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Thread: Rudy Raymos, More Than Rayson Craft Boats

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    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Rudy Ramos, More Than Rayson Craft Boats

    I thought there was a THREAD for Rudy, but I couldn't find it....Rudy goes back much farther than this 1970 Powerboat Magazine...
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    Last edited by Ron Hill; 01-27-2019 at 10:54 PM.

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    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Where Do You Start With Rudy???

    I don't know when I "Officially" met Rudy, but I had known who he was long before that....

    I'll need to check some facts, and hopefully many will add facts... But let me start by saying Rudy was a Boat Racer 24-7 all his life.

    Some Quick Facts About Rudy:

    1. Rayson Craft boats got their name from Ramos and Son... Rudy's dad owned a large foundry in Gardena, Rudy worked in and around the business most of his life, but he didn't like the foundry business, he liked Boat Racing...

    2. Rudy either started Boat Drags or was the first to ever go over 100 MPH, or both... I'm not sure who would know for sure...

    3. Rudy won the Salton Sea 500 three times, I think in a row... He was using an Allison Engine for one or two of the wins, so the rules got changed to car motors only...

    4. At the 1967 Parker 9 Hour, Rudy and Ed Olsen drove together in a twin Ford Cobra Powered Rayson Craft...They didn't win, but led for hours...I can still recall those two Corbra's with 16 straight pipes stick up behind the driver... Rudy and Ed ran that mother FLAT FOOTED til she broke...At the time and I still feel this way, I could not have imagine myself driving that boat....I didn't have the hair then, and for sure wouldn't have it now....God they gave that big inboard a ride.....When Rudy had the wheel his muscles would be bulging hanging on... Coming by the pits, roaring, shaking the ground.....

    5. 1966, Havasu Classic was won by Don Harper and Dutch Blazer in a 21 foot Rayson Craft with three Mercs... 118 boats, all outboards, no factory support...except for four Evinrude/Johnson Boats...Til that race, everyone thought of Rayson Crafts as INBOARD BOATS...

    6. Rudy always "PROMOTED" BOAT RACING, I personally never felt he was trying to promote Rudy Ramos, it was Boat Racing, that Rudy liked to promote...At the 1967 Havasu Classic, Rudy Teamed with Bill Cooper and a young driver named Mike Reagan....(The son of California's governor.) Rudy had some help from Mercury...Bill Cooper drove two hours Saturday and Rudy drove two hours...and without covering old news was in second at the end of the first day....Mike Reagan was at the wheel when the BIG RAYSON CRAFT crossed the finish line first triple and first overall.. Rudy was talking to my brother, at Long Beach, just last month....Rudy said to Russ, "Do you remember when your brother won Twin Engine at Havasu?" Russ said, "YES."... Rudy then added who won OVERALL???? Russ thought and then said Mike Reagan, Bill Cooper and Rudy Ramos...Rudy later had a Twin Engine Jones, that Ron Larson got badly hurt in when he blew it over...Then Rudy ran a triple Jones for years, before he changed it to a KT....

    Rudy's boats will always be considered V-Drive boats, but don't forget their OUTBOARD HISTORY...

    7. I'm pretty sure that the Super Stock Class was started by Rudy.

    8. Rudy donated time and money to promoting GN...He donated $500 to prize money for the 2006 Long Beach Sprint Nationals...Where his GN NUMBER 9 won....Dave Rankin did a great job driving...the Bouncey built engine ran like a song....

    9. Rudy made an Anti Bucketing Helmet with under arms straps, I posted pictures here, but can't seem to find them... http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...ht=Rudy+Raymos Link about Rudy's helmet.

    10. Rudy raced Offshore and even announced on live radio, many Offshore races. He'd fly over the course in KLAC 570 Radio and tall what was going on. I'd listen to the race, then as it was ending, jump in my car and hurry down to see the boats coming if after the race... Rudy had a 30 Chris Cat called Coors Light...

    11. Rudy probably started every Catalina Ski Race...he pulled his daughter, Ronni, with a triple Engine Evinrude powered Scarrab..Ronnie and Stan Leader latter team to win mixed doubles..several times...

    12. Rudy's only wife was Frankie Ramos...I think she and Rudy started the Long Beach Boat and Ski Club. The club that still promotes the Catalina Ski Race.

    13. Rudy may have been the first to ever put velcro on his life jacket and the seat, so the driver wouldn't fly out as easy...Bill Cooper and Mike Wallace may have done this first...

    I'm sure I've left out tons of stuff from Rudy LONG LIFE, hope some of you can add to my post...

    Rudy called me often the last few years....I'd stop and see him whenever I was near...Rudy never had a son, but he had many drivers over the years that were like sons to him... My dad always did his propeller work on his outboards...The GN prop that they used at Long Beach was worked by Chad Hill...Rudy always liked to let me know that they USED MY KID'S PROP.

    In the spring of 1998, we bought Rudy's 30' cat..Chad worked on that thing for about six months straight Rudy sold it to us at a cheap price knowing it was going to be Chad's job to rig it....

    When Rudy sold his medium sized building last year, and moved to where he was, he called me and said I want to to sell this Ships Throttle Thing on E-BAY.....So, I GO UP TO Rudy's, HE'S GOT THIS BRASS ANTIQUE HELM THING THAT WEIGHS ABOUT 500 POUNDS. I tell him nobody will buy that thing on E-Bay and how would we ship it anyway??? And how much did he think it was worth??? Rides says, it should be worth $1,500... I say, Rudy, I can get $1,000 for scrap brass....He says, well try and sell it...

    So, I take a bunch of pictures, and list it for $1,500 first bid....Christ, the things sells for $2,200...I sold in Mexico, and I HAD TO SHIP IT TO TEXAS...I spend a whole day making a crate and boxing this "HELM THING"...Cussing myself for getting in the middle of it...I get the helm loaded on my truck, I pull out the $2,200 and start to give it to Rudy...He say, just give me $1,500....He say, I didn't think you'd sell it and I didn't know how to get it out of the house...He says, "Thanks.".....I say, "THANKS......." Then, he says why don't you take those magazines....? Four boxes of old magazines that 1970 Hot Boat was one.. I think he just read them, tossed them in the boxes, as the newer ones were at the top, older at the bottom....


    Rudy would call me sometimes 5-6 six times a day...But he never had a recorder on his phone, so half the time I called him back, I couldn't get a hold of him....Many people that bought props from Rudy always asked me were they supposed to pay Rudy or Me??? I'd always joke and say who do you want to et the money, me or RUDY??? Rudy and I have dealt on props for forty years.....honestly, I don't think any money ever changed hands...Rudy sold me lots of props....I always felt I was OK with his deals, and I think Rudy always felt OK with them too!!!!

    I went by to see him, after Long Beach, to tell him how proud I was of his WIN....Even though, I told him, I was rooting for Plan B...(Because they had MY prop, not Chad's...) He was in great spirits, told me how much he enjoyed talking to my brother at Long Beach....I told him I really wanted to drive THE TUB of FOOLS in nostalgia....he said maybe.....Maybe is right Rudy, when I see you again, I be ready to drive her...

    Rudy always ran NUMBER 9...My outboard number was 9, Chad still uses it....Rudy, I'll keep my promise I'll get a good prop for Lance...

    Picture of Rudy, in the 1970 Powerboat magazine...

    THE SECOND PICTURE IS THE CAT WE BOUGHT FROM RUDY..IT WAS CALLED THE COORS LIGHT BOAT AT ONE TIME...
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    Last edited by Ron Hill; 03-12-2022 at 07:22 PM.

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    Default Velcro on the life Jacket

    Interesting you should mention the velcro to keep you in the seat. Back in the late 60s or early 70s, a friend of Dr. Cannan (whose team I was part of) used velcro on his seat and life jacket. The boat capsized and he couldn't get free of it and drowned. If I remember correctly, he was Harley White, and the boat was KM38
    John
    John Engle

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    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Hot Rod Magazine, February 1965

    This is a d for Rayson Craft Boats.. February, 1965.

    AJ Foyt articles in the same issue...
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    Last edited by Ron Hill; 02-16-2009 at 10:06 PM.

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    You know life is a funny thing... I had always heard of Rudy Raymos. Often read about him. Never thought I would get the chance to meet him. Then I met him at long beach in 05 when I asked him for help with our heap. After that he would call me at least once a week to see how things were shakin! I remeber telling my wife when my cell rang on one particular occasion... honey hold that thought... This is Rudy calling to speak with me... her response was... Rudy who??? Mine was... Rudy Ramos! Duh... were buds & now I must talk with him about important stuff! Rudy was a real cool guy & had a real serious love for the sport! I am honered to own one of his children & will think of him every time we use it!

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    He was one of my heros growing up, and I always took the chance to talk to him at Long Beach when he was in the pits, and later when I was working in the boat shops and our paths would cross. He woudn't have known me if I fell on him, but he was always a blast to talk to, if not about boats, then hot rods. I was invited to attend a CRA dinner a few years ago and he was there too, along with Buck Smith and a few other boat guys who were all car guys first. It was a great evening for sure.
    Rudy, Nordskog, Irv Brendel, all use to race either with CRA or on the dry lakes. Some like Nordskog did it pre war too!

    Here's a shot of Rudy I found a while back to add to the thread, not a boat, but very cool.



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    Quote Originally Posted by RonHill View Post
    Some Quick Facts About Rudy:

    1. Rayson Craft boats got thier name from Ramos and Son... Rudy's dad owned a large foundry in Gardena, Rudy worked in and around the business most of his life, but he didn't like the foundry business, he liked Boat Racing...
    Hey Ron, great write up!!!

    I used to talk to Rudy here and there and interviewed him many times. In one interview he said the Rayson name was from His dads first name combined with son so-> Ray and son = Rayson. Also, the first to 100 is an elusive subject because apparently there were 2 guys that ran 100 on the same day in two different places.

    Thanks for the awesome write up and great site. And watch out for Maximus,, I hear he's a light stepper.

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    Quote Originally Posted by V-Drive Video View Post
    Hey Ron, great write up!!!

    I used to talk to Rudy here and there and interviewed him many times. In one interview he said the Rayson name was from His dads first name combined with son so-> Ray and son = Rayson. Also, the first to 100 is an elusive subject because apparently there were 2 guys that ran 100 on the same day in two different places.

    Thanks for the awesome write up and great site. And watch out for Maximus,, I hear he's a light stepper.

    Jerry put the pickle jar back! Dammit...

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    You can see Rudy's Hot rod at the Peterson Automotive museum in Pomona, right at the fiar grounds adjacent to the Pomona Speedway.

    Also, if you go to reply #509 in "Do you Know" on this forum, you can see a very cool AMT model boat of Rudy driving his Rayson craft powered by a SOHC Ford motor.

    Though I never had the priviledge to meet him, his accomplishments were incredible.

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    I just sold a 75 RC day cruiser with a Berkeley in it, any idea how many boats Rudy made with jets?
    Last edited by Ron Hill; 11-17-2020 at 11:06 PM.

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