Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[jackiewilson]

Wow, none of that sounds right. 1971 sounds a little late to be running a 1000 BP. Mert's last race was Havasu 1970, finished 2nd in a twin Molinari with cowbells ..... he didn't run that little black boat anywhere. But, none of this matters because it has nothing to do with the picture.

Let's try a different approach .....
You should recall that in 1970, the Merc Racing employee in Italy was Tom Wyrebeck. Ridgell wasn't promoted to Mgr. European Racing until after Paris or Berlin that year ..... do you agree?

ROY WAS AROUND IN EUROPE LONG BEFORE Molinari was ensconced in TORRIGIA .
We drivers always looked on him as MERCURY. I couldn’t tell you what role he played in Europe —- he was watching me flip the TORRIGIA at the LMBRC Club at the easter meeting in 1965 along with JOE SWIFT .
He was in Milan when Bob Spalding and Me ran the Little fifteen foot Schultze with a 1,000 BP.
So it might have been 1971– and yes BECKY was living in TORRIGIA in 1970. —- Living life to the full between England and Italy ——- he bought a brand fire new Lotus Europa from the midlands factory.
In 1971 Pruett blew the twin Molinari over in Havasu.
Lots of things i remember——- so i probably forgot just as much .
Roy moved his family into the TORRIGIA house next to the factory around 1970 [i think] but im sure one of his kids could tell you or brother Bob !!!!! The exact date .
The little Black Molinari was ferociously fast but twitchy—— would generally outrun the 1250 BP !!!!
I know out went to canada and was run by Spencer Dunn —- then WATERMARK had it for a while
I never ran a VEE 6 on any boat until Mark took up racing . I ran silos and cowbells !!!!
I have written a lot of this stuff down in the book in various chapters — gave up on it last year — there are 120,000 words and a shed load of pictures —— but then i lost interest ?????
If its a long cold winter i will probably start scribing again — dont have any heating in SUPERSHED .

[willabee]

My recollection was at the beginning of the pairings. Rasini was going to be co-piloting with Pruett in the big boat. But Willabee Bill might be correct on who finally shared duties with Pruett, because I do not recall with certainty. Wasn't Cees part of the drivers fleet in 1971, if he was then him and Seebold might have started teaming up with each other in 1971.

The issue isn't driver pairings, it's when was this picture taken. If memory serves, Roy was promoted to European Team Mgr. after Berlin in 1970. Your family moved to the home next Renato's shop in 1971.
In this picture I think you are standing at the nose of the big boat in the short sleeve shirt. If that's correct, it had to be taken just before the 1971 Paris race because you weren't there in 1970.

[jackiewilson]

The issue isn't driver pairings, it's when was this picture taken. If memory serves, Roy was promoted to European Team Mgr. after Berlin in 1970. Your family moved to the home next Renato's shop in 1971.
In this picture I think you are standing at the nose of the big boat in the short sleeve shirt. If that's correct, it had to be taken just before the 1971 Paris race because you weren't there in 1970.

I was there in 1970— i drove the number 20 white, long, armchair ride white boat with Renato. . Never missed a beat —- nobody ever passed me —— no one passed Renato —- but we finished second—-THREE LAPS down to Sanders and Posey ?????????? And you wonder why i remembered that year ?????? I was off the team in October 1971 . Roy and his wife and Kids had been in the Como Villa all that year ———- My daughter Tracy [BOO] Got into a dust up with Bobby Ridgells kid —- no way was it ‘71 ‘. Just some things you do remember .

[Bob V]

The issue isn't driver pairings, it's when was this picture taken. If memory serves, Roy was promoted to European Team Mgr. after Berlin in 1970. Your family moved to the home next Renato's shop in 1971.
In this picture I think you are standing at the nose of the big boat in the short sleeve shirt. If that's correct, it had to be taken just before the 1971 Paris race because you weren't there in 1970.

Willabee....Go to your Hot Singles thread and look at posting # 4778. This may confirm you theory....

[Bob V]

Maybe this will help....


03-05-2014, 09:28 AM

#2902

willabee
7000 RPM

This photo from Wilson's file has to be Molinari's shop in 1971. We are busy getting the new boats ready for the Paris and Berlin Six Hour races. The boat in the center of the picture has to be the "big boat" that Billy Don Pruett ran at the Paris with a C6. I think I described that boat earlier on this thread as a triple that Renato had built for himself to run special events with in Europe. Obviously, it was a twin before he stuck a center transom in it to run as a single for Paris. This boat was similar to the design of the twin Renato ran at Havasu in 1970, which was the fastest boat at Havasu that year. This is way before brakes were used, the holes in the transoms are for power trim cylinders.

At Paris in the 1970 race, the Merc team ran all sprint boats with the exception of the Molinari/Wilson entry. We even entered a 16' sprint for Merten/Sirois to try to fly across that churned up mess offered by the River Seine! It turned out to be a handful and Mert finally stuck it, nose first, damaging his kidney and handing it over to Tom Stickle to complete the fuel load run. The thinking for 1971 was just the opposite of 1970. It was decided to run much more conservative setups on the new 17'ers and to even run the "big boat" just in case the water was really bad. I had forgotten that this boat was tested with the Twister I before the C6 was mounted. If memory serves, that rig topped out at about 85 mph on fast water at Lake Como, by far our slowest entry. However, I think it was running third when a coil mounting bracket made by the idiot telling this story failed and ended a very interesting performance.

Last edited by willabee; 03-06-2014 at 11:13 AM.

[jackiewilson]

Just goes to show how few records were kept of power boating events !! Kevin Desmond simply asked every driver he ever met about the events he recorded in his book . He once rang me to ask about Bob Spalding . He never knew he was born in Argentina—- or worked as a croupier at USAF base at LACKENHEATH.
Parkinson was the only one who kept a complete record of every Fonda event that was held over nine years —- he still has them to this day .
Do wonder if anyone has a complete history of power boating in the post war years?????
One would have thought there would be a record of the OMC f1 races —- if there is —then i have never seen it . Has anyone out there got any information ???????

[jackiewilson]

Willabee....Go to your Hot Singles thread and look at posting # 4778. This may confirm you theory....

Think it was me that sent Bill that picture in the first place Bob.!!!!!!!

[jackiewilson]

Was a Cosworth presentation of the new COSWORTH V 12 MOTOR at Goodwood on Sunday
In the new McLaren super car.— it is the fastest production road car ever constructed .
Sam and Clive usually haul me along to special occasions at the Goodwood race Track, but i missed that one .

[STEVERINO]

The issue isn't driver pairings, it's when was this picture taken. If memory serves, Roy was promoted to European Team Mgr. after Berlin in 1970. Your family moved to the home next Renato's shop in 1971.
In this picture I think you are standing at the nose of the big boat in the short sleeve shirt. If that's correct, it had to be taken just before the 1971 Paris race because you weren't there in 1970.

Well here is my take on all this i was in the 1970 Paris 6hr race in a 15ft Shakespeare Cat no fun at all with the barges swell so in 1971 Billy Shakespeare decided to mould 2 19ft marathon boats which we took to the 1971 Paris 6 hr race Billy had a discussion with Pruett in the pits about these marathon boats and Pruett took Billy over to look at his ride which was the boat in the picture.The 19ft boat i drove in the race was very slow i had Angelo Molinari at the side of me his ride was a 100O SBP on a Molinari of course in a lower engine class and was as fast as i was his engine was a Silo version that Ridgell had built and that was the engine Jackie ran at Windemere just two weeks later. Back to Bob Spalding in 1971 he had a new black Milesmaster 16ft sprint boat with a Twister 1 called Mach one he drove the Chasewater 500 miles in it with Timo Mackenin the car rally driver as his co driver.The 1971 Paris 6hr race Spalding and Percival drove a new red Milesmaster in the race.He never had a Molinari until 1972.

[jackiewilson]

Well here is my take on all this i was in the 1970 Paris 6hr race in a 15ft Shakespeare Cat no fun at all with the barges swell so in 1971 Billy Shakespeare decided to mould 2 19ft marathon boats which we took to the 1971 Paris 6 hr race Billy had a discussion with Pruett in the pits about these marathon boats and Pruett took Billy over to look at his ride which was the boat in the picture.The 19ft boat i drove in the race was very slow i had Angelo Molinari at the side of me his ride was a 100O SBP on a Molinari of course in a lower engine class and was as fast as i was his engine was a Silo version that Ridgell had built and that was the engine Jackie ran at Windemere just two weeks later. Back to Bob Spalding in 1971 he had a new black Milesmaster 16ft sprint boat with a Twister 1 called Mach one he drove the Chasewater 500 miles in it with Timo Mackenin the car rally driver as his co driver.The 1971 Paris 6hr race Spalding and Percival drove a new red Milesmaster in the race.He never had a Molinari until 1972.

Nearly got it right stavros —— Angelo did not drive race boats when Renato was racing !!!!! Mrs Molinari refused to allow any more than one of the family in any one race .

[Bob V]

Think it was me that sent Bill that picture in the first place Bob.!!!!!!!

Yes, Jackie, Willabee acknowledges that in the first line of post #14840 above when he said: "This photo from Wilson's file has to be Molinari's shop in 1971." He first posted that picture on his Hot Singles thread back on 03/06/14. It is funny that the 1971 date that Willabee connected to that photo has never been questioned, but now, almost 8 years later, it has become a topic of debate. The mystery continues....

[jackiewilson]

Yes, Jackie, Willabee acknowledges that in the first line of post #14840 above when he said: "This photo from Wilson's file has to be Molinari's shop in 1971." He first posted that picture on his Hot Singles thread back on 03/06/14. It is funny that the 1971 date that Willabee connected to that photo has never been questioned, but now, almost 8 years later, it has become a topic of debate. The mystery continues....

was no reason to ask or answer the question before —— i took the picture as i wanted a memento of me and Renato driving——- it only happened once —— guess what year ????????

[STEVERINO]

Nearly got it right stavros —— Angelo did not drive race boats when Renato was racing !!!!! Mrs Molinari refused to allow any more than one of the family in any one race .

I have just remembered that Bob Spalding did have another Milesmaster in early 1972 it was bright yellow with Duckams oil as his sponser he barrel rolled it at Chasewater and next thing he turns up with a new Molinari.Talking about barrel rolling thats what happend to Angelo Molinari in the Paris race in 1971 his ban came after his cousen Scotti was killed one or 2years later.

[jackiewilson]

I have just remembered that Bob Spalding did have another Milesmaster in early 1972 it was bright yellow with Duckams oil as his sponser he barrel rolled it at Chasewater and next thing he turns up with a new Molinari.Talking about barrel rolling thats what happend to Angelo Molinari in the Paris race in 1971 his ban came after his cousen Scotti was killed one or 2years later.

Nope—- Mrs Molinari was adamant all the time that only one member of the family could race at one time iiiii. She even stopped Giorgio racing again after his last race in RABONDAGES in 1971.

[Bob V]

was no reason to ask or answer the question before —— i took the picture as i wanted a memento of me and Renato driving——- it only happened once —— guess what year ????????

1970-1/2