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Thread: Los Angeles Speedboat ***'n - The Finish Line

  1. #41
    BoatRacingFacts VIP racingfan1's Avatar
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    Default May 59

    cont1
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    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Page 5, May 1959 LASA Newsletter" Hanford, California Race

    See, my dad became a Mercury dealer in early 1952. He never had a retail shop, but kept his dealership til he died in 1997. Mercury would not transfer his dealership to me. Mercury Marine people had no idea why my dad was dealer #1 in California.

    My dad promoted the first APBA race in California, actually, Parker, Arizona.

    By 1954 LASA had as many DAMN Mercury racers as "REAL" racers.

    The LASA had a meeting at my dad's house, in Bellflower. They voted to kick the DAMN Mercury's out of the club. My dad was LASA's Race Chairman. He resigned on the spot. The few DAMN Mercury owners that had attended the meeting started The United Speedboat Association st my dad's house, after the LASA meeting.

    So, by 1959, none of the Hills were LASA members. My brother may have joined a year or two...after he got out of the Army.

    In Worchester, Massachusetts, 1957, I saw hydros with no bottom fin and full length air traps. My brother had bought a Big Bee Swift and a 30-H at a race in San Diego, that fall. So, in the spring of 1958, I took control of the Big Bee, as I had raced it in A Alky Hydro in the fall of 1957, and won.

    At the 1958 Divisionals, I won AU, and made the fastest A Hydro qualifying speed. But while leading the finals, a piston pin came out and scored my block, I ran last. My dad, felt I was getting too big for A and i didn't qualify A Hydro. So, he decided not to go to the Florida Stock Nationals.

    The fall of 1958, we sold all my A stuff and we had a 30-H, Lee Morehouse gave me a boat. So, for 1959, I was going to be racing C Runabout.

    My dad put a "D" Quicksilver gearcase on my brother Six Stud Evinrude, "C". And I put full length air traps on his boat, took off the bottom fin and added a sponson fin. I'll add this, my brother had won as lot of races before he went in the Army, 1953. But by the spring of 1959, I don't think he had had A FIRST PLACE TROPHY.

    So, we decide to go to this new lake in Hanford, speed limit if still, today, 55 with a trailer in California. Russ had just gotten his license back, so he wasn't going to speed. We we got to Hanford, way behind schedule and most had been there since Saturday.

    Russ hurried down and registered. The black flag was out. But Russ asked Henry Wagner if, he could make a couple of quick laps? Well, Russ had never made a turn with a sponson fin or had never gone so fast. Add: Henry had said ONE LAP. Russ comes roaring down to the corner and full bore turns it. Bottom fins don't through water but sponon fins do. Russ made the turn with a 15 foot high spray. H e ran two laps.

    At the driver's meeting Henry said, "Hill, I said one lap and then you made two. If you are that far out of control in the race, I'll beach you."

    Russ won straight heats. Those C Hydro guys had never seen anything go that fast or turn that well.

    Now, when you read the article about Hanford, you will know the rest of the story!
    Last edited by Ron Hill; 01-25-2019 at 07:18 PM.
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  3. #43
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    That is very interesting Ron. That's what I like is to read the real story and in between the lines that you can't get anywhere else.



  4. #44
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    Default June 1959

    Here is the June 1959 edition.
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  5. #45
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    Default June 59

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  6. #46
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    Default July 1959

    July 59 was a pretty small edition , i imagine in the middle of the racing season there wasn't much time to send in information.
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  7. #47
    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default How Soon I Forget, 1959

    Well, it looks like my brother won C Hydro at Long Beach, 1959. I don't recall Russ winning many races after he got out of the Army, in 1955.

    In August, 1965, I bought Stan Armstrong's new D Hydro Sid Craft. My dad runabout had had serious damage in a car accident getting to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, but my dad and I repaired it, sort of, I raced it and sold it. So we had room on the trailer to bring this new Sid home...(Two races only). Stan was leading his qualifying heat and missed a buoy. I told my dad, that that boat needed an extended steering wheel and a larger fin.

    I race the new Sid at Blythe, in the fall of 1965. I brought a couple of friends to the race and then made them work. Their names were "Tubby and Wink", they were from New York and the funniest two guys I ever knew. Tubbie supported the Vietnam War and lost his life there. Wink went on to run his family funeral business in NY.

    My old Sid Craft went right on 70 MPH, the new one went 74 MPH. I won D Hydro both days. My brother was now with a wife and two kids and was discussing quitting.
    So, for the 1966, I had my brother run the "NEw" SID, I RAN HIS SID AND SOLD MINE.

    Russ won 9 straight that year and declined to go t the Nationals in Prineville, Oregon. I took the new Sid, and got second.

    When I got home, my brother said he was quitting with a prefect 9 racing winning streak. I was home from college and going to start teaching. Jimbo moved in with us.

    The times, they were a changing.

    I see I was third in C Racing Runabout, I'm betting this was my C Stock Runabout, as I saw a "Want Ad" from the guy that ran 4th.
    Last edited by Ron Hill; 02-22-2019 at 12:33 PM.

  8. #48
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    Ron was Craig Spencer related to Mel and Mark? And if so ...how?



  9. #49
    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Craig Spencer is Mark Spencer's Dad

    This is only coming from me, but Craig Spencer only raced M Hydro in an era when Boots Morphy won most M Hydro Races.

    Craig actually got his M going pretty fast but many thought he should move out of the "Woman's" class. In '59 he did move to A Hydro!

    I only remember Craig smoking a pipe and that Pep Hubbell's daughter, "Pinky" at 13 yera old, or something like that, beat him at the Nationals in 1956, I was 12.

    I guess, I really never knew Craig.

    Mark was always a gentleman around me and treated me with respect.

    It was an era where people lived within their means....

    Mel Spencer, once loaned me his A Hydro Konig propeller, at Lake Carl Pleasant, Phoenix, to run on my C Konig, as the lake was 4,300 feet and all my props were too big. I won C Hydro with Mel's A Hydro prop.

    I am pretty sure Mel Spencer was no relation to Craig and Mark.
    Last edited by Ron Hill; 02-22-2019 at 12:35 PM.

  10. #50
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    Default September 1959

    Here is the Sept 59 issue , It includes results from the 59 Nationals,
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