Butts Aerowing-The Only Way To Fly

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I don't recall Jim having a chute. My memory is fuzzy about stuff from 25 years ago, but it don't remember one. What I do remember is standing on a hill overlooking the course while doing a radio interview. I had just come in from my qualifying run and Jim was next up. The radio guy wanted me to describe what it was like to run the course, and I was doing that as Jim came down the front straight. If you remember, he sat kind of funny in a hydro, wedged in at an angle, about half laying down. He had a 3 blade cleaver and the tail was running high. He was going over a hundred when the back in kind of popped up from a wave and the nose clipped the top of another wave. He shot right out the front and his hydro just coasted straight ahead until it stopped. It was kind of remeniscent of Dale Earnhardt's crash. It didn't look that bad. Jim just flew out and hit the water. The rescue boat was right there. Immediately they all through their hands up and motioned for the ambulance crew to be ready. I cut off the interview and went down to the ramp to help keep the crowd away. According to what I heard about the cause of death was a broken neck. The way he shot out, his head hit the water first. That was the the race I would like to forget the most. Mary Kirts died of a heart attack the night before, then Jim the next day, and the day of the finals would have been blown out and cancelled if it weren't for the tunnels. I don't think any of us Americans raced in the finals. Even if the hydros could have run, we didn't feel like racing after all that.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

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.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

John,

What a great visit that must have been. Elmer is another one of those true gentlemen of the sport of boat racing. Jim's death could have indeed been the catalyst that got a lot of guys out of racing. I don't know that it was the primary reason, but could have been the final straw. At that time we had just come off of 18-20% inflation 20% + interest rates, huge unemployment and Jimmy Carter just bummed everyone out and said our better years were behind us. The inflation plus low dollar devaluation made the Konigs and Yamatos very pricey. Plus the expense of parts. High gas prices, lines at the pumps, etc. A number of racers quit probably due to concerns about their jobs and families.

Elmer Grade is another one of those that needs his history posted.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

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.

[smittythewelder]

John has just said something very good here, something I have thought of from time to time. We need to help the better journalists and writers among us to do lengthy interviews of the old-timers before we lose them! Thanks to Ron and this site we get a lot of great anecdotes, but good comprehensive biographical interviewing takes some skill and planning. Craig Fjarlie in Region 10 has done some of this for the Seattle Outboard Assn. newsletter, but that's just a start.
Interestingly, it seems to be easier to interview someone if you aren't well-acquainted. Therefore, a younger guy like Fjarlie (he'll like that!) who did his racing in the '80s and '90s, was able to get good stories out of Hu Entrop, who last raced in about '63 or so.
Besides Craig, and Rusty Rae, I don't know who might have a talent for this. But maybe a mediocre interview is better than no interview, so I guess I better put some batteries in my tape recorder.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

You're absolutely right Smitty. That Hu Entrop interview would be great reading. You know how to get ahold of Rusty? Joe Rome and I have been trying to find him for awhile. Seems like Ron was planning on interviewing someone a few months back. Just found out today he taught journalism. What a combination. A guy that can tell the funniest stories and and know the proper way to do it. We also need to find Tim Chance and Lee Hertz. Wish Ann Strang was still around. I had a tape of a lengthy interview I did of Dieter Konig in 1975. It was still set where I stopped it at a Berlin boat show with interviews of Karl Bartel, Kurt Mischke, Hans Krage, and Jerry Drake. I listened to parts of the tape as I rewound it and it was still good. When it got to the end, the leader came loose. I haven't found anyone to repair it, and I don't want to mess it up myself. I found a good interview that Rosalind Nott, editor of Powerboat & Waterskiing, did of the Seebolds in the late 70's. And they have another whole generation of stories since that time.

[Jeff Akers]

He did some great interviews wen he wrote for "Boatracing Magazine".
Is he a member here ?
If not he should be !

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These two made quite a team when it came to promoting racing.

[F-12]

What a great picture, Wayne. It looks like your Dad was paying attention to what was going on and Tim was paying attention to whatever he was getting ready to eat. You are correct in saying they both are great promoters. Both have done wonderful things for our sport. Thanks again.......

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Charley....You are correct about Tim being a great promoter. He worked constantly with my Dad to bring international racing in the PRO division to the U.S. Not only a great driver and boat designer/builder. He was an excellent spokesman for racing. He is very intelligent, articulate and good with either print or broadcast medium. And he was always fun to be around. Hopefully, he'll join us here soon.