NOTES:
HippityHopper, CF-100, a 1957- 266 class hydro and trailer was stolen in Glen Williams, Ontario from Dave Norton, Malcolm Black, Gerry Chamberlain and the Toronto Boat Museum. The hull in rough condition has its original Hopper Racing Team’s colors, green with gold trim just like Dave’s Gasshopper. Anyone with information please contact: Malcolm Black at (905) 873-0141 or email: blackbox@aztec-net.com

VINTAGE RACING HEROES:
As a segment for the new year, I have decided to do a little research (Source: The APBA Rule books) and present to you, over time, some of the outstanding men and women who have raised the bar of excellence by their performance on the race course. This in turn improved competition in their respective categories. The names of the racers listed are not in any particular order. I may have missed many. For any oversight that I may make over the months, please feel free to send us your additions, which we will include in future articles. 

48 CUBIC INCH HYDRO        1949 THRU 1970 
The following people were the record setters, National and High Point Champions of this era. 
Lou Meyer Jr., the son of the first three time Indy 500 winner; 
Jack Van Deeman, one of the founders of the 48 ci class; 
Tyre Bain of Norfolk, VA. Jack Colcock designed and built Colcock hulls. 
F.C. “Doc” Moor was the Babe Ruth of the class. J.D. Smith of Cincinnati was also a boat builder. 
S.E. Sunny Jones, Miami, FL was owner, driver and official. 
Chuck Lyford of Seattle, WA moved up to drive in the larger classes. 
George Loeb of Norfolk, VA; 
Art McDougall with his Road Runner. 
Mickey Remund drove Dr. Eastman’s Piranha. 
Paul Bauer and his series of Kat-n-Nans; 
Jack Philpott from Seattle, WA; 
Hal Wienges and Wait 4 me; 
Skip Gilliam from NJ and FL; 
Wesley Nickens from Prairieville, LA. 
The one thing that these 48 c.i. hydro pioneers had in common was desire for competition. 

CHALLENGES:
Billy Wichers of Belle Chasse, LA is restoring a conventional hull, thought to be a 1954 era 266 c.i. hydro, Rambler II. The hull later became a 280 hydro, Night Train. The boat spent most of its life in the Louisiana area. We need help to identify the builder and history of this hull. It is my opinion from the pictures that this is a Jones rear cockpit design but possible home built. If you can shed any light, contact Billy at (504) 392-2052.

I am correcting my spelling for the Das Fireschpittin Loudinboomer again. The 1964 High Point winner raced by Joe May Brown of Long Beach, NY (now living in Florida). Does anyone know what happened to SK-47?

VINTAGE EVENT SITES:
  July 6 thru 8  Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada
  July 13 thru 15  Detroit, Michigan - The Gold Cup
  Sept 21-23   Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

FRED ALTER’S SPECIAL REPORT:
In the 1930’s one of the most popular and competitive classes in APBA was the 151 cubic inch class of racing boats. With their very powerful Miller engines, small size and two (2) man cockpits, they were the mainstay of small boat competition. We may regard the 151’s as the forerunners of today’s Jersey Sea skiffs. 
 We appreciate the restoration of old racing hulls, with their record of historic achievement, but there is a place for replica boats. The Rocket was a 151 hydroplane as featured in Motor Boating, in 1932. It’s a simple boat small enough to build in your garage, and a great Vintage project. If you are interested in plans or frame kits for this type of project, contact Fred Alter at 32735 S. River Rd. Harrison Twp. MI 48045
 This writer looked up the 1935 APBA 151 c.i. class hull rules and came up with an interesting fact. Page 97, paragraph 2: There shall be no restriction as to size, weight, or design of hull.
 

BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT: 

THE NAME GAME
Like the Everyready Rabbit, the West Coast Cracker box class just keeps on running. Cracker boxes change boat names and numbers faster than a bunny hops, and drivers enjoy hopping into and driving each other's boats. All this hopping around makes it difficult to trace down a Cracker's history. Take, for instance, the Wickens hull, HICKEY BILL, 80-P originally owned by Stanley Newton of Lenmore, CA. 
HICKEY BILL began life in 1954 as WACKY BILL, 80-P but WACKY BILL became HICKEY BILL, 80-P for the 1955 season. Going on a rampage, Newton tallied up the '55 season points, running every race in Northern and Southern California and finishing third at the Crackerbox Nationals held in Long Beach. By the year's end Newton beat Bob Patterson's HOT CINDERS, 2-P for the APBA Crackerbox High Point Championship by a mere 107 points. 
So HICKEY BILL got to display the national shield and 1-P for the 1956 season, except...the HICKEY BILL also got a name change too. Now it's WILD OATS, 1-P. By late 1956 WILD OATS also had a new owner, Earl John of Bakersfield, CA. 
The dawn of 1957 found WILD OATS, 1-P sporting a new name and number...IT'LL DO, 7-P (this is the exact same name that Earl John used for the Crackerbox he just sold). The paint scheme changed in '57 also. No longer orange on birch, the boat sported a beautiful Aqua and Black combination. In 1959 IT'LL DO is 9-P, not 7-P, but at least the name stayed the same...and that's where the chase ends. Do any readers know what became of IT'LL DO (the second not the first) aka WILD OATS aka HICKEY BILL aka WACKY BILL? 

Photo Caption:
Awaiting the 5 minute gun for a Crackerbox heat at a 1958 Oakland Estuary race, owner/driver Earl John and riding mechanic Ronald John paddle out the aqua and black 7-P, IT'LL DO. 

©2001 Tom D'Eath