Jimbo McConnell--The Wizard of OZ

[MN1]

Another from 1981 at St. Louis in OZ class. What's up with the long snout on the front cowl? This photo shows the bump out on the CCC mid too.
Mark N

[Sam La Banco]

When I first started working at OMC back in 72, I found out the race boat shop was in the back part of our engineering lab area. It was suppost to be off limits for the rest of engineering and always had the door closed.

I would try to do my testing as close to that door as possible, hang around and wait for someone to come out, so I could talk my way in.

I could hear Jimbo, Goat and John Hervat working back there, but never saw them. Finaly one day, I met Jimbo and told him I was racing stock outboards.

From that day on, I would eat lunch back there when I could (had to knock on the door) and druel over the boats and listen to Goat and John tell stories, Jimbo was always smiling.

I wonder if he remembers giving me 2 stock outboard prop boxs he was making for himself, when he figured he wouldn't need them anymore?

There was always a boat upside down in there, but the thing I remember the most, is John Hervat working on Jimbo's mod 50 boats, John would work on things for days to get them to weigh as little as possible, I remember a seat John made out of Aluminum that was impossibly light. I think he worked on that thing for a week.

I bought a MOD 50 Molinari out of there that I believe Bob Hering changed the bottom on which did not work, I reworked it for my first Sport E boat.

I got it thanks to Jimbo and Goat, of course, I think it was just taking up room
on the racks that all the boats were stored on back there, and they were glad to see it go.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A surprise birthday present Jimbo. I had some time this evening and was looking through some Powerboat issues to see if I could find any reference of who owned that Molinari that blew over with twins and was recovered 20 years later. I haven't found that yet, but in the April 1972 issue of Powerboat I found this. I am not sure if Ron has posted any part of this before. I have looked at too much stuff to remember. If he has Sam....you can wipe this post out. If not......again happy Birthday, and many more.

p.s. You did good too Ron.

[Ron Hill]

Everytime I see that black 191 I get mad at Jimbo. That was the boat I was to run at the February Miami 225, when we got blown out. I left Miami thinking Fred Hauenstein and I would drive that black and white 191.....Seems, well it is all history now and I should let it go....

Jimbo says he's only been mad at me twice in his life...The first time, he can't remember why he was mad,, but I think it was when I painted his Indian Motorcycle white, with house paint and brush...whole cycle, tires and all...seemed like a good idea at the time....It didn't make the motorcycle look any better....

The other time he got mad is when I wouldn't stop and let him eat lemon morenge pie for breakfast in Oregon.....He says he'll never forget that...

For a guy that says he doesn't care about boat racing anymore, he sure seemed interested in MY D MOD RUNABOUT project....Said, "He'd get a hydro if 'n he was me..." Wanted to know how Jeff and Tammy did in New York...wanted to know when we'd be testing (In Needles) the new B and H J Hydro I bought.... Seems to me, if someone wanted to race boats and win, all they'd have to do is move to Needles and hang out with JIMBO....and ask questions and THEN LISTEN TO THE ANSWERS....

He thanked everyone for the birthday wishes.....I didn't thank him for 50 years of friendship, he'd think I was dying or something....

NOTE TO LARS: Needles could be a good headquarters for your Formula One team...Nice winter home...Hire RJ West, J. Michael Kelly, J DUB Meyers...or Tony Lombardo to drive...or Mike Perman. John Peeters will not leave the O'Boy Oberto Team....I could go to the races and complain....

[Ron Hill]

Well, I spent just a couple of hours with Jimbo, Friday......He said if I'd find him a Short Sponsor D Sid Craft, he'd take a ride....I'd like to call his bluff...

Dam fool tried to kill me in his Jeep...He drives that thing like he was trying to win the Six Hours of Paris. Something that Jimbo and I never did...

I know where a Sid Son C Hydro is and I may go get it....tell him it is a short short sponson Sid....

Jimbo's health is good....at least he told me it was!!!!

[Ron Hill]

I met Brett Bane the other day. He's editor of Performance Magazine, he said he'd done an article on Jimbo when he was at Hot Boat...He added how much fun the article was for him to do and wondered out loud what a follow up article would be like....Jimbo was hurt in 1985...24 years is a long time for fans to remember....

I found this picture of Jimbo in the 1970 Beloit Stock Nationals program....Mrs. Laura Hill Life Jacket, Bubble shield...Hill Boat...Can't see Jimbo's face but you know damn good and well he's got a smile you can see for a mile!

Jimbo and dominos?? I can see him with Dominos pizza....

Thanks for the memories of JIMBO!!!

[Ron Hill]

See, OUT WEST, we do things differently. My dad made SCOA's clock using a Bar-b-Que spit electric motor. He made many parts, but to power the clock's arms and not have the wind blow them willy nilly he hooked the electric motor to the main clock shaft with a Gillmer belt (Same belt that drove the 30-H and 55-H mags.) My dad spent a ton of time on this clock getting it to take a polariod picture at the exact time the clock hit 60.

Well, the OLD MAN's tests worked great with an almost dead battery. But with a full charged battery we had a 53 second clock. Which probably saved many a driver over the years, but it would also slow down toward days end. Sometimes we had a 65 second clock.

Jimbo, Ted May, Ernie Dawe, The Davidsons, and me, ran many classes and we learned the camera didn't lie, but the clock sure as hell wasn't always right, but the clock with always the clock.

We learned over the years, to WATCH THE CLOCK and don't watch anyone else. I'll ask Jimbo, but I doubt he ever used a stop watch to time a start when he raced in Region 12.

But the words "Drive your own boat" are my father's words to Jimbo when he first started. Jimbo was always the most popular driver in California, even though he wasn't always the BEST DRIVER......and He never forgot that fact. Old and young racers, never mattered, Jimbo always had words of encourgement.

ADD: You do know that every little black Mercury on Jimbo's Goat Boat's cowling was for a race he'd won beating a Mercury!

[Jimbo Boat 191]

The black and white Scotti boat that John referred to in the previous post was not the Scotti used in the Introduction of the Rotary in the Miami Marine Stadium. The Scotti boat that I used for the Introduction, as well as running in Parker, Az. in 1973, was the boat Scotti had built for himself to run at the Lake Havasu World Championships in 1972. After the Havasu race the boat was painted the Silver, Blue and Red scheme that everyone is familiar with at the Introduction and the 1973 Parker race.The black and white boat that John has referred to was used in the testing and the development of the Rotary, before and after the Introduction of the Rotary and the Parker race. That Scotti boat was featured on the cover of the PowerBoat magazine in April, 1972, when Ted May and I won Parker,1972, with a V-4 on it. That boat was destroyed during another Rotary endurance testing session, also in Stuart, but after the Introduction of the Rotary in Miami and after the Parker race where the Rotarys were run for the first time. It was being driven by Rich McKinnley. I was not there, since I was scheduled to be in Brugge, Belgium. When Jack Leek arrived in Brugge and I asked, "How the testing went", he opened up his briefcase and tossed me a little chunk of black & white wood. My first concern was for Rich, and Jack said he was fine, but the chunk was all that was left of the front of the boat. It was a blow-over and the boat was never repaired.

[Ron Hill]

Dave Bryan and I went to see Jimbo last Thursday...He didn't want me taking pictures of himself or his stuff...I told him I was going to anyway. The Prop Nuts plaque is an original that my brother cast circa 1952 when he worked a George Peak's Foundry. George was a F Racer. I think Russ made 24, later Ed Peters made a few copies in 1969. This maybe be he only one left.

o!

[Jeff Lytle]

Some interesting footage showing Jimbo winning his 1st Unlimited heat at the 1983 Houston World Championships. There are other videos in the series as well showing both Jimbo, and Renato Molanari running outboard tunnels in this race.