The flowers on Jim's stone
were placed there by his widow a few days before Ron took that picture. They came from plants at the property/ranch/home they owned in the Woodlake (California) area, where she had stopped by just to look.
Yes, it has been a short 9 years, Ron. We all miss Jim quite a bit.
Kathy is doing well and is moving back to California. She sold the beautiful home she built in Weatherford, Texas, and currently has her horses with friends in California while she relocates and moves.
From SAF Top Tunnel Drivers...
How could anyone really leave Fred Hauenstein, Jr. off that list?
Freddy is/was an engineering nerd... always messing with motors. He got his degrees in aeronautical and mechanical engineering.
He started Co driving with me. He never was given much seat time because I did all the testing. But, by 1978 Parker, he had been doing test drving for OMC, who he worked for at the time. At 34, I felt I was heading downhill. (I had two kids, MOD VP was catching my eye...) Fred was quicker in '78 than I.
After our Parker win, Fred went to work for Mercury. He was also driving for Mercury. At some Alabama race, he and Mr. Bill pulled a double blow over where Fred ended up with a broken hand. No blame was ever placed, but Seebold was Number One, at the time, and employees were not suppose to be "Blowing the doors off" the company's Number One Man...
So, Fred took a back seat...basically retired from driving... so he could follow his first love and that WAS ENGINEERING... Fred has been past APBA President and is very respected and important in UIM.
He did drive a few times after the Seeebold/Hauenstein Alabama Crash....His last effort was testing an S-3000 (When no one knew about S-3000's) during a Parker race when the transom pulled out and he did a two and half in the air and ended up stuck in the mud...with a throttle wire through his leg. Had he not been in the mud along the shore (That is where the boat flew) he would have been a boat racing statistic.
The truth is Fred won many APBA National Championship where Bill Seebold finished behind him. Fred won the John Ward Thophy Race for 500 CC Outboards..something Seebold never did.
Fred drove for Barry Woods, and turned the fasted laps any Scotti turned at Parker, until a sponson runner came off and almost decapitated Fred....Fred had the savy of a Tony Stewart. He came from Sprint Racing but he could drive all day. Fred single handedly lead the Parker Enduro for 6 HOURS one year, only to have he bottom blow out with 30 minutes to go...
Fred was never a "TAKER" from the Sport. He always gave more than he took. Brother Jim was NEVER considered a good driver....but everyone loved him...Brother Donny, was the best driver in the family. He just couldn't seem to wake up in time to go to the driver's meeting or remember which day the race was....
If you ever saw Rich Fuchlin, Bill Rucker, John Soto, Harry Bartolomei, Walter Huhn, Ron Hill, Dave Nichols and Fred Hauenstein on the same race course with 13 foot DeSilva's with 40 cubic inch Quincy's racing side by side for five laps on a half mile track....You'd know Hauenstein can DRIVE ANYTHING...Don't ever forget this is were Billy Seebold came from also.
Look at DePue stats, Hauenstein has more wins than Seebold.
NOTE: The Arcadian Star http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...read.php?t=128
Don't Let The Facts Ruin A Good Story!
Ron - some of that is a little over the top! But thanks anyway.
Correction: I was working for OMC at the time of the Alabama incident (August 1978) and "quit" tunnel boats and changed companies in September of 1978. I drove tunnels again only after safety cockpits were in use.
I'll leave the rest for another time.
Jimbo set the Mod 50 record with his little blue Molinari tunnel boat and an OMC engine that was a few evolutionary steps further down the road. Quite an accomplishment. (Nerstrom - comments? I was a Mercury guy by then.)
Wayne: I made a few changes to the 705 Koenig (put on my 48mm carbs, Ron Anderson pipes, my tower, clamps and Eldredge gear case, etc.) so when I show you a picture it won't look too exotic.
Fred