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  1. #61
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    A Couple of Havasu Winners.....continued


    The other boat pictured in this post was the Switzer Wing driven to victory by Kenny Kitson in 1968. A couple of short stories about that boat.......

    As I have mentioned, I was not privy to the exact "deals" that Mercury had made with different drivers. At this point in time there were no drivers actually working for the company, so deals varied from just mechanical support for engines to supplying complete rigs. Deals became much more sophisticated as time went on, we were pretty new at this in 1968. I don't know this for a fact, but I believe in 1968, Kitson had the biggest package. It included boat(s), engines, props, expenses and a full time mechanic, Dave Kane. Before heading to Havasu, we put a pair of new powerheads on the truck for Kitson. However, when we all met at the race site, Garbrecht informed me that Kitson was going to race with the equipment he already had on the boat. They didn't seem very happy with one another, and I just followed orders. Well, if there was a last laugh to be had, Kitson got it. He took those engines with over 100 hours on them, spotted the other 130 boats in the race one lap at the start on Saturday and drove like a man possessed to finish three laps ahead of the field!

    Of course, after that performance, everybody was happy with everybody again. A short time later, Kitson brought the boat to Oshkosh to have new engines installed. It was then that I got to drive the boat and accomplished something that I don't believe Kitson ever did..........I sunk it . Before testing with the new engines, it needed fuel. At the time, we didn't have any at our location so I drove it to Plt #5 ( visitors were not allowed entrance ). As I neared the plant, the boat drew a lot of attention and I really milked out bringing it into the fuel slip......wanted as many of my old buddys as possible to see me in this thing. I tied it up, fueled and then went inside to visit. While inside, I received a page.....it was Garbrecht and he said Kitson just told him that the boat leaks badly. Just then, one of the dock guys ran in to tell me the boat was going down.....I said to Gary " Too late! " When I went out, all I could see was two yellow dock lines ........very embarrassing .
    Last edited by willabee; 01-24-2006 at 08:55 AM.

  2. #62
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    you mentioned dave kane do you remember kenny"s brother clark kitson what a bruiser that guy was
    "Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it."

  3. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by mike farmer
    you mentioned dave kane do you remember kenny"s brother clark kitson what a bruiser that guy was
    Spoke softly and didn't need to carry a big stick!

    Found an article from the Oshkosh newspaper titled "NOISE - Kiekhaefer makes it, but tries to minimize it". It talks about how many calls the police and fire departments received when we tested stackers...the locals thought the noise was a warning siren of some type! It goes on to say that we now tow the stacked boats out to the middle of the lake before we fire the engines. It also talks about what a mean machine the new triple Jones is......wish all you guys would have had a chance to drive one, it was a real thrill.

    The picture below accompanied the article....it shows a couple of test Checkmates and a 482 powered 27' Thompson ( we didn't have anything slow ) towing yours truly back to the race department. This is the boat that Jim Merten won Galveston with - it was " A Hot Multi "
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Hot Singles 115.jpg  
    Last edited by willabee; 01-25-2006 at 09:26 AM.

  4. #64
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    Thats My Dads Ron Jones In That Pic, U Can See More Pics Of It In The Hammer Down Galleries .
    SEEBOLD CHAMPBOAT MERCURY S3000

  5. #65
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    I was talking to Kenny yesterday. I asked him about the engine change issue at Havasu. His reply was there wasn't a problem between anyone or anything. He just didn't believe in changing out engines if they were running good. Sometimes he would run an engine for the whole season. I guess it falls under the old saying - "if it ain't borke don't fix it"

    He did say during the same race new speedmaster(s) were put on that caused him problems. One of the screw-on pointed nose cone tips came off. So, when he got goiing too fast it would create too much drag almost throwing the boat sideways. I think he had to run a good part of the race working the throttles a little more to stay out of the upper speed range. At the time he didn't know what caused the problem until the boat was pulled out of the water.

    At the same race he had the boat on the trailer for an extended period of time. When launch time came there was water up to the back of the seats. The tow car couldn't pull the heavy boat back out of the water. Needless to say panic set in. Luckily the water truck was coming by and had a winch to pull the car and boat up to high ground. By the time Kenny got into the race he was 2.5 laps behind at the start. Pushing the boat hard and running in shallow water at times to get around the slower boats, he was running in first place at the end of the day.

    I asked him about Bill's sinking wing episode. He chuckled on that one saying I told everyone who would listen the boat was a leaker and don't let it sit in the water. He remembered one time at Mercury they, (Bill ~Willabee??) were testiing BP lowers on his wing. After eating lunch Kenny walked back to the dock and saw just the sponsons sticking up out of the water. Don't know if that was the same incident Bill described or not.

  6. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old fiberglass

    I asked him about Bill's sinking wing episode. He chuckled on that one saying I told everyone who would listen the boat was a leaker and don't let it sit in the water. He remembered one time at Mercury they, (Bill ~Willabee??) were testiing BP lowers on his wing. After eating lunch Kenny walked back to the dock and saw just the sponsons sticking up out of the water. Don't know if that was the same incident Bill described or not.
    I only sunk one - honest! He probably is remembering what he saw when Gary brought him over to Plt.5. We had moved it over to the hoist slip and were just beginning the removable process . Tell him it would have been nice if he would have told us about the leaking problem before I had taken it over for fuel .
    Last edited by willabee; 01-27-2006 at 02:41 PM.

  7. #67
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    Chrysler Outboards.....

    Going through some old Powerboats and it reminded me that Chrysler was a force to be reckoned with in the mid 60's. Just thought I'd post a few photos from that time frame.....

    T174 - Bob Spratte - Glastron with triple 105's at Havasu ( 1967 ? ) - was on the cover of the July,1968 issue
    U39 - Jim Umbarger - Hustler with twin 105's - 1967 U Class high point champ
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails PB68&69 001.jpg   PB68&69 004.jpg  

  8. #68
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    Chryslers......

    Bill Hill - Powercat 4 point with triples - U6 Class high point champ 1967

    766 - Jerry Rice - 1967 Canadian U Class champ and Stan Fitts - 1967 Class 36 high point champ, both featured in a Chrysler ad with Hill and Umbarger
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails PB68&69.jpg   PB68&69 008.jpg  

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  10. #69
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    Chryslers.....

    707 - Jack Oxley - Stylecraft with triple 105's

    T251 - Jim Parker - Carlson with twin 135's setting V bottom drag record of 103.5 mph
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails PB68&69 012.jpg   PB68&69 037.jpg  

  11. #70
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    World Invitational Marathon, Long Beach - 1969.....

    That's what it was called - really! It was a three hour run in the stadium by invitation only. The outboards ran on Saturday and the inboards on Sunday. On a single buoy course of just over a mile, the winning outboard completed six more laps than the winning inboard.

    Here's a shot of the winner, Bill Cooper in an 18' Jones with 1250 Super BP's. This is the first 18' that Jones built...it got rigged while the paint was still drying at Jones' shop, went straight to Long Beach, tested two sets of props and raced! He led from start to finish, passing boats on the inside,outside and down the straights....a very impressive performance. This combination won again at its next race, Galveston.

    The 2nd shot is Bob Massey in a 21' Molinari also with 1250 Super BP's, finishing second. Believe it or not, this is the same boat Bill Sirois won Havasu with in 1970. I'd forgotten how many guys raced that thing.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails PB68&69 026.jpg   PB68&69 028.jpg  
    Last edited by willabee; 02-02-2006 at 10:23 AM.

  12. #71
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    Here is another picture of Bob Massey running the same boat I believe. Looks like Long Beach.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Bobby-Molinari-ab.jpg  

  13. #72
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    Who was running the 301 Molinari ??
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 301Molinari-a.jpg  

  14. #73
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    More Multi's.....

    We were talking about Dutchman wings and tunnels on the "in search of wings" thread, here's a shot of a tunnel doing well. It's "Doc" Appleton running 1250 Super BP's and finishing 5th at the 1969 Long Beach Invitational.

    The 2nd photo is from an ad in Powerboat, October,1968. The boat is a Rayson Craft with ( I think ) triple 1250's......it won Havasu in 1967 driven by Bill Cooper, Rudy Ramos and Mike Reagan ( the President's son ) - this same boat also won in 1966. The first five Havasu World Championships were won by Mercury......Eis, Eis, Ramos team, Ramos team and Kitson.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails PB68&69 033.jpg   PB68&69 014.jpg  
    Last edited by willabee; 02-01-2006 at 11:40 AM.

  15. #74
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    T-40 Bob Massey, 148 -Dick Sheer. 871 - Doc Appleton ??

    Notice how Bob is cutting on the inside of both of them in a wing. I think that took some driving.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Bobby-RedWing-Racing-a.jpg  
    Last edited by Old fiberglass; 02-01-2006 at 11:49 AM.

  16. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old fiberglass
    Here is another picture of Bob Massey running the same boat I believe. Looks like Long Beach.
    Yes, same boat, same race - much better picture ( I believe that was the only time Bob ran that boat )

    Don't remember who was in the 301 - Mr.T, you raced in that event, do you recall the driver? There were 18 entrys and I can come up with 13 names - Cooper, Massy, Witt, Petty,Appleton, McConnell, Sherrer, Habay, Hill, Stickle, O'Connell, Larson, McCune ( if it was at Long Beach, maybe Larson in the Rudy Ramos entry ).
    Last edited by willabee; 02-01-2006 at 02:39 PM.

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