Raceboat and Switzer Wings

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 03-02-2005

I love your stories Ron. This photo of Ted isn't of course in Paris, but it shows him of the warrior that he is. Reminds me of a lefthanded gunslinger, but where's the gun? He's always turning left and that's where the duel plays out.

**Ron Hill** · 03-03-2005

Ted loved boating and racing. He theory was, "If you do 99 per cent of your running testing, you only have a 1 per cent chance of breaking down in the race."

Ted should have had the nickname of "Freeway" because he never took his tunnel boat and trailer off his Ford pick up. You'd see him driving all over with the boat on the back. Many thought it was welded on to truck. He was a mobile billboard for boat racing...

Doing battle...Ted was 21, in 1941, and California passed a new law that you couldn't be over 21 and play high school football. Ted was quarterback for Manual Arts High for seven years. They won the state Championships every year.

In 1941, November, he joined the Navy. World War Two started in November. Ted spend five years aboard a ship in the Pacific. When the war ended, he came home and played quarterback of the United States Navy's team.

I met Ted in 1955, he was 34, I was 11. We had much in common. Ted enjoyed playing with Cherry Bombs and so did I. Ted liked to ride in boats, so did I. We Both started racing the same year, 1955.

**T2x** · 03-03-2005

Interesting point...

Many years ago I pointed out to Gary Garbrecht,,,that when I had great equipment...I went as fast as anybody...and when I didn't...I didn't.... this was my way of pleading for the good stuff....

His reply....pretty well summed up my place in boat racing's pecking order.

"Yeah Rich..... but some guys go fast without the best stuff!"

I have no idea why I thought of this but Ron's recollections of Ann Strang struck a nerve.

In retrospect I still have to wonder who "some guys" were......

T2x

**B VALACHOVIC** · 03-12-2005

Renato Molonari U.I.M. Formula OneWorld Champion in the Martini & Rossi sponsored boat 1984

**B VALACHOVIC** · 03-12-2005

Bob Spalding U.I.M Formula One World Champion in the Pro One sponsored Hodges boat in 1985. This is the first of two Safety Capsule boats ever produced for the Formula One series. Bob's teammate Bertil Wik competed in the other.

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 03-12-2005

Racin's done........all packed up.
Worn out from takin' boats up & down this seawall....
tired....hungry ... & all banged up.....
blew a lower unit...........fried a piston.......
didn't finish in the money.............
four hours home........got to be at work first thing tommorrow....

But HEY..........NEXT WEEK'S CONSTANTINE!

**B VALACHOVIC** · 03-19-2005

International Formula One Gran Prix in the European theater, before it came to the United States. 1982 was the first race in the U S at the Pittsburgh 3 rivers regatta.

**B VALACHOVIC** · 03-22-2005

Cees Vander Velden from Holland #1 leading Rick Frost from Great Britain #6, both in Velden built capsule boats in the U I M Formula One 1985 tour.

**B VALACHOVIC** · 03-25-2005

Johnnie Sanders in the N A I U (insurance company) sponsored Formula One boat in 1985

**B VALACHOVIC** · 03-27-2005

Formula One Racing engines offered by Outboard Marine Corporation. The price for a complete engine was $22000.00 .May not seem like a lot today but in 1981-84 when this carbureted version was offered it was enough.