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Thread: Yamaha Mod U / F1

  1. #1
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    Default Yamaha Mod U / F1

    Does anyone out there have any information on the gents who did run Yamahas in Mod U / F1?
    How much success did they have?

    I remember seeing in Propeller magazine they were getting better but that was a long time ago.

  2. #2
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    Doesn't anyone here have any info on the Yamaha powered boats?

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    Default f1

    those boats were owned and built by Wayne Worthy @ Htdro Tec Marine

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    Bushlicker Driver rinker1080's Avatar
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    I remember back in the day there was a driver by the name Ray Anderson who drove a Yamaha. I also believe J.R. Safford did as well. But I never saw them with much success.. They couldnt keep the motor together. I like to see them come back and try it again. We need the boat in F1
    Ashton Rinker #120

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    Team Member Rusrog's Avatar
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    Default The info I have

    regarding that deal is all second hand but I heard that in a corner somewhere, in a warehouse are some parts that will make a Yamaha fly and I think I even remember hearing that there are a couple of complete engines hidden.

    The F1 Yamaha's had a type of encapsulated header for exhaust and ran very well... But soon enough a driver was hurt & killed and after the family got through suing Yamaha, they decided it was not worth the risk and backed out of racing. So blame attorney's. they killed it and in the end will probably kill most of what we find fun and exciting before it's all said & done.

    What I wouldn't give to get my hands on that hardware....
    Russ Rogers
    Fort Worth (Hell's Half Acre), TX

    http://www.caldwellracingtechnology.com/

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    Team Member Rinker10's Avatar
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    Wow, I didn't think yuou were paying attention back then. The first time I saw a Yamaha run was in Alburndale Florida 1986. A Mod-U set up driven by Harly Wilson. It was very fast, no one was even close at the finish. Since then I have seen them race a V-4 in the Formula 100 class. Mike Godfrey was very competitive with the Yamaha in the late 80's early 90's. I can even recall my mentor "The Great One" Jack Withrow driving a Yamaha powered Formula 100 boat at the Kankakee National one year. You are right that the Yamaha competed in the F-1 series(Ray Anderson, Nathen Worthy, JR Saffold) but none could ever seem to keep them together.

  7. #7
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    Default Yes

    Mike Godfrey was very competitive with the Yamaha in the late 80's early 90's.
    Terry - Yes I also remember that and it was cool as hell when it was running right. Had a VERY different sound to it than the Merc's. They had a OPC race in Grand Haven Michigan one time and I got a chance to see it run. Fast but broke down.

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    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Yamaha's Formula Effort

    This is the start of a long story.... Here is Brain Daley in a Seebold, Yamaha powered that won Havasu. The picture is at Parker and my have Rick Hoffman at the wheel.

    When Yamaha started building outboards, OMC for sure about crapped and Mercury wasn't sure. One reason OMC was scared ws my brother kept telling Charlie Strang how great Bunker's Yamaha motor cycle motors ran and that OMC should have oil injection, and all loopers...

    When Yamaha came to California several strokes of luck came my way. One Yamaha hired Ham Hamburger from Mercury to run their sales department. My dad being Mercury Dealer Number ONE in California, had had dealings with Ham over the years. Another strong of luck, my niece's husband owned a big *** sail boat that he rented out to people for parties, Rachel Welsch rented it and so did Ham for Yamaha functions. My niece's husband, Doug Armfield, was close to Schock Boats in Newport Beach, and about this time Doug and Scott Schock got together to take on Yamaha, and DROP Evinrude. Schock Boats is and ws right on MILLION dollar water front properties in Newport. Having Schock SWITCH to Yamaha was quite a COO!

    The third think that fell my way was Ted Zahorski switched from Yamaha Motorcycles to Yamaha Outboards.

    These three "Events" all happened about the time MOD VP was getting 20-30 boats per race and the tunnels were struggling.

    With a little help from me, Ted and I got Brian Daley to run MOD VP at Havasu. Seems I managed to borrow Kim Howards old Sleek (The past year's winner) and Ted built a Yamaha. Motor seems to run good, we used one of my first four blades and Brian finished in the top10.

    After Havasu, Brain and Ted were dead set on running a tunnel at Parker and I was dead set against it and argued as such. I said, "Damn tunnels are dangerous, stay with the 'Door Slammers' (Mod VP)....Ted and I were talking daily buy now, as Yamaha was having trouble with their V-6's throwing rods. Ted was now head of warrantee and he started giving me all the warranted power heads. I was getting about 20 a week and my dad was taking them to scrap metal, but he'd keep the good parts of these short blocks.

    Dino Kotsonis and I had become friends when he moved here from Michigan and he had wanted to run Parker in a tunnel and I'd told him he'd get killed but he bought Dick Sherrer's number two boat and went to Parker. He ran at Parker for awhile then blew over.

    Dino managed to break his leg and wreck the Seebold pretty well.

    So, I tell Ted Dino will sell the broke Seebold for cheap. So, Ted, Dino, Brain and I meet. Brain has a little sign business, two small kids and a young and beautiful wife....(I'm really off tunnel because of the danger). I say, "You guys make a deal.." Dino takes nothing down and $300 a month for six months...$1,800 for a busted Seebold ain't bad...

    Brain and Ted fix the Seebold, and use the MOD VP gearcase on a welded together mid section, Marine Tex intake manifold......to make horizontal reeds, and they are ready for Parker...I suggest they use Rick Hoffman as a co-driver and I build them a 15 X 34 three blade for this tunnel....

    They won Parker OVERALL in 1987??? 1986???? The Seebold is the boat in the picture! Please note how high the powerhead is, because they had a "FISHING" gearcase on this boat.... Rick Hoffman had never driven anything but a Mod C before the Enduro.....
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    Last edited by Ron Hill; 10-03-2020 at 04:32 PM.

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    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Well, I Can See There Doesn't Seem To Be.....

    Much interest in this story!!! That's OK, I'll probably keep telling it anyway!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Hill View Post
    Much interest in this story!!! That's OK, I'll probably keep telling it anyway!
    Yes, please do!

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