Alexandria, LA Races

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is a story about the 1967 NOA World Championships in Alex by Gina Mishey. Had no idea of some of the retired powerhouses there as spectators. Have to go to Corpus now. Will post photos and results by class of the top three later.

[Miss BK]

It warned about mixing with certain types of chemicals and also the percentage not to exceed when mixing with other solutions. If forget about all the different warnings that came with it. Of course you know it can get pretty hot in Alexandria in July, so I think Tommy had to go get a separate cooler and ice to keep it in. Other racers became curious as to what Tommy was fooling with and checked it out. Tommy was asking us how to mix it and what George might have said about it. We didn't know. Just told him to be careful with it. Before long we had lots of elbow room to our right and Tommy was just kind of isolated. The racers on both sides just quietly packed up and tried to find space somewhere else..

On the APBA website in the Forms/Downloads section, is a listing of various types of fuel additives that have been used in racing. Hydrazine is one of them...Here is the MSDS data:

http://www.apba-racing.com/Forms/Fuel/HYDRAZINE.pdf

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks Val, We had no MSDS's in 1967, although the brochures had a lot of information. There have been a lot of tests and updates since then though. I was surprised to see there were no transport regulations. Looks like this was bad stuff. The diamzine was not shock sensitive but it shows the hydrazine could form an explosive mixture above 74 degrees if rust got mixed in it. Immediate hazard levels from breathing is only 80 parts per million. You can work for 8 hours at 10ppm of the deadly hydrogen sulfide. I think to get to the same danger level of H2S you go up to around 500 to 700ppm. It also says to store hydrazine in inert conditions and away from UV rays. Hard to keep away from UV at a boat race.

It must be the drag racers that use hydrazine. Very interesting info.........Val, Thanks.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Sure would like for other members to tell some stories or post pictures about the "67 World. How about it Clayton Elmer, Artie Lund, Jerry Simison, Ralph Donald. You guys have some good stories from Alex. Lets hear them.

[Jeff Lytle]

Most of the ones you see these days are crammed with ads.......I know they have to be published and payed for, but CRAMMED!!

[Mark75H]

No, thats not a race program ... its a few pages from NOA's version of Propeller mag ..."Roostertails" ... sorry

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The last stuff I put up was from the NOA monthly newsletter of Nov/Dec 1967.

For those that didn't go to Alexandria in those days, there were two primary motels where the racers stayed. There was the Holiday Inn on the west side of McArthur and the Ramada Inn just across the street. They were about 10 minutes to Fort Buhlow Lake across the Red River in Pineville.

McArthur was wide and always had a lot of traffic. There was a lot of foot traffic between the motels too, as the racers went to and fro visiting one another. No traffic lights. When you walk or run across the street you just use proper timing and judgement to get across safely. That was usually used up by 10:00 PM. Don't remember anyone ever getting hurt, but I think there may have been some close calls.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Prior to race days, Red Pruett wanted Clayton Elmer to test and race Roland Pruett's Merc-Quincy F on Clayton's T-30 Morton hull. They floated it down to Pruett's pits and rigged up the motor. They had trouble with the steering due to the steering bar they had. In order to hook it up, they had to straighten out the S hooks a little (this was before S hooks were banned). Clayton made only one lap and came into the pits. The way the motor fit on the boat had it set with the lower unit right up against the bottom of the hydro. On the back straight at half throttle, it was all Clayton could do to stay in the boat. It was too wild and Clayton told the Pruett's there was not enough time to work out a set up he could race. So they took the motor off and hammered the S hooks back to their original shape.

They raced one heat Saturday and the second heat of each class Sunday. Clayton made a terrible start on the first heat of C hydro. He was dead last. He had a 4 carb Konig with the short megaphone exhausts on his Morton hydro. Jerry Waldman was on the inside when they got to the turn and he took the rest of the field way out. When Clayton got to the turn, there was enough room to broadside a tractor trailer through there. Clayton came out of the turn right there close to Jerry. They raced down the back straight and coming to the next turn Jerry had just enough room for an overlap. He came in wide and instead of tapping the center bouy, he left just enough room for Clayton to squeeze through. That Morton hydro of Clayton's would really turn, and when Jerry slid on out, Clayton nailed it and was gone. Jerry chased him all the rest of the way but couldn't retake the lead. Just as Clayton exited the last pin and raced full throttle to the finish, his hydro bobbled a little. It felt to Clayton like the nuts on the motor bracket were loose and the engine was loose. He kept the power on and when he crossed the finish line to look back at the engine, he saw the steering cable and pulley laying on the deck. "OH S#$&.....MAN!", he said to himself. He knew if he backed off quickly he would go on his head, so he tried to decelerate slowly. He got about 100 yards, which didn't take long at that speed, before the hydro flipped. The boat banged his leg pretty hard during the tumble.

The next day Clayton's leg was so swollen, he could hardly get around. He scratched all other classes, but he thought he would still win C Hydro. Boat owner/mechanic Jack Chance cleaned out the engine, patched the canvas deck and got things ready. For the first half of the race the motor didn't run like it did the day before, then it finally cleaned out. Clayton finished second and had enough points to claim the championship for C hydro.

[jrome]

David, I think it was the Pitt Grill. The place I remember the most was "Herbie K's Oyster House and Lounge. They advertised the WORLD'S WORST SERVICE, and it was. Food was pretty good but the service was BAD.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

There was a place about half a mile further south that was really good. Forgot the name, but the catfish was great.

Herbie Kay's did have good food, AND we did have the world's worst service there one night. They were very crowded, as ususal, and we were a party of around 15. They had a small meeting room off of one of the dining areas. One of those rooms that had the folding fan type doors. They stuck us in there and we waited patiently for 30 to 45 minutes for someone to take our order. We believed their slogan you know. Being by ourselves and clowning around while waiting, a couple of people in our party started dancing on the long table. A waitress was walking by and happened to look through a crack in the folding doors and did a double take. She came in and asked us what we were doing. We said we were waiting for someone to take our order. She asked how long we had been there and we told her. Don't know if we were assigned to her area or not, but she whipped out her note pad and took our orders. Shortly after that, the manager showed up with two complimentary bottles of wine. We thanked him and told him we just believed what the sign said.