1969 PRO Nationals

[racingfan1]

Here is some of the program from the 1969 PRO Nationals at DePue. Can anyone help with the history behind the couple of the pictures.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

In addition to many names in the program from the real "hey-day" of "Alky" racing, now called PRO, I think the two pictures were taken elsewhere at other courses, as are lots of the pictures that have appeared over the years in DePue programs.

If I am not mistaken, both these shown were taken at Lakeland, Florida's Lake Hollingsworth, when the 1 2/3rd mile course was still in existence. V-51 may be Homer Kincaid, and I remember the other photo from other sources, possibly in another thread here on BRF but do not remember now who it was said to be of.

Brings back lots of memories, as '69 was the second year I was back racing after having to lay off for 8-10 years.

[racingfan1]

While filing stuff away , I came across the results from the 1969 PRO Nationals. I would like to thank John Schubert for providing the results.

[racingfan1]

Here is the race race recap that in the Propeller magazine. Thanks again to RC Hawie for providing me the copies.

[racingfan1]

Thanks Bill for your reply. It may not be but it almost looks like the same blow over just taken in sequence. If you look at the driver of the second boat his clothes, helmet and posture in the boat look almost the same.

It is comical to look at pictures from yesterday to today. Back then you saw alot of bare arms and legs and now guys are covered head to toe in kevlar.

[racingfan1]

Like I posted on the 1967 thread if you know what equipment these guys were running, make of motor and boat , could you let me know so I can add it the lists.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Great job. I have intended to send you more stuff, just been doing other things. On the cover of the 1969 program is left to right Dick Pond driving for Marshall when Marshall ran Merc/Quincy's. In the middle is Jerry Simison in G-86, and on the inside is Johnny Woods. I believe, but not absolute, that that is Johnny Woods blowing over the hydro in the first pic, and like Bill Van, I'm sure that it is Homer Kincaid in the V-51 with a looper.

[racingfan1]

Thanks Wayne. I really appreciate what you have sent me already. I have a great respect for the all the great photos you have knowing that all of them were taken with film. Digital has made photography so much easier. I will gladly take what ever you want to send my way.


As I said earier , and I dont want to question you and Bill , but look at those two pictures and focus on the boat that is behind the boat that is blowing over. I would swear it is the same blow over just taken in sequence. The guy in second boat has the same clothes and helmet , plus look at his driving posture , it looks exactly the same.

In reading Charlottes Propeller article I would say 40,000 may be a bit bold but who knows. I can remember as a kid we lived in the " White City " area of DePue , which those of you that come in the east entrance to DePue , it is that part of town before you go down the hill and past that big black pile on the old factory site. We would walk down to the races because to try and find a parking place anywhere downtown was almost impossible. I remember one year that people had to park in that grassy area between the road and the railroad tracks that was opposite the old New Jersey zinc factory and walk to the lake from there. If I could bring back one thing it would be the fireworks display that was put on at the end of races. That ended the year the gentlemen who were setting off the fireworks on the barge dropped a flare into the box of fireworks and the whole thing went up.

BTW - you may need to clean out your PM inbox. I tried to send you one but it says it full and you cant receive any more. Once again I want to thank you for everything.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Dale:

Regards some of the score sheets and other material the have Charlotte Queen's imprint on them. Did you ever get hold of Clyde and was he able to help you?

Regards the pictures:

If you now have a number of score sheets/Programs or other information from earlier DePue races, perhaps in the earlier ones there are driver listings that will give the identity of the driver of V-51? I notice in the program posted, as in all the DePue programs I have seen over the years, drivers are listed with their numbers. As both Wayne and I stated, we think it is Homer Kincaid, but Wayne made the comment about a Looper on the boat in the picture, and unless the photo was taken a number of years prior to the date on the program, I never knew Homer to run a Looper. Gene East has also commented that though he had the highest respect for Homer as a driver, he always competed against Quincy as a member of the "enemy" camp, in other words, other make motors than Quincy made. I have contacted his Grandson some months ago and asked him to participate in threads about Homer, but he has not done so to this time, whether for lack of time or interest, I do not know.

The reason I think it (sequence of photos) at Lakeland, Fl., is I think I recognize both the Judges stand there behind the first photo, and also the Lakeland course was the only one I am familiar with that had the metal standards with the cones on top that marked the course. There may have been other courses that used that type marker, but Lakeland is the only one I was ever at that did. I certainly was not at every course in the nation, so others may have used the same type marker, but that is why I thought it was Lakeland.

I know YOU realize the following is true, but perhaps others do not. We are very fortunate from a history standpoint, from the mid 60's onward until Wayne and Baldy stopped competing, that he kept the notes he did and also the photos he took still exist. Without his diligence with keeping the negatives and filing them with a retrieval system of some type, we all would be out of luck and much of the history of that period would not exist.

I hope you are able to continue with your quest and all who can contribute to the DePue history will help you. DePue is a really special place for all who have competed there, whether they became Champions or not.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks for your indulgences Bill Van, but not all my notes survived. I think Dale is most likely correct and you are too. Those pictures were from Lakeland, Florida. I'm not sure what year, but I will bet that they were taken by a photographer that later became famous as a wedding photographer, and made a name conducting seminars on wedding photography and writing many articles in professional publications. His name is Don Donnelly.

It may not be him, but I have a number of photos he took from the same position when Tim Butts brought us some new varnished but unpainted boats down from Michigan in 1974. Don was in a boat standing off the start finish line to get the start, boats racing and the finish. There were the same standard hard pole bouys all around the course, but you can see in the background familar landscape like the judges stand, the clubhouse and other familiar pit scenes that appear in the DePue program.

These photos appeared in almost all big programs of those days for many years. There are several programs that had the complete blowever sequence with V-51, AND Johnny Woods blowover at the same race. I'm guessing it was around 1965. Tim Chance might know, and if he wasn't taking the photos, he might know some details, because I'm thinking he might have published them in Hydroplane Quarterly. Just thinking off the top of my head now, but like Bill Van said, we'll try to help you track down this information Dale. I was brought back to a capsule in time the last two times I've been to DePue. Your town has a huge impact in the special memories of a lot of alky racers.