Neat photos and conversation on the team testing ideas out on SloMo IV over at Leslie Fields’ Hydroplane History facebook page.
Miss America IX
First Boat in the World to Exceed 100 MPH
March 20, 1931
102.256 MPH
Indian River, Florida
Visit the website.
Miss DeSoto – 9 hour enduance race – 1959
Phil Kunz and I were discussing the Miss DeSoto boats (pic further down this page) and Phil mentioned he had a crazy photo that he got (from somewhere) showing when one of the iconic Miss Desoto hydros was put to the endurance test by racing in one of the 9 hour endurance races back-in-the-day. Thinking possibly the Miami to Bahamas and back, race?
Note the extra fuel tanks placed in front of the motor and behind the driver. Also looks like the Hemi is running, but with 6 carbs and not the Potvin supercharger it campaigned with for years
Can you imagine driving a hydro for 9 hours in the open water?
If you have any info on this, please chime in…would be great to read some background on this!
1962 Shepherd
I found this great pic of the two-seater that got into “some trouble with the law one night” and hit a buoy and sunk. Article below. I remember folks talking about the hydro on our old message board.
Living next door to a gearhead
One of my co-workers told me he snowblowed his driveway before he came in to work today. He was out there at 5 am. I told me his neighbors probably hate him. He agreed.
That reminded me of this movie…and what the neighbors probably think of “that guy in the neighborhood”. You know the guy (probably quite well), he’s got race boats, cars, test firing the motors, etc.”