Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[dancinbear]

Somehow Fuji was able to find the pictures of the Rayson Craft. When I got it in 1975, the red was resprayed in "Van Wagoner Yellow."

Thank you, Fuji...!!

Attachment 411123

Attachment 411124

Thanks for the pictures Fuji, Bob that is the boat I remember at their shop. FYI Hot and Nasty was also the name of a GN boat that Gary King drove. Gary ran the shop for Dave Stoller for years. It was a plum metallic with wood decks absolutely beautiful.It was a custom built Howard that Gary designed. He later opened King Marine Engineering.

[dancinbear]

Sorry to butt in ya'll, but thanks for the memories. As 16 yr old kids my buddy and I traveled around Florida racing in SE. We tagged along with Fred V and his lovely wife, Tommy Cook and Bill Cartier, who all looked after us as teenagers. The photo's of Fred and his Susie Q boats bring back the fun we all had Lake Maggiore, the Miami Marine Stadium, Taveres, Palatka and so many other places. We would spend Saturdays at Van Waggoner Boats just hanging out. Just fine people back in the day.

I agree they were great people. I spent many a happy day with Fred at the shop also. The best times were when Freddie, Bert Serra and Spence Dunn got together,they had the best stories. Thanks to Fuji too I remember a lot of these pictures from being there in person. He always had a cast of character helping him at the races. Some of the fumiest people I ever knew. Freddie hit the seawall in Tarpon Springs one afternoon it busted him and the boat up pretty good. When he got back from the hospital they had patched the boat up with anything they could find in the parking lot and lots of duct tape,lol. He went out and raced again that day.

[Bob V]

Thanks for the pictures Fuji, Bob that is the boat I remember at their shop. FYI Hot and Nasty was also the name of a GN boat that Gary King drove. Gary ran the shop for Dave Stoller for years. It was a plum metallic with wood decks absolutely beautiful.It was a custom built Howard that Gary designed. He later opened King Marine Engineering.

Yes, I remember Gary's "Hot ' n Nasty" very well. I think that the guy that owned the Rayson Craft at the time that I bought it, Paul McMurtry, named it after Gary's boat. Do you remember Gary's 20' Ron Jones KT boat named "The Flying Thing"? Did you ever cross paths with Mike Rudderham? He lived on Clearwater Beach and raced a smaller E production boat and metallic green V bottom with twin BP's named Muck...Muck. He had a double decker trailer and was always headed to a race somewhere. Those really were some fantastic times.

Here is one the vault:

[2us70]

I remember you from those days. I was running my McCall SE boat back then. The last time I saw Tommy Cook was at the restart of a heat of SG at the Nationals in 1973. Lost him much to early.

Sorry to butt in ya'll, but thanks for the memories. As 16 yr old kids my buddy and I traveled around Florida racing in SE. We tagged along with Fred V and his lovely wife, Tommy Cook and Bill Cartier, who all looked after us as teenagers. The photo's of Fred and his Susie Q boats bring back the fun we all had Lake Maggiore, the Miami Marine Stadium, Taveres, Palatka and so many other places. We would spend Saturdays at Van Waggoner Boats just hanging out. Just fine people back in the day.

[dancinbear]

Yes, I remember Gary's "Hot ' n Nasty" very well. I think that the guy that owned the Rayson Craft at the time that I bought it, Paul McMurtry, named it after Gary's boat. Do you remember Gary's 20' Ron Jones KT boat named "The Flying Thing"? Did you ever cross paths with Mike Rudderham? He lived on Clearwater Beach and raced a smaller E production boat and metallic green V bottom with twin BP's named Muck...Muck. He had a double decker trailer and was always headed to a race somewhere. Those really were some fantastic times.

Here is one the vault:

Flying thing was a beast first time Gary ran a big block Chevy 496 CI. Gary and Dave were both running Ford Boss 429 at one time. Often wondered how they stayed together they ran at pretty hi RPM. Randy Rabe had a triple engine Jones that was an old factory boat.They blew it over in back of Stowaway Cove just after we shut down for the night . I don't think they ever put it back together.I don't remember Rudderham but I should I was running E boats back then. I recognize several other names in your clipping. Hal Stata was a good friend of mine we worked together at one time I had an old Cobia that he built me back when they cut the decks off and sides down with thin wood decks. You should know these racers Jack Staples, Eddie Medley, Don Medley. Jack and Eddie owned Discount Boat Sales , Don ran the shop. There were so many people racing in our area back then it was hard to keep up with all of them. Yep it was a lot of fun back then life was a lot easier,lol.

[Bob V]

Flying thing was a beast first time Gary ran a big block Chevy 496 CI. Gary and Dave were both running Ford Boss 429 at one time. Often wondered how they stayed together they ran at pretty hi RPM. Randy Rabe had a triple engine Jones that was an old factory boat.They blew it over in back of Stowaway Cove just after we shut down for the night . I don't think they ever put it back together.I don't remember Rudderham but I should I was running E boats back then. I recognize several other names in your clipping. Hal Stata was a good friend of mine we worked together at one time I had an old Cobia that he built me back when they cut the decks off and sides down with thin wood decks. You should know these racers Jack Staples, Eddie Medley, Don Medley. Jack and Eddie owned Discount Boat Sales , Don ran the shop. There were so many people racing in our area back then it was hard to keep up with all of them. Yep it was a lot of fun back then life was a lot easier,lol.

I remember Dave's Boss 429's. Those things are worth their weight in gold today. Last I heard John Sherlock had Randy's old triple Jones and was rebuilding it, but that was several years ago. The green boat that Rudderham had was a cut down and re-decked Cobia. I knew Jack and Judy Staples well back in the 70's. I spend a lot of time at their house on Island Estates. Tommy Huber had a full time job keeping Jack's boats repaired. I kept a few of my boats across the street from Jack's Discount Boats at High and Dry Marina. It is so sad that it was torn down to build condos. It was Clearwater's only High and Dry Marina and housed over 300 boats.

[willabee]

Don Pruett - Clearwater Florida Race -

Sorry I'm late to comment, puter was down (again)

Seems like the first time I saw this picture, it was with a group of similar shots from the same pit stop. However, one of the pics clearly showed how much 'pull' or 'influence' Billy Don enjoyed during his heyday. It showed his refueling crew for this event was comprised of some of boat racing's 'All Stars' from back in the day ..... Roy Ridgell and Knocky House !

[OLEGATOR]

Sorry I'm late to comment, puter was down (again)

Seems like the first time I saw this picture, it was with a group of similar shots from the same pit stop. However, one of the pics clearly showed how much 'pull' or 'influence' Billy Don enjoyed during his heyday. It showed his refueling crew for this event was comprised of some of boat racing's 'All Stars' from back in the day ..... Roy Ridgell and Knocky House !

he sure had more pull than me. i had tried to get something from the lake to run in this race, but i was toll there was nothing available. critchfield toll me to run his boat. only thing was, it had a gt115. i ran it just to show them i could. i did not finish the ace but i did run long enough to pass billy don rite in front of mr. k and odell. billy don was running a regular 1250 and could not stay with the gt115. the next race was at pelican harbor where i ran a pleasure type molinari they said was the ole man's boat.

[FUJIMO]

Knocky passed away in November of 2001 at age 81. His wife Val (Valerie) who was much younger than him, passed away in November of 2015, at age 82. They were both my close neighbors for decades.

[Bob V]

he sure had more pull than me. i had tried to get something from the lake to run in this race, but i was toll there was nothing available. critchfield toll me to run his boat. only thing was, it had a gt115. i ran it just to show them i could. i did not finish the ace but i did run long enough to pass billy don rite in front of mr. k and odell. billy don was running a regular 1250 and could not stay with the gt115. the next race was at pelican harbor where i ran a pleasure type molinari they said was the ole man's boat.

Jim - Wasn't it you that gave Duff Daily a fit running the Clearwater Fun ' n sun race one year? Duff was running the Hemi powered "Oh Mona" GN boat and burned a few pistons trying to catch you. If I remember correctly, he never could catch up to you.

[dancinbear]

I remember Dave's Boss 429's. Those things are worth their weight in gold today. Last I heard John Sherlock had Randy's old triple Jones and was rebuilding it, but that was several years ago. The green boat that Rudderham had was a cut down and re-decked Cobia. I knew Jack and Judy Staples well back in the 70's. I spend a lot of time at their house on Island Estates. Tommy Huber had a full time job keeping Jack's boats repaired. I kept a few of my boats across the street from Jack's Discount Boats at High and Dry Marina. It is so sad that it was torn down to build condos. It was Clearwater's only High and Dry Marina and housed over 300 boats.

Small world I sold my Cobia, Vampire and Royal craft to the son of the marina owner I can't remember his name. Dave had at least a dozen brand new 429 Boss engine in crates at the marine when Gary worked there. Tommy was a mess I believe he worked for Freddie before he went with Jack. He built a deep V that went like hell in the straight but you could not turn it , kinda of like a delta wing. That was the first boat I saw built with staples. Ford refused to use them only bronze nails went in his. Bob did you ever see Al Estes triple engine Chrysler V bottom it was so heavy in the rear end it almost sunk at the dock from St Pete.

[Bob V]

Small world I sold my Cobia, Vampire and Royal craft to the son of the marina owner I can't remember his name. Dave had at least a dozen brand new 429 Boss engine in crates at the marine when Gary worked there. Tommy was a mess I believe he worked for Freddie before he went with Jack. He built a deep V that went like hell in the straight but you could not turn it , kinda of like a delta wing. That was the first boat I saw built with staples. Ford refused to use them only bronze nails went in his. Bob did you ever see Al Estes triple engine Chrysler V bottom it was so heavy in the rear end it almost sunk at the dock from St Pete.

I never knew that Tommy worked for Freddie before going with Jack. I remember that Tommy built the "Hubercotti" tunnel for Jack with a wing across the front pickle forks. I only knew Al Estes through Kenny and did not know him well. I do remember that his boat were always named "Bondsman." I don't think I ever saw the triple. Were you a member of the Suncoast Power Boat Club? We used to meet once a month at Robbie's Pancake House on Madeira Beach. I would drive down and pick up Phil Skelton on the way. Gary King, his sister, Chris, Dave Stoller, occasionally Kenny Olsen and a host of others would always be there.

[GENE LANHAM]

[QUOTE=willabee;3054748]Sorry I'm late to comment, puter was down (again)

Seems like the first time I saw this picture, it was with a group of similar shots from the same pit stop. However, one of the pics clearly showed how much 'pull' or 'influence' Billy Don enjoyed during his heyday. It showed his refueling crew for this event was comprised of some of boat racing's 'All Stars' from back in the day ..... Roy Ridgell and Knocky House ![/QUOT


I'm sure this was another 'Pruett Planning Episode'

Roy, Knocky and I were up on a bridge watching the race--Don came by by waving and pointing at the fuel tank--

Roy took over and by the next lap--we were ready---( I took the pic)

[dancinbear]

[QUOTE=Bob V;3054781]I never knew that Tommy worked for Freddie before going with Jack. I remember that Tommy built the "Hubercotti" tunnel for Jack with a wing across the front pickle forks. I only knew Al Estes through Kenny and did not know him well. I do remember that his boat were always named "Bondsman." I don't think I ever saw the triple. Were you a member of the Suncoast Power Boat Club? We used to meet once a month at Robbie's Pancake House on Madeira Beach. I would drive down and pick up Phil Skelton on the way. Gary King, his sister, Chris, Dave Stoller, occasionally Kenny Olsen and a host of others would always be there.[/Q
I thought about what you said I am not sure if he worked for Freddie or just used his shop but he was building there. I belonged to the club. I used to sit with Brad Dykens and Don Hudson. Estees was racing when the UU class was mostly vee bottoms. I never saw him in a tunnel.My future wife was the hostess for Robbie. The canard Tommy put on Homers tunnel was adjustable I don't know how much it helped or how long he used it.

[OLEGATOR]

Jim - Wasn't it you that gave Duff Daily a fit running the Clearwater Fun ' n sun race one year? Duff was running the Hemi powered "Oh Mona" GN boat and burned a few pistons trying to catch you. If I remember correctly, he never could catch up to you.

yes, that was me. he had a spare keith black hemi in the bed of his pickup and he used up both of them as it was a 2 day race. i had the little 16' sprint molinari with the cowbell. i think he got the jump on me at the start but i led all but one lap all weekend.