A looper powerhead

[Original Looper 1]

53w,

For starters, Jerry Simison never raced hydros any length of time that I am aware of, so my info is based exclusively on Jerry's runabout records.


Some of Jerry's wins during this time period, very likely with this A Looper, were as follows:

1965 Depue Nationals

note: Jerry was the overall National Hi-Point winner AND Best Performance Award for 1965 per the February 1966 Rooster Tail.

1967 Depue Nationals
1967 NOA Worlds at Alexandria, LA

note: Jerry won the National Hi-Point award for 1967 in both A & B Runabout classes.


1968 Depue Nationals
1968 PRO Southern Championships in Alexandria, LA -- Jerry won A Runabout AND B & C Runabout classes.

1969 PRO Southern Championships in Alexandria, LA

1970 Depue Nationals
1970 2nd place at NOA Worlds at Alexandria, LA

1971 PRO Southern Championships in Alexandria, LA (not sure if he was still running an A Looper then)



Paul A Christner

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Jerry Simison had a VERY successful racing career in the early 60's racing both Hydro's and Runabout's in the A & B Alky classes. This was prior to the time he started driving solely runabouts in the four cylinder classes also.

In 1962 he competed in one of the largest Alky Nationals held to that time in Midland, Mich., finishing 2nd to Quincy's own Jim Schoch in A Hydro and also finished 4th in A Runabout, actually running better in hydro's than the runabout classes he became so well known for in the middle and latter 60's early/middle 70's. After the 1962 season he concentrated solely on the runabout classes, competing in A thru F Runabout with Qunicy Flatheads at first, and then as is covered in another thread entitled "Konig vs. Quincy Flatheads", used the Konig engines when the Flathead was no longer competitive.

Presently he enjoys a reputation as a builder of fine rifle barrels, known for their accuracy in target and hunting applications. He was the subject of a lengthy shooting magazine article several years ago, and was pictured at his desk with many trophies and plaques won boat racing on the wall behind him.

[Gene East]

Bill,

You are correct, Jerry did race hydros early in his career. In fact Bob La Lande (O.F. Christner's son-in-law) and I helped Jerry in the pits at Meyer, IL (worst pits in the world) in the pre-looper days. He raced A&B Hydro and A&B runabout. 8 heats of racing, 8 first place finishes!

It's interesting that you mentioned Jerry finishing second to Jim Schoch in A Hydro at the Nationals in 1962.

Jerry and Jim put on a number of excellent shows for the spectators during the 60's, but most of those events were runabout races.

During the final heat of A-Runabout at the DePue Nationals in the mid 60's Jerry and Jim back flipped side by side on the front stretch as if the two boats were bolted together.

Surely somewhere someone has a photo of the double back flip that put 2 of the best A-Runabouts in the world on the bank when the checkered flag dropped.

I would truely like to see that photo published on this web site.

Bill Grootens from Quincy had a super 8 movie of that flip years ago. Bill was an amateur racer and very active in promoting racing in the Quincy area. He showed his film at many race club meetings.

Next time I go to Mr. Bill's tavern for the best chicken gizzards you ever tasted, I'll ask him if he still has that film.

[53w]

What type of tower would of been used on this? What did the spray shield look like and how did it mount on to the engine? What type of Bracket was used to hold the outer throttle cable?

53w

[Tim Chance]

What type of tower would of been used on this? What did the spray shield look like and how did it mount on to the engine? What type of Bracket was used to hold the outer throttle cable?

53w

Best I can remember Jerry ran Mercury 20H conversion towers that had a welded-in fuel tank with a Mercury gear case on his A's and B's. On his 4-cylinder stuff he ran Grant towers with built in fuel tanks. His throttle set-up would have been whatever is standard Quincy.

As far as hydros go. Jerry ran hydros from the time he started in the 50's up through the 1963 season. Jerry bought the 10-6 Sid that was delivered for Dave Berg the day after the accident in August, 1962 that took Dave's life. Jerry ran this boat the entire 1963 season and the sold it to Pete Kroll of Hopkins, Minnesota. After that time Jerry only ran runabouts until he quit Pro and switched to OPC with a Mod 50.

[53w]

I was up at Eagle River at snowmobile ice oval world championships and was looking at sno-pro history book. There is 2 pages of pictures of Jerry Simison's Ice oval racing team from the late 70's. Any one know anything about his involvement snowmobile racing?

53w

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

I was up at Eagle River at snowmobile ice oval world championships and was looking at sno-pro history book. There is 2 pages of pictures of Jerry Simison's Ice oval racing team from the late 70's. Any one know anything about his involvement snowmobile racing?

53w

Yes, when he quit alky, now pro racing he got very iin Snowmobile racing using Mercury sleds. Very successful, had a local young driver/rider from near where he lived.

[53w]

The only Team Fustration season featured in the book is their 1977-78. That year he had all Polaris sleds and his drivers were Todd Elmer, Rob Holland, and Tim Benedict.

He also is pictured in the 1975-76 Mercury sno-pro pages talking to one of his Sno-Twister drivers

53W

[racnbns]

53-W

Check your PM.

Bruce