Jerry Waldman and Hank Menzies Awards....

[ferv888ipba]

I remember the Nationals at Depue and having one heat eliminations with over 600 entries. Testing started the weekend before for some of the midwest guys who would then go to work until Wed pm and then come back to Depue. Sometimes you had to have the fastest 2nd to get in to the finals.
It seemed that Jerry was always there.

Jerry would be there with what I used to call the "pink ladies." W-1 to whatever. He would be seating the rings all week. Never forget, he had the best look of any driver while going on the course. He would start his own engines, then set the throttle and then fold the starting rope up as he headed up the course toward the mouth of the river, yes you used to be able to go all the way to the mouth of the river. He kept the motor at the level that he came off the beach with until he got off the course than would step it up as he went away from the course. He then would make one pass down the back stretch hauling a?> and then bring it in.

He would do interviews at the drivers meetings hauling a tape recorder around with him talking to all the drivers. Everyone loved him and was sad at his passing.

I remember one year in F hydro Wayne Walgraves had one the first heat in that funky looking, but fast hydro of his and Ted May and I had a bet before the first heat. I bet on Wayne after watching him test all week and he said, "no way Waldman will take it, not that Ted wanted him to. However, Wayne could not fire up for the second heat and Jerry won the championship with his "44" Quincy. What a great Nationals that was.

Ray

[champhotrod]

I remember Hank Menzies telling me about some of his Dental patients
looking at him funny. Seems the inside of his nose was blue from painting the trim on his Hammercraft boats. I got to race against Hank in B runabout,
man that guy drove hard.

Cooper