Hornet  N-5 / N-15
Ventnor hull

This is Marion Cooper driving his Ventnor hull in the 225 Cubic Inch Class (N) class.
Not sure but that Ventnor may have been modified.



Flathead power. Note the interesting position of the exhaust stacks
that were fabricated to eject exhaust in front of the motor.
We suspect that was down to either clear the cowling
or to keep the exhaust and sound away from the driver.
With many boats of that era, exhaust exited out the sides of the hydro.



Marion Cooper
Note the fabric covered engine cowling.


Miss Madison at the helm with a crewmember holding her crown and Marion Cooper.



No idea what happened but obviously results of a fire that extensively damaged the boat.

Marion Cooper's next boat is a Rich Hallett hull (or built from Hallett plans) and it campaigns in the 266 cu in modified F class.
Looks like 4 carb scoops peeking out through the engine cowling. Kinda unusual carb setup and we are wondering what engine powers this Hallett.



With the engine cowling off, it looks like the F-15 is running Ford or Mercury Flathead power and a 3 carb setup.
photo couretesy of the Detroit Historical Society

This is the same hydro as the F class (photo above), but the hydro has been modifed and lengthened to compete in the 7-Litre modified H class.



Hornet H-45
Photo taken by Phil Kunz

Marion Cooper and his Hornet H-45
Sandy Ross photo

Marion Cooper acquired another Lauterbach, the Louisville Kid III, H-55 (possibly from Buddy Byers).

Around this time a couple of other Louisville kids are catching the hydroplane bug, Jim Davis and Billy Cousins.
This photo is Marion Cooper driving and was taken by Phil Kunz at Columbus, Ohio around 1963.




After Jim Davis took over ownership of the 

he renamed the hull, Hornet H-41
The hull is now running a supercharged Pontiac (which they took out of their dragster).
Phil Kunz can't think of any other 7 Litre class boats running Pontiac power in this era of hydroplane racing. Circa 1966


 

Jim Davis driving his Lauterbach Hornet H-41
Photo taken by Phil Kunz in 1966



A couple of Louisville kids driving Lauterbachs:
Jim Davis - O/D of Hornet H-41 (formerly Louisville Kid III)
and Billy Cousins - Driver of Louisville Kid II H-42
The owner may still be Marion Cooper at the time.
The 

Hornet H-41 being hoisted into the water in New Martinsville, WV
for anticipation of a World Kilo Straightaway Record run in 1966.



Jim Davis half way through his Kilo trap run in New Martinsville, West Virginia in 1966.



Seconds later, folks are speculating that Jim was around 170+ mph when the dragster powered Lauterbach went airborne.


My other camera (with a smaller lense, snapped by my crewmember) taken just before it's demise.


After the race weekend, a diver and a crane was hired and the boat was recovered from the Ohio River.



The Pontiac motor was needed to be put in his next boat that Jim Davis will build using his own design.

After the misfortune that he had in New Martinsville, West Virginia, Jim Davis built his new hull and installs his Pontiac.


The engine cowling states "421 PONY POWER" so he must be running his Pontiac again.
NO idea while the driver's name "Pierre" is painted on the cowling.


Photo taken by Phil Kunz at Jeffersonville, Indiana 1969



Quite a sight in the straightaway in Columbus, Ohio.
Most of us would look at the almost straight downward angle on the outside of the sponsons and think
those sponson edges are going to "plow the water" when this boat goes into the turns.
Jim ran his home made cabover for only one year.


Near the end of the season he flipped it and that was the last time anyone seen this boat again at the races.
No idea on why he is running two skid fins either and/or if that added skid fin had an impact on this flip.

Jim builds another hydro and went back to a convential hull with driver seated behind the engine and stayed with that design for the rest of his career.
Dayton, Ohio 1972




Columbus, Ohio 1976




Dayton, Ohio 1972




Jug Kelly driving his Miss Windy H-909 (Stadaucher hull) and

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