Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[2us70]

I was waiting to get weighed and inspected after the SE final. Two SJ boats blew over in formation. I looked at the inspectors and they said go so off I went. Beal Tilton circled back and got the other guy. I did not know that was Beal until just a few years ago when I met him at an antique show and we were swapping stories. I also witnessed Robbie Knight's accident and circled back to him that weekend. Nothing could be done for him.

[GENE LANHAM]

Gene you had quite a neighborhood . Did you work with Duff at the fire department ? I never got to see Howard's Oh" Mona. When I first met Del, Duff was about 16 . They had some Super Stock and SK boats at Lake Maggorie both were Rayson-Crafts. The next year he showed up with a Baron sprint.

I never worked with Duff on the MFD---I must be about 20 years older--I retired in 1982---the last time I saw Duff was a couple years ago at Tavares--he was swimminng around Bob Patterson's Allison powered
runabout

[2us70]

I can remember the Daileys running in F Service class. That was great racing. Duff and Del got hurt in the last Gold Coast Marathon to West Palm Beach. That accident pretty much finished point to point racing.

[WaterZebra]

this is what i would expect and admire about a first responder. they don't wait, they act!! until the last part of my racing career, there was not a lot of thought placed on rescue teams. the rescue boats were manned by volunteers they could find on the beach.

Our rescue divers were the most under appreciated race personnel that ever provided volunteer support for local club races. I always found time to order those guys some pizzas and something to drink. Stock outboard people never took rescue personnel seriously. They figured somebody in a fishing skiff would get the job done. When OPC racing evolved to reinforced cockpits and being strapped in, the first responder side of it got really serious. Stock outboarders continued with their cavalier attitude with rescue personnel so I stopped attending their sanctioned races. After a while, we figured out all they wanted from OPC people was our entry fee $$$ ($25 for stocks vs $100 for OPC). Never went to a stock outboard event again.

[jackiewilson]

“Hey Willa—— time to get real———- you’re flaggin!
You need a kick up the butt——— after thirteen years of being the front runner on Scream and Fly, I don’t want to see some Johnny Come lately pip you at the post! The Million mark is coming up and will happen sometime next year———-get your finger out of your arse and start talking about the dudes who make the “HOT SINGLES” hot.
Pruett-Mert-Downard-Stickle—Petty -Bentz-Reggie-Seebold—Sirois-Kubes-Ritchie- Becky-Biers—Schunkie- GG——- THE OLD MAN ,!! SNieder ——— hells teeth William—— I barely knew them——- you had meaningful relationships . Get on your lap top——— put your arse in gear—— and get to that million mark first———- it’s only right !!!!

[willabee]

“Hey Willa—— ———-get your finger out of your arse and start talking about the dudes who make the “HOT SINGLES” hot. ..... Pruett-Mert-Downard-Stickle—Petty -Bentz-Reggie-Seebold—Sirois-Kubes-Ritchie- Becky-Biers—Schunkie- GG——- THE OLD MAN ,!! SNieder ——— hells teeth William—— I barely knew them——- you had meaningful relationships . Get on your lap top———

Hey ya ol' Goat, see you're still flippin' the lip at 120 mph! That's good, it'll help keep you young.

As for me, just had too much non-fun stuff goin' on to be very active on S & F. "Hot Singles" and "Hot Multi's" were never about the numbers, I just truly enjoyed sharing stories and info with all of the folks that have been exposed to the Golden Era of boat racing in any manner. It doesn't matter if they raced, crewed, attended or just learned about it from a friend or relative, they all enjoy it and love to talk or listen about any part of that history.

If for no other reason than to correct your horrendously inaccurate recollections of those days, I'll get back at it - hopefully soon.

[jackiewilson]

Hey ya ol' Goat, see you're still flippin' the lip at 120 mph! That's good, it'll help keep you young.

As for me, just had too much non-fun stuff goin' on to be very active on S & F. "Hot Singles" and "Hot Multi's" were never about the numbers, I just truly enjoyed sharing stories and info with all of the folks that have been exposed to the Golden Era of boat racing in any manner. It doesn't matter if they raced, crewed, attended or just learned about it from a friend or relative, they all enjoy it and love to talk or listen about any part of that history.

If for no other reason than to correct your horrendously inaccurate recollections of those days, I'll get back at it - hopefully soon.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah——— that’s more like the cranky old bastard we all know as “Willabee”———- we figured you might not be feeling too “Chipper” by your absence !
An awful lot of people out here wish you well Bill——— you’ll need to be on top form if you’re locking horns with the “CURMUDGEON”.

[Lake X Kid]

this is what i would expect and admire about a first responder. they don't wait, they act!! until the last part of my racing career, there was not a lot of thought placed on rescue teams. the rescue boats were manned by volunteers they could find on the beach.

The lack of competent rescue teams is probably universal. I witness a couple of flips at different races in Italy during the 1970’s, and saw rescue team members just look at each other, with at least a minute tick-away, before they motored over to the wreaked boat and wet driver.

I felt for the driver, and was disappointed by the slow rescue response. To this day I always observe to see how fast rescue teams responded. In comparison watch have fast NASCAR and the Indy league respond to race accidents.

[Lake X Kid]

Hi John,
The way I remember it, Billy Don didn't get hurt, but he did get sick. He was a goggle wearer back then and had them knocked off of his face at the beginning of his two hour run. He said that he was "blasting by everyone on his way to the front" and had to drive through someone's rooster tail. Said "they blew clean off my head, couldn't find them anywhere." He did finish his stint, but had to be helped out of the boat when he came in for fuel.

Not that he was a handsome lad when he got in that boat , but I remember that he looked just horrible when he got out. It's amazing how beat up he looked after getting the Seine river blasted into his face for a couple of hours. I think about 24 hours after that experience he became quite ill.....you just didn't want that water in your eyes and mouth.....yuk!

Yuk! I agree.
A barge on the Seine, motors by the race pits in the 1970’s, and I watch a guy standing on the barge, toss a bucket over into the water, and he pulls it up out of the water with the attached rope. He then proceeds to take the bucket and dunk all of its liquid (and probably some semi-solids) onto his head, dripping all over his body.

And this was subsequent to me watching the big-city Paris’ garbage floating by the pit area. Contents like human excrement, dead animals, condoms and other undesirable things to be washing your body with, swimming after being toss from a boat, and/or collecting the prop spray with your unguarded face (without goggles or face-shield). Infection from the Seine would not surprise me.

I was told someone (but I do not know who, or if it was just a precautionary myth) after a nasty crash into the Seine, was infected with gangrene.

[bernie]

Yuk! I agree.
A barge on the Seine, motors by the race pits in the 1970’s, and I watch a guy standing on the barge, toss a bucket over into the water, and he pulls it up out of the water with the attached rope. He then proceeds to take the bucket and dunk all of its liquid (and probably some semi-solids) onto his head, dripping all over his body.

And this was subsequent to me watching the big-city Paris’ garbage floating by the pit area. Contents like human excrement, dead animals, condoms and other undesirable things to be washing your body with, swimming after being toss from a boat, and/or collecting the prop spray with your unguarded face (without goggles or face-shield). Infection from the Seine would not surprise me.

I was told someone (but I do not know who, or if it was just a precautionary myth) after a nasty crash into the Seine, was infected with gangrene.

Pretty sure it was Don Clark, from Southern Illinois or the St. Louis area, he was cut real bad in an incident and they had to exchange his blood like 3 times to save him.

[jackiewilson]

Pretty sure it was Don Clark, from Southern Illinois or the St. Louis area, he was cut real bad in an incident and they had to exchange his blood like 3 times to save him.

Don Clarke was run over by another boat and badly injured—- but hospital treatment in France is some of the best in the world.
Ive been dunked a number of times in the Paris six hour race— like all rivers, everywhere , they are used as sewers, thankfully I never suffered more than a dose of the squits.

[peterse90]

You may recall that about a month ago I called my ol' buddy Boob Hetzel about this picture. He said Mike Butler had given him the answer as to why the boat carries the #998, but he had forgotten what Mike said! I asked Boob to call me with the info when Mike got back from vacation or to ask Mike to post the answer ..... nothing happened.

I called again today and found out Mike has been back for a couple of weeks and Boob has the answer. I asked why he didn't call and he said it was due to the new phone system that his beautiful wife Ida had installed recently. Apparently they can receive calls but can't make any. I guess there is about a 50% savings using this system as compared to a normal call and/or receive system. Hell, his phone has always worked like that, might as well enjoy the savings.

Butler said that Garbrecht had a bunch of numbers that he saved for Mercury and simply decided to use the 998 at this race ..... very anti-climatic response after all this speculation. Soooo, it's 1978, St. Louis, a Seebold being driven by Cees van der Velden using Bill Sirois' #998 for no particular reason ..... bummer!

Attachment 389703

Should have done this back a few months when Willabee first posted this picture of Cees and the 998...so I checked my 'old' library of Powerboats and found that this was St. Louis 1977. First year that the Merc factory team used Seebold hulls in St. Louis. They also had fuel-injection and brakes!!!! 1977 winner was Earl Bentz. Merc boats finished 1,2,3,4; OMC boats were Stevenson, Molinari, Lyons & Hauenstein.
1976 they used the Molinaris with the low rear cowls.
1978 they used Seebolds and Reggie was the winner with Bentz in second.

[willabee]

Yuk! I agree. ..... I was told someone (but I do not know who, or if it was just a precautionary myth) after a nasty crash into the Seine, was infected with gangrene.

Those guys are correct, it was Don Clark that got run over at Paris, 1970. It was no a small miracle that he was able to survive those injuries. After months of healing, he was back at their family Mercury dealership in, I believe, East Alton, Il. using crutches to help him get around.

As I understand it, someone brought their Sport E tunnel to the marina to ask Don for help getting it to run right. After trying several things, Don decided to drive it himself to see if that would help him figure out the problem ..... first time he had driven a boat since the Paris accident. He blew the boat over and was taken to the emergency room. That is when the doctors discovered gangrene in his leg!

Don was another one of the 'original good guys" from the Golden Era of boat racing. He drove a single engine, open cockpit Molinari at Parker in 1968 and finished in the top ten! That drive was rewarded by making him a member of the Mercury Racing Team

The Parker Molinari .....

#177 - With the Team, in Miami 1970, finished 2nd .....

Testing at Molinari's shop in 1970 .....

Coming home after the Paris accident .....

*Speaking of the 'original good guys' from racing's Golden Era, did you guys see we lost Denis Berghauer last week?

[lilabner]

The worst I ever saw was Galveston 1969. In a five minute or so period five boats had flipped. I was running to the car to get my helmet and jacket on for my stint, and some of the race crews had one of the guys on a picnic table beating on his chest. I think they only had one ambulance and it was gone. They put him in someones van and took him away. He didn't make it.

[willabee]

Should have done this back a few months when Willabee first posted this picture of Cees and the 998...so I checked my 'old' library of Powerboats and found that this was St. Louis 1977. First year that the Merc factory team used Seebold hulls in St. Louis. They also had fuel-injection and brakes!!!! 1977 winner was Earl Bentz. Merc boats finished 1,2,3,4; OMC boats were Stevenson, Molinari, Lyons & Hauenstein.
1976 they used the Molinaris with the low rear cowls.
1978 they used Seebolds and Reggie was the winner with Bentz in second.

I can certainly understand your hesitating with a post about Merc's success in St Louis during the 70's. After all, we were just told (on another thread) that after 72, OMC engineering was way, way ahead (sounds like light years to me) of Merc and they were kicking Merc's arse on the race course! If that was the case, it's hard to believe that biggest factory race on the planet, the OZ Championship held in St. Louis, was dominated by Merc. However, the Merc T3 won with Hering in 1974 (Bentz used a TII to win U class), Seebold used the T3 to win in 1975, Fountain won with T3 power in 1976 and Bentz took the OZ World Title with a Merc again in 1977! Not too shabby for a company playing catch-up.