An Amazing Story

[Ron Saxvik]

Sure doesn't look like the Jim Warren I know. Anyway, he is in Florida, maybe the Sarasota area. Initially he started another business there, had a 500 with capsule built by Trolian, but not sure what he's up to today. I'm sure Ralph might know.

John.....am wondering if this may be a different Jim Warren. Sent out some
feelers and just got a note from Dean Forshey from Marietta and he said
that this Jim is living in Myrtle Beach.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Wayne Baldwin T 73 USA
Tim Butts V 8 USA
Tim Crimmons F 57 Belgium
Mike Dertinger CE 3 Canada
Rex Hall Y 51 USA
Steve Jones T 711 USA
Dan Kirts H 2 USA
Jerry Kirts H 1 USA
Dennis McClellan F 5 USA
Kurt Mischke 12 West Germany
Jimmie Nichols Y 8 USA
Wilfried Weiland 112 Austria
David Westbrook F 4 Belgium
Don Wood E 9 USA
Erwin Zimmerman 77 Austria

The photo is Wilfried Weiland on right and pit crew. He had borrowed Bill Van Steenwyks Rhoades hydro for the event. South African George Wragg was scheduled to appear, but something came up.

[Dan M]

Wayne,

I remember Wilfreid using Bill's Rhodes boat. The first time he went out, he blew it over on the back stretch. The Rhodes boats rode really "flat" on the water. Up to that day, I had never seen one even hint at a blowover. I think because the Europeans tended to really fly their boats, Wilfreid thought the ride was just "normal". As he went down the back stretch, the boat first came up about 6 inches. A little high, but not terrible. As he progressed down further, it came up another 6 inches. I was standing next to Harry at the time and we both knew that the ride would soon be over. The boat kept climbing and had to be one of the highest blowovers that I had ever seen. It looked like a plane taking off. If my memory isn't too fuzzy, I think the boat landed upright, Wilfreid came out uninjured.

Dan

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's right Dan except that according to the records he flipped in the final heat. But I think you are right about it landing right side up. Wilfried finished 7th in each of the first two heats and 11th in the third. Fellow Austrian Erwin Zimmerman had two 5th place and one 6th place finishes.

That was the only time I ever knew of a Rhoades blowing over myself. Zimmerman was in my Butts which would fly very well. Now that you have mentioned it, I am wondering if his pit crew told him that everyone else was running with sponsons way off the water like a Danisch proprider and they just decided to kick it way out. That was surely the only time they had ever seen a Rhoades run and didn't know that they run low but clean. Rex Hall was having some kind of trouble so his Rhoades wasn't putting on the kind of performance it was capable of.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A few more pics of the participants. Tim Crimmons F 57 and Don Wood E 9 and I don't know who the man and girl are in the shot of the pits. I recognize the face, but I can't put a name to it.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I think everyone had a good couple of days testing, a few going through their engines and just a good time relaxing and getting ready for the race. We didn't party before any racing but we sure found a good place to eat. Tim Butts was in good spirits and didn't seem at all nervous, but it was all on the line here. Not only was a World Championship at stake. It was in a class with twice the CC's he was used to competing in. One third of the field were competing in the latest Butts Aerowing design.

A few more pics of the laid back days of testing.

[ronus747]

Wayne,

First off, I want to thank you for bringing back such wonderful memories, I think your posts, pictures and insights are just what the sport needs.. I’d also like to thank Ron and Ted; you guys have done something really special here. Anyway Wayne, I couldn’t help falling back in time as I was reading your posts and the pictures and columns on the OD worlds actually brought back the smells and senses that I felt most of my life. Think back, do you remember feeling the spray hit your face as the unlimited hydra’s cornered while testing? It was pretty wild watching those guys come basically right at us down there on the sandy beach. I thought, “Holy s*@t, we can get killed sitting down here”! I remember how god awful hot it was too, the trees were no taller than me at that time so there was no shade to hide in. They had security people walking around and nobody was allowed in the cooling water after the course closed. Of course we didn’t pay any attention to that rule because it was so hot, we were drinking a bit and decided to crab walk between the boats down to the lake and crawl in. About the time I was all lathered up, security was there to throw us out, quickest bath I ever had. I also got to meet an idol of mine since childhood, Bill Muncey was the nicest most down to earth guy I ever met and it was a treat to stop by in his motor home way down the other end and chat. If I recall correctly, he had a broken foot caused by falling off his hauler the week before. My father was running OD that weekend and Bill said, that he and the rest of you guys were the crazy ones, going over 100 mph on a piece of plywood his job was simple with all the boat he had. I also got to meet and talk with Mickey Remond, nice guy too but not near as down to earth as Bill was. Mickey sure ran good that weekend though and came out on top. Dayton was the first UIM event for us so we weren’t sure what to expect but everything went off perfectly from my recollection. I noticed some people in your pictures from our area, Don Woods, Joe Martin, Dwight McClellan, Jim Warren, my brother and even one of myself. I had to laugh because a friend of mine came with us to Dayton; he had an Afro at the time, now I’m not talking small Afro. His was like Foxy Cleopatra’s in Austin Powers Gold member. I remember my dad’s boat conking out after we released him from the pits, Dave swam out (we all knew I couldn’t swim) to get him as the seconds were ticking and I seriously believe his hair held him up and enabled him to get back in quick enough to get him out of the pits in time.
I’m sitting here laughing about little things that have happened over the years and realize that I’ve been away from racing now for about 16 years and thanks to you I can bring back the memories like they were yesterday. Keep up the great work; if I can ever help don’t hesitate to ask.

Dave McClellan

[Master Oil Racing Team]

You know what?.....I found a few more transparencies today that for some reason were never mounted. I will try to post a few of these tonight. You're right about Bill Muncey. He had to walk out on crutches to get to Atlas Van Lines. I wish I would have had the courage to walk up to him and talk. I had seen him at the national meetings, but I was always too intimidated to speak to him. Another regret. A young driver by the name of Chip Hanauer came down to sit in our pits and watch as we rigged up and tested. I don't remember who he was driving for that weekend, but I wish I would have stopped to talk to him. He was clearly interested in what we were doing, but I was too shy to introduce myself.

It was hot I remember, but in those photos I found today showed at least one rain shower came through to cool things off. That is until the sun came back with humidity to boot. Bill Van was really going through that Gatorade.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A break in the action with a thundershower.

[ronus747]

I do remember the rain now, actually it stated at night. We had borrowed
Jim Warren's (Marrieta Ohio Jim) Opal GT to go find a beer distributor in the area. It started
raining and his car over heated so we nursed it back to the pits filling it
with polar water we had bought. It did dry up eventually and it once again
became pretty hot. I?m sure you all are more used to that heat living in
Texas. Before you move on into 1978 or so I wanted to bring up a time in
Hinton West Virginia, bear with me it was either 1976 or 1977, the stock
nationals were one year and the Pro national were the other. That?s the
first time I met your father, what a gracious man, strong willed and
confident. I still remember his Master Oil demonstration. That stuff could
really expand, I think it was an hour or so later we checked on that little
drop your dad squeezed out, it was like the size of a grapefruit.
Anyway, you talk of your shyness in meeting Bill Muncey, something I never
had a problem with but at the time, I was probably more in awl of your
accomplishments than anyone. I remember the Japanese Yamato team came and
ran with Jim McKean, Sean was young back then and if I recall correctly one
of the Japanese drivers, Conshirmo (spellings probably wrong) was the same
driver that blew over backwards at Dayton 0350 Worlds sometime later on. I
believe he broke his arm in the accident. Coming down on the start he was
pinched on both sides entering the chute and just took off. Time has eroded
my memory of who the pinching boats were but they closed the door real
quick on him. Back in Hinton at the nationals I also remember meeting Debbie,
you're right she was very shy at that time, she had your camera equipment
draped around her neck most of the time taking shots of you who seemed to
be in the cockpit most of the time. We met when of course as every boat
racer,I had to buy a T-shirt, do you remember the Master Oil Racing T's
with the photograph of you on front? Those were way cool shirts and since
my whole wardrobe consisted of boat racing T-shirts, I had to have one. I
must admit that I took a picture of Debbie on the trailer not knowing she
was your wife, I wish I could find it now to give to you, if you saw the
look on her face trying to figure out why this A-hole was snapping a shot
of her????..it was classic hands on hips. Most guys remember the differant heats they ran, thats something that came later for me, at this juncture I was remembering just the great times I had at the races. I'm sure it's all good now still but I have a feeling that we can never match how great it was in those years. I could listen to you guys forever talk about yesteryear I'm getting older now but when I was a kid and part of the scenery I can remember Mel Kirts and younger Jerry and Dan, Dick O'dea and a young driver he had driving for him named John Shubert, a younger Kay Harrison, Jim McKean, Lyle Mason, Quincey Welding, Bill OFalls, Kings Racing Team, The Shakeshafts, John Stevens, Ray Nydahl and a younger Pete, Gerry Waldman ect... Remember the monster trailers that Gerry and Quincey used to show up with? This is what makes this site so damn nice, I noticed a few pages back everyone ran off on the insurance issues (I won't go that far and take away from your story Wayne) but I know there are some that feel because of advancement it's just not the same as the earlier days, a time I would call the golden age of boat racing. If we could get that back the racing would be just perfect.

Dave