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Thread: Sad Day for the Lone Star Boat Racing Association

  1. #1
    Team Member jrome's Avatar
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    Default Sad Day for the Lone Star Boat Racing Association

    We lost a very good friend of boat racing yesterday. Ray Yates, the last Commador of the Lone Star Boat Racing Association, after a long illness, passed away yesterday. I am saddened to have to report this to everyone, as I know a lot of you were very good friends of Ray. Ray not only raced for many years, he was a pit man for Bruce Nicholson for many years, as well as promoted races at the Baytown Boat Club. He was the driving force behind keeping the races alive at the Baytown Boat Club for the PROS and OPC raceboats. If you couldn't get along with Ray, you wouldn't get along with anyone. He was always ready to help anyone whether it be at the club or at the boat races. Wayne and I were talking about it today, about how the Lone Star Boat Racing Reunion came together. We talked to Ray and decided we would open it to anyone in boat racing. After thinking about it for a while, Ray said he would do one more reunion at the Baytown Boat Club. If it were not for Ray agreeing to do one more reunion, we would not have gotten Ron HIll to come to Texas. He did not believe that there would be that much interest. Boy, was he mistaken. Ron had a great idea to do a reunion at DePue. God Bless You, Ray. We love you......We will let you all know of the arrangement when they become available.

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    Default RIP Ray

    Everytime I had the pleasure of seeing Ray, last time at DePue a couple of years ago, he always had that big smile on his face and seemed genuinely happy to see you and talk over the good times racing in the 70's and 80's when we made a few races in Texas, and then would also see he and Ray Jr. at the National and WC events he attended.

    Even though it was obvious he was not in the best of health the last time I saw him, he never complained and just talked about the good times. Like several others we have lost recently, he was truly "one of the good guys".

    God Bless and RIP Ray..

  3. #3
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    Joe had it right. A lot of people around the country probably didn't know Ray. He was never a front runner, but in Texas he was consistent and did accomplish some high point victories. Ray was what "old timers" would call "salt of the earth". That saying is old timey and long forgotten, but it means that Ray Yates was of solid stone when it comes to humanity. You could depend upon Ray no matter what the circumstance.

    Ray Yates loved boat racing. I don't actually know how, why or who got him started, but he began racing A and B runabout in a Morton built hull (I think) with a Merc Quincy named "Bluebird" just before I started.

    I wish I could remember the first time I met Ray, but he was just an unassuming, easy going guy that I can't. I just remember seeing his white with red trimmed runabout parked as far left at the boat ramp at Baytown as you could get in 1966.

    As time went by my Dad and myself became great friends with Ray, Martha, Denise and Little Ray. The Older daughter was not around as much and I forget her name.

    The thing about Ray Yates was that he loved boat racing, and wanted to be a part of it forever, even though he didn't have the money or talent to be a consistent winner. Ray was always there though. And he did challenge you if you were not watching.

    I had been out of racing for a long time. Joe Rome would always keep me updated on how the Texas boys did at the nationals. He also sent me pictures from around 1999 or 2000 when Ray Yates organized a Lone Star Reunion. It may have been later than that, but I can't be sure. The last Lone Star Reunion I had attended was 20 years earlier not long before Lone Star Boat Racing Association succumbed. Tim and Ruth Butts were there and our daughter Alexis met Ryan Butts. All that was Ray's doings. I'm not sure of how many Lone Star Reunions were held between 1983 and 2005, but I know there was at least one and maybe two..

    When Joe got me hooked up to BRF, I never had posted any comments nor pictures anywhere before. I didn't know what to do, but I was so enthralled by the BRF format that I learned how. It was the same way with Ray Yates. Joe told Ray about BRF and soon he was hooked. His wife Martha told me at the time that Ray had no clue about a computer except where the ON switch was. Martha said that after a few weeks, he was climbing under the cabinet to hook up wires to a new computer.

    From then on Ray kept up with the current and past boat racing. Then, I don't remember how it started, but someone wanted to have a Lone Star Boat Racing Association reunion. The pitch continued and Joe talked to Ray about it. Ray had gone through some medical problems and was doing O.K., but he really didn't want to go through the troubles of organizing one more reunion. Alky racing was over for a long time in Texas, and it would just be a lot of work for a club meeting.

    However, after more hype on BRF about a Lone Star Reunion, and posts about Lone Star on BRF began circulating, a lot of outside interest developed. Ray got into the hype itself. A lot of people got interested in the reunion. Since Alky racing at Baytown ceased to exist, and OPC held events there, it was decided to open it up to any and all boat racers. The excitement built. Who was coming and who wasn't was passed around. We had a roll call. Name tags were ordered. It became apparent that the event would be much bigger than anticipated.

    Having been a recent member of BRF, but knowing the pulling capacity of co-founder Ron Hill, I contacted Ron to see if he would attend. At that time BRF was still growing. Ron got caught up in the hype and drove his red pickup to the reunion with a stop at Dudley Malone's in Oklahoma to pick up motors and parts.

    I think Ron was impressed at the turnout, and we all deemed it successful beyond our imaginations. Ray Yates had originally declined to put on one more reunion. He was tired, and he did most of the organizing and work. He said this would be his last. Yet there is still a legacy to attach to Ray Yates.

    For BRF members who were not around during the many posts leading up to the Lone Star Reunion, you do not realize the depth of interest from people around the country that wish they could have attended. The aftermath of that resulted in the first DePue Reunion. The success of that was untold times of the Lone Star Reunion. DePue brought people from all outboard categories together,and at this point is unmatched in attendance from historical persons involved in outboard racing.

    The reunion at DePue was sparked by the willingness of one boat racer Ray Yates to put together one more reunion.

    Rest in peace Ray.



  4. #4
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    One of the highlights of that reuenion David was that Joe and I got to meet you. You were one of the hyped up guys that did what it took to make it. Tommy Posey came. Bill Holland was there. Pete De'Lackner showed up. It was a memorable event all around, I met Tracy Hawkins there and other OPC guys I hadn't seen in a long time like Bob Schubert, and got to meet his son Mike. It was a great git together that wouldn't have happened if it were not for Ray Yates.



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    Stanley Henderson shenders's Avatar
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    Very saddened to hear of Ray’s passing. Our prayers and condolences to all the family.
    I would like to say this about Ray, he always came by and said hello and talk to you.
    Made you feel welcome and part of the action. A true gentleman in Lone Star club and boat racing. I’m very glad I went to the last reunion and was able to see him one more time.

    Stan Henderson

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    Default Rest In peace ray

    I received the sad news today about Ray from Bruce Nicholson, How sad , I remember the first time I met Ray with Bruce at DePue. I had delivered a new DeSilva A boat that I painted for Bruce. After Bruce and Ray gave her a Texas walk around looking and saying what a pretty boat, They then went off under the cotton woods and took a chain saw to the transom so the A Yamaha would fit> I always told Ray and Bruce that I would never forgive them for that one but hey, it was all in fun. Latter I humored Ray up with some of my stories and after that He always called me precious after one of the story lines. I will miss him at the races as I have over last few years.

  7. #7
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    Steve....is that story line one you can post on here in memory of Ray? If not....I want to hear it the next time we get together. Then we can both remember Ray then....again.



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    Wayne:

    If it is the same "precious" story I heard a few years ago, it is probably not publishable on BRF, but if it is the same one, it is funny. You might have to wait till you see Litzell or better yet, come to Lake Alfred. The politics can wait. Old friends sometimes can't, especially as we are all getting older.

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    Default Sorry to hear of Ray's passing

    Ray was always one to come by and search me out during the Nationals at Depue and spend some time visiting. He and his wife would always end up sitting behind/alongside the PA booth where my family would sit and they were family to us. My Mom and Ray's wife always were visiting away, never mind the boat racing going on.

    I will miss that big smile and his his bear hugs!

    Rest in peace Ray!

    Ray
    Last edited by ferv888ipba; 08-15-2010 at 07:26 PM. Reason: spelling

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    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    In the last few years Ray and I would talk about how he got to Winona in 1976. He always insisted that he talked Martha into going to Winona by way of vistiting relatives, but he didn't have a trailer. I went to his house and spent the night. That's where we loaded his runabout, A lightning strike blew out a hole in Denise's room the night before and there was about a 3X4 foot hole that they had covered in plastic. Before we left the next morning Ray was not allowed to leave unless the diswasher was fixed. I helped him. That's where it gets fuzzy. My Dad didn't drive up with us. I must have driven over to Jack Chance's to pick him up. Ray doesn't remember driving up with us...which I think we would have both remembered...and he ended up staying at the Mustang Hotel on the west end of Winona. My Dad flew in, and it was just Jack and I, plus maybe a pitman that drove up. Everytime Ray and I got to talking about how he got there, we were at a loss. He was there, but he didn't fly...he didn't come with Martha so it wasn't the Nebraska trip....so who knows? But we had fun talking about it and I have pictures of him in the pits and the race course at Winona....so we know he was there. RIP Ray.



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