Golden Shores Winter Nationals

[Master Oil Racing Team]

The races were in Needles, but we stayed in Topock Arizona. We passed through there on the way to San Francisco in June via Phoenix, and back through there coming home by a different route. Nothing looked the same & I couldn't remember which route we took in 1969.

I do remember though as we were getting close to our destination my Dad wanted me to drive and we stopped at a store where he purchased some Coors beer. It was the first time we had ever encountered aluminum cans. When he opened the first one it was so flimsy he immediately knew what is was. Being a practical joker, he launched into talking about some politician or stupid law and the longer he talked the louder and angrier he grew. Then when he finished his beer he said "It just wants to make me strangle him.", and with his right hand, he crushed that empty can. My pit man Jerel's eyes bugged out and his mouth flopped open. He didn't know what to say and Jerel was a crazy talker. Then my Dad busted out laughing.

Dwight Eisenhower or Winston Churchill, I forgot which, passed away at that time. While we were there, I went and bought a 6 pack of beer for Jerel and myself. The guy asked me for my ID and I handed it to him. It was so dark and his eyes were so glossed over he couldn't read it very well. He climbed up on the bar and held it close to a light. He said "You're not twenty one." I said "Yes, I am." So he got down and I told him subtract 1948 from 1969 and he tried. He wrote it on a paper sack, but was so drunk he was having a hard time with math. So he did it on a calculator. He said it showed 21, but he said something wasn't right. So I counted it on my fingers and he said "O.K., I guess you're right." What he forgot to consider was that this was in early 1969 and I wouldn't be 21 until December. BTW I forgot her name, but the blonde was from Houston, Texas.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

It was the first APBA sanctioned race I ever raced in. In 1968 my sister Brenda, pit man Bud Turcotte and myself went to the 1968 Nationals at DePue to pick up 3 Marchetti's from Nick. We were only spectators. I told my Dad about how great the races were, so in early 69 we went West for the Golden Shores Winternationals at Needles.

The only drivers we knew personally were Bob Hering and Kay Harrison from NOA races in the South. We were looking forward to going up against the big names we had only read about. Ron Hill, Ted May, Fred Hauenstein, Rich Fuschlin and many others. We pitted between Sid and Bob Viera on one side and Jay Root on the other.

Interstate 10 back then was a neverending stretch of two lane highway with gas stations a rarity from West Texas and beyond. We had cans stashed everywhere. Cans of racing fuel, cans of gas, and cans of water. That Chrysler with a 440 engine could really suck up gas. AND out West it sweated out the water. We would have to stop on the side of the road every now and then to cool it down and give it refreshments.

[Ron Hill]

Been there too many times on that DAMN DESERT....We NEVER use to empty our cooler water as we never knew when we might need it...

Bob and Sid Viera...That Sid could tell better stories than me.. I'd laugh at his stories...I remember him telling me about his back going out and they wanted to do surgery....I know back pain ain't funny, but he made me laugh like a sum bitch.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These come from the May 1969 issue of Propeller.

[Ron Hill]

Several things happened all about the same time....

Golden Valley Land Company was making SERIOUS money selling lots for $4,500 with $45 down and $45 a month. They had even purchased land in the Michigan woods. Jim Briggs, of Briggs and Stratton Fame was also the largest, I think, stock holder in OMC (Johnson and Evinrudes)...Jim's sister was married to Bob Mc Cullough or a McCullough...anyway, when the McCullough's started selling land in Havasu, Ralph Evinrude and Briggs bought part of the deal.

Ralph told me he made more money selling Havasu Land than he ever made selling Evinrude motors. (McCullough had bought the land for like $100 an acre from the government...)... But, Jim Briggs always called it the "LAND SWINDLE"...

Well, as our government has a habit of doing, they started to "PROTECT" investors from "CON ARTISTS". So, they passed some kind of law that said, in effect, if you sell lots, you have prove you can get water, electric..roads...

This law came down while I was in Trenton, Michigan at the Marathon Nationals... (Golden Shores and McCullough were not related, but the both had "Land Swindles"...). I called Golden Shores, from Trenton Michigan, 1969, to tell them I'd go look at their Michigan land and find a Lake so we could have a SUMMER Nationals... I was told that this new law had gone into effect, and that they were going out of business.

This really hurt. As I had gone to Arizona, at Christmas 1968-69 to lookat a small man made lake outside of Phoenix where McCullogh had started a new "Havasu City" and they wanted me to test on the lake and see if we could have a Spring Nationals, or such!!!! (It was perfect)..

I had also gone to Colorado where McCullough was going to have a Havasu East, as they had sold all their land in Havasu City, AZ, but their new land in Colorado looked perfect to continue the Outboard World Championships. I'll admit, I was paid to go to these places, as the Winner of the Winter Nationals, also as an expert.

It was with a very heavy heart that I heard the Colorado deal was off. I had graduated from NAU (Northern Arizona University), I had met Barry Goldwater, after he'd lost to LBJ.... I was always a Republican, though my father had been a Union painter. After the Land Swindle laws were passed I became a very strong Republican.

Truth is, my Havasu lot I'd won and Golded Shore lots, all sold for triple what they had been claimed to be worth...

Have to reread the APBA article, but Clark was given a lot free and clear, when the Golden Valley land people realized that Clark only ran Stocks and had no chance to beat the likes of Ronnie Hill.

I sold all my kneeldown equipment that year, not to return to DePue after i 1968....Damn, they had 10 cent beers...Big spender me, I'd always buy a buck's worth...

I returned to kneelers in '73, to retire again in '77. I quit MOD VP in 1985. Chad started racing J in 1986. The past IS HISTORY....sometimes, it needs to be left there, though that Winternationals was one hell of a race. 645 entries. $100 cash per heat to the winner. down to $50 for fifth...Saturday morning before the race, the Golden Valley Land guys gave my dad the prize money in cash, in a money belt, then handed him $10,000 to put on the race. After that race our club had about $25,000 in the bank...

[Ron Hill]

Jake's name is listed in BOD. He had a Marcelle Belleville hydro and a B Quincy Looper. Went pretty well really. Carried it on top his car, and he alwasy had a friend along, can't recall his name, Art......But as we pulled out of Bakersfield the week before DePue we told Jake and Art, see yu in DePue. They both said, "Yea."

Well they never showed up at DePue. When we say them at the Brawley race after DePue Carl Meyers and me asked Jake, "Why didn't you go to DePue" Art answered, "Awe Jake's car took a SH&T." Carl and I damn near died laughing. That was 1968 and my family still knows WHY JAKE DIDN'T go to DePue...

We say things like, "Why didn't you go to the river?" The answer, "Same reason Jake didn't go to DePue." I'm laughing right now....

Wayne, had I seen your dad's 440 out there on the desert

[Master Oil Racing Team]

According to the latest supreme court ruling, if Clark's lot at Golden Shores was the perfect place for a new condo, they could have it. That's why my Dad's rantings about the big spending, lying, stealing politician's ways were so believable to us when he set us up on the Coor's can squash episode.

I didn't exactly get what you meant about the 440 in the desert. But I can tell you when we got to Needles and all the pit area was taken up, my Dad didn't wait to ask questions. The overflow racers were sent down to an area where there was a shallow water crossing to some solid pit area. My Dad watched as a tractor pulled a few trailers across, and decided there was a good bottom. Not silty like we have here in South Texas. He just gunned that 440 Chrysler and we were across the other side to find us a slot in the pits.

BTW I have started a couple of times to buy some T-Shirts and BRF stickers, but I don't get anything that says Paypal. Joe Rome told me what to do but I am too stupid with computers. Is there a simpler way? (I hope I'm not the only one that dumb!

[Ron Hill]

I must spend some time work FOR BRF, not working on BRF. I have not set a Pay Pal thing up...E-mail with what you want and I can send an invoice thourgh Pay Pal...

I kind of remember the pit deal...as we had gone to Topock (Golden Shores) the weekend before the race to set the sourse and plan, widen the pit area...My dad went down to Topock on Wednesday and guys were showing up like Harrisons, Max McPeek, Johnny Puestow, Clark...

When you guys showed up, I panicked thinking we'll never pit all the guys...I kind of remember your Old Man just driving out on the island...I said, "Well, that takes care of the pit problem..."

The real PISSER about Topock was that the Tullies grew in there the next year and the new regulations would not allow us or anyone else to remove them. Because, prize money was COOL.....but the race course itself was really cool, I thought...Of course, I won most of the races...

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Had to go move stuff around in our storage loft to make some room for more stuff. while moving some boxes of magazines , I sat down and started going through some issues. I didn't get much straightened out, but I found this. The article appears in POWERBOAT Magazine May 1969m Vol I, No. 10.

[Ron Hill]

If you look at the Parker pictures....I said a "GUY" in the V-8 outboard was "STROLLING"....I made it sound like they were new to boat racing...

The guy, who didn't enter until Friday was Bob "Curly" Williams.....Look at the B Stock Hydro results from the Winternationals...

The sickness can't be cured, but we need to protect and serve our masses...

Curley brother's son, races 45 in the Western Formula Lights Series....(Jason Williams) and has do quite well this year...

Do I look GREAT in my DeSilva with a CHRYSLER on the back.....At the time, and now too, I thought, "Christ, I have a 90 MPH Konig, maybe 85 with Clark Maloof hanging on to me.....probably a cool picture, somewhere...and what do they put in POWERBOAT?????? A 47 mph Egg Beater!!!!! NOTE RESULTS: I was going 47, everyone esle was going about 55!!!!

I wasn't convince then and I'm not convince now, that POWERBOAT NEVER CARED about LITTLE BOATS......It was about POWERBOATS MAN!!!!!

It is OK, we have our own MAGAZINE NOW!!!! It is called WWW.BOATRACINGFACTS.COM


Wayne, you need a Tri Hull and I need one too...I'll keep it in Texas and we can race the TEXAS LEAGUE!!!!!!

Help me here... I have two trophies from Golden Shores...One says 1969 and the other says 1970....Which years DID we race???

ADD: Steven Curry took many of those Parker pictures......Did you see his dad'sname in 36 Runabout (Lane Curry)...??

One thing, I notice about BMX Magazines and Motorcycle Magazines......The people that write articles seems to LOVE what they are writing about...Reading most, if not all, boating magazines, I never seems to feel the passion that I do in even LOW RIDER MAGAZINE...

Our SPORT has the passion, we just need to cultivate it....Some of the RESTORED BOATS.....hve some great stories to be told and retold...I hope to read about them...right here, someday!!!!