Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[Bob V]

Back in the Fun 'n Sun days, Duff was just getting his shoes wet. If I remember, he was running the GN boat "Oh Mona" back then. I forget if Del Dailey ran the "Oh Mona 2" in that race. It has been a while. Duff did get quite a bit better at bulding his Hemis in later years. Back in the mid 80's, during my brief run in KRR, Duff in his K.B. Hemi powered Biesemeyer - "Steeler," was almost untouchable, when it stayed together.

Here is a recent article that Tony Scarlata, current APBA K-Boat high points leader wrote about Duff after running Black Lake. As you can read, Duff is still burning them down, but he has become quite a top gun over the many years.

"In K's there were 4 boats that made the trip. K23 Duff Dailey, K997 Chris Kenner driving, K69 with George Woods slated to drive and K5. First heat Duff was leading and torched a head gasket which fire slotted the head and spit oil over everything and caused a huge fire He got shut down in the last turn. He was done for the weekend with his boat. Since Woods crashed in the SS Rank Daddy hopped in the seat of the K69 and made a few laps. He also drove the SS31 of Jeff Gibson. On Sunday Duff drove the K997 in the first heat and drove the K69 in the main. There only 3 of us running the heats when Duff went down. Black Lake was the coolest place I have ever raced. Huge turns and smooth water. I want to thank the Real Kboat King for teaching me how to drive a big course. His knowledge and instructions helped me immensely. I am nowhere near ready to battle Duff but I feel I could make it a closer race than I did in Burley. In the main, Duff hopped in the K69 for the first time and ran that boat around the turns like he had been in it all his life."

Below is a great picture of Duff getting a little daylight under his K-23.

[Old fiberglass]

Went to the Parker 300 as a spectator and saw the "little boat that could" run in it. It was given to the owner of Amber Marine and he decided to run it in the race. The boat was a Avenger and had a 115 HP inline six Mercury on it. He actually finished the race. It proved you don't have to have big $$$ to go out and have fun.

Only picture I have of it...... my camera died.

[willabee]

Went to the Parker 300 as a spectator and saw the "little boat that could" run in it.....It proved you don't have to have big $$$ to go out and have fun.

That statement reminded me that, for 3 or 4 years, there really was a "little boat that could" running the Parker 9 Hour. I don't know the guys name, but he entered a Boston Whaler, about 14', powered by a 50 hp OMC. The guy carried enough gas on board so that he only had to stop once for fuel and to use the restroom . He also packed a cooler with food and beverage!

The winning boat completed about 55/58 laps on the 13 mile course back then and this guy would complete about 15. He'd stay pretty much in the middle of the river in both directions and I don't recall anyone complaining that he got in their way. When he would come back past he pits, people would cheer and wave to him. When he came past eating his sandwich, he would receive an especially loud cheer and a big laugh. Someone once asked him why he entered the race and he responded by saying that he thought Parker was the coolest race ever, and he just wanted to have the best seat in the house to watch all of the action .

Olegator, you must remember passing that guy about 30 times in 71 when you ran the Molinari sprint. I'm sure Mr. T remembers passing him a couple of hundred times over the years.

[Old fiberglass]

Speaking of Parker...maybe Havasu single engine stories. Several folks/racers told a story of a wood hydro that would start the race run a few laps leading the race and drop out. It think he was a car dealer or something like that. Anyway I'm guessing it was in the late 60's~early 70's. Does anyone remember this and is it possibly the hydo type boat pictured ??

[T2x]

Speaking of Parker...maybe Havasu single engine stories. Several folks/racers told a story of a wood hydro that would start the race run a few laps leading the race and drop out. It think he was a car dealer or something like that. Anyway I'm guessing it was in the late 60's~early 70's. Does anyone remember this and is it possibly the hydo type boat pictured ??

The Havasu race was for outboards only. The hydro that led Parker in the early years was "Uncle Gummy's Ghost" owned by Marion Beaver I think. It was a circle boat built for 5 mile heats on a mile and 2/3rds course (Limited Inboard). It looked a lot like the world recording holding "Z-Z-Zip", pictured below

Golden Kommotion (Pictured above) was a drag hydro and I wouldn't want to turn it. Especially with the missing rudder...

T2x

[jackie wilson]

Hiya Willa, sent you a Parker programme for one of the early 70's race, Maybe his name is in there. It seems he was always there enjoying himself with that old Boston and OMC motor, chewing a cheese sandwich and swilling it down with a cold coke from the coleman. Now that's a real racer, one who enjoys life to the full and does just what the hell he wants to, Still think you run what you brung is the best way to go racing.

[jackie wilson]

Hiya Willa, looking on my desk here, i came across the 1980 Parker program. man , is there ever some big name dudes in that. Tucked inside is the local chasewater paper with page after page of all the contestants in the '78 OZ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. -----ZOPPI,HERING,SPALDING,MOLI, VELDEN,JENKS,PELSTER, ZIMMERMAN,PERCY,SEEBOLD, HALSA, AND OF COURSE YOURS TRULY. This was a such a huge occasion in England we had Princess Margaret open the event. She was a keen powerboat fan and often attended meetings. I actually met her 4 times at various events. Will send you both items Willa ,you decide what to do with them.

[jackie wilson]

O.K. Willa, you got me beat, mail said you posted piccies, so where the hell you hide them ? Went all the way back to when this was called "shout and Crawl" -------still couldn't find them, Here i am another day older and still playing hide and seek with cranky old ex Merc Technic. Cut the crap Willa, get off n yer cloud, stop the dramatics and post the damn pics where normal folks like, Jf--ole--T2x--and me can find them. By the way----HAPPY NEW YEAR---- Yes i did read the orbits this morning so i know i'm still here ,----------How Bout You. ????

[willabee]

O.K. Willa, you got me beat, mail said you posted piccies, so where the hell you hide them ? .....By the way----HAPPY NEW YEAR----

Hey you crumpy ol' curmudgeon, Happy New Year to you too .....The notification system seems to work faster than I can, I was just trying to get some of the photos you sent sized for posting. By the way, I have not received the Parker programs you had mentioned earlier.

Anyway folks, I received a "Jackie Wilson Presents" package a month or so ago and it did have some good stuff in it. I was going to say it contained a lot of old shots, but that statement would be a bit silly..... after all, Jackie started racing before the camera had been invented.

I wish I knew how to post pictures full size because this first shot is just precious if you can see it clearly. There's Jackie driving #22, it doesn't say when, but it has to be near the beginning of his career. That must be his driving instructor riding with him at those break-neck speeds. I hope you can see the welders goggles that he is using, apparently to help his helmet see better. The photo just begs to ask "boys, please return the dingy to the yacht when you've finished playing". Don't know why, but the boat about to lap Jackie has Mr. Kiekhaefer painted on the side.

The 2nd picture shows Jackie running in Paris in 1964. He is in the XT41 boat.....I can't tell if he is turning or if that is how it ran down the straights. Photo says he took first in the XT class that year.....my guess is that the areodynamic rig behind him was the only other boat entered in the XT class that year .

The last shot is Paris again, photo doesn't say when, but a 67l is written on the back of it. What I find so interesting about that photo is the "gentleman style" used in racing back then. Most of the men are wearing suits and ties! The boats all appear to have side mounted steering and two front seats and a full set of gauges on the dash. If you can see the man standing in the boat at the top of the photo (farthest out into the water), he appears to be running an inboard that looks like an Abate hull.

Here are some "Hot Singles" from the early days.....

[jackie wilson]

Here we go again---- The no.22 was a blue fin built by 'Wobbly'---Ron Wolbold. the moving ballast was ' Lucky England' we won't get into that at this stage of the game. The guy behind was John Merryfield, probably the finest racer in england at that time, and deadly enemy of "Shakey Bill' [Shakespeare]. HE ALWAYS CALLED HIS BOATS MR. KIEKHAEFER. That particular one was built from a set of Hal Kelly plans. The place was Iver Heath, home of the London Motor Boat Racing Club.
The Paris picture was before the tunnel boats came along, it belonged to a London car dealer named Arthur Brown who later fled to Spain to avoid any unpleasantness with a group from Scotland Yard nicknamed 'The Sweeny'. This was one of Charlie Shepperds 16' Bristol hulls and it was only the 2nd year of racing single seaters in europe, before that you had to run with a co-driver.
The last shot shows just how many inboards there used to be in Paris. Tullio Abatte was a regular competitor and the majority of French and Italian Drivers had fantastic engined rigs , ie, Alfas, Maseratis, Ferrari , etc. The English usually ran either Albatross, Fenn and Wood, Delta, with either Coventry Climax or Ford. Kirie was killed in one of the early 60's 6 hrs. Starting numbers were then limited to 100, and the barges stopped for the first hour [ in the interests of safety ] After that all hell broke loose because the bargees were pissed off at being late for lunch further downstream, so some 30 or 40 barges would come down the course with taps wide open creating a wall of water like a tidal wave. The fun bit was trying to squeeze between them to find the turn - buoy, 'cos if you were a bit slow you had to round a120' barge with the possibility of another one towed behind.--------------PARIS WAS FUN IN THOSE DAYS.

[willabee]

Here we go again----

Yep, here we go again ..... Jackie sent another shot of an XT class boat running at Paris "on a calm day". If I read the photo right, it is O'Conner/Movelli in a Shakespeare in 1966 or 68. With most of the entrys at that time being V bottoms, the whole course having solid sea walls and barge traffic, it was probably just as tough to drive that boat at 50 as it was for the guys to run the tunnels at 100 a few years later.

He also sent a couple of mug shots showing off the spoils of his efforts. The story (rumor might be more accurate) is that the 1st, taken in 1966, was seen by Merc PR and they had a little powwow with Mr. Wilson. He was reminded that most of those wine goblets were won with Merc power, not that of the name on his shirt (Carniti). If he wanted some assistance from Merc to continue his winning ways, he needed to do three things.....lose some weight (a bunch), find some hair (a bunch) and wear Merc Racing attire when being photographed. The 2nd photo, taken in 1970, shows that Jackie did manage to accomplish two of the three .

[jackie wilson]

The boat halfway to heaven was owned by a crazy Irish Cypriot, he was called something like ????Mangus Merrangus, and teamed up with the Irish boys out of Ballymena. If you wanted to make the 10A.M. start on Sunday, Do not go out with the leprachauns on Saturday night. They had been known to still be in the bastille as the start flag dropped, and were not released until sunday lunchtime, being Irish Cypriots they still thought they could win having ONLY lost the first 2 hours.
The boat stuck like Flynn appears to be a Rocca , the French concession towards making a runabout into a raceboat was to move the steering wheel towards the centre and paint a go faster number on the side. Didn't often work, but they were nice people anyway !!!!
What can i say ______handsome or what---------The spoils of '66.-------------145lbs of Wannabee. Crew cut like the beach boys !!!!!! mouth like Mohamed Ali -------- and a will to try anything different. Raced a Carniti for Charlie Shepperd for a season , and met Sergio Carniti and Angelo Vassena at the factory in Bergamo, two of the nicest people i ever met. The only other engine i raced was a Koenig, but that's a totally different tale.
The last piccy is of a very contented lad who got to race for Mercury for two or three years and was very happy with that because i met most of the all time greats including Pruett, Sirois, Seebold , Scotti, Molinari, Jimbo, The Hauensteins Jones [Ron] Merton Herring, Fountain Ron Hill, Sanders ,Posey and the Artful dodger himself G.G. Thanks a lot to Mercury, though they still crapped on me from a dizzy height in the end. What a great life i am having.

[robert j garner]

great thread keep up the good work willabee.


Rob.

[Spudman]

I love the history, exchange and tidbits, what a wonderful thread! Someone should write a book Whenever I want to get a fix, I look for updates, if none, I go back and do it again, this one always makes me laugh in amazement. Keep it Up! Thank You!!!!

[jackie wilson]

Hiya Spuddie, see from your file your a classic car broker. Why not start a classic racers brokerage ?
You could start out with Willa, and Ole And T2x, Joe F. and 78H, Ron Hill and a few more of the 'OLDIES' . They could probably open up old peoples homes and carnivals, tiddly - wink contests and frog jumping competitions , Pat their heads and give 'em a biscuit and they would be happy all week. Think about it, local T.V. coverage and maybe move to the big stuff. I know Willa will move heaven and earth to get his mugshot on the front cover of anything with more than 2 pages. and not a toilet roll. Me !!!!!! i'd even settle for the toilet roll.
Keep looking ------old willa has a million stories and some of them are close to being right,.
I only told you this 'cos he called me quote-----A CRUMPY OL' CURMUDGEON ----unquote, now what the hell is that.??????