Black River Race In Ohio July 31 1968

[Umbarger]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17127&stc=1&d=1184632289This was a 50 mile marathon OPC Class Jim Umbarger Jr Driving a Hustler Boat with Chrysler outboards.

[Skoontz]

Jim:

I recently hooked up with Charlie Rullman. Do you have any pictures of his Sport J?

[Sea Bat]

I have the article from the Lorain Journal and also the Program for what I believe is the race to which you are refering. George Sochan, driving a Pettycraft with dual engines was injured during the race and died that evening at St. Joseph Hospital. I was the patrol boat that pulled him out of the water and took him to the ambulance . I tried to upload the article to this site but wasn't successful. Your picture shown was the featured in the article. I. keep trying to get the article up.

Bill Thomas (Sea Bat)

[Umbarger]

I have a copy of the news paper article, I work seven days a week so have little time but will try to PDF it or copy text and up load it.

Jim

[Umbarger]

I havent heard that name in a long time no I am not aware of any pictures of Charlie's boat.
Jim

[Skoontz]

Thanks, Jim. He is back in St. Charles still married to Linda...He had a very cool collage of Hustler race boats, Leahy's Vee was in there along with others. I'm trying to get him on the site.
Back about 1969 or 70, he had 3 or 4 of your 15' tunnels hung off the rafters in his garage on 18th st in St. Charles. Then he went to the nationals and won J and his wife made him quit racing. After that he started building his own "Chinook" brand fishing boats.....Anyhow, good to see you on this site!

[T2x]

I was at that race.....although I wasn't in it...I forget why. I recall the accident. The dual Pettycraft was brand new. It nosed in on the first lap..... and forward flipped and wound up flying upside down and backwards . When it reentered, the water tore the fuel tank loose (about a 75 gallon aluminum tank mounted horizontally) and the tank hit the driver in the back forcing him against the dash. Aluminum dash boards were, and are, a bad idea.

T2x