Mission Bay ?

[RichardKCMo]

Does the PPBA still have races in San Diego?
Had some really good ones in 60/70s era. One of my favs. was La Cucaracha 150 hydro before the name change to centimeters or whatever.
I think that boat was owned by Doc Roach, drivers name escapes me but he wore a cowboy hat, sure was fast.
RichardKCMo

[J-Dub]

The La Cucaracha is in Seattle now. Some of my buddies went down to San Diego a few years back and picked up a bunch of stuff. It now continues to rot at the other end of I-5.

[Pacer's Board]

Pacific Power Boat Club is long gone.

[carl sladek]

Remember when the PPBA had the club house by the flood control channel? The PPBA in San Diego had some colorful characters.

George Shields, of F Racing Runabout. He was a great driver, he had one eye. Who else would boat race with one eye? His son was m-hydro champion. Johnny Toppenhagen was their mechanic. Johnny was "creative". Japanese piston rods?

My father, Ted Sladek rode deck for George Shields sometimes. He said there was nothing like the acceleration of that methanol burning F Racing Runabout.

Then there was Steve Ball and Jay Root. Jay did alkys. Steve Ball had a red corvette and did C Stock hydro. Steve's low aerodynamic resistance hydro filled with foam was ahead of its time. Too bad he was up against Ron Hill and Russel Sr's machine shop.

Ted May was the most colorful. The air always smelled "funny" after Ted raced.

Finally, there was Cliff Bedford. The propeller guru and wise old man. Cliff was very "creative".

I know I left out many, and got a few details wrong.

[bill boyes]

Not George Shields, His name is George May.
Ted May (no relation to George May) used to use a fuel additive called SPUNK.

[carl sladek]

At the 1962 National Inboard Championships in Mission Bay San Diego, George May when getting ready for the start, pointed his index finger at me and shot me. I was in the North Patrol boat with my Dad.

The red hydroplane with a massive engine in front, he looked like the Red Baron incarnate to this 7 year old.

He was bigger than life!!

Anyone remember Don and John Pine who ran ASH??? And didn't George own a restaurant?

[Ron Hill]

George owned a small restaurant...never was in it, but heard it did well with local "Steady" customers...

Only thing I remember about Don Pine was at the 1966 Stock Nationals in Prineville, Oregon, Don had this four wheel drive truck and everyone told him not to get too close to the lake or he'd get stuck in the mud...Don said he had four wheel drive and backed near the lake...He got stuck to the frame and it took almost the whole beach to lift, push and shove him out of the mud...I remember, we didn't help him as we told him not to go near the lake...

Seems like he was a pretty good ole boy though...

[carl sladek]

Wow! you got a good memory!

John Pine seemed to have a death wish. He would get a good start and crash in the 1st turn.

He and his father Don Pine probably raced for 2 years. Don Pine was chairman of the Pacific Power Company (as in big wig). The Pines were great people.

Ronnie Hill, Ernie Daw (dawg gone ?) , Ted May, Jimbo McDonnel....C and D hydros.....those were the big boys and who went on to race those factory sponsored tunnel boats. Now those were like something out of Star Wars....adjusting the trim and height, I was at morgan city nationals, in the pits thanks to Ronnie.

1966 Stock Nationals in Prineville, Oregon my dad got 3rd place AU.

[Jay and Christine Root]

Carl,your Dad rode deck for me quite a few times in Johnny T's boat. He was my boss at GD and I remember dumping him out a couple of times, and he had a hard time getting to work on monday. There were a few drivers of La Cucaracha and I was one of them. We sure had a lot of fun in those days and I remember your Dad working real hard on his A's and getting the J's going for the kids. Jay

[carl sladek]

Ya, you were wild in those days. Miss Tish was your alky boat. Some sleazy guy making crash and burn films said your boat was wild and hoped to film the crash at the Parker time trials. But you didn't!!

I once drove that boat you gave to my dad as an ASH. It was fantastic!!! Most fun I ever had.

Back then, a guy with skills , a garage , and some tools could build a boat and make it competitive.

Unfortunately my dad suddenly totally lost interest and gave everything to Bob Martin when we moved to Louisiana.

Remember Steve Ball's inboard that was mostly a pipe??

[Rage28]

Ya, you were wild in those days. Miss Tish was your alky boat. Some sleazy guy making crash and burn films said your boat was wild and hoped to film the crash at the Parker time trials. But you didn't!!

I once drove that boat you gave to my dad as an ASH. It was fantastic!!! Most fun I ever had.

Back then, a guy with skills , a garage , and some tools could build a boat and make it competitive.

Unfortunately my dad suddenly totally lost interest and gave everything to Bob Martin when we moved to Louisiana.

Remember Steve Ball's inboard that was mostly a pipe??

If it is the same Steve Ball I am thinking of the boat was called the Dragon Fly an 850 with a crosley in it. Ran the Kilo just over 100 mph an I think the boat is still hanging on the wall in the San Diego sports hall of fame. The dude was alway ahead of his time.

[carl sladek]

Yes that was Steve Ball !!! Steve and my Dad just came back from the 1968 Nationals in Seattle. Steve had a headache and yelled at the Ice Cream Man to turn the damn thing off!!

From then on, everyday we kids would flag down the Good Humor man to tell him that he cannot play that on our street. Our whole day would be spent planning on how to harass the ice cream man.

All the other kids (6 years old on up) would chant, "Worms Worms Worms, your Ice Cream has worms!!"

The Ice Cream Man would get so mad. I knew just as a matter of principle that I won by virtue of the fact that an adult was arguing with a little snot of kid.

Sometimes boat racers weren't the most positive role models.

Back to the subject: Steve Ball 1st tried Dragon Fly in 1967. It wouldn't even plane. By 1976 he held the record. Now that is dedication to a concept!

The boat initially had flaps/spoilers on the surface of the deck or wing. Initially other racers protested Steve's unique design. Finally, "they got use to seeing the boat" LOL!

[Rage28]

If I remember correctly he could never get the tail up and placed a metal tab in front of the strut as a ride pad area to lift the transom. Once the tail was up it was a screamer. I also remember it barrel rolling a couple of times as well. I think he whent onto design a world record holding bicycle as well. I wonder were he is now? It would be cool to collaborate on a design with him.

[carl sladek]

I vaguely remember Mel. He raced alkys. Spent a huge amount of $$$$ on an Italian rig. It had different lower units so he could change gear ratios in addition to propellers.

What I didn't understand is that when my Dad was active, he was at the flood control channel every saturday trying something new mostly with propellers.

Was it that everyone else was tweaking their engines on a dyno?

Also I wonder if anyone ever tried bleeding in propane, or acetylene in front of the carburetor? Cutting down the cooling impeller so that the engine would run hotter, and less hp would be used to drive the cooling water? Or replacing the magneto under the flywheel with batteries for ignition? Or making a runnabout boat bottom intentionally flimsy so that the outboard motor would flex it, making it into a concave?

Ya, I'm just full of nefarious ideas.:eek:

[Skoontz]

San Diego sports Hall of Fame as in Balboa Park????

[Ron Hill]

Are you thinking Mel Spencer?

Mel passed away with cancer about 1971. His C Sid Craft was bought by Jimbo McConnell. Jimbo told me, not long ago, it was his most fun boat to drive that he ever owned...Mel ran Konig motors and Konig offered a 1:1, 14:15 and I'm going to say a 13:16 ratio...in their gearcases.

Dave Bryan was telling a story that Art Pugh told him...Art watched Me win D Racing Hydro at DePue, Illinois, in Harry Bartolomei's boat, then take the propeller off and run it B Runabout , then, saw me put it on our Mark 75-H to run F Hydro, then, watch me put it on a C Hydro and later a D Runabout...winning several heats...

Art Pugh offered to buy the prop. Harry told him he had another one just like it. Art said he didn't know much about propellers but he did know about Coon Dogs....He said, "When you find a Coon Dog you want, you don't go and buy his brother...."

Many people have tried all kinds of cheating...and I'm sure they have gotten away with some...In the old days, they weighed the boats ONLY after the second heat...My dad noticed that some guys ran REALLY FAST the first heat, then not so fast in the second heat...He started weighing everyone after the first heat...

One guy used to wear size 14 boots, and would always get on the scales with his boots full of water....When my dad drained his boots, he didn't make weight...

In my never to be humble opinion, the guys that win the most races, year after year....NEVER CHEAT...They test, they test and they test somemore.

In 1976 I went to West Virginia...After the qualifying races I called my dad and said Billy "Racer" Allen and I had each won our qualifiers...but Billy's time was 19 second faster than mine...My dad said, "Well, when you get home, we'll build a couple of new motors and do some testing...He added, don't jump the gun..." Billy won his first D Runabout Nationals that year.

That winter, I found two very clean MArk 55 blocks in Las Vegas withnthe serial numbers Clark Maloof told me were the good ones......in an old racer's garage. My dad built me two new motors. Bunker, my nephew was just starting to race A Runabout...So, he and I went testing at the San Diego Flood Control Channel every other weekend during the winter of 1976-77... My D Runabout's speed went from 65 to 72 with testing...I think we may have been the last boat racers to ever test in the channel...as it was very narrow then, and shallow...

I won the 1977 Nationals, straight heats, by more than 1/3 of a lap. Bill Allen was second.

Tammy Dawe won the 2007 Winter Natioanls in ASH and was fourth in ASH at the summer Nationals...I know for a fact, that Ernie and Tammy tested more than 12 Saturday's.....in the 2006-2007 season.....

ADD: Mel Spencer....At the Phoenix Playboy/Schlitz Beer Regatta, I went out an tested my C Hydro and it loaded up. (There was some elevation there)...The prop I was using was the smallest prop I owed. I went ot Mel Spencer and asked if he had a wheel I could borrow...He said, his only wheel was on his A Hydro, but I could borrow it....

The 5 minute gun was about to go off for C Hydro and I knew MY prop was too big, so I grabbed Mel's A wheel off his boat.....I went out on the course, the motor wasn't loading but the prop was way, way too small.....So, I came to the starting line early and slowed down.....the field followed me, when the clock hit 60, I jumped ahead by about 5 boat lengths, in the first ten boat lengths...I backed the motor down..as she was turning a zillon RPM's...I got to the first turn and about four guys got there about the same time, but they were going about 10 miles an hour faster than I, I just hooked a sponson and threw a wall of water the size of the wall of China...and booted it down the back stretch....Anyway, I won both heats...I gave the prop back to Mel and thanked him...I was quite surprised to hear he'd died from cancer about six weeks after that Phoenix race...

Last ADD; As Bill Jack Rucker used to say, "The lake ain't big enough for them guys to pass me..."

[Rage28]

San Diego sports Hall of Fame as in Balboa Park????

I do believe that is where it is but I was only there once.

[carl sladek]

Mel Spencer, he had a really nice set up, trailer, boat with a gloss coat. And "Mel" written in the side. Major ***bling factor*** Needed an altimeter to measure the boat's height off the water.

At the time trials, in Mission Bay, I think it was you. A red D runabout was making a run, and before you hit the traps, the boat went more than vertical, then it went all kinds of ways. Eventually the boat dampened out. And you hit the traps.

My father won a case of oil at the Needles 1966 AU Marathon. Next weekend he traded it for a big dirty carboard box of salt water corroded old J engine parts from the San Diego Mercury Dealer. The box was on the floor in the corner of the back room. The dealer didn't even know he had it. My dad using lots of liquid wrench, a propane blow torch, and boiling the parts eventually make a fast J motor.

That was the last of the unused J engine parts in Southern California.

[RichardKCMo]

There's a pic of it on the 1 ltr. hydro website, very strange looking.
It had a sprite or something like that for power.
RichardKCMo

[carl sladek]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=22100&stc=1&d=1203028039
dragonfly.JPG

[Ron Hill]

Dave Severson, who started The World Of Outboards, Hot Boat, Power Boat and several other magazines, told me one day to go to Valvoline and tell Amos Corzaut, President West Coast Ashland Chemicals, that Dave Severson sent me and I could use some outboard oil.

Amos, welcomed me, showed me around...that was about February, 1964. Then, he had his guys load my car with cases of Valvoline Outboard Oil...He said, "If you need more come on back..." For about the next 10-12 years, I'd go up to Valvoline and get free oil. I got so I'd bring a list of how I was getting rid of the oil.....as I was getting maybe 40 cases at a time...

At many races, I gave 1st, 2nd and 3rd place a case a Valvoline each day...(A case of oil was worth more than your entry fee)...The oil given away at the 1966 Marathon Nationals, Needles, CA, came from Valvoline....I never got any CASH from them but I carried off and gave away a ton of oil.....I used to get so much oil I blew out my air schocks on my truck....

The only kilos I ran at San Diego was in my D Runabout...We'd built the boat for kilo/marathon racing. The DU record was 74 mph at the time, I could show 75 mph, on my Keller, and figured I could go 76-77...but didn't quite make it into the traps when that cross wind got under me and I did blow over backwards...the boat landed right side up....Never got another chance at the kilo record...that was held then by Bill "Racer" Allen...The boat is still around, called FLIPPER, now...It was Snapper in those days...The first two time I ran the boat I flipped it...San Diego was the first "RACE", then I went to Bay City, Michigan...Never made a lap, flipped on the first lap...Fred Miller loaned me his DeSilva for the second day....Seems I might have won the second heat in Fred's DeSilva...(Fred and I talked about that race (1967) at Detroit, 2008...).

[RichardKCMo]

That's how i remember it , there was also a fellow running one of the 1st 2cycle motors there in a kneeler 850 with a hand throttle about that time.
I think his name was whelan not sure on that though.
RichardKCMo

[carl sladek]

I asked my dad how you did that. The boat was a boat length airborne , over 90 degrees back wards, came down, transom caught, then it was airborne a boat length, and the nose was coming down. Then up 90 again but not as high, and then the nose about to spear the water.

"Just good balance", my dad said.

To have the record, you have to have the right conditions. My father was running way above the record in his "the yellow one". But by the time he ran at the trials in Mission Bay, it was afternoon and there was so much chop in the water.

Others were running above the record. The Davidson's JU would walk right by my "the yellow one too". So he had be be running way above the JU record.

[Towpanga]

At the 1962 National Inboard Championships in Mission Bay San Diego, George May when getting ready for the start, pointed his index finger at me and shot me. I was in the North Patrol boat with my Dad.

The red hydroplane with a massive engine in front, he looked like the Red Baron incarnate to this 7 year old.

He was bigger than life!!

Anyone remember Don and John Pine who ran ASH??? And didn't George own a restaurant?

George had a little diner on broadway in sd, called Mays, about thirteenth street

[capnzee]

That's how i remember it , there was also a fellow running one of the 1st 2cycle motors there in a kneeler 850 with a hand throttle about that time.
I think his name was whelan not sure on that though.
RichardKCMo Joe Schulte ran a kneel down hydro powered by a 4 cylinder Merc laying on its side back in the sixties. I think they called the class 44 cu. in. at the time and most of the guys ran Crosleys) He also ran a 145 kneel-down Jones hydro equipped with a hand throttle. The faster he went the farther out over the bow he would hang. He called it "hang'n ten")

[RichardKCMo]

Thats's good ,i didn't know a lot of the facts , i guess that's why we have this site , as i remember 44 cu. in. was before 48 cu. in. and tinkertoy so that would have been before my time, as i'm only 67, but i do remember someone running straight at the clock on the final lap.
RichardKCMo