When I was in Florida back in 2001-2002 I met Elmer Grade, we talked
I met Elmer Grade in Florida at his business location and he told me about the complete stop in racing activities due to the death of his driver in a big Yale hydro. I must have talked to him half the afternoon and being in his low 80s, he reminiced alot about those heady days of racing prior to the tragedy. I was there with the notion that I might buy a D or F Konig or both from him but when he heard from me that I was rebuilding Quincy Flatheads from C,D and 44 inch Fs he asked me why I would want deal with Konigs when I had those?? Had I run them each since I overhauled them?? Then we got into his ideas on Quincys!! I mentioned Anzanis and he talked about Bill Tenny and what was going on toward the northwest. He spent his time talking me out of that, meaning buying any Konigs, and I didn't, entirely! My next trip his wife was quite ill so seeing him was impossible. I am not sure if he is still living but if I could not get to O F Christner before he passed on because I was late getting to FLorida that next time, talking to Elmer, then the historian was a pure pleasure.
Some of us have come to realize that as engine power, boat and prop technologies got more, faster and bigger that we were straying away from those early years of Speedytwins, Eltos and KG-Mercs into speeds so fast that it left technologies somewhat behind and playing catch up with what became one of the most dangerous and one of the most flashy motor sports in the world. With those risks come techonolgical advances, injuries and deaths. Those risks are the choices people made, irrespective of potential consequences both good and bad. When they were bad they were horrible and there was what became and extreme motor racing sport going on here that did that.
The History Of Elmer Grade
I certainly wished I could have spent more time with Elmer Grade and that history generated around his racing tream efforts. If there is anyone close by that could tape his history for transcription nearby like Tim Small, (they are personal friends as far I am understand) if he had the resources to do so in the off times he might have available, could try that? I understand that Elmer's wife of many many years passed away sooner after I was finished my second Florida trip staying in norh Tampa. Like you said Elmer wa/is a true gentleman of the sport and that history from his perspective needs recording and preservation sooner than later. :)
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Tim Butts and Baldy Baldwin
These two made quite a team when it came to promoting racing.