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Giorgio Molinari, Steven Ridgell, Dave Brier, Bob Hering, Rick LaMore at Como shop.
Attachment 56492
This is the bottom floor –rigging area- of Renato Molinari’s race boat shop, in Como, Italy during the early 1970s.
At the bow of the race boat in the foreground is Giorgio Molinari (Renato’s younger brother) looking at Steven Ridgell and Dave Brier. The guy looking at the camera, at the race boat behind the foreground boat is Bob Hering. The big guy with his back to the camera, at the other race boat is Rick LaMore.
The other three gents in the photo, I cannot identify, sorry.
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A not so happy Renato in Bristol 1979..
Mercury debuts the big stuff in Bristol 1979. The F1-T4 for the OZ class.
http://svera.se/blogg/mercury-debuts...-the-oz-class/
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Tommy Posey's 1979 Molinari?
This rig sits in the show room at Dockside Marine in Galveston, managed by Keith Scotten who
bought it. He says that Renato brought it here for a race and then left it in the U.S., and that
Tommy Posey drove it afterward. I guess the race could have been Havasu 1979 but don't know.
The boat was later sold to someone in Austin who ran it on Lk. Travis and blew the powerhead,
according to Keith. If it was Tommy's rig then I've seen it run multiple times in Tx.
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Roy Ridgell and Dave Beier at Paris 6 Hour race (maybe 1973 photo).
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Willabee
I am so much better looking than Dave (it's Beier, not Brier) that I can't see how anyone could have thought that was him in the photo! :) Actually, I don't think Dave ever went on the European Tour with us. He was a leadman in the engine shop and when I was away for the six weeks or so it took to do Europe, he had to stay back in Oshkosh to conduct the engine build for Havasu.
That photo is 1971 and we had a couple of the C6's to run in Paris. The guy standing next to Rick LaMore with the headband is probably Jim Acheson. He was the lead tech on the C6 for Dr. Ted Morgan's group and that sure looks like they are working on a C6 , not a Twister I as you see on the other boats.
I cannot contest the notion that Bill Welch is not better looking than Dave Brier. :)
But Dave did come over from the States to the European circuit. See the attached photo taken in Europe with Dave hitching a boat ride with Roy Ridgell. It looks like they are wearing the blue racing jackets (maybe the year1973).
One year (maybe 1973) I believe Dave was the fuel man at the Paris 6 Hour. Rick LaMore and I were the catch guys on the refueling dock. With the catch-pole, I was slowing the race boats to a secure stop, and one time as I am holding one of the boats, by the engine steering bracket, against the dock, I looked toward the race course and saw another race boat coming-in for refueling. So what do I do, but yell (or speak loud enough) to Dave as he is straddled over the gas-tank-cowling refueling, that we have another one coming. It’s not like Dave could have been any faster, but it was a heads-up to everybody on the team. That fuel nozzle and hose had to be a least 2.5 inch diameter, if not 3 inches. This was the year that Gary Garbretch and Roy Ridgell were standing on the elevated platform behind us and looking down at the pit action.
Previous to that year, I do not remember with accuracy if Jim Emerson (from Lake X) was coming over for the Paris 6 Hour to do the race refueling.
Permit me an anecdotal that relates to Dave. We are caravanning to –or from- a race (maybe Paris). We stop at an Italian eatery for breakfast, and Dave wants eggs. So Dave starts flapping his arms like a bird, and makes a chicken clucking noise, then stands up from his chair and imaginarily pretends that he laid an egg (you can see where this is going). Then Dave does, the universal pantomime language, of cracking open the egg over a fraying pan, and then demonstrates flipping the egg over with a spatula. Dave can be a character when he wants to be.
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Did Renato Molinari have a pre-race preparation technique?
Attachment 58062
In observing some photos of the past, I saw a trend which I did not recognize in real time. Renato has a pre-race trait –when and if time, and the situation presents itself. He seems to like to squat on the boat, next to the cockpit, before the action starts.
Knowing how committed Renato was to the business of winning boat races, I will venture to say (in sports parlance) that Renato is preparing himself to get into the zone.
A Molinari and No Wood???
A Molinari and a Stradivarius Violin have much in common. Did Molinari ever build a composite outboard boat???? Glastron/Molinari's were fiberglass. What I think would be WAY COOL is a 21 foot "HIGH RIDER" Molinari with a sing 300XS OptiMax. Those "High Riders" could probably race in the ocean if need be.
A "NEW" wood Molinari was the greatest to drive.
I'm Not Sure There Was Ever Two Molinari's A Like
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Powerabout
could always build one if you had the plans..
The way Molinari boats were built, I find it hard to believe there were really ever two the same. Almost the same, but different.
Lars The Ambassador for Evinrude
Lars I just read you have become Evinrude's Ambassador. WOW!!! You offered yourself to APBA and they never answered. Maybe BRP will bring outboard racing back to the level it once was.
I was in Needles last weekend (July 26-29, 2014). On Monday I was talking to Jimbo. Jimbo has a bit of a handicap, his right arm doesn't work very well and therefore working computer is difficult. But as we looked at this Molinari thread, he said I could tell a story about evey boat posted. I believe him.
What I have decided (Jimbo is working on a book, slowly)...I'm going to print out one picture at a time and time him he need to talk for one hour about that boat and I will take notes. The notes will be posted on BRF, but he will have the notes for his book.
Jimbo was there when it all happened and his memory is very good.
I will say this, JIMBO enjoyed your thread Lars... How do Jimbo and I become EVINRUDE ambassadors???
Thanks for your posts on BRF, Lars!
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Lake X Kid wearing his Scott Gillman racing T-shirt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lars Strom
The great.. Renato Molinari and Scott Gillman.
Referring to the picture of Scott with Renato on Post# 300.
Attachment 58319
I retrieved this Scott Gillman racing tee-shirt from my storage bin. A pretty blond on the Gillman race team gave this shirt to me, in the race pits at Puddingstone Lake, California. Unfortunately I do not remember her name, and sense it was over 25 years ago I will use that as my excuse.