1973

[racingfan1]

Here are the 1973 Propeller issues.

[racingfan1]

Here are pages 1-10 of the January 1973 edition. Thanks Wayne

[racingfan1]

Pages 11-20

[racingfan1]

Here are pages 1-8

[racingfan1]

Pages 9-16

[racingfan1]

Here are pages 1-10 of the April 1973 edition

[racingfan1]

Page 11-20

[racingfan1]

While reading through this edition I see that even in 1973 the cost of " Alky " racing was becoming a factor in boat counts , as the comments by William Fales in the Outboard News on page 7 indicates.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The Konig engines were becoming more popular Dale and I can't recall if the exchange rate was a factor this time or not, but yes costs were going up. However, as Bill Fales mentioned, people needed to organize their vacations way in advance because travel was a real big factor in costs. OPEC had just recently put up and embargo on oil coming to the U.S., and as a result there was a huge gasoline shortage. Prices went up, but also many gas stations shut down on weekends, or whenever they ran out of gasoline. The biggest problem with supply though was that rather than let fuel suppliers control distribution, the Nixon administration did, and governments cannot do this like private enterprise. The result was plentiful gasoline in areas where it was not needed, but rampant shortages all across the nation. Local gas stations off the Interstate would sell only to local customers. In order to get out of state drivers to come to Lakeland, Walt Blankenstein had a local friendly gas station owner agree to provide gasoline to out-of-state drivers so they could get back home. Most people carried gasoline cans in addition to methanol fuel to be sure they could get to Lakeland and back.

The first Lakeland race was blown out, and we had to travel back to Texas. On the way home we ran into much cold, and hail when we got to Houston. We missed the rare snowfall in South Texas while we were at Lakeland. It had melted before we got home.

[racingfan1]

Here are pages 1-10 of the May 1973 edition.