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Thread: Dick O'Dea Gentleman Boat Racer

  1. #11
    Team Member MN1's Avatar
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    Is this a Karlsen Hydro like Dick O'Dea's?
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    Last edited by Ron Hill; 02-24-2009 at 12:10 AM.

  2. #12
    Team Member J. Sherlock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MN1 View Post
    Is this a Karlson Hydro like Dick O'Dea's?
    Looks more like a drag boat,, maybe a Jones?

  3. #13
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    Default That's a beautiful boat

    Here is a pic of Dick O'Dea and Bill McEvoy from the reunion at DePue.
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  4. #14
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    Default Dick O'Dea

    I don't remember when Dick O'Dea stopped running stock outboard boats, or when he stopped racing "alkies"- it must have been some time in the 60's...maybe early 70's. It must have been at the Lowell, MA race site when I remember seeing him in his "awards jacket". As a kid, I looked up to many of those great racers who raced in Massachusetts- Larry Castagneto, Bill Giles, Ken Rosado..... Dick O'Dea was a great driver who occasionally drifted through our region. I was a young kid then, but Dick's jacket and what it represented left a lasting impression on me. His jacket, as I remember it, had the APBA "US" patches starting at the top of the sleeve (one below the other) and ran down to his wrist- on BOTH sleeves! You see, I would have done anything to win anything that was big! My realistic view of the world told me that I was destined to be one of the thousands of drivers over the years who would participate in outboard racing and never really accomplish anything. I wouldn't win even one of the items that Dick had so proudly displayed on his jacket!
    Should I say DECADES later? Well eventually I was able to win a number of really special races and awards. I always remembered that jacket and all those patches.... then I made my own jacket! It was similar to Dicks jacket, only I have to admit not quite as "full" as Dick's jacket was. Isn't it funny how certian things in our childhood can continue to influence our thoughts when we get older? I have my jacket... and in practice I rarely wear it. It seems as though there is always something else to wear that is close at hand.

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    Question sk 66

    I was wondering if this is the same Dick O'Dea that was or neighbor on Greenwood Lake. I know that we had a Dick O'Dea about 7 houses down from us and that he too was a racer at the same time my dad was. My father knew him but I only met him twice. If so all our neighbors were in love with us!!!!! Between an SK boat and a race outboard we were far from quiet. Had to test the boats someplace right!!!!!!!!

  6. #16
    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Only One RKO Radio

    I thought someone would answer this...But an O'Dea from Jersey that played with boats....Seems it would be RKO, Richard K. O'Dea as in RKO Radio!...

    Dick O'Dea kilo boat wasa Karleson, I think...The other boat in question is a Ron Jones ....

    Pretty sure this is Bob Piper of Garden Grove, California... I saw this boat in the Strawberry Festival Parade many times in GG. I doubt that Bob Holloway ever kneeled in this boat...If I run arcoss Bob, I'll ask him...But this is Bob Piper for sure!

  7. #17
    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Dick O'Dea Has Some Questions...

    Hi Ron,




    I was thinking of you the other night while searching Google about old time unusual
    boat racing sites. Maybe some of the readers would know about the 3 listed below.

    1-A quarry of some type in PA where Hank Bowman and others ran night time boat races under lights. Alky hydros after WW2. I heard of this site, never saw it, Craig and Shannon may know about this?

    2-Seekonk Speedway,MA . Speedway is bowl shaped (still is there), About 1950 speedway was flooded with 12ft. of water and stock outboard races were held there.
    I went and watched 1 time, A driver by the name of Tommy Von Mello won some races as I remember. I also remember if you ran on the outer edge of the course you could knock your lower unit off on the track pavement.

    3-Danbury Speedway, Danbury CONN. after WW2, built a moat around the race car track for boat racing. The speedway had a number of boats built using Crosley engines for very small inboard race boats. I never saw a boat race there, but heard from friend about the boat races. Also heard a midget race car ended up in the moat one evening?

    Best,
    Dick

  8. #18
    Sam Cullis Mark75H's Avatar
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    Neshaminy Hydrodome ... near where the bowling alley is near Neshaminy Mall in PA, north of Philly. Was actually a gravel pit off the creek that they dug a trench in and flooded.
    Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.


  9. #19
    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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