I was one of the lucky ones to have had the best of all worlds. My dad was a racer and he was selling rayson craft boats on the east coast. Rudy and my dad were really friends even with the West Meets the East!!! I met Rudy when I was 12 yrs old and the race pit brat back in 1961. I would love it when we had to go to the west coast. Rudy was one of the nicest man you could ever have met. There was always candy and lots of laughs when I got there. My dad was Pete Barden and our boat was a gold and white rayson craft called Gaybar S.K. 66 U.S. 1 1961. My dad had the love of racing just like Rudy did. My father would think nothing of jumping on a plane and fly out on Mondays after a weekend of racing to get what ever he needed for boat or motor and of course a few hours of talk with Rudy and Ed. My dad really surprised me when he bought brought home Ed's Cream Puff. My dad raced her for a few yrs. We meant up with Ed at the nationals in Gunersville Ala. with his new Cream Puff. My dad was in a different heat than Ed. My dad placed for the race while Ed had problems with his boat. Well the out come was my dad ran one heat and he had Ed run the other heat. Cream Puff did her thing and was riding high!!!! The boat was on the front of a magazine with all the other boats at the starting line. I wish I could remember the name of the book. Sadly I had it along with all my dads memories and newspaper clippings and they were lost when we moved. My dads next to last race was the President Cup in 1965 . On Sat he won the race with his Gaybar but we lost our other boat Double D to the river with Bill Conklin driving her. It took hrs for the divers to find her but at the trophy dinner we were given the word that they had a line on her and was raised first thing Sun. morning. My dad was racing his Gaybar again on Sun. when all you saw was a big spray and Al Bauer the judge said oh my God its Pete. This was unheard of Gaybar leaving the water she rode like she was on a train track. She went end over end three times and went straight down nose first by the time they got to my dad all he had left was a bucket seat. The divers found her and up she came sides torn off deck half missing motor side ways but those weber carbs. were there in one piece. My dad had finally listen to Rudy and put Webers carb. on the motor and thats what had him more upset than everything else that happened. As he said to Rudy well do you think I can be up and running by next weekend????? Well believe it or not he was up and running again with a new Gaybar. Rudy and my dad pulled it off once again. As my dad was racing he never felt the broken ribs and his eye which came out of the socket. Ice packs and sunglasses hid everything at the drivers meeting. I lost my dad in Nov of 1966 but up till the day he died he was still laughing with Rudy and planning his races for the up and coming season. I will always remember Rudy as a gentlemen caring man and one hell of a racer and be thankful for all his help. Its so true that you become one big family and I couldn't have asked for a better family than all the racers I have met and been with. All I can say is there must be a hell of a race going on up there. Race hard Guys!!!!!!!