JIMBO McCONNELL.....

[Jimbo Boat 191]

Just for the record------

Ronnie just runs around the house taking pictures of whatever.........
He has been WARNED not to post some of the pictures that he
took.................remember Ronnie..........I can tell some stories
on you if you post some pictures............be careful.....BE VERY CAREFUL !!!!
Mrs. Jimbo is watching you------BE AFRAID!!!!!!!

[Ron Hill]

I have also been warned not to drink too much...but, did you try and stop me????

Ok, Charlie Harter in the inside...(First Stock Outboarder to ever use a cart to launch his boat...and "WE" thought he was crazy......

205-0 is Lucky Grant, and neither Jimbo nor I could remember his daughter's name....(She'd be our age, now)....And the guy with thw white helmet asking his KG-4 why she'd stopped......Look at the boat name...JIMBO......

And where was this taken??? Mountains look like Bakersfield.....

[Jimbo Boat 191]

Now, Ronnie, are you drinking "water" again????
Jimbo says those are not "mountains", they
are TREES and it is at Victorville.

[Ron Hill]

Ain't that a mountain behind the trees??? I forgot Victorville was that big....It was a great lake to race at...Kimper-Campbell Lake...We raced around an island, never used any bouys....If you cut the corners too close, there was never any problem making the call...as the driver would be stuck in the mud, if he cut the corner too close...I once ran Dan Schwarzenbach on the island in 36....I was driving The Turtle Express and he made the mistake of trying to pass on the inside..I just moved over a little.....I never looked, as I'd seen his bow coming out of the corner of my eye...all at once the bow, stopped and I kept going....Dan was stuck on the island, next lap around.....He said, "Gal Dang, Ronnie...didn't you see me next to you??? " I said, "No, I thought you were on the outside." Danny didn't get made at me...He always liked me...He'd remind me about once every weekend how he use to carry me out to my A Runabout when I was little....Roger Rogers frequently came to Victorville to help us drink "WATER" in th pits after the races....

Wednesday and Thursday I teach night school....and therefore have no time to drink....."WATER" as you call it, Cathy, ....and of course, you guys never drink "WATER"????

I've got more pictures I'm posting tomorrow....

[17W]

I spoke to Jerry Pretzman about digging some pics out from when the 2 of you work together......

[Ron Hill]

One "CRAZY SUMBITCH" riding in the F Runabout, with the white bill on his helmet is Jimbo...This is the first turn at Bakersfield. George May, Jr. is driving the DeSilva with a John Toprahainan 4:60.

The other DeSilva was John Soto, and the OPC boat at the bouy, may have been Lee Harris....Or maybe, Moe Paulsen. (OPC "R" under WOA was a gas burning "F" Runabout..).

[Ron Hill]

In an attempt to get new CLUB MEMBERS, my brother scheduled a RACE on January 2, 1961. Many thought my brother "INSANE", but to us "RACERS" we thought this was a great idea. Jimbo came down from Needles and ran about 5 classes, towards the end of the day, he was wearing out and he flipped his B Runabout. It was cold, he was tired, he hadn't trophied in any of his five classes....So, when he it the water, he was convinced he must be hurt...beside, he was cold as hell and by stopping the heat, he was able to get warm quicker. The dark haired guy is Russ Hill, Jr. and the blond is Me...Jimbo is on the stretcher...Skinned knees, beat up EGO, but JIMBO was fine...

[Ron Hill]

Jimbo had a B, C and D Sid Craft hydro, and a B, C, D Hill Runbaout, after he got back from Vietnam. This is his C Runabout. Note the wy Hill fins were cut. (Designed to be out of the water on the straightaways, but big enough to hold the boat in the corner).

This is a 12 foot C Runabout. My dad and I built this just like Doc Andrew's C Runabout. Darrell Sorensen still has Doc's boat He runs it a Top of Michigan and other Marathons. Jimbo's boat was built in the winter of 1967, Doc Andrew's was built in the Winter of 1968....Neither were too good for the Mark 30-H, as I built them for my weight, 235, and Jimbo and Doc Andrews were quite a bit lighter, and the boats, with lead ran with the nose in the air, much like this picture. No one, in those days, would have considered putting lead in the nose....

[Ron Hill]

About ten seconds after that F Runabout shot, where Jimbo is riding behind, George May, Jr, they flipped...

I've given Jimbo my lap top computer and we've set him up on wireless....So, he now how no reason not to be "ON LINE" all the time...

[jimbos nephew]

Hello all at BRF, thanks so much for all of the Jimbo pics and discussion. I have been downloading pics to share with my Pops (Jimbo's step brother)when he comes to town this month. I was lucky enuf to spend my youth and teens making trips to Needles, (dad's home town). To hang out with Mac and watch Jimbo and Pete race boats. It is just awesome to read these stories and learn so much ! Thanks again, R. Burke.