Our newest member

[Mark75H]

Is our newest member a 4th or 5th generation racer?

New Member 2/13/05 (http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/member.php?u=343)

[Ron Hill]

My brother says that in 1948 or 1949, Pep Hubbell ask him (Russ Hill Jr.) if he knew who Marshall Eldredge was? My brother answered, "NO". Pep said, "When I started Boat Racing, 30 years ago, Marshall Eldredge was National Champion."

Welcome AMY!!!

[Tomtall]

She also has a sense of humor! This is her handle.<LEGEND>Instant Messaging</LEGEND><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/images/misc/im_aim.gif (http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/member.php?u=343#)</TD><TD>BlOnDeBoAtRaCeR (http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/member.php?u=343#)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Peter Crowley]

Not exactly Ron. Marshall never won a National Championship, although he did do some remarkable things! He began racing in 1926 at the age of 25. Then it was up here in Massachusetts! In the early 30s he won many races and set several records.... At the first National Championship in 1929 (Peoria, Ill) a very odd situation presented itself. There were NO rules regarding elimination heats... so they ran ALL of the boats registered in that class at one time. Marshall won the first heat of Class E (VR-45) beating the other 51 boats! I don't know what happened in the second heat but he didn't win the race so it must not have been good. He worked for Bob Bolles building the "Hummarock Baby" boats and lived in Hummarock, MA. One day a young boy, who was interested in outboard racing, and his father came to see Marshall about getting into racing. The father was Stanley Ferguson and the boy was Clinton Ferguson. In preparation for Clint's first season in 1933, Marshall became employed by the Fergusons. Clint told me not so long ago, that he gives ALL of the credit of his racing career to Marshall. I will say that Clinton was a smart and skilled race driver, so it was a perfect match! (See the biography for Clinton Ferguson). Clint said that Marshall did everything that he could and worked very hard to keep him on top. Marshall would always come up with some engine modification, a new boat design or a better propeller.... year after year! Because of Clint, Marshall didn't race in any National Championships from 1933 to the War. Of course Marshall built the "poor man's" version of the Draper X engines... The Eldredge X engine was a single engine that Marshall built and developed for Clint. Eventually it outperformed the Draper X engine that Bedford Davies had, but we only seem to hear about Bedford in the reciently published Outboard Racing books. Marshall built a special crankcase, bought two crankshafts from Dean Draper, made a new style down housing and a special Eldredge tractor lowerunit. The unit was eventually run at a 1.5:1 overdrive ratio so that Clints record breaking Class B propellers would work. The fuel tank was not large enough to carry enough fuel for a 5 mile course, so Marshall invented the pressure tank system that we still use today in the PRO division. This eliminated the engine mounted fuel tank. This exercise would allow Marshall the ability to build replacement parts for the old Johnson racing engines after the War. Later on after the War, he was known (with Marshall Jr.) for produced racing lowerunits. Marshall did love to race the Albany-New York Marathon... year after year. He was the over-all winner in 1937 with his Class C Jacoby hydro. Another invention that Marshall created... the test wheel!
Marshall Eldredge and Pep Hubbell were very good friends.

[Peter Crowley]

What was the question....?

With a number like Z-14.... are you one of David Eldredge's kids? If so, you would be a fourth generation racer! Same as Jon, Ben, ....etc. Oh, and Pete too! He will be starting in J Hydro this summer. Marshall Sr. was the Great-Grandfather of all of you..... you have a great heritage in racing.

WELCOME