An Amazing Story

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I also think that's a good idea Bill Van, and I for one kept it secret for exactly the same reason as you. But as a suggestion, I would think a new thread under the technical section would be a good place to start it. There may be some that don't follow this thread that DO look at the technical section for new ideas. But the main reason is like me. If I go to look for something I had read sometime back, I can't remember where I saw it. I do know how to use the search feature now to good effect, but I think there are many out there who don't. It would be a lot easier to remember where to find it if it were in the technical section, as is the great thread on expansion chambers.

You start it Bill Van, and give some background info. I am looking forward to it, because I think there is a lot in the beginning I didn't know and some I forgot.

I remember the "stuffed" Turd Bird you gave my Dad so many years before Bill. In fact, he had it displayed on his trophy hutch where it remained until destroyed by his house fire. I was surprised to hear of you slaughtering them though. Even though there's no limit in Texas, who would want to clean more than one?

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

I will take your suggestion Wayne, and post this info on the Technical Discussion section of Boat Racing Facts. I want to give this some thought for a few days first, and make sure that the initial post gives enough information about the premise of the device and the basic idea so as to allow enough disclosure to get someone started the right way if they are interested, but not so much as to just be telling exactly how to do it.

I have always wondered if certain people might have figured this out for sometime now, as there are some folks still running Konigs and doing really well with them, including National Championship's very recently, and the motors I am thinking of have that real drivability and almost instant acceleration out of the corner that leaves other competitors behind. Anyhow it should be interesting to see first of all if anyone is interested in following this line of investigation, and if so if they are able to make it work. That leaves the last piece of the puzzle, HOW WILL WE KNOW? I for one would continue to keep the secret if someone was successful and wanted to confide in me in return for the initial information.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

.....now back to Hinton.

A couple of months ago Tim told me he didn't go to Hinton, but he did. He just forgot because he didn't race there. Tim and Ruth Butts, my Dad, and Johnny BZZZZ Bezecny stayed up at the lodge on top of the mountain. Jenny and Harry, Joe and Doris Rome and Debbie and myself stayed at some cabins at the bottom. It was almost an hour's drive down their by car from the top, but only 7 minutes by tram.

The first morning my Dad discovered a fine little country restaurant where we ate breakfast everyday after that. The owner and cook had a T shirt with a little frog on it that said "I'M HAPPIER THAN SH!T". The people there became fans of our and came down to the pits to watch us race.

On the left is Ruth, Brandy and Tim Butts talking to Bill Van Steenwyk.

[David Weaver]

Wayne,

I thought that you had a 1100 runabout at Hinton. But there is none on your trailer. Maybe somebody had a similar paint job.

David

[Master Oil Racing Team]

No David, the only time I was ever in an 1100 runabout was when I rode deck for Charlie Bailey at Alex in 1972.

And Roy, I never liked a 50 mm lens for a standard lens on 35mm cameras. I used a 35mm lens as standard for a long time to more approximate a human's peripheral vision until it was stolen. Then I just started using my 24mm. Most of my later year pits shots were with that. I was usually pretty close, but not so in this case.

But then I was wondering if David was looking through my camera at my boat trailer back then and got the idea of that runabout. .

[Jeff Lytle]

On the left is Ruth, Brandy and Tim Butts talking to Bill Van Steenwyk.

Behind you, walking to the back of the trailer with the #500 boat is Armand Hebert's sidekick, Randy Diablo.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

....with that Eagle Eye to pick up on what the rest of us miss.

I was waiting to ask you who the Canadian was that pitted to our right when I get to the pit shots Jeff. Just hang on---it was one number off from Doug Thompson.

BTW---do you have a merit badge for that eye of yours?

[Roy Hodges]

No David, the only time I was ever in an 1100 runabout was when I rode deck for Charlie Bailey at Alex in 1972.

And Roy, I never liked a 50 mm lens for a standard lens on 35mm cameras. I used a 35mm lens as standard for a long time to more approximate a human's peripheral vision until it was stolen. Then I just started using my 24mm. Most of my later year pits shots were with that. I was usually pretty close, but not so in this case.

But then I was wondering if David was looking through my camera at my boat trailer back then and got the idea of that runabout. .

.....................................
It makes me wonder how long it'd look , if shot with a fish eye (8-15 M M lens?) you could call it a "unlimited O B Hydro".Then ...if it had commeasurate power to it's size - I wouldn't have the cajones to race it

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This thread is primarily about the journey of a Konig 700cc motor D41994 from Marshall Grant picking it up at the factory in Berlin in late 69 or early 70 to our purchasing it then all that happened until I got it back. But we run into some interesting sidelines or historical markers along the way.

This is about a 1000cc Yamato that was at the Pro Nationals in Hinton that year. These are probably the only photos the public will ever see of this behemoth, because I believe the two 500 cc powerplants were dismantled after this. One photo appeared in Powerboat in my coverage of the race, but this is the first time I ever enlarged any of the others.

Also as part of this story, you remember earlier how I said Tim Butts didn't race at Hinton because he didn't have a ride. I thought we would face off here after Dayton, but Joe Michelini took the V-8 Airmarine Butts hydro away from Tim. He got mad because Tim wasn't running his program exactly like he wanted, and one thing he wanted Tim to do was to run this rig in the 1100 cc Hydro Nationals at Hinton. Tim refused to so Joe canned him. Tim would not drive it because the motor was a skyscraper on the back of that cabover and it was Tim's opinion that it was too unwieldy to race and would be dangerous. I happen to agree. So Tim sat on the bank and had a great ol time as a spectator.

I do not remember if Joe intended to drive it himself at Hinton or had another driver scheduled. Maybe some of you others out there remember. I can't find a roster of the finals and they didn't make one of the qualifying heats because at the time of printing, they were waiting to see if there would be another entry or so to see if qualifying heats would be needed. I don't remember qualifying so I think we stopped at a full field. Anyway, all I can remember about the V8 cabover was breaking over on a plane on the intial test and something giving up. I think it was the coupling between the two motors. Sure wish Jim McKean would get on here and fill in the missing details. Maybe Denny Henderson or Craig Lawrence will.

[Jeff Lytle]

I was waiting to ask you who the Canadian was that pitted to our right when I get to the pit shots Jeff. Just hang on---it was one number off from Doug Thompson.

I used to have that boat and engine I bought off Bill Wanamaker. He was the wallet that owned the boat/engine that Doug Thompson ran.
Kinda' cool knowing the rig you were running was a former US Nationals winner!

BTW-------Doug's number was 42, Glen Coates, another Canadian driver was #41