Thread: Wayne Baldwin's Amazing Story: Baldy's Eual Eldred Baldwin

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    The race course was nice, and set up well. We drove up over some sort of levee or hill and down to the pits. There was no shade and the pit area was rocky or gravelly, but not so big as to make it hard to walk on. The pits had a good slope to the water and the bottom was firm and not mushy or full of weeds. There was only one problem. No boats to speak of. Only a handful of us showed up. I think there were only seven..

    Besides us, there was James "Fitz" and James (see the ADD) Fitzgibbon from Lubbock, Texas, Phil Crown from Fort Worth, Jim Wilkins, and Craig Lawrence from Dallas and Bobby Wilson from Graham, Texas.

    The starting clock was either on a floating deck or pontoon boat and we pitted just a little to the left of it. I think it was Phil Crown and maybe Fitz Fitzgibbon pitted on the other side of the clock. It could have been either Jim Wilkins or Craig Lawrence pitted just to our left, but I remember Bobby Wilson pitted on the far left, because the driver's meeting was held at his trailer. It was more or less a grim driver's meeting.

    We went through all the standard stuff of a driver's meeting and I think Ben Posey was the referee. He did much of the official duties in the North Texas races such as inspector or referee. After going over the race course, safety buoy, starting, flags, etc. Bobby had a heart to heart with us. He was very disappointed as were all of us at the turnout, but he stressed we needed to put on the best show possible for the crowd and the sponsor. I don't remember who the sponsor was, but I'm sure it was one of the local civic organizations.

    Bobby said everyone would be allowed to run in every heat as long as the motor wasn't larger than the official class that was up. In other words, you could not run a C in the B class, but an A would be allowed to run against the D's. He wanted as many boats on the water as possible. We all agreed, and everyone was prepared to run however many events as possible. Bobby gave as much of an inspirational talk as he could, and we were ready to race despite the low turnout.

    It was the first time we really got to know Craig Lawrence and Alan Registar. Craig had not been racing long, but there were usually many more racers at the events, and we had not had much time to hang out together. Here, we had plenty of time to get to know one another.

    ADD: Joe Rome cleared up a mystery for me. I was looking at the results and it listed both James and N.E. Fitzgibbon. Over the years Fitz came and went in racing, and it was at Clarendon that Baldy and I both got to know Fitz a little better. James was his son, but since he and Fitz dropped out of racing a little later, and after a few years passed N.E. "Fitz" returned to racing but James did not. Hence the confusion. And to add to it, I found in some pictures, a trailer load of new boats with "X" for the number. Apparently the Fitzgibbons just got some new boats. That would make it seven to attend the races, and one of them most likely the unaccounted driver that won the first heat of C hydro. I always remember Fitz racing runabouts, so it was probably James. The Fitzgibbons did not race the smaller classes. They raced C,D and F.



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    Races began as scheduled, and there was no wind. There were occasional variable winds popping up around the pits and rippling the water, but for the most part, it was calm and the water slick. A very bright sunshiny early summer.

    Boats were anchored way past the perimeter of the race course. They were far enough away to cause no problems, and I seem to remember in the distance many dead trees and branches sticking out of the water. Where the buoys were laid out was perfect for racing. Good straights and evenly space buoys in the turns and plenty of milling area. Of course that was not any problem with as few boats as were on the course at any one time, but Bobby had chosen an ideal race course.

    I don't have a schedule to go off of for the order of the heats so I will just go by class size the best I remember how the races went, up to a certain point.

    Bobby Wilson won the first heat, and I most likely jumped the gun. Jim Wilkins finished second. I won the second heat with Bobby taking the overall with a second place finish. Jim didn't get any points for the second heat so rather than a second overall, he dropped to third. We were running the A Konig on the 10-6 Marchetti, and we were doing some good in A hydro now.

    Something must have happened to Jim Wilkins and Craig Lawrence in A Runabout. Bobby Wilson won both heats and I had a 2, 0.

    Bobby Wilson won both heats of B hydro with his Quincy Looper, Jim Wilkins finished second both heats also with a Quincy Looper bolted to his transom. I either crapped out or most likely jumped the gun the first heat and finished third in the second. We were running the new VB Konig on the long boat we had been running since Knoxville the year before. In the choppy waters around the coast I was able to do a little good because the boat was heavy and with the FB Konig, it wasn't too bad coming off the corners. The VB Konig was a different story though. It had the same stroke as the C and D Konigs, yet the pistons were very small. It was way off from a square motor.

    Although the VB was much faster than the FB, on this lake with the slick water, it was at a disadvantage. Our Marchetti was longer and heavier than that of both Bobby and Jim, and with the slick water, it stuck to the surface coming off the turns. It would finally wrap out after we got air under it, but it took forever. The can had been designed to move by Dieter, but back then no one did. Everybody took the compromise position and anchored them an inch or inch and a half behind the weld on the sliding portion of the exhaust elbow. In Europe the drivers had a spring loaded board hinged on one end that they would push back with their right leg to let the can slide back for the most acceleration. It was much easier for them to do on one pin turns and many drivers utilizing lay down boats. On our high speed turns, it was not something we would try. So even though I could finally break free of the surface and get the Marchetti flying, Bobby and Jim would always stay ahead...zipping in and out of the turns.

    I didn't race B runabout.

    C hydro was won by Phil Crown with his Quincy Looper taking two second places. I finished second overall with a 4 and 1. Bobby Wilson finished third overall with two thirds driving his B hydro. This was one of the things I was confused about, and why I called Joe Rome. When he reminded me about James Fitzgibbon then I realized that James must have been the winner of the first heat of C hydro.

    I didn't race C runabout or D runabout. I don't know what happened in these races. Next...the rest of what I remember and the results from "The Roostertail".



  3. #573
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    More than half the race program was done. It was going off quickly because there were not a lot of boats. Not a lot of breakdowns, or drivers wet down and having to be towed in. We were trying to put on a show. But we couldn't help but race one another.

    The pit crews were all joined together helping each team out. We didn't cross past the judges stand to where the Fitzgibbons and Phil Crown were pitted that I can remember. Most of the action was to our left where the A and B boats switched motors and came in and out of the water between heats. That's where we really got to meet Craig Lawrence and Alan Registar. I don't believe Craig's parents were at that race, but I might be wrong. Craig's brother Ashley had not started racing then, or if he did...he wasn't at that race.

    I'm not sure why we didn't have the D Konig for the D hydro race, but it might have been that Jack was in the middle of getting the Donald Duck motor and the C straightened out with the proper seals, etc. Instead we were going to run our VB Konig in the D hydro race.

    Baldy watched how every turn in the B hydro race that the big Marchetti was sucked to the water after I had set it up for the turn, and decided we would put it on the 10-6 Marchetti we ran the A on. He debated in his own mind back and forth because he thought it was too short and too light, but in the end he asked me about it and I said yes.

    We put the B Konig on the Marchetti and it was ready when the gun fired. This was our first wood deck Marchetti, and it was early on when decks went to wood. It was not new and I don't know who we got it from. It might be from someone who redecked it after Marchetti started doing wood rather than canvas, but I have no clue.

    Baldy figured with the slick water and a very small field it would be safe to try the rotary valve B on the 10-6 Marchetti, and he did not like the shellacking I had taken in B hydro. Even though we were only a few boats in B hydro, the drivers were top notch and we ran a good race without trying to fake it for the spectators. Baldy thought the small Marchetti might make me more competitive so I could stay up closer to Phil Crown in D hydro. Besides Phil...all the rest of us were step ups.

    I broke out into the lead at the start and lead out of the first turn. I was very surprised because Phil had a full bore D hanging on his transom.

    That little Marchetti responded quickly. We blasted out of the turn, and I expected Phil to pass me down the back straight but he didn't. I got in and out of the bottom turn and accelerated hard down the front straight. Now we had a real race going. I was leading with a motor half the size of the guy chasing me. The Marchetti was a handful, but it was fun. I looked over my left shoulder to see where Phil was and he was inside my wake, but about 50 yards back.

    When I turned my head back to the straightaway I saw three rollers right in my path. A spectator boat probably pulled out from above where they had been anchored above the first turn, not knowing what problems they created.

    I don't know if eye's can truly "bug out" but that's what I feel mine did to this day. When I turned my head back the rollers were there, and I just remember wide eyes. Then "whump!" I ran headlong into a wall. I can remember seeing the rollers...a spit second later a solid impact like I spattered into wet cement....then total blackout until I came to on a stretcher.



  4. #574
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    I crashed right in front of our pits. The story that Baldy tells is that everyone panicked. No one moved. The pickup boats were in their positions in the turns, but they never made a move. That's what Baldy remembered and told to many of his boat racing buddies over the years whenever that subject came up. I think that Baldy himself might have panicked.

    The deck of the Marchetti exploded and the boat, motor and myself came to an immediate stop when I stuffed. When the spray settled in moments, I was floating face down in my Gentex life jacket and surrounded by pieces of the wooden deck and the rest of the Marchetti. I think what Baldy thought of inaction and panic by the officials was due to the fact that I was floating face down, and his mind was racing and worried I might drown in a life jacket...besides whatever other injuries I might have. He had just watched our boat explode. Steve Wetherbee remembered that it happened right in front of our pits. From the sponsons forward, the deck was gone.

    When no boats started to move, Baldy hollered at Mark to go get me. Mark ran out into the water and swam out about thirty yards. He turned me over so I didn't have my face in the water, and by the time he had just about tugged me to the shore, all the other rescue people were there. This is all what I have been told.

    My first recollection is when I was laid upon the stretcher and I can recall being surrounded by people. A path had to be made the short distance to the ambulance which was parked to our right and just behind the judges stand. I had not started to hurt yet and was just getting my head together when I happened to look out the driver's side of the ambulance. They had just shoved me inside and fastened everything down and I noticed two very cute girls looking in a side window at me. I gave them a half smile, and kind of twinkled the fingers of my right hand for a little wave at them.



  5. #575
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    I got x-rayed at the hospital and there were no broken bones. The tops of both my arms though were covered with scratches every square inch all the way up to my shoulders. My helmet and bubble shield protected my face and eyes and the Gentex life jacket my torso. The Gentex was torn to shreds on the front side. My legs struck something though about two inches above both kneecaps. I think it was probably the steering wheel or, it may have been a batten that was torn loose....I just don't know. Whatever it was, it smacked me so hard that I couldn't straighten my legs out. It hurt too much. I spent a couple of hours at the hospital while Baldy went back to check on how things were in the pits. Mark and Steve loaded everything up, and I am sure with help from some others. Baldy hauled the rig back to the hotel where we were staying. Steve Wetherbee remembers the Marchetti broken in half, and he thought it was tied down on top of a car. I was laid out and waiting to leave to go home, couldn't move anyway, so I don't know what happened other than seeing the pictures of the hydro on top of our trailer taken back at the motel.

    Baldy gave the Marchetti to Craig Lawrence and Alan Registar. He had come to really like those boys with their wit and friendliness, and he asked them if they would like to have it. They really jumped at that chance. Craig had bought a hydro kit from a Dallas area racer for a hundred dollars or less. The guy quit racing and had all the pieces in a box, but no directions. They didn't know how to begin the building process, or where everything was supposed to go, so it sat in a box in Craig's garage. Before rebuilding the Marchetti, they did a lot of studying and figured out how to put the kit boat together. Then they rebuilt the Marchetti.

    I don't know who took these pictures, but they were taken back at our motel. In the first picture you can see Alan's Corvette that pulled Craig's trailer. I always thought that was cool to pull a race boat trailer with a Vette. To the right you can the the Fitzgibbon trailer with some new boats.

    ADD: I talked with Craig Lawrence today (July 6, 2012) and he filled in what I left out.

    First off he asked if I remembered about that Saturday night in Clarendon and I didn't...until he said "You and Mark were in your car and I was riding with Alan in his Corvette...we were looking for girls." Steve Wetherbee was in the back seat of the Chrysler. It was like turning on an old movie. I could instantly see us cruising the town looking for girls, but there was not a thing going on. I told Craig that I just remember things being very dark. He said, "It just had one stop sign" and laughed. We found the downtown area and the "drive inn", but everything was shut down. There was no action at all. We pulled up into a parking place and talked for a little bit, but there was no place else to go. It was really a bummer to see a town so totally shut down on a Saturday night, so we finally cruised on back to where we were staying and went to sleep to get ready for the next day.

    About the busted up hydro Craig said "I don't know where you were...I guess still back at the hospital, but your Dad and Alan were there by the beach and the hydro and pieces of it were just laying on the rocks. Alan asked your Dad 'Mr. Baldwin....what are you going to do with that boat?'" Craig remembered that Baldy asked "Do you boys want it?" Alan replied "Yeah." Baldy told them they could have it.

    I had asked Craig if I had correctly told about the kit boat and he elaborated on that. I had thought it was from a retired racer from Dallas, but he told me that "Pop" Warren from Illinois was going to build him a hydro. He had a heart attack in the interim and said that he could not build it, but would ship the pieces to Craig with instructions. There were no instructions and he did not know what to do with it. So it sat there in his parents garage.

    After Craig and Alan came home with our broken Marchetti and all the pieces they gathered up, they pieced it back together. They studied it and figured out how the boat was put together. Then they stripped all the bad parts out, used the patterns of the boat from Pop Warren to cut new parts for the Marchetti and rebuilt it. Afterwards they put the Pop Warren hydro together.
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  6. #576
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    Baldy checked out of our motel that evening after he knew I didn't have any thing wrong that might need attention. We headed south. The people at the hospital gave me something for pain, but it really didn't make things better. We were all just ready to get home.

    It was a long drive. Baldy drove in silence. I was riding on the passenger side with more leg room, but it didn't matter. I couldn't extend my legs. I was hurting, but I didn't know it at the time.....Baldy was hurting much more than I was. His heart was hurting.

    He said only a couple of times that "I shouldn't have put the B on that hydro." He meant the small one. Baldy was very competitive and even though the field was small, he wanted to win. There was no reason at all that it wouldn't work, but the wake from the spectator boat messed things up.

    Baldy beat himself up over that, and he never did get over it. Sometimes when boat racers were sitting around his bar and the talk got to boats and motors Baldy might venture into the subject of how he made a bad decision and I got hurt. He seemed to forget I was all for it, and the fact that a bigger boat would not have mattered.

    We got home the following day. The previous night was sleepless for me because it hurt just to lay in the bed. It hurt to try to straighten out my legs, and it hurt with them curled up.

    After we got home, by ex girlfriend Pam called. She was back home from college at the University of Texas. She asked how I was and what I was doing. I told her what happened and I couldn't drive.

    The constant pain had subsided, but I couldn't walk very well. Pam decided she would drive me around that week and she did. I could stand erect instead of like an old bent over man by Tuesday, but I could not lift my legs without extreme pain. Pam came to our house to pick me up and drove her car to our lake house. To get out of the passenger side I had to left each leg and place it on the ground. I could walk O.K. then, but I could not lift my legs up at all. I could drive if I placed my leg up against the gas pedal. That would not be a problem because my ankles were just fine. I would not be able to lift either leg though to step on the brake.

    So I had a very nice week riding around with Pam. She shuttled me everywhere I needed to go including to the lake. We were no longer girlfriend and boyfriend....just friends.



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    It dawned on me yesterday I had a trophy from the Clarendon race. Most of the time we didn't get trophies, but I went into the racing/music room and confirmed....yes I had one.

    Having placed these on the shelves several years before I discovered BRF, I had forgotten the origin of some. Today I called Joe Rome. I told him I had in my collection a propeller from the famed propeller maker Louis Baumann. He wanted to know where I got it, and I told him it was mounted on a "Hell Divers Trophy" I received from my performance at Clarendon. Joe asked if the prop was bent and I said "No....it was exactly like the propellers we got from Curtis Mihalczek when we first started racing." Joe then told me a story about how a racer came to Louie after a race and receiving a hell divers trophy and the prop was all bent up. He told Louie he dropped it and wanted to know if he could fix it. Louie laughed and told Joe "He didn't know how much work I put into bending it up like that."
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    Default Just Noticed

    I just noticed the throttle was broken off as well. That must have been one hell of crash.

  9. #579
    Stanley Henderson shenders's Avatar
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    Default Hell Divers

    First race I was in was B runabout . 1956 lake Tomas Tx. I was coming up on the start
    and was going to go between Ben Terpan and Raymond Ownes but they kinda closed
    door on me and that runabout went straight up did a 360 and that was the end of my race.
    But they gave me a Hell Divers certificate. I was proud too be a member of the club.
    I wonder how many are in that club?

    stan

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    I don't know Stan, but apparently Louie Baumann supplied props for a lot of them. I got mixed up in my story about the bent prop that Joe told me. I was driving down the road and had a hard time hearing. I asked Joe to repeat what he said, and it was the most important part that I did not hear. Joe said Louie always supplied props for the Hell Divers trophies and that he bent them. The part that I didn't hear was that after a driver "earned" one of the trophies, his wife showed up at his shop in Houston as said someone must have dropped it, and asked if he would be so kind as to fix it. Louie laughed as he told Joe "I didn't want to tell her how much time I had spent making it like that. so I just fixed it". Joe thinks that may be the reason mine wasn't bent. Louie decided not to bother with bending them anymore.

    Do you still have your certificate Stan? I know it was common practice when I got mine, but then it kind of dropped off.

    ADD: To me it was horrific David. It was my first of two trips to the hospital. Both results of stuffing. But it wasn't so bad that the throttle was taken out. I can understand your confusion because the apparatus that was left might look like it was part of some kind of throttle assembly. What else could it be in a place like that? If you look to the very left hand of the frame you can see what is the front part of a Keller throttle.

    I had explained in earlier posts how I came up with a device to kill power to the motor if I was ejected. That picture of the hydro is the clearest photo of what it looks like after I'm gone from the cockpit. It worked every single time without a hitch, and I never had a single problem with the way it worked or no hindrance to racing.

    I found this mount I never used a couple of weeks ago.
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