Freddy Hartman: AKA Freddy

[Ron Hill]

I ran this 19 Daytona at Havasu, about 1982, and I didn't win but I was fast. As I put the rig on the trailer, pissed off that my throttle wire had pulled out, and even thought Howard Pipkorn, Mr.Hydrostream, had helped me fix it, I had lost....

Freddy Hartman met me at the launch ramp and asked if I'd sell my boat...I said, "Sure. $15,000." ($15,000 was like saying 4 million)...Bob Leach had giving me the boat and trailer, Jim Jost (Evinrude's PR man) had BILLED me for the motor ($3,500)....

So, $15,000 JUST SEEMED TO BE A GOOD NUMBER...FREDDY SAYS, "WELL I'VE ONLY GOT $5,000 ON ME, BUT I'LL TAKE IT...AND WILL YOU DRIVE FOR ME A PARKER?"

He counts out $5,000 on the deck of the boat and says, "He'll pay me the rest later..." AND HE DOES PAY ME LATER AND PAYS FOR THE GAS AND ENTRY FEE AT PARKER..WE FINISH FOURTH IN MOD VP.

I never really talk to Freedy again, except, he hands me a prop the next year, at Parker, and says, "Hey, you loaned me this lest year....Do you want to sell it?" I say, "Yes." He says, "How much?' I say, "$500"....He hands me $500 for a prop I had forgotten I loaned him....a year earlier.

Who was nuttiest??? Me or Freddy????

Here is an old picture of that 19 Daytona with a YOUNG Chad Hill at the wheel!!!

[J. Sherlock]

Hartmann race tales!

"Ladyfriend" hiding in station wagon while hooking up to boat at my shop.
Knocking down a fuel tower at Havasu.
Age 78 on entry forms for at least ten years.
Hundreds of old spark plugs saved.
Wife sitting in lawn chair knitting and holding Freds boat with her foot.
Old beat up white diesel pickup.
Lynn Nichols his main driver.
Loved to try and get money from him for any work I did.
Dragging his safety chains from one end of the country to the other.
ETC>ETC>ETC>ETC>

Thanks Beale,, made the change

[Beale Tilton]

John,
That was his "Ladyfriend", not girlfriend.
First APBA race I ever ran was Richmond to Jamestown and return. Very impressed with all the big fancy boats. Freddy stuffed his Switzer in a barge wake. Opened the bow and beat him up pretty bad.
Swann's, Piney Point--Freddy and Cliff Reef collide. Freddy ends up in the hositpal. I ask an attractive bartender to stop and see him since she is going to visit someone else at the hospital. Freddy asks if I can send her again.
Dick Downs Memorial Marathon-- Slightly faster than Fred, follow his stacker for laps because I was afraid he wouldn't see me on the inside. Finally pass on the outside. After the race he asks where did I come from he had been out in front alone all afternoon.
Always a gentlemen and interesting to talk to.

[Smokey]

Putting a tiny Mercury decal, probably off of a 4hp, on his motor to be eligible for contingency money; laying his crutch on the pier at Portsmouth VA while he went out to race FJ; talking about his fleet of old race boats. A unique gentleman. I'm glad I knew him.

[Ron Hill]

Please John tell us about the time you were sinking and Freddy called in his numbers...

I laughed so hard.....when you told that story, but can't recall all the details.... Something like what are your numbers??? Area code....

[J. Sherlock]

Please John tell us about the time you were sinking and Freddy called in his numbers...

I laughed so hard.....when you told that story, but can't recall all the details.... Something like what are your numbers??? Area code....

Yes buddy we are getting Very Vintage,, I will think about this but I have an idea this was a T2x story. Between Rich and myself we could write two bocks on "Fred Hartmann"/"Hartmann and Son"/"AKA Freddy"

[Ron Hill]

How could I get you two confused...again!

What you guys should do is see who could "Top" who on a Freddy Hartman story...

Capnzee drove with me at Parker the year Freddy bought my Eliminator....Seems Capnzee should have at least one story from that day!!!

Freddy Hartman LOVED Boat Racing, without a doubt......

[J. Sherlock]

WITHOUT A DOUBT

[Ron Hill]

T2X, I lifted this story because I just feel it belongs in the BRF Encyclopedia...

The Fred Hartmann story that I have told too many times........suffice it to say that Fred was at an advanced age during his entire OPC career (he started racing stock outboard in the 30's)

1966 Around Long Island Marathon......Fred and I are racing together in his single Merc 1100/18 Eltro....... He's driving( I've never been in a boat with him before).... I'm in back for "ballast" going down the Narrows...We enter the ocean at Sea Gate( Western most point on Coney Island)..... The rollers build and he "allows" me to scramble up to the co driver's seat. ...We agree I'll take over at Fire Island inlet and I sit there waiting and watching ..him.....ummm......errr..... Throttle? The process involved.....1. launch off wave....2. leave large muscular, meaty hand on throttle in full open position...... 3. listen to poor motor rev to God knows what RPM.....4. re-enter.....5. repeat 1 thru 4 above.

Inevitably......the engine expired by throwing its flywheel through the top cowl...... I race back and grab the fire extinguisher.....

Fred asked "What happened?"

I responded..... "She threw the flywheel and there's an electrical fire"

Fred replied....."Does that mean we can't race anymore?"

"No" I shout...." get on the radio and call the Coast Guard for help"

The following is the verbatim transcript of that radio call:

Fred: "Race Boat calling Coast Guard.... Coast Guard"

Coast Guard radio operator(CGRO): "This is The Jones Beach Coast Guard station.....Are you in distress Race boat ?"

Fred: "Yes we are on fire"

CGRO: "Race boat .....What is your location?"

Fred: "In the boat race....in the Atlantic Ocean"

CGRO: "Race Boat what is your exact navigation location?"

Fred (off radio):"Hey Ronald (he had a problem with names)..... Where are we?"

Me: "2.5 miles due south of the Jones Beach Tower"

Fred(back on radio):"2.5 miles due south of the Jones Beach
tower"

CGRO: "Race boat our cutter is enroute. For identification, what is your number?"

Fred:....... "Area code 201-----------"

By this point I was hysterical with laughter.........and if it weren't for the fire and 150 gallons of gasoline 4 feet forward...I'd have been more able to savor the moment.

Later , we were towed to the Point Lookout trailer ramp, where Fred's wife (remember her knitting at every race while "Freddy" raced?) met us with the trailer and station wagon(remember that as well?).

After securing the boat on the trailer, I dashed into the rest room to clean up, etc. Upon my return,....... I discovered that Fred had driven off and left me there alone....on the ramp......miles from anything.

I called K&K Outboard and Kenny Kalibat (rest his soul as well) picked me up and eventually got me to the race party that evening. When I walked up to Fred, he fixed me with a look of wonderment and said..."Roger,( the name thing again) where have YOU been?....... I had to wash the boat all by myself in the pits!" "Fred ..... you left me at the.....oh forget it."

Flash forward 5 years.....I'm at a race in Maryland....Le Mans start off the beach...aiming for a first turn...two miles out...dead ahead..... I'm in a Molinari/1250bpStacker.....waiting...for the starters gun.

Boats are lining up one by one...... Fred lines up to my left in another one of his Eltro's(see Ron's picture above).......... I begin to pray that he either can't start, or I can't.... Because I knew he would turn blindly as soon as the excitement began.

Gun goes off......I was right..... He drove under my bow (Thankfully my engine hesitated .....or maybe it was me!) and rammed directly into the poor soul to my right..... scratch two boats before the first 100'.

After the race I asked Fred how he was doing...and he replied:
I'll tell you what, Rodney,( the name thing again) I could have won this thing if that guy hadn't cut me off!........Were you racing too?"

The following week I sent a nice letter to Lou Eppel asking to have Fred named to the APBA Honor Squadron.....or the Hall of Champions.....or a special award for longevity....or anything so that he might be persuaded to retire. ......

Lou never replied.

T2x.............. Smiling in his heart at Fred's zany race antics....and marveling that all three of us posting memories of Fred....referred to disasters.

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Last edited by T2x : 10-14-2003 at 04:29 PM.

[J. Sherlock]

We need more Fred Hartmanns to bump into in our lives. If I have to go around or get out of the way of someone I want it to be another Freddy.

John