2 Attachment(s)
February 1968, Havasu Springs with Ray Nydahl and Bruce Summers
I seems the Parker 9 Hour was always the first weekend in March, which worked great for people from the FROZEN mid West. Ray was pretty much the test driver for Jack Leek and OMC at the time. We we up at Savard's Motel and Bar, test on Lake Havasu at a place called Havasu Springs.
OMC had just built the first 100 cubic inch V-4 motors and Ray was driving Ernie Trekel's Switzer Wing. Ernie was a high school band teacher.
Ray's goal was to see 100 MPH and he saw it just before dark.
OMC stayed at Havasu Springs most of the month of February and as motel and bar, called Savard's. That night Ray and I were having a drink in Savard's bar. Old George Savard was a grouchy old man, but if I had a bar and a motel in the middle of no where, I'd be grouchy too.....especially, if I had toi tend bar, when other wer drinking.
Anyway, I was telling Ray, that my dad had received a new 1949 inch three cylinder Evinrude, from Edgar Rose and we were going to race it in F, if we could get it to run well. My dad had installed it on an old Evinrude torque tube on one of my 15:16 Konig gearcases. I said, when were tested it the motor didn't want to rev at high RPM, my dad thought maybe the coils were cutting in and out.
Ray starts to answer my questions and Jack Leek, yells across the bar to Ray and says, "Mr. Nydahl, that is 'classified' information." Ray turns to me and says, quietly, "Everyone in the bar and motel are with OMC....and talking about the new 49 inch three cylinder is 'classified'? **** Jack, I'm quitting OMC."
Ray quit OMC right after that and started making Nydalh hardware. I always felt that OMC's loss of Ray Nydahl was YUGE!
Polaroid picture of the first 49 cubic inch three cylinder racing OMC.
7 Attachment(s)
June 2009 Stock race and 2009 PRO Nationals
Here a couple pictures from a stock and mod race held at Lake DePue in June of 2009 and OSY400 at the 2009 PRO Nationals. There were a large turnout of OSY400 that year as the stock Nationals were in Michigan so many of them stopped by DePue to run. Also a 125cc runabout picture.
Sandy (Nydahl) Plummer 6/24/2017
<dl class="userinfo_extra" style="margin: 5px 0px; float: left; width: 180px; height: auto !important;"><dd style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px;"></dd></dl>
http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...cons/icon1.png Ray NydahlEight years ago today, my dad, Ray Nydahl, lost his 17 year battle with emphysema. As he did throughout his life, he accepted the consequences of his actions with dignity and integrity.
Up until his death he remained a motor sport enthusiast, reading and watching anything he could find on boat and car racing. His favorite NASCAR driver was Dale, Sr. About 2-3 weeks before he died, his health took a sudden drastic turn for the worst. We all knew, including Dad, that the end was very near. A few days before he died, he told us he was going to “stick around” until Sunday so he could watch Earnhardt win at Talladega. Only half of that prediction came true. Dad died around 9AM and #3 won the race later that afternoon after a dry spell of more than a year.
When Dad started racing in the early ‘60’s, he started with the Midwest Powerboat club. I have memories of many from that club who are no longer with us.
Jack Dodge and his wife, Jeanne, were like uncle and aunt to us. I’m not sure if Jack ever raced but it seemed he was always at the races helping make things happen. Jack raised Dachsunds and occasionally had a litter. He had decided that “Nydahl needs a dog.” One weekend in the spring of ’75, Jack and Jeanne came for a weekend visit and brought Dad’s first puppy with them. He was immediately hooked! If I remember correctly, Jack died in the early ‘90’s. I haven’t heard anything about Jeanne in several years.
Fred Lonsdorf always had a huge smile for everyone. Ralph Stahl was always a soft-spoken gentleman. Dave Shaughnessy was a faithful and close friend. I remember Bob Smith pulling into a race site with a HUGE trailer piled high with boats that he towed with a Trans Am. I can still recall Don Tarnowski, the club announcer, saying over the PA, “The next class of the day is “D” as in dog hydro.”
I am looking forward to attending the reunion at Depue this year. A few weeks ago my husband asked me what I wanted to do for vacation this summer. My reply: “I don’t care what else we do as long as we make it to Depue!” Mom is looking forward to being there, also. Of course, Pete and his family will be there. As a kid, Depue was the highlight of my summer because it meant we would see people that we usually only had a chance to see once a year. Depue was one of our closest races, but it was so great to see people who came from places like California, Tennessee, Washington, Long Island, Florida, Texas, . . .
If Dad was still alive, I’m sure he would love BRF. He would be reading every post! A while back, my husband found me (yet again!!) checking out the action on BRF. His question to me was, “Are you missing your dad?” . . . Yes, I am.
Sandy (Nydahl) Plummer
I found this post on the thread "Those no longer with us". Does anyone know when Ray passed.
Sandy said 8 years but when was this written?