Jerry Waldman and Hank Menzies Awards....

[Ron Hill]

Stock Outboards have two awards, one is for the driver that got the most points in one class and the other is for the driver that got the most points in Stock Outboard Racing. Truth is, I don't know if the Waldman Award is for most points in one class or most points overall....

But the 2005 Winner of BOTH was Gary Lewis of Needles, California. Needles is probably the home of mosre Stock Outboarders than any city in America. Long before Gary was born, Needles held the Annual Colorado River Marathon and Needles City Parade and
Bar-B-Q it was called "The Marathon Parade". Jimbo McConnell is from Needles, the Racing Dawes are Needles people....Anyway, Gary didn't go to Floridas to receive his awards and Ross "THE BOSS" Wallach brought them to Gary and presented them at Dirvier's Meeting, but Gary had left early....This is no slam to Gary, he likes to race, and may is actually very HUMBLE about getting his awards...He likes to have them, just never seems to make trophy presentation....

I knew Hank Menzies and Jerry Waldman very well and I quizzed Gary about these two men...GARY MISSED ALL MY QUESTIONS...but was good natured about my questions, gave me a beer or two....and disappeared before I'd finished my questions....

So, for those of you who never knew Hank Menzies, let me tell you what I knew of him. He was a dentist and always had very white teeth. He seems to have raced BU, CU and DU, and just C and D hydro. He and his father built all their boats..I always felt they were a bit on the ugly side, but would have never said "****" about them as they ran really well. I can't recall when I met the Menzies Famliy, but seemed to always knew them... Always friendly people and the famly was together....About 1968, we'd had the Nationals in Seattle, and we were heading to DePue, on Monday, and the COPS got us for no PUC permit...$30 fine and half a day wasted...Had we told the COPS we raced for trophies, they could NOT have required a PUC (Public Utlities Commission) permit....As we were leaving this little one bar town, after paying our $30 fine and proving we had insurnce...I frigging flagged Hank down of the Interstate (We were justing back on)...I told Hank if that SOB COP stops you tell him you race for BIG F*&(iING trophies...

Well, Hank, and I want to say Johnny Puestow, head out and they are a head of us....right outside of town, we come rolling by, the COP has old Hank....We don't act like we know them...About 15 minutes later Hank comes hauling by us, gives us the thumbs up and I don't see Hank unlike 1970 at Beloit...

I think Hank wins C Runabout at Beloit, but he didn't drive his boat. Some OLDER guy had a bad case of Hemmroids, and he couldn't drive, so he made Hank drive and Hank won the Nationals...

In Utah in 1973, Hank won DU, (MY CLASS)....He deserved the win....63 year old Bill Leutner runs second...I'm third..

In Dayton, 1975, I've got a new 12 foot DeSilva that is a ROCKET. I borrow Dave Procnow's Mark 30-H that my dad had built for Dave (Dave married a Berghauer, and never wanted to ask HB Berghauer for a motor. So my dad built him one that was a HUMMER. He finished 2nd at the UTAH NATIONALS IN 1973)....This DeSliva turned great, as long as you were leading. I won the qualifier and had planned to win my first C Runabout Nationals... Well, on about the third lap, I slammed into Menzes for about the fourth time, we were running about 4th and 5th...Neither of us trophied....After the race, Hanks say, "Damn Ron, you're one of th best drivers in the WORLD, why can't you turn a C Runabout without bouncing off me?" He said, "I fellt like a pool table out there" He wasn't mad, I explained that I'd just got the boat and I'd found she didn't turn well in rough water...We laughed, had a couple of beers...told some stories...

In 1977, the Nationals were at Bakersfield, Chad was born the week before and went to the races when he was a week old. I did well, I won one TITLE, but had five seconds. I was High Point Driver....The next to the last race was 35 SS Hydro. A class that I had helped start. I had purchased Serial Number 001 from Mercury Racing. They had built the 402 XS as a favor to me. The Wisconsin guys really liked me,,,,but acted like they didn't..My wife was from Wisconsin...But come the final heat of 35 SS Hydro, the ONLY way Hank could lose was if I beat him and had one boat between he and I. The Wisconsin guys tell Hank if Hill is third, be fourth...just don't let anyone between you.

Well, I understand the point system, too. Maloof is leading (He'd jumped he first heat), Broom is second, me third, Hank fourth...I've got speed on Broom but he's driving me all over the course....Last ditch effort I get by Broom in the last corner and appear to have won 35 SS Hydro......A class that I hold the kilo record in for both hydro and runabout)....But wait, they have DQ'd Broom for "ROUGH" driving...I'm saying, "No Broom is COOL.There were no fouls." 35 SS Hydro becomes one of my 5 seconds....

Menzies wins...

In 1978, I decide, I have two new loves....a one year old son and MOD VP....I sell my beloved DSH and DSR ro Jimmy Dawe Basically, Gary Lewis's step dad).....Two boats, two motors, two props and trailer for $2,200. Now the last time I sold Jimmy anything was my '59 Chevy and he and Charllie Tasker or Sonny Cox, I don't remember which, but they totaled my car the same day they bought it, driving in to the "Rock Inn" in Needles...Telephone pole got right in their way...And, the other thing, I had decided that KNEEL DOWNS were too dangerous for me. So, I didn't go to New York.

At the New York Nationals, 1978, "Hammering" Hank Menzies, the dentist from Butler, Wisconsin was killed, in 35 SS Hydro. The world lost a great person...Stock Outboard lost a great family. I think winning the Hank Menzies Award is a great honor and I congratulate Gary Lewis on winning this Award. I am glad and proud to have known and raced with Hank. I know his family missed him a ton.

So, Gary when you hang that plaque on the wall, if you can't remember who Hank Menzies was, just remember he was the Dentist from Butler, Wisconsin that everyone LIKED....