| NOTES:
Hydroplane designer/builder Henry Lauterbach is recuperating from surgery following a hard fall down some stairs that broke his femur (thighbone) on April 3rd. The Vintage/Historic Division sends best wishes for his speedy recovery. Get well cards can be sent to: Henry Lauterbach, Bon Secours Mary View Hospital, Room 516, 3636 High St., Portsmouth, VA. 23707. CHALLENGES:
EVENTS:
Bill John III Report
ON A SAD NOTE: K racing runabout driver Ron Bolton, passed away March 18th due to a heart attack. Bolton campaigned KRR’s in the late 1970’s-80’s and was noted for piloting the KRR, MAD DOG. Cards can be sent to Debbie and Kattie Bolton: 3693 Hackett Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808. Larry Zubrick passed away on March 15th. Larry was involved with both Drag boats and cars in Southern California. A budding artist during the 1960’s, he became known for his Dragster t-shirt designs and in 1985 originated the “California Surf Shirt”. Boat racing lost a sixty year contributor, with the recent passing of 93 year old Ralph Barker. Barker began racing out of Grand Island, New York in 1954. He was team manager for the E Racing Runabout and 145 hydro TOR-GRE race teams, winning the ERR Nationals and setting Canadian 145 competition and kilo records. He captured Canadian 2.5 Litre High Points in 1996 with HONEY BUN and was inducted into CBF’s Hall of Fame. God Speed to our lost champions from the Vintage/Historic
Division members.
BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT:
“In a Wickens conventional, running on a 1 2/3rds mile course, I was really moving down the chute. The boat came off the water and only the prop was touching but still not ready to fly. It was level but right on the thin edge. . . for 100 yards it rode like that.” (Veteran driver Allan Ford, talking about the ultimate ride aboard the 150 hydro, JO). 5/96 “It was a foggy morning and we had trouble starting
the Desoto using those injectors on methanol. So, we borrowed a heavy duty
battery out of a taxi cab. The engine was turning 7000 rpm with 10% overdrive
when Sid set that record in an irrigation ditch that wasn’t more than 50
feet wide. It was a sight I’ll never forget, seeing that boat go so fast.”
A great example of BRR boat design, HONKER resembled
a giant, thin wedge of cheese with its squared off non-trips and bow. “The
guys laughed and kidded me that I forgot to put the sponsons on my hydro...the
first, BUZZ BOMB was only 36 inches wide. The VAMPIRE had counter-rotating
props.”
Those lucky enough to see ALTER Ego’s historic airborne, sponson walking, prop half out of the water, record run at Salton Sea realized this was it – the answer for limited classes boat speed. (Story on Paul Sawyer’s stunning 1-mile record of 115 mph in 1950).6/01 “On methanol, turning 8,000-9,000 rpm, they put out 90 horsepower. The engine weighed less than 100 pounds. I could remove and install it alone. My brother Bob and I could lift our 9 foot hull, MIGHTY MIDGET, off its trailer and launch it.” (Driver Denton Denny describing the 48 hydro class and why they were so popular in the mid-50’s).5/02 The Ventnor snapped into a barrel roll and tossed Stack into the water. The unbuckled helmet whacked Bob in the head, knocking him out. The accident left Stack with double vision for a week . . .The future movie star forever carried a blue mark on his left eye where the flying helmet had struck his goggles. (Story on Robert Stack driving his 266 hydro, THUNDERBIRD during a 1940’s race). 7/03 “It blew up like a hand grenade. A big ball of fire went out the tailpipe; red-hot pieces of fan blade shot out the side of the motor. It was over quickly, and the motor was junk.”(Owner, Don Edwards on bench testing the T-40 for the first turbine powered unlimited, GOLDEN KOMOTION).7/04
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