Ron Hill Family: Hill Marine and Signature Propellers

[Ron Hill]

Seems I'd bet that the tall pile of COORS CANS was MY PILE...

After looking at this picture, does anyone DOUBT the TRUTH about 36 drivers drinking DURING a race???

In case you never heard, in the 1963 or 64 Needles Marathon, I was passing Danny Schwarzenbach's 36, in my D Runabout, when I saw a Coors can fly out of his boat and land on a sand bar (Beer cans were heavier then)...About two laps before I'd seen a Coors can floating in the river and had wondered how a Coors can got in the middle of our race, as I knew the river traffic was stopped during the race...

I was in inspection after the race and I told my dad, who was inspecting with Austin Secor that Danny Schwarzenbach was drinking beer during the race. About then Danny finished and pulled into inspection...

My dad confronted Danny and Danny said, "Gall Dang, it's hot out there and the race was 90 miles, sure he was drinking beer...But he wasn't now cause the race was over".....My OLD MAN goes, "What the hell are you talking about???" Danny said, "The rule says no drinking before the race and no drinking until one hour after the race...Danny said, "Well it doesn't say you CAN'T DRINK DURING THE RACE"....He said, "We all (36 driviers) took a six pack with us..."

That fall, at the APBA National Meeting, as new sentence was added to the rule...

When I found those props at Apple Valley Marine a few weeks back....I didn't mention Ken Scoville's prop, but here it is...looks good all polished...

Old Ken wrote a MILLION words, at least, about boat racing. He could call the LA TIMES collect and give them our race results, which would appear in the L. A. Times next to names like AJ Foyt, Parnelli Jones....on Monday morning.

Old Ken retired to Needles and we rented a trailer ,next to him for many years....He loved 36 Runabout to the end...All the 36 drivers were hurt deeply when "THEIR" class was dropped from APBA....