Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[peterse90]

Yes he did have a laydown boat built by McDonald, yes it was tested, yes it was run...I believe it ran in Canada. Shortly afterwards OMC Canada contracted Lorne Pinel to build a copy of the original for use with a CCC crossflow with Spencer Dunn driving. It crashed badly at Welland Ont.

I think Jimbo ran the laydown McDonald in Beloit.
Spencer Dunn ran the laydown Pinel in 1977 and I think 1978 as well. I think I remember Spencer passing me like I was standing still during testing in 1978 - I was in my SE boat and he was in the Pinel. Spencer never liked that boat.
This picture is from Jim Russell's collection and I know Mark Rotharmel has posted a picture of it as well.

[Lake X Kid]

“Watch out Steven,” I am sure Rick Lamore must have said, as Gary pushes an empty boat trailer by hand —past my backside. That looks like Gary Garbrecht to me. What surprises me is that, I never remembered Gary doing physical labor. I admit I only associated with Gary from 1971 to 1973.

Incorrectly or not, I only remember Gary from the lens of him being an executive type manager. And diffidently he’s not a hands-on-type, which would get crease under his fingernails. In this photo Gary is physically excreting himself as a team-worker. So clarification is needed on my part, who was the real Gary Garbrecht?

Gary Garbrecht, 15 years later, after he the left the racing fraternity on February 2005, I want to remember him correctly.

[Lake X Kid]

Race at Koblenz Germany area in 1973. The new pickleforks are changing the face of F1 tunnel boat racing. This race is prior to the 1973 Paris and Amsterdam races.

In this photo Bob Hering is getting ready to attach his boat to the crane's line, after Rick LaMore and Steven Ridgell position his craft there.

Look closely above Bob's kneecap is Renato Molinari atop his race boat another picklefork (behind Bob's boat) waiting to be hoisted too. And Gary Garbrecth pushing an empty trailer by hand.

photo courtesy of Lars Strom

[mbd29]

Race at Koblenz Germany area in 1973. The new pickleforks are changing the face of F1 tunnel boat racing. This race is prior to the 1973 Paris and Amsterdam races.

In this photo Bob Hering is getting ready to attach his boat to the crane's line, after Rick LaMore and Steven Ridgell position his craft there.

Look closely above Bob's kneecap is Renato Molinari atop his race boat another picklefork (behind Bob's boat) waiting to be hoisted too. And Gary Garbrecth pushing an empty trailer by hand.

photo courtesy of Lars Strom

yes GG did manual labor just not much. That looks more like Stickle though. A little blurry though.

[willabee]

yes GG did manual labor just not much. That looks more like Stickle though. A little blurry though.

Don't remember who came up with the name 'Garbretti' (might have been Pruett), but I liked it and frequently used it to greet Gary through the years. He always smiled when he heard that name.

When we first started, Gary would occasionally jump in and help change a gearcase or tie a boat to a trailer, you never knew when that was going to happen. However, for the most part he was the 'boss' and gave direction. He felt that everyone had their area of responsibility and they were expected to take care of that area. He believed that management personnel should be 'managing', not 'wrenching'.


Here's Gary at Molinari's shop not practicing what he preached .....

[GENE LANHAM]

I arrived at Parker 70 a day early--there was a lot of activity around a MOLINARI--the boat came back to the beach--the driver pulled his helmet off--it was Gary!! the Molinari was the Reverse S made famous at Havasu a few month later--

Gary introduced me to a young driver that had driven 7 Liters and Stock Outboards--He was going to drive a twin Jones--#190

[willabee]

I arrived at Parker 70 a day early--there was a lot of activity around a MOLINARI--the boat came back to the beach--the driver pulled his helmet off--it was Gary!! the Molinari was the Reverse S made famous at Havasu a few month later--

Hey Redbird, you have me a little confused with your Parker 1970 statement, but I think I know what you meant.

Your picture from Parker shows two Molinari's ..... the red reverse S, the twin that Renato blew over at Havasu a few months earlier and the black 21' twin that Sirois would drive to victory at the Havasu OWC a few months later.

As the Parker picture shows, Sirois is driving the red #998. You can't see the number on the black 21' twin pitted behind it, but it is carrying the #174 of Billy Don Pruett. What happened was Pruett had called Gary to tell him that it didn't look like his new employer was going to give him the required time off to come out to Parker. Gary told me that he had just added him and I as drivers for the 174 and if Pruett didn't make it we would be racing that boat. He then said he wanted us to go run the course to see what it looked like. I borrowed Don Clark's helmet and jacket and took his single Jones entry while Gary jumped into Pruett's rig and we went out and drove the course.
I loved it, but alas, it was not to be. Pruett did some fancy talking to his employer and was able to catch a plane in time for testing and the race. That was the only time I wasn't happy to see Billy Don show up at a race site.

[GENE LANHAM]

Hey Redbird, you have me a little confused with your Parker 1970 statement, but I think I know what you meant.

Your picture from Parker shows two Molinari's ..... the red reverse S, the twin that Renato blew over at Havasu a few months earlier and the black 21' twin that Sirois would drive to victory at the Havasu OWC a few months later.

As the Parker picture shows, Sirois is driving the red #998. You can't see the number on the black 21' twin pitted behind it, but it is carrying the #174 of Billy Don Pruett.

I'm sorry--being confused--and being almost 90 seems to go hand in hand--but are we talking about the same race?? Pruett was driving the triple Jones 187 and was in the lead at one hour--

Miss Titti' was rebult at Oshberg and ran as 998--So--who drove the 21' ?

But Pruett did have a fantastic job --with ALLIANCE- (Merrick Lewis)$$$$

And Don had a BEAUTIFUL secretary named --VIDA

[willabee]

I'm sorry--being confused--and being almost 90 seems to go hand in hand--but are we talking about the same race?? Pruett was driving the triple Jones 187 and was in the lead at one hour--

Miss Titti' was rebult at Oshberg and ran as 998--So--who drove the 21' ? ......

Yes, we're talkin' about the same race. The 9 Hour with the crazy finish ..... 3 lead OMC drivers almost taking each other out in the last turn!

You're right about Miss Titti, the Havasu damage was repaired and the boat was painted red. Sirois ran it at Parker and had it in 1st place around the 5 hour mark when a mechanical gremlin took him out.

Merten drove the yellow triple Jones and was in 1st place when it started to misfire. We couldn't figure out what was causing the problem and finally put it on the trailer. Later we discovered there was water in the fuel.

Pruett drove the black 21' twin. We put a couple of stacked powerheads with different porting from Plt.6 on the boat. Unfortunately, we also set it up with BP gearcases. It didn't get anywhere near 1st place because it continued to blow lower units until we finally gave up and put it on the trailer.

That's my story .....
Yes that's my story .....
I ain't got a witness and I can't prove it .....
But that's my story & I'm stickin' to it!

[GENE LANHAM]

Yes, we're talkin' about the same race. The 9 Hour with the crazy finish ..... 3 lead OMC drivers almost taking each other out in the last turn!

You're right about Miss Titti, the Havasu damage was repaired and the boat was painted red. Sirois ran it at Parker and had it in 1st place around the 5 hour mark when a mechanical gremlin took him out.

Merten drove the yellow triple Jones and was in 1st place when it started to misfire. We couldn't figure out what was causing the problem and finally put it on the trailer. Later we discovered there was water in the fuel.

Pruett drove the black 21' twin. We put a couple of stacked powerheads with different porting from Plt.6 on the boat. Unfortunately, we also set it up with BP gearcases. It didn't get anywhere near 1st place because it continued to blow lower units until we finally gave up and put it on the trailer.

That's my story .....
Yes that's my story .....
I ain't got a witness and I can't prove it .....
But that's my story & I'm stickin' to it!

Here is my story--and I am sure we can not argue the accuracy--

Bob Donahue was my scorekeeper--and also kept score for Sirois--he told me I was in the lead at 2.5 hours!!

And then---the deadly lower unit VIRUS!!

Bill--we are just a few days from the 50th Anniversay of the 1970 Parker 9 Hour-

[GENE LANHAM]

But Pruett did have a fantastic job --with ALLIANCE- (Merrick Lewis)$$$$

And Don had a BEAUTIFUL secretary named --VIDA

[willabee]

Here is my story--and I am sure we can not argue the accuracy--

Bob Donahue was my scorekeeper--and also kept score for Sirois--he told me I was in the lead at 2.5 hours!!

And then---the deadly lower unit VIRUS!!

Bill--we are just a few days from the 50th Anniversay of the 1970 Parker 9 Hour-

I always enjoyed reading those 'Standings By Hour' reports. It was interesting to see how the leaders moved up or down as the race progressed and to try to remember what happened that may have caused the change.

Funny you mentioned that we are only a few days away from the 50th anniversary of the running of the 1970 Parker 9 Hour. When I was typing my response to your post this morning, I mentioned to my wife that tomorrow or Wednesday marks 50 years since I made my one and only hot lap around the 13 mile Parker race course! Damn, I would have really loved to compete with you guys in that race.

I doubt you are aware, but back then, before we hired drivers at Merc OPC Racing, I was the guy that got to do the majority of the test driving. When we were an engineering department, testing was done on Switzer Shooting Stars, Checkmates, Hustlers and the early 18' Molinari's. Garbretti did the Molinari testing and I did most of the rest. He blew one over, hurt his back and missed some work. I was told that Mr. K told him to find someone else to drive the Molinari, he was not allowed behind the wheel any longer. I was the heir apparent for that job and have often wondered if I was chosen because I was a good driver or was I simply expendable?

One of the many boats I spent a lot of test time in was the 21' Molinari Bill Sirois drove to victory at the 1970 Havasu OWC ...... pictured below at Havasu in 1969 .....

The first time I drove it was for a Tillotson carb test. At first I didn't do well, but Garbretti, gave me some valuable pointers and it really started to run. The water was a little rough, but as I worked the trim the boat got up, then up some more and then sailed away (sound familiar ?) at speed over the top of that stuff. Gary could drive the balls off of that rig and I (hope you don't mind me sayin') got pretty damn good in it myself. With dependable gearcases, we would have been a contender at Parker .

When it was painted black, I gave it a name .....

[GENE LANHAM]

I don't remember Merten being there in March 1970?? He was badly hurt at Galveston--came back an won Galveston in 1970--I do remember Bob Massey in a triple Jones--blew it over early in the race--

[GENE LANHAM]

Billy Don--a few months later--Havasu, 1970---

AIN'T THIS YOUR HOT SINGLES THREAD???

[jackiewilson]

Hey Redbird, you have me a little confused with your Parker 1970 statement, but I think I know what you meant.

Your picture from Parker shows two Molinari's ..... the red reverse S, the twin that Renato blew over at Havasu a few months earlier and the black 21' twin that Sirois would drive to victory at the Havasu OWC a few months later.

As the Parker picture shows, Sirois is driving the red #998. You can't see the number on the black 21' twin pitted behind it, but it is carrying the #174 of Billy Don Pruett. What happened was Pruett had called Gary to tell him that it didn't look like his new employer was going to give him the required time off to come out to Parker. Gary told me that he had just added him and I as drivers for the 174 and if Pruett didn't make it we would be racing that boat. He then said he wanted us to go run the course to see what it looked like. I borrowed Don Clark's helmet and jacket and took his single Jones entry while Gary jumped into Pruett's rig and we went out and drove the course.
I loved it, but alas, it was not to be. Pruett did some fancy talking to his employer and was able to catch a plane in time for testing and the race. That was the only time I wasn't happy to see Billy Don show up at a race site.

Thats DAVE Biers between Pruett and SIROIS —-