Hot Multi's - Pictures

[rnelems]

Claude Fox ran the show at NOA,Edgar Rose was APBA

[LightNBug]

Claude Fox ran the show at NOA,Edgar Rose was APBA

During later years Julie ran the show, Claude just thought he did. LOL

[willabee]

Claude Fox ran the show at NOA,Edgar Rose was APBA

Thank you.....my little memory maker was runnin' around in my head looking for that name, but just couldn't find it.

[willabee]

Received a few more photos from Gene. In the first we find Gene doing his 2nd favorite thing.....absolutely nothing, just relaxing in the sun . He said this is Havasu 1969 and Neal Chambers is doin' the holdin'.....was he related to the Sharon Chambers that used to race FJ in Miami?

The next two are from Galveston, 1969. The first is what was left of Jim Merten's Wet & Wild 18' Switzer Wing after an accident. Jim was running 2nd to Bill Cooper's 18' Jones and was closing the gap in a hurry. He decided to pass Roy Reeves, driving a triple Chrysler powered Stylecraft, just before the pit turn and he came in too hot. He spun out just in front of Reeves who had no place to go. Reeves, at near full speed, hit the Wing right in the cockpit, then went up through and then over it.

I'll never forget that sight. I was on top of the Merc parts truck with Rick Lamore. Rick didn't work for Merc then, neither did Merten. Rick had just come to that race with Jim to help any way that he could. When the boats made contact, it sounded like an explosion, very loud. When the spray settled, there was Mert.....head and arm hanging out of the busted cockpit, not moving at all. The Wing still had one engine running at idle and it was doing a slow circle. My mind went to Ernie Threlkeld's Wing which he had named the Black Coffin. That's exactly what it looked like to me, a black coffin.....we thought Mert was dead and the boat was showing everyone what it had done!

As most of you know, Mert did survive that accident. He spent a lot of time in a Galveston hospital. They had to insert some wires in his left arm to give it movement again. One day I was talking with Mert about the accident and he shared something with me.....he said that he knew he was going to pass Cooper in two more laps and would win the race. However, the race paid $50.00 lap money for leading and he had decided to get past Cooper quicker to get an extra $50 (he referred to it as gas money) and that was why he tried to take Reeves where he did.....man, what a lousy decision that turned out to be .

The 3rd shot is the tail end of the Stylecraft. The left engine was ripped off and you can see damage to the center unit. I don't remember if Reeves was hurt, I guess I was just concentrating on Mert.

[lilabner]

I saw the whole thing..I was in the pits right in front of the wreck watching Mertens when he spun and the Stylecraft launched..It was really scary for a few minutes..We couldn't get to Mertens because boats were going between us and him..I forgot who got to him first..The GN race I was in after that one wasn't much better..I think 5 boats flipped in a 15 minute span,..All the ambulances were gone when the 5th boat flipped..The driver was taken to the hospital in a van, and I don't think he survived..I saw them beating on his chest on a picnic table as I headed for my turn in a Mandela..We were third at the time..but the steering broke shortly afterwards..The race should have been stopped when they ran out of Emergency Vehicles..

[willabee]

..It was really scary for a few minutes.....The GN race I was in after that one wasn't much better.....I think 5 boats flipped in a 15 minute span,.....The race should have been stopped when they ran out of Emergency Vehicles..

It was scary.....I was pretty much oblivious to all of the GN action. When a friend gets hurt like that, people sort of get caught up in their own little world and do what they think has to be done. You don't see a lot of what is going on around you.

Mentioning that the race should have been stopped reminds me of a race I went to in St. Mary's, Ohio. It was very windy and the lake had a pretty good chop on it. There had been a few blow overs early and conditions were getting worse. In the spectator area, I walked past a group in a tent that was broadcasting to the spectators and on the radio. Someone recognized me ( Wally Heuser ?) and waved me over to the tent. He stuck a mic in my hand and asked me to describe some of the action on the course.

While I was babbling, a number of things happened. I don't remember exactly how it went, but it was something like another boat flipped and a safety boat roared to his aid. But, someone hit the big wake left by the safety boat and another tunnel driver was in the water. A few minutes later someone else took off for the heavens.....I think there were four or five bows sticking out of the water at one time and I did say that I thought this race should have been stopped a long time ago. After saying that, the race referee or some other race official, was paged to come to the tent. After a quick introduction, someone asked me to repeat what I had said about the race conditions. Next thing I knew, this man says "Ok, let's get this mess stopped"..... the red flag started waving and flares were shot into the sky.

Stopping the race was the right thing to do, but I was surprised that the decision came about the way it did. I didn't have any official capacity with that race, I was just a spectator. Strange how things happen sometimes.....

[willabee]

While looking at the film of the race in Merrill, Wi. 1971, saw a couple of Wings running in "T" class, don't remember who drove them. Couldn't get a shot of the black one, but did catch this gold 18'er. Noticed the number is T111 and wondered if it might be the same person that drove the #111 Kitson that Sherlock bought from Raceman.

[JP Love]

Good stories boys..... I'd like it.... J-P love

[peterse90]

While looking at the film of the race in Merrill, Wi. 1971, saw a couple of Wings running in "T" class, don't remember who drove them. Couldn't get a shot of the black one, but did catch this gold 18'er. Noticed the number is T111 and wondered if it might be the same person that drove the #111 Kitson that Sherlock bought from Raceman.

Although I personally was not there (Peterborough, about 1970) somebody that was there told me that he is sure it was Kenny Kitson driving the #111 black Kitson and was probably Dave Norton driving the #UU 1 yellow OMC wing.

[willabee]

Although I personally was not there (Peterborough, about 1970) somebody that was there told me that he is sure it was Kenny Kitson driving the #111 black Kitson.....

Could very well be Kitson, but I wonder why the #111? Kenny always ran #119....he had it on his Wings and boats of his own build afterwards. Maybe he ran a boat he had sold to someone else at this race?

When I look at the picture of the #111, the number itself doesn't look quite right. Sort of like someone modified a photo by putting that number over the real one and then took a photo of the modified photo.

A few of Kitson and his #119.....

[T2x]

I spoke to Kenny a few weeks ago. Kitson has confirmed that he did run in that race at that location. I didn't ask him about the number.......I was too busy comparing notes on the Wings.

T2x

[willabee]

I spoke to Kenny a few weeks ago. Kitson has confirmed that he did run in that race at that location. I didn't ask him about the number.......T2x

Did you tell him "hello" from me (post #305 this thread)?

Got to thinking about those two Wings running at Merrill and I believe I have the answer. Boots Spellman in the gold one and Fred Hug in the black (one that Kitson had raced). Boots owned a marina on the Fox River in Oshkosh and Fred was a buddy of his. Boots had co-driven with Jim Merten in Wet & Wild at Parker and often spoke about how much he enjoyed driving the Wing. Those guys bought the Wings from Mercury, equipped with 1350 stackers just for pleasure use! Since this race was so close to home, they decided to spend the weekend racing the Wings rather than taking them bar hopping!!!!

I think I told this story once before.....I was sitting in the Fin & Feather restaurant in Winneconne, Wi. Looking out the windows you see a bridge over the river and the entrance to Lake Poygan. All of a sudden the place started to vibrate and this strange sound began to pierce the air. Patrons looked at one another in puzzlement, what the heck was going on? The noise got louder and louder until eeeeeyziiiing, EEEEEYZIIIING..... two Wings with stackers shot under the bridge! Both in full race paint, numbers and all .

The boats slowed, turned around and idled to the Fin's dock. Out stepped Boots and Fred, big smiles as people gathered around the Wings and asked a million questions. They came into the restaurant to get a burger and a beer before continuing to scare the natives .....that had to be a lot of fun.

[Old fiberglass]

I've seen quick snap shots of the paint scheme on the 111 and I think it's a different boat than Kenny's. It's like it's lurking in pictures....but you can never pin it down.

Was looking in the 1970 Parker 9 Hour "official souvenir program".....Mercury sure was betting the farm with Ron Jones twins. Kind of appears like it was the last go with twins before switching over to singles. Lots of inboards running 427 Fords.

39 - Ron Jones Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- Robert Massey - Gary Garbrecht

177 - Ron Jones Hydro: Engine (1) Mercury Driver- Don Clark

187 - Ron Jones Hydro: Engine (2) Mercury Driver - James Merten

190 - Ron Jones Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver - William Seebold

199 - Ron Jones Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- William Petty

234 - Molinari Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- Gary Barbrecht - (typo in the program)

254 - Ron Jones Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- Thomas Stickle

998 - Molinari Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- Bill Sirois

[willabee]

..... Was looking in the 1970 Parker 9 Hour "official souvenir program".....Mercury sure was betting the farm with Ron Jones twins. Kind of appears like it was the last go with twins before switching over to singles.

39 - Ron Jones Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- Robert Massey - Gary Garbrecht

177 - Ron Jones Hydro: Engine (1) Mercury Driver- Don Clark

187 - Ron Jones Hydro: Engine (2) Mercury Driver - James Merten

190 - Ron Jones Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver - William Seebold

199 - Ron Jones Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- William Petty

234 - Molinari Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- Gary Barbrecht - (typo in the program)

254 - Ron Jones Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- Thomas Stickle

998 - Molinari Tunnel: Engine (2) Mercury Driver- Bill Sirois

That program sure wasn't very accurate.....

#39 - was a triple Jones, not a twin.....Massy must have listed Garbrecht as a co-driver just for grins because Gary would not have raced that boat
#177 - was a tunnel, not a hydro
#187 - was a triple tunnel, not a twin hydro
#234 - I don't remember that number on it, but it had to be the 21' Molinari Up, Up and Away (Havasu winner later that year) - Billy Don Pruett was scheduled to run it at Parker but wasn't sure if his new employer would give him the time off. Garbrecht must have entered it in his name when entrys were turned in because he wasn't sure who would be at the wheel. At Parker, by mid-week, Pruett had not arrived and Garbrecht told me he had confirmed the entry, listing him and me as the drivers! He told me to make plans for someone else to take my role in the pits for the race and we went out and ran some practice laps. That was probably the only time I was ever disappointed to see Pruett arrive at a race site.....disappointed because I didn't get to race.
#254 - was a single Jones, not a twin

The Mercury Team drivers all signed as co-drivers on all of the Team boats entered. That way we would always have a driver available if someone was unable to continue.

Bill Sirois ran the reverse "S" that Renato had blown over at Havasu in October instead of the 21' he won Havasu with later that year. The 1971 Havasu Race was the last run for the factory multi engine boats. That was another disappointment.....the end of the multi's.

Here are the #39, the #998 reverse "S" (with the 21'twin behind it) and what was the #254.....

[digital_jeff]

Hi all,
new to this thread, but I had to post one of my favorite hot multis. Please reply with any info you may have on it.
thanks,
jeff