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Part 20B - Bill Tenney and David Tenney
Tonights “a little history” will be done in two separate emails. Part 20B continuation of Bill Tenney/David Tenney Racing and 21 Rick Fralick, Picton, Ontario, Canada. In both cases I am going to leave the writing as it came to me as this is the best way to keep accuracy and meaning.
Special thanks to David Tenney and Willie Crear for supplying the following information.
One thing I noticed was nothing mentioned about Bill Tenney’s passion for pike fishing throughout the world. Records set here as well in Tenney fashion.
David Tenney born July 11, 1958 (62)
Karl…Thanks for highlighting the racing exploits of my father. It is amazing how time flies and a lot of our sport’s history is being lost I was blessed to grow up watching my father’s dedication and intensity around racing and 2 cycle engines. We were definitely not a “stick and ball” sports family. Daily discussions with my father centered on 2 cycle engine theory and development. I remember at age 9 if I could explain to him how a Cox Tee Dee .049 model airplane engine worked……it was a crank induction rotary valve motor! The scary thing is I understood the basics of the induction system thanks to all the lessons from my father.
The interesting thing is that one would assume the Bill would be really involved in my racing programs. While he was always there for advice, he wanted me to do everything on my own including the development work, race preparation and funding. The good news that when I was racing karts I was working at his company by day during the summer and then had full run of the machine shop after 5pm to do whatever I liked. Often times I would be at the shop until early morning.
When I was car racing he and Patty came to all the National Championship races. A great memory is the victory lap at Road Atlanta in 1989 with Bill, Patty and my fiance and now wife Katherine riding on the car during the lap. That was really cool.
There are many things that I learned from Bill that have allowed me to be successful in my own racing efforts and in business. I have taught many of these lessons to my own children. There is no substitute for hard work and dedication. An obsessive like focus is needed to really be successful. Creating a team with other like minded smart folks is a must.
I thought I would share a bit of my own racing career….it is fun to reminisce which I have been doing more recently after retiring from race driving and transitioning to owner.
On Sep 25, 2020, at 10:56 AM, Willie Crear <williecrear@hotmail.com> wrote:
2008-2019
It is 2007-2019, not 2008. You were at Devil's Lake for the Rockey Stone Kilos in 2007. You left the rag in the exhaust on Sunday morning....
2008-U.I.M. World kilo record, 125cc Runabout, Rockey Stone Kilos, Devil's Lake, Oregon, 76.076 MPH. Old record had been set by Tim Small at 64? MPH.
2010-APBA 125cc Runabout record, 3 mile/4 lap, 56.273 MPH, Ocoee, Florida, Jay Anderson driving.
Both speed records, above, still stand 12 years later.
2010-U.I.M. World Championship in 125cc Runabout, Lake Alfred, Florida, Davey Jones driving. That was the first race you ever won, either as driver or owner. Before that, we were just trying to get you across the finish line in all 3 heats.
2011-Season High Point Champion in 125cc Hydro
2011-Season High Point Champion, 125cc Runabout, Davey Jones driving.
2012-Blew over the 175cc Hydro in practice at 86 MPH to end the season.
2017-Season High Point Champion in 125cc Hydro.
2016? 2017? Season High Point Champion in 175cc Hydro, tie 1st National Championship, driving a 125cc motor. Lost the tie breaker in the National. Final face-off was with Brad Dygert in the fall in Tennessee. You've got a plaque there someplace to get the dates right....
I believe there were other 125cc High Point Championships. You have all the plaques.
other: you missed the 2018 125cc High Point, although you won the Nationals that year, your carburetor fell off in Springfield, and Mackenzie Hellsten got the High Point...in your old Kala hydro.
Keeping records in chronological order is a good thing….
Steve Roskowski this AM:I actually have one of Bill’s Anzani engines. It has a gearcase that he must have cast up that is like a smaller Merc Quickie. I will try to get some photos this weekend. Some guy up by Lake Minnetonka was cleaning out some buildings on the Tenney property and had a bunch of kart parts and a small stash of outboard parts along with the engine. Strangely enough the powerhead is mounted transversely so the pipes point to the side.
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