I can envision it all!! I can't stop chuckling! I definitely knew what he thought of someone if he referred to a person as a Gas Burner! Another thing he always made clear was that it was a racing engine and NOT a racing motor. Motors are electric!
I can envision it all!! I can't stop chuckling! I definitely knew what he thought of someone if he referred to a person as a Gas Burner! Another thing he always made clear was that it was a racing engine and NOT a racing motor. Motors are electric!
I have great memories of Ray and one of them was that he told it like it was. We had only been racing 4 years and at Alex in 1969 Ray Hardy and Harry Pasturczak had told us about this fantastic CD ignition. That was when we first met Ray Hardy and Harry. At that time my Dad and his partner were OMC distributors and your Dad, Sandy, had adapted the OMC ignition to fit the Konigs. He had the cast mounts and everything.
At that time, I was still learning how to get through the turns without getting wet down. We tried all kinds of plates over the carbs, but I still got towed in a lot. Well, this ignition offered a lot of promise. 50,000 volts, and my Dad figured that would be enough to burn water.I don't know what we were doing wrong, but that turned out to be our worst year ever. I would be going along great then the engine would just quit. Sometimes it would quit, start, quit and start again. We stuck with that ignition through the final race at Alex. Even a slight mist and the engine was dead. I know a lot of people had some success with it later one, but maybe there were bugs we never got worked out. We just took everything off and sent it back to Ray. Then we bolted new Konig ignitions back on. Sometime during that year Tim Chance, as well as Powerboat did a big spread on the Nydahl ignition.
When we got to Lakeland the next year one of the racers, I forget who, came up to us. My Dad and you Dad were talking in the pits and Joe and I were standing there. This racer says "Hey Ray...you need to sell Baldy some of your ignition kits." Without hesitation and that deadpan style he said "Hell....I sold him a thousand dollars worth and he gave me the G.D. things back in a box".We all laughed. My Dad was never upset over any of that and neither was Ray. We tried it. We had problems. But that was racing. Ray never minced words. And him and my Dad always remained friends. Ray was one of the names I always looked for in my qualifying heats of F Hydro because I knew he was going to be in the finals and there would be one less spot open.
Jim--
Lots of truth in what you say. He was always there when I needed help. Before I had my own mill,lathe and heli-arc I'd ask Ray if he could help me out and he always replied-you know where the tools are, get up here and do it!
I remember one race I had with Ray at Lake Zurich where it was dog eat dog all the way. I could out-turn him but he had speed on me. He beat me by a couple of boat lengths. After the race Jim, you came up and said "I thought you guys were buddies,it looked like you're going to run over each other". We always were buddies OFF THE RACE COURSE.
Sandy--
I saw your mom and Pete and the family at Lake Wales. Looking forward to seeing you guys at De Pue.
Bruce
I will always remember returning to engineering after running the Miami-Nassau race as Co-Driver with Dr. Bob McGoon. I was telling Ray about nose diving the boat, Bob was knocked out and I was able to get us back underway and we finished 5th. Ray listened to the story then said, So you never made it to the first turn in a boat race yet? NOPE I said and he laughed. Reminded me of that for years. The "Hot Setup" was also a favorite term of his. Great Guy and a super tech.
http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...ghlight=Nydahl
Don't forget The Nydahl Family Post...
Known as Bugger Red, passed away on July 20, 2007..
Last edited by lilabner; 07-24-2007 at 07:47 AM. Reason: bad picture
Butch, is that a 15C? I have a 15C and a pair of 800DR's with speedmasters, would like to restore it and it would be nice to represent something with history in memory of Earl.
John
It sure is a 15C..This was Chucks boat, and it had a lot of numbers..40, JJ40, JJ4, Chuck won everything in that boat..I got to run it as pictured in Blue Ridge, Ga around 1962..got beat on the turns..first time I ever raced a Cat, ended third. I blew by them on the straights, and got hosed in the turns..That guy from Alabama that raced Powercats won.. Then we went to Mississippi where Bugger had worked up enough nerve to drive it finally..It ran just over 80 as pictured..It was a E ticket ride back then..would float like a hydro flat out..
Butch
Here is a picture of the same motors on the PowerCat Hydro Red bought from Chuck.. second picture is Red right behind my Raveau, in the spray..We just passed the Switzer thing..LOL![]()
![]()
Sad to say we lost another one..all you kneeldowners should remember him..
William Hutchins
William T. "Hutch" Hutchins, 85, of Lake Placid died July 16, 2007. Born in Wilkesboro, Pa., he had been a resident of Lake Placid for 29 years.
He flew crop dusters for Del Monte Foods and at the same time managed several small airfields. He flight instructed future combat pilots at Sparta Field. He joined Pan American World Airways as a pilot in 1951, flying the South American and European routes. He retired as a captain in 1982 with over thousands of flight hours. He served as a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He flew the China-Burma route known as "The Hump."
He was a builder of many national championship outboard racing engines. He was a member of the Airline Pilot Association, American Power Boat Association, the Model Airplane Club and the Lorida Trap and Gun Club.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Lois; children, Lois Edwards of Crystal Lake, Ill., Bill of Lake Wales, Jeff of Land O' Lakes and Carrie Fish of Miami; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to the evening hours Saturday at the family home.
Memorial arrangements are being handled by the Michael A. Brochetti Funeral Home, Lake Placid
Last edited by lilabner; 07-25-2007 at 02:12 PM. Reason: revised
Ron Hill thanked for this post
There are currently 26 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 26 guests)
Bookmarks