the race. I mentioned that several years ago to the late, Steve Sirois (Bill’s brother) and he said, it was a situation that sometimes happen to Bill.





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Almost all drivers got a touch of the EEBIE-JEEBIES before a race —-me myself think its a build up of excitement about what’s coming .
Today they give it fancy names like TESTERONE—-ADRENALIN— whereas its simply a case of “pissing yourself—- crapping your pants or puking on the pavement“ .
Most drivers take a leak during the last minutes leading up to a race —- but five minutes before the race when you are really focussed , its all super calm .
It’s a driver thing .
Talked with Billy again last night—-Timmy is coming over with him to the Bristol Reunion——- i think Lynne sent Tim as a chaperone.

In the 60‘s the American outfits never posed much of a threat in the SIX HOURS OF PARIS RACE . Set to run at maximum speed many never realised just what lumpy old water that stretch of water on the River Seine in the middle of Paris could be like . On top of that was the sewage —and the barges —-and the rescue boats —— RESCUE ???? They too loved WOT —-Boats were used to tow sunken boats back to the pits . Barges had a 100 tons of cargo and the pilots liked to hit W.O.T. Soon as they entered the course. Was a while before they learned the hard way . Then things started to change .

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

In the 60‘s the American outfits never posed much of a threat in the SIX HOURS OF PARIS RACE . Set to run at maximum speed many never realised just what lumpy old water that stretch of water on the River Seine in the middle of Paris could be like . On top of that was the sewage —and the barges —-and the rescue boats —— RESCUE ???? They too loved WOT —-Boats were used to tow sunken boats back to the pits . Barges had a 100 tons of cargo and the pilots liked to hit W.O.T. Soon as they entered the course. Was a while before they learned the hard way . Then things started to change .

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Yeah........river traffic can really change the surface behavior of a course. I was doing hot laps for a demo on a river in Portland OR once. A large barge and tug had gone thru just minutes before. I caught some major "air" because the roller contours were so subtle. Mercury support guys joked and said I looked like offshore competition. I responded by saying I needed to change my undies and get back on the river to find my stomach.

By the way, pre-race jitters could be anything from being bitchy to puking. Somebody on the IOGP circuit got the bright idea of doing "health & coordination" checks on drivers just before a race. This included a blood pressure check. One time mine was on the high side of the scale. High? Gee, do ya think?

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Originally Posted by WaterZebra

Yeah........river traffic can really change the surface behavior of a course. I was doing hot laps for a demo on a river in Portland OR once. A large barge and tug had gone thru just minutes before. I caught some major "air" because the roller contours were so subtle. Mercury support guys joked and said I looked like offshore competition. I responded by saying I needed to change my undies and get back on the river to find my stomach.

By the way, pre-race jitters could be anything from being bitchy to puking. Somebody on the IOGP circuit got the bright idea of doing "health & coordination" checks on drivers just before a race. This included a blood pressure check. One time mine was on the high side of the scale. High? Gee, do ya think?

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BARRY SHEENE once told me he loved to get served up with bacon —sausages—black pudding and Wolf it down whilst the five minute countdown had begun. Used to make KENNY ROBERTS throw up on the start line .

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Originally Posted by OLEGATOR

as i was completing my tour as a draftee for the us army in 1967, i believe the picture maybe 1966. there was a different crew in 1967. i was there on leave. in 1967, they had another plan. they did not pair up drivers from the lake. roy was responsible for the english team, bill was responsible, and drove for the italian team and vickers was responsible for the french team. that was also the first race the BP's were in, i was told by bill. being a member of apba payed off that race. for some reason that year, on my menber card, it said, international pit pass. when i tried to enter the pits, the polizei could not understand my american, and i could not understand french so i pulled my card and i guess he understood international pit pass and let me by as both me and my wife had cameras hanging around our necks. took over 500 photos and 8mm film in places no one attempted to go. used that apba card often that weekend.

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Paris pits was a hard place to infiltrate as it was totally controlled be the GENDARME . We all learned early on Not to mess with them.
MICHAEL WERNER spent Sunday afternoon in jail watching the race for a minor infringement.
Renato went on the run after a confrontation and missed the race completely.
DON ROSS squared up to a gendarme [ threatened to throw him in the drink] and was immediately placed in custody.
When the AMERICANS and the ENGLISH went face to face they were nowhere to be seen ——it was regarded as „“ DOMESTIQUE“ .
But all in all if you had the correct documentation the place ran like clockwork passes were hard to come by .
Remember one time there was trouble with the CHAMPION [spark plug] truck. Was Belgium based. They never did get in that year.
One reason you didnt argue was the fact all policemen carried artillery, everything from GLOCKS and MAUSERS to Koleshnikoff subs.
Gates were closed from friday night to 4pm Sunday before and after that time a hundred thousand beings were in the pits.

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The „“ITALIAN JOBS“——
been putting the finishing touches to three or four concepts . Shop is now closed until next Wednesday. I am taking six days off.
Picking the SEEBOLDS up at Heathrow tomorrow morning.
Straight down to Bristol —fun will start friday night —- memories of yesteryear when fun was paramount . Not a pretty sight i guarantee—- but five will get you ten Bristol will remember the old racers until hell freezes over!!!!!!!!

Had a good nights sleep much to my surprise . Think i might even be feeling a twinge of excitement about the things that are about to happen this weekend .
just realised this is the first time in over two years i have been out with friends for a social event. [not counting the 90th birthday event].
Bristol was never my favourite place to race in fact, i refused to race there the first two times it was held. Once told Charlie Shepherd that i would never race there—it was a lethal place, but Scottie told me it looked a lot worse than it actually was . So i raced there .
Mark my son always loved the place —— he actually finished second to Billy five times . Always claimed he could have been famous if it wasn’t for SEEBOLD.!!!!!

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Totally different line up on the bench today. Taking all the circuit boats and the all metal motors to Bristol in the hope somethings go out the door.

Jackie, The sun is out and the wind has dropped.

Dock water is flat and calm.

Attractive daughters and their Mothers have all been told to stay indoors.

Bristol awaits lol..

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Originally Posted by ron54

Jackie, The sun is out and the wind has dropped.

Dock water is flat and calm.

Attractive daughters and their Mothers have all been told to stay indoors.

Bristol awaits lol..

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Does that mean your going then ???????????

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GUESS BOAT RACERS DONT PARTY LIKE THEY USED TO—-EITHER THAT OR THOSE THAT DID HAVE ALL COPPED THEIR CLOGS ——-
Jumped up little sh-t of an hotel manager asked Tim SEEBOLD and Jon Jones to tone it down and kindly move out of the reception after they had greeted each other in the foyer !!!!!!!!!
Dingleberry did not take into account two old friends were reunited after twenty five years and fifty rooms had been booked by old boat racers ——— just shaking hands should suffice and be P feckin C.