NOTES:
Vintage raceboats have been invited to participate in the Dayton Ohio Hydrobowl testing session. The dates are April 28 and 29, 2001. Crane, EMS and Box 21 rescue services are provided along with the best water around. If interested contact Phil Kunz pkunzphoto@aol.com (937) 859-3750 or Jack Hines Vlgrbtrnn@aol.com (937) 898-0562. 
Murray Smith of Kitchener, Ontario is looking for a new home for his Longtin Canadiana Grand Prix. (800) 503-4876. 
Jake Ouriel has an unfinished vintage 225 Staudacher that needs a home. Jake can be reached at (716) 266-3245 or Paula734@aol.com

VINTAGE RACING HEROES: 
Continuing on with some of the outstanding men and women who have raised the bar of excellence by their performance on the race course. This month's class is the 136 cubic inch hyclro/145. The names of the racers listed are not in any particular order. I may have missed many. For any oversight that I may make, please feel free to send me your additions, which I will include in future articles. (Source: the APBA Rulebooks) 

136/145 CUBIC INCH HYDRO 1952 THRU 1970: 
The following people were the record setters, National and High Point Champions of this era. Dick Sooy, designer and boat builder, was an early pioneer of the Stock classes. Tom Caldwell and his Blue Blazes held the one-mile record in 1953. Rich Hallet was a California designer, builder and driver. Bob Boehm and his Jerky from Southern California. Wallace Rowland won the'54 Nationals and set a 5 mile competition record. The Maryland Navy dominated the class many times, such as the brothers Skeeter and Sidney Johnson, Alton Pierson, Bob Baxter and George Cusick driving the famous Red Tops. 
In 1957 Randy Eastburn did a clean sweep as National and High Point Champion. Back to back National Championship (1960-61) for Billy Schumacher of Seattle, WA.  Allan Ford drove his Lanky to new Kilo records in 1964 and 65. Little did the class know that 1964 would be the start of many World Records and National and High Point Championships for the Wilmington, DE native Willard Wilson and his Lil Electron. 1965 was Dean Chenoweth's first   Inboard National Championship. Glen Brewer of southern California drove one of the first Ron Jones 145 cabovers. 
The High Point Championship went to New Jersey natives two years in a row: 1966- Cherri Petti and 1967- Jack Sweeney, followed by Jerry Eastman's 1967 Kilo record. Outstanding driver Ronnie Brunner brought two High Point titles to Joe Kreitzer's Little Joe. Billy Brown of Richmond, VA won the Nationals in Morgan City, LA and the following year (1970) New Orleans native Tony Sanzone won his Championship in Ypsilanti, MI.

CHALLENGES:
Bill Steinfeld of Conway, SC is looking for any restorable 136/145 ci. Sooy hydroplane. Contact Bill at (843) 488-9868. 

VINTAGE EVENT SITES:
April 28,29 Dayton, OH testing 
July 6 thru 8 Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada 
July 13 thru 15 Detroit, MI - The Gold Cup 
Sept. 21-23 Wolfeboro, NH 

BOB SILVA'S WEST COAST  REPORT - LOST and FOUND-
Lost....whatever became of the Ron Jones designed 280, Wee Wahoo, E-77 with her gorgeous streamlined cowl ings?
 In 1958 the APBA Inboard National Championships were run on Seattle's Lake Washington as part of the Seafair Regatta.  The 1-2/3 mile record course was located outside of the 4th turn of the Unlimited 3-mile course.  The limited races featured seven current or future Unlimited racing stars: Bill Muncey in his own 266 Thrifty Chevalier, 222-F: Chuck Hickling in Chris 111, 5-F:  Bill Brow aboard  Miss Vitamilk, 86-F and  Ron Musson driving Wa Wa Too, F-247. Roger Murphy drove his 225 Galloping Gael, 22-N; Harry Reeves competed in his 0pes, 90-S and Rex Manchester drove the 280 High Power, E-2. It would have 
been eight Unlimited drivers had Mira Slovak decided to pilot the little sister to Miss Wahoo, a new Ron Jones built 280 called Wee Wahoo, E-77. Instead, owner Bill Boeing Jr. called upon Seattle driver Randy Pillow to drive one of the most beautiful 280s to ever touch water.
The Wee Wahoo featured a polished mahogany hull graced with stylish fiberglass cowlings modeled after the Italian hydroplane San Marco Ferrari. The same style cowlings appeared years later on Earl Wham's Miss Merion Bluegrass.
Although the 280s were the only hydro class not holding a National Championship in Seattle, there were still 22 entries stated for eliminations. The rough water on Lake Washington was much to Randy Pillow and Wee Wahoo's liking as they led their heat until Chuck Lyford took a hard flip in Muncey's 280 Swifty Chevalier 222-E, shearing off a sponson and stopping the race. The rerun found the Wee Wahoo finishing back in the pack after a bad start. Chuck "Pinkie" Grace of California in Rickey-Dee, 22-E won the 280 event.
FOUND in a field, badly weathered but completely intact, the Tijuana Taxi, E-102 is  now awaiting resurrection to her high flying  glory years, by her new owner.
Popular Southern California owner/driver Jerry Ballard spent time behind the wheel of everything from the flatbottom Crackerbox Wee Willie, 78-P to Laird Pierce's 266 hydro, Miss Parco, 55-F. The veteran driver was probably best known for his 280 hydros named Tijuana Taxi (most notably the latter version).  In 1966 Ballard sold the first Taxi to Syd  Stoner, who renamed it Galloping Goose.  Ballard then commissioned Rich Hallett to  build a new hull for him. The Plymouth powered conventional was one of the last built by  Hallett and featured a glassed deck and sponsons with orange cowlings. The new Tijuana Taxi was one of the fastest 280s in California,  especially on the tight 1-mile Long Beach course where she held the S.C.S.C. 280 record. When Ballard retired from racing in 1971 he sold the Taxi to fellow Southern Californian,  Gerrit Piek of Encinitas. 
Piek campaigned the E-102 for several years before selling the boat to a Midwestern 850 driver named Marshall Gildermaster. By 1976, the conventional hydro was taking a back seat to the cabover design and Taxi was sold to Bill "Bo" Massey of Baton Rouge, LA. 
  Sadly, the once top-notch 280 was left to perish in a Louisiana field, miles from its Downey, California origins. 

©2001 Tom D'Eath