An Amazing Story

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Back to the 1977 Pro Nationals 725 hydro.

I didn't have a copy of the roster for the finals but Joe did and here it is.

Jerry Kirts--defending champ Indiana
Wayne Baldwin Texas
Rex Hall, Jr. Missouri
George Anderson, Jr. New Jersey
Howard Anderson, Jr. Washington
Trebor Billiter Florida
John Yale Connecticut
Don Wood West Virginia
Mel Kirts Indiana
Jeff Hutchins Florida
Steve Jones Texas
Rick Saver Minnesota

That's quite a spread of states. A collection of drivers from all around the country.

The current 1 2/3 mile record for 725 hydro at the time was held by Bob Rhoades at 86.042. Even though this class would allow motors up to 725 cc for a couple of year period, I think most in this class were still running legal 700cc motors. Bob set his record at Yelm. I don't think this course had the layout or the climate for records to be broken, but we tried. I used to have the times the various classes turned, but those sheets are lost.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I got a good start on the inside and was able to break free and turn Marshall's old "D" loose. I won by 10 seconds over John Yale and turned in the quickest heat of the nationals. It was 7 seconds quicker than the second fastest heat, which I presume was the second heat of 725 hydro. That is according to what few notes I have left.

Courtesy of Joe, results of the first heat.

1 Wayne Baldwin
2 John Yale
3 Trebor Billiter
4 Jerry Kirts
5 Howard Anderson

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I told about the second heat some time ago on another thread, but in continuity of the story I will retell it.

As previously mentioned, it was a little hairy at the start with boats converging in slightly different lines toward the first turn. For that reason I chose the inside as I have been trapped in the middle and put in a squeeze before. It gets pretty scary. Especially when there is so much water you can't see.

The first heat was a clean start and I broke out easily as stated previously. The second heat, however, had some gun jumpers. We were all anxious. Some just came up early and pulled the rest of the field in. At the turn, the lead boats were very slow. Water covered everything as all the boats were there together and some were hunting for a place to go. I got so spooked I did something I never did before. I went into the infield. I wouldn't have tried it in my Marchettii because I would have had to have made too sharp a right to clear the bouys, but I was infinitely familiar with what I could get away with in my Butts SHADOWFAX.

As soon as I cleared the first bouy, I went into the infield to get out of the traffic and water. As I got close to the second bouy, I turned right and looped around the outside of it then went back inside. I can't remember if there were four or five bouys marking the wide turns. It seemed like we were only going 30 or 40 miles per hour and taking forever to get through that turn. It must have been faster than that, but it just seemed very very slow. I was just biding my time, taking it safe until we got lined out on the straight.

I kept a close eye on the boats too my right and there was still way too much water. No one was sliding out thus no opening inside because we were going too slow. And I think the outside boats must have kept the middle hemmed in because there was no one breaking out. So I just cruised along just inside the course, then looped around another bouy.

I don't know if that was legal, but at racing speeds it wouldn't have been possible to do without flipping so I guess it was no infraction as long as I passed all the bouys on the outside.

As I came out around the last bouy prior to the exit bouy I saw an opening on the inside. I hit the throttle and that "D" of Marshall's responded. I was a little too early though. Mel Kirts saw the same hole. He had been patiently working his way through the water somehow and he punched HIs Konig for a breakout. Had I waited a few seconds, we would have passed the last turn bouy and had a clear straight ahead. But I didn't like being in all that water and commotion. I saw the hole and went for it.

Mel must have either not seen me, or didn't think I could get to the hole that quickly because he ran into my boat. When I punched it, my sponsons lifted out of the water, then suddenly Mel dove out of a rooster tail from the right and ran under my boat. My right sponson hit his left arm and gave him a cut. With my sponson resting on the deck of his boat Mel was pulling me with him. My prop was out of the water. I had no steering. He took me along thirty or forty feet...maybe longer before the drag on my left sponson caused my boat to turn far enough left to be pulled off. I never saw Mel look at me. It was a slow motion thing and I kept turning the wheel right and left to get loose. When the drag pulled me loose, the boat spun out backwards. I pulled the crankrope from my pocket to restart it, but I think I got some water when I spun out.

Man was I bummed sitting in the turn watching them race. Mel finished high I think, but he was disqualifed for running into me. Blood streamed down the left side of his boat, but the injury never caused him to back off once. He was right up there with Howard Anderson and Jerry Kirts, but of those three Jerry was the only legal one. Howard was one of the gun jumpers.

Here are results of the second heat.

1. Jerry Kirts
2. Trebor Billiter
3. (Joe didn't have that one written down)
4. John Yale

Here is a pic of Mel Kirts

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Results of 725 Nationals are

1 Jerry Kirts 4-1
2 Trebor Billiter 3-2
3 Wayne Baldwin 1-0

That's all Joe had. Here are some more pics of the drivers that ran that class

Next up is Kilo's DeLake 1977.

[carl lewis]

Hey Wayne,
Was Hutch's boat one of those "coffin Craft's"? they used to run something very similar for the stock classes

Carl

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I don't know Carl. I'm not familiar with them and I don't have a list of the boats that were run. But, it sure fits the description. But I'm not sure I would hang a D on the transom of anything named "Coffin".

Here's another one. I think Hutch may have been driving someone else's boat, which he did frequently.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

I believe that Jeff & Joe Zolkoske, Jr. built that boat as they had started with an "A" stock & then other classes. The boats were called "Z" Craft.

[Mike Schmidt]

How about "Rhino Crafts" ...I think the first ones were Jeff and Gene Apel (Jimmy's dad) creations. I remember them running 250-350-500-700-and 1100 at Hinton with two boats.

Michael D-1

[dave dalton]

Hi Glen,Jeff ,Wayne..I"ve been following this thread for a long time now.I tought l should say welcome aboard to Glen & Henk...Been a long time since l seen either one of these guys...Hey Glenn...after 19 yrs ...VC73319 is back in my shop...also have my Rawsoncraft copy that l built in 1979. Hope to get running this summer for Rideau Ferry Regatta...3rd week in August...

Will post some OLD pics soon...DD

[Master Oil Racing Team]

It's a great thing to be able to get back in touch with old friends Dave. I have had a lot of fun with this thread and glad it inspired Jeff to bring some of his compatriots on board. Good luck with your rig and we are looking forward to your photos.