Ron Hill Family: Hill Marine and Signature Propellers

[Ron Hill]

I was racing for Harry Bartolomei, in 1967, and we went to Valleyfield to race the John Ward Race (500 CC World Championships)...Harry was, maybe I should say still is, a man who never worried about what things cost. Pop Smith, without a doubt, was the greatest propeller man EVER. He had worked in a forge before he started working propellers. His propellers were as close to perfect pitches as could be made. Pop Smith even taught Mercury Marine Propeller people how to work propellers. I have been in the propeller business since 1969, and consider myself an expert, but I would never want to be compared to Pop Smith (R.Allen Smith was his real name)as I know I could not compete with POP!!!!...Pop and I were great friends, we had several business agreements that made both of us money....I made him castings, he made me props.
But in 1967, few people in the world, Waldman and Hering maybe, Harry Bartolomei had a complete selection of Smith Alky wheels...(MAYBE 25 props)...

We got to Valleyfield and ran the 500 CC qualifier..I ran a Dieter Schultz hydro and a VC Konig (New ROTARY VALVE) 500 CC engine...I qualified with a fifth in my heat, two heats, which meant I was a 10th for the final, maybe 9th...

At the Saturday evening pre race party, Dieter Konig asked Harry why he didn't run the muffler. (We had run open stacks)...Harry answered he liked to hear them wind...Dieter said, "Run the MUFFLA".....Dieter Schultz asked why we ran didn't run the "Mufflaa?" We said, It ran best without the muffler."...Dieter Konig and Dieter Schultz said, "Run the muffleaa and Smith wheel number 295 V..." THEY FIGURED HARRY DIDN'T HAVE A 295 V BLOCK. PROP...(As they had some favors in their pockets at this race)..

Harry told me, he had a 295 V in the trailer. We put the 295 V and the muffler on and Harry added a LITTLE NITRO... Bottom Line, we won the 500 CC World Championships, and I invented LAY DOWN HYDRO....as that Konig with 20% NITRO, SMITH WHEEL 295 V, HAD SO MUCH POWER I COULD NOT KNEEL, I HAD TO LAY DOWN TO DRIVE.

I went from RAGS to RICHES with a propeller change...muffler change and a lot of nitro....

Thanks, Harry Bartolomei for giving me the chance to drive your 500 CC at the John Waard Trophy Race.!!!

Harry is the one that taught me I didn't race for money. The first heat out at Valleyfield was A Outboard Hydro..I won and $100 Canadian Dollars... Waldman and Herring were behind me. The reason I had won the heat was it was rough as hell and my throttlwe stick wide open. I remembered Gerry Hedlund telling me how he'd won an "A" Hydro rce when his throttle stuck but choking the motor going into the turn. So, that is what I did. And it worked.

Next heat was the John Ward Race..I won the first heat. As I started to get in my A Outboard Hydro throttle fixed for the second heat, Harry said, "Ron, rest, don't go out." I said, "Harry, they are paying $100 a heat to win...." Harry reached into his pocket, pulled out two one hundred dollar bills and handed them to me...And said, "Sit down and rest."

I said, "Harry I want to kick those guy's ***..."..It was then I realized I didn't race for money... I raced to win!!!!

ADD HARRY: When I was racing for Harry, I considered him "OLD"....but I always liked his comments about my women...He'd say someting like..."Ole My God....I can see what you like about her!!!".....I'd give Harry a look like you "DIRTY OLD MAN"...Of course, now days, I'd say the same thing!!! (Maybe more)...