Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[willabee]

In the picture below (incorrectly labeled 1971) you can see what I'm talking about. This is from the 1970 Miami 225, Downard #251, Stickle #254, Hering #457 and Merten #187 were all working full time at Merc Racing.
Attachment 461058

Just a reminder ..... this picture is from 1970, not 1971

[Zonkercraft]

That's the way I remember it, after the 18' rockers came the 17's. The first of those were run in Paris, 1970, but I don't recall anyone labeling them sprints. They had a little different tunnel configuration to handle the rough Paris water.

Don Clark in his Paris 17'er .....
Attachment 461623


The first ones I recall being called 17' sprints were run at Havasu 1970. Stickle & Hering ran identical boats with 1350 stackers. On Saturday, Tom set all new 1, 2, 3, & 4 hour records for laps completed and average speed. On Sunday, with fewer boats running, Bob broke all of Tom's new records!

Stickle & Hering in sprints .....
Attachment 461624
Attachment 461625

Uhmm correct me if I'm wrong, Willibee....Tom's maybe a 17 ft, but not the model I had in mind. The early 17 ft boats were wide tunnel ( 48 in ) with a flatter longer front cowling. Find the picture of Mike Downard's ride at Havasu and Parker with a single pipe C-6. You'll see the difference. Bob's is a 16ft sprint boat, I'm very sure of.

Just trying to help out.

[mbd29]

Uhmm correct me if I'm wrong, Willibee....Tom's maybe a 17 ft, but not the model I had in mind. The early 17 ft boats were wide tunnel ( 48 in ) with a flatter longer front cowling. Find the picture of Mike Downard's ride at Havasu and Parker with a single pipe C-6. You'll see the difference. Bob's is a 16ft sprint boat, I'm very sure of.

Just trying to help out.

I agree with you Chick.��

[willabee]

Jacki Wilson and Donn Ross won the Chasewater 500 race with a 17ft Molnari in june 1970 i think both Molinari and the Rasini bros ran them also.

Thanks for the 'heads up', I didn't know any were raced prior to 1970 Paris. Do you happen to remember the color of the Wilson/Ross winner?

[FUJIMO]

[STEVERINO]

Thanks for the 'heads up', I didn't know any were raced prior to 1970 Paris. Do you happen to remember the color of the Wilson/Ross winner?

Wilson/Ross outfit was red i think Rasinis was orange Molinaris outfit could have been red.Jackis black Molinari sprint boat was early 1971-.

[willabee]

Wilson/Ross outfit was red i think Rasinis was orange Molinaris outfit could have been red.Jackis black Molinari sprint boat was early 1971-.

Okay, I know what boat you're talking about. Pruett ran it in Paris and then Jackie ran it at Havasu. I was thinking we rigged that boat at Molinari's shop prior to Paris which would have meant it was new. Now I'm thinking it had been rigged prior to our arrival. What we probably did was install the rideguide steering and a new Twister.


Here are a couple of 'not so good' pictures of that boat .....

[peterse90]

That's the way I remember it, after the 18' rockers came the 17's. The first of those were run in Paris, 1970, but I don't recall anyone labeling them sprints. They had a little different tunnel configuration to handle the rough Paris water.

I know where the 'buck stops'...right here with me !!! I first made this statement way back in the Molinari Tunnel Boat History thread (page 8 post #111). I now guess this was a poorly worded description - I always thought that the transition from 'rocker bottom' to the more level running tunnel hulls made a significant rise in top speed so I labelled them sprint even though I know some level riding hulls were larger (18's) and were more suited to marathon racing. Here in Canada in 1973 I think Spencer Dunn had a smaller 17 while Oley Berkis had a larger 18 - both were 'level riders - for sure not 'rockers';

The next Molinaris were 17 and 18 "sprints" plus a small number of 16's. The "sprints" obviously did not fly bow high like the rocker bottoms, but with the extra horsepower of the first Twisters over the BP's they flew flatter and faster. OMC did use the "sprints" to start but shortly after went to Scottis so most "sprints" were Merc powered.
What I liked about the "sprints" were in 1971 & 1972 they made great U and S class boats, then with the oncoming C6's and Twister II's they were turned over to some SJ drivers like Mark Rotharmel - SJ 11 who in 1973 had some good results with the same boat Spencer Dunn S-73 drove in S class in 1972 (Canadian National Champion).


At least I started a very good discussion to keep HOT SINGLES on the top !!

[willabee]

I don't know how this Italian named Pellolio suddenly became a co-driver in a Team Merc boat at the 1971 Paris 6 Hour. Most of us had never heard of him, yet there he was, testing this boat at Molinari's shop on Lake Como! I guess Ridgell & Garbretti knew something that the rest of us didn't? Obviously a friend of Renato's, but why that would get him a ride in one of our six entry's remains a mystery to me.
In any event, he started the race and was the man behind the wheel when the checkered flag was waving. As I recall, his laps times were about the same as Downard's, he did a good job.

[FUJIMO]

nobody ever saw his face. he never took his helmet off. just admit it. it was you. that was your 007 mercury name.

[jackiewilson]

I don't know how this Italian named Pellolio suddenly became a co-driver in a Team Merc boat at the 1971 Paris 6 Hour. Most of us had never heard of him, yet there he was, testing this boat at Molinari's shop on Lake Como! I guess Ridgell & Garbretti knew something that the rest of us didn't? Obviously a friend of Renato's, but why that would get him a ride in one of our six entry's remains a mystery to me.
In any event, he started the race and was the man behind the wheel when the checkered flag was waving. As I recall, his laps times were about the same as Downard's, he did a good job.

Pellolio had a fantastic restaurant further up the lake and a drop dead gorgeous wife —— NUFF SAID,!

[GENE LANHAM]

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 !

[willabee]

Uhmm correct me if I'm wrong, Willibee....Tom's maybe a 17 ft, but not the model I had in mind. The early 17 ft boats were wide tunnel ( 48 in ) with a flatter longer front cowling. Find the picture of Mike Downard's ride at Havasu and Parker with a single pipe C-6. You'll see the difference. Bob's is a 16ft sprint boat, I'm very sure of.

Just trying to help out.

I'll take another swing at this ..... In response to the above, Tom's is a 17', I don't know what model you had in mind, but you are correct that the Downard single pipe pic is an early 17' and Hering's is definitely not 16'.

As the Miami 225 photo below shows, in early 1970 the Merc Team was running 18' rockers and 16' sprints.

The next design change resulted in a 17' Molinari that was intended to be a faster, rough water marathon boat. It was styled like the 16' sprint, but had a deeper tunnel and, of course, was a foot longer. Steverino said one of them won the Chasewater 500 in June prior to Paris. The Merc team first raced them in Paris of 1970. One of those boats was driven to 2nd place by Renato & Wilson.

That same boat was sent to the states and driven by Mike Downard for a few months before it was transferred to Dick Sherrer. Note the 'ON' class designation is still on the cowling as it races at Parker.

When we returned home, we received a couple of new 17'ers from Molinari for Havasu. These were called sprints as, I believe, they had a shallower tunnel than the Paris 17'ers. These boats had not been rigged, so they were definitely not part of the Paris entries. The boats were identical, both 17', unfortunately I have no photos that can prove that statement.

Bob's is not a 16', I'm very sure .....

Neither is Tom's .....

Hope this clears things up a bit, your input is always appreciated.

[STEVERINO]

I don't know how this Italian named Pellolio suddenly became a co-driver in a Team Merc boat at the 1971 Paris 6 Hour. Most of us had never heard of him, yet there he was, testing this boat at Molinari's shop on Lake Como! I guess Ridgell & Garbretti knew something that the rest of us didn't? Obviously a friend of Renato's, but why that would get him a ride in one of our six entry's remains a mystery to me.
In any event, he started the race and was the man behind the wheel when the checkered flag was waving. As I recall, his laps times were about the same as Downard's, he did a good job.

Pellolio was Renato`s co driver for the 1971 Chasewater 500 mile race he was a good driver and they won that race. I was in the boat that finished in 2nd place but only 30 seconds behind not bad after 500 miles.i was 50 lbs heavier than Billy Shakespeare who knows if he had picked l lighter co driver.

[Zonkercraft]

Thanks, Willabee...you guy's had all kinds of goodies hiding in the warehouse. I got yelled at for lifting covers.