Coldfire

[Ron Hill]

http://www.hotboat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69134

This is a link from HOT BOAT that Billy B posted...

Trust me, when Jullian Pettengill drove Coldfire, the mother just QUIVERED down the straightaways...That Bubbie Wilton Motor purred like a 505 KG-4....Jullian was "Magic" in Coldfire....

Any one know where Jullian is? Or where Gil Suiter is??? Or better yet, how are they???

ADD: When COLDFIRE was destroyed at PARKER....I wrote in an article asking "Will there ever be another 'COLDFIRE'...." that was about 1974.......I'll answer that...Not really....(The drive line broke and the boat stuffed in one boat length...Jullian walked away, I'm not sure how as the crash was at the end of the back straightaway .....but he did have a chute jackets, as I recall!!!!

[RichardKCMo]

When coldfire and hobbit were at same race it sure got exciting.
Watched both at mission bay and long beach.
RichardKCMo

[Billy-"B"]

Any one know where Jullian is? Ron I talk to Julian from time to time and he will be at Needles at the end of April. He lives in Pason AZ and is still as ornery as ever. ;)

[Moneypit]

Ron check your PMs

[wrath of cron]

I remember another K from my time in calf. "DARK SIDE OF THE MOON" I remember the late 70s where this was unbeatable. Ks also had "Freedom" and the "Epidemic"(sp) which tore 'em up during their times. Does anybody have pictures from that era??? I once talked to G Straton and he said to call Chuck Boyd, he had a huge collection.

[Moneypit]

Gordy Jennings Jr has the record holding (K69) "Freedom" boat, and I think Val Wheeler and a lady named Fran, (I can't remember her last name) had "Dark side of the moon", Although the late Tim Capoldi (sp) had a drag boat by that name also. ..........Moneypit

PS: I remember that the Wheeler trailer, boat, and spares were stolen from a yard next to Anihiem Crankshaft, only to be found later at another yard owned by the same business that told Val he could park the rig there....

[RichardKCMo]

Some time along de way big mota sound betar, maybe golf aint bad.
Do like desoun of the old 6 cyl 60. I tell you, leaving La i took long time for ma driver to leave that Red river, but we sho got past that jis' bove place.

May check out Ms nx time.?
Son in law say

Later Gator!!!!

[Drats]

That green Coldfire on the HotBoat site, is in Australia. The first guy to own it here was, the brother of the present owner. It was about the first time we had seen chute jackets out here. Trouble is he must have had the static line a little too taught, going into the first corner poped the chute. I can not recall if it pulled him right out of the boat or he stayed in now. Had everyone wondering where the "new big orange buoy" came from for a few moments though.
His brother had it after, he went to his reward, drag raced it a bit, but it did not run very often, and is still in pristine condition.

[RichardKCMo]

Drats, was watching a young tennassean while ago in Mo he was runnin' bout even was told to get control of that bote, took fire rite out that young man. At any rate cold fire and the hobbit were always one of the best races. Almost like Bff 4 allways botes+. That green Coldfire on the HotBoat site, is in Australia. The first guy to own it here was, the brother of the present owner. It was about the first time we had seen chute jackets out here. Trouble is he must have had the static line a little too taught, going into the first corner poped the chute. I can not recall if it pulled him right out of the boat or he stayed in now. Had everyone wondering where the "new big orange buoy" came from for a few moments though.
His brother had it after, he went to his reward, drag raced it a bit, but it did not run very often, and is still in pristine condition.

[LTOONES]

undefined DARK SIDE OF THE MOON WAS DRIVEN BY LONNIE FLUENT, HE ALSO DROVE OUTCAST K-28, JIM SANTIAGO'S ALL THREE QUICKER K-BOATS BOB LEACHE'S K-ELIMINATOR, ALSO DROVE GN.S, SUPERSTOCKS, KT,S , OFFSHORE AND FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS SKI RACE BOATS

[Ron Hill]

What other background do you have on Lonnie? I know he and John Drake were in partners in the Drake Headers, that my brother sold to Jake Gilbreath when my brother was president of Drake Engineering...

I know he is at Nordic Boats now...

And Jim Santiago...is he with Advantage Boats, or have I got my wires crossed???

How did we run K Boats for so long with few deaths??? And now, everytime we turn around a Super Stock driver is getting killed...

Do you remember those KJ (K Jets at Long Beach)...Who was it that ran on the beach? Then, the crowd pushed him back in and he kept going???

[V-Drive Video]

I think Val Wheeler and a lady named Fran, (I can't remember her last name) had "Dark side of the moon", ....

Your close Ray, Bill Moore and Fran Moore are owners of Dark Side. It sits in their riverhouse garage for occasional blasts to laughlin and Needles. Bill was Vals best friend. Vals K-boats were ET and K-6. :)

[jimclauss]

Gordy Jennings Jr has the record holding (K69) "Freedom" boat, and I think Val Wheeler and a lady named Fran, (I can't remember her last name) had "Dark side of the moon", Although the late Tim Capoldi (sp) had a drag boat by that name also. ..........Moneypit

PS: I remember that the Wheeler trailer, boat, and spares were stolen from a yard next to Anihiem Crankshaft, only to be found later at another yard owned by the same business that told Val he could park the rig there....

Duff Daily broke that record, but Gordy is still the King of the K boats and a great guy , jim

[jimclauss]

That green Coldfire on the HotBoat site, is in Australia. The first guy to own it here was, the brother of the present owner. It was about the first time we had seen chute jackets out here. Trouble is he must have had the static line a little too taught, going into the first corner poped the chute. I can not recall if it pulled him right out of the boat or he stayed in now. Had everyone wondering where the "new big orange buoy" came from for a few moments though.
His brother had it after, he went to his reward, drag raced it a bit, but it did not run very often, and is still in pristine condition.

I remember when Lance falkner did that in hampton, va in a s/s boat, out in front too, JIm
ps he went out........

[hydroplay]

I believe I got to see Coldfire run once at Kankakee IL. We never had many inboard races out this way and somehow this worked out on a weekend when we weren't racing out Stock stuff. The racing wasn't all that good but it was net to see the technology. Coldfire was simply awesome and the ground really shook. We were standing on a berm so could look down at the boats whish were very close to the shore- certainly less than 50 feet from us. The ground actually seemed to shake from the noise of the K boats and Coldfire was the class of the field. Also impressive was a hydro that had a Ford engine with Gurney heads and a two-speed transmission- Point Blank. But the best race of the day was a couple of little hydros that ran deck to deck for 3 laps. I want to say one was driven by a woman but don't remember for sure. I think this was 44 or 48 hydros- whichever had the mod motors.


But Coldfire was tha star of the show.