Chief Tito Smith: Native American

[mercguy]

Tito had pictures of the Needles Marathon, 1960, that were in Arizona Highways....I had two more disks of pictures, but the Needles sun melted them...lost them...

Tito's love for boat racing seems to be strong now than ever.

He became a real "STUDENT OF THE GAME" and has built some very fast boats. He recently built a new trailer with a boom on it, so he can load the boat and unload them withoiut help. He's building a New C Runabout for his son, Young Tito, who is a Fireman...

Here are two pictures of Tito Built boats, Gary Lewis is driving. 350 is also a Tito Mosquito Boat, with Young Tito driving..

The Chemehuevi Indians sponsor a race every January at their landing, Havasu Landing. The sponsorship has help SCOA put on the Winter Nationals.... Tito loves having races in his front yard... He welcomes any racer to come and test, right in his front yard...

Tito didn't really want to sell me his Sleek Craft, but I said "Tito, I want to buy it." So, he sold it to me!!!

Hey, Tito THANKS for 50 years of Friendship!!!!

Gary was driving the "yellow X boat" at our race there in Havasu in January, of which he won with .....guess it does not matter which boat he is driving!

Ron, you gotta mention his son Tito Jr. also as he is also one hell of a runabout driver!!!!!!

Without this race in January at Havasu Landing, our club, SCOA would not be able to put on any other races during the year, as Tito gets the race sponsored by the tribe and gives money to our club for being there. NOW that is AWESOME, along with having the annual SCOA Awards Banquet in the Casino.........THANKS TITO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your support more than makes up for the "rough water conditions" of Lake Havasu. Ron, I wish I had a picture from last year's CSR race, as me, Tito and my brother Torei (racing a boat that Frank Zorkan brought to the race for someone to use (another story in itself, Frank that is) and all 3 of us hit a roller at the start line and all caught about 3 feet of air and we all were looking at each other, trying to figure out who was going to back off first, well...........it wasn't me!!!!! I went on to win that race, which I think was one of the 1st wins I got in CSR in the Z-Craft I had............but did pay the price the following Monday.........very sore

also, Tito usually always brings a spare CSR to the races he attends and is responsible for getting Jeff Conant to race CSR now.....of which he told me years ago that he would NEVER get in a CSR.......which, is what I had also said 5yrs ago myself........now, I prefer CSR over the hydro classes........

[Ron Hill]

Tito,

You told me that picture of "Honest Native American" was at Lake Dolores...

Well, considering we only raced there once.....and I put it on....FYI Readers: Lake Dolores is outside Barstow on Highway 15, on the way to Vegas. A man made the lake and promised me, by October, it would be full. So, Ron scheduled a race there on October 12, 1969.

There was a lake there and it had water in it...but, it was only 12" deep....Bob Weikart broke a pulley in his BU, DeSilva, and flipped......Bob stood up, in the water, turned the boat back over...Basically, the boat or motor never got wet, as he had turned over about 5 feet from the shore...AND, he wasn't wet either....

Everyone had to pay to use the lake....beside and entry fee...I got bitched at, because this fee was not on the sanction...Later, the lake actually bemae quite popular with locals, on the weekends...water slides and jet skis...

Here is a copy of my check for the lake fees...($2.50) for the weekend...Man, things were expensive even then!!!

[Ron Hill]

I bought something from Tito, in 1969.... Eleven bucks....wrote him a check...

[Ron Hill]

Tito Smith Jr. will be racing 45 at Havasu Landing this February 14-15, 2009. Tito will be running his own boats, but will also be running Broc Hill's 45 in the Western Tunnel Tour.

I plan on sponsoring a trophy for the 45 Main. It will be The Edward "Tito" Smith perpetual Trophy for the 45 winner at Havasu Landing.

Tito Jr. is a third generation AMERICAN INDIAN Boat Racer. Seems fitting that we have a "TITO SMITH" trophy at a race his tribe sponsors.