Thread: In memory of racers no longer with us:

  1. #191
    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default Doctor Brian "EL CID" Ewald

    I'm not sure when I met Brian Ewald, but it was probably about 1966 at the Parker 9 Hour. He owned a Grand National boat named "El Cid"...the movie "El Cid" had just come out. I don't really know how long he raced "El Cid". I know his son drove Jerry Gilbreath's MOD VP at Parker about 1985. Brian's daughter. Tracy, married the late Brad Miller about thirty years ago. Brian was an orthopedic surgeon at CHOC Hospital in Orange, not far from my house.

    He passed about two months ago!(today is 12/19/14)
    Last edited by Ron Hill; 03-23-2020 at 04:21 PM.
    Thanks pezzgato thanked for this post

  2. #192
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    MORE ABOUT STANLEY LEAVENDUSKY JR. AKA "BUTCH"

    I first met Butch in 1968 in the basement workshop of his Dad's (Stan Sr's) house. He was approximately 25 years old and a very friendly person, completely unlike his father Stan Sr, although I found out later after some time had passed, that Stan Sr's. bark was much worse than his bite. I had brought my "C" Flathead, recently purchased from Bill Seebold, to him for new pistons and whatever else he thought it would take to bring it up to spec.

    Butch's personality was infectious, and after leaving the motor off with his Dad, we immediately set off for the nearest bar in Kansas City, Kansas to have a beer or two. This would prove to be something that we both would enjoy in each others company for many years. His dad used to say that I "ruined" him, but nobody
    had to convince him to have a friendly brew, and Stan Sr. knew better even though he always wanted to blame it on someone else.

    We became very close friends during that time, and I came to appreciate his tenaciousness. He just would not quit, whatever he was doing. I will never forget how many times he had a wire break or come loose on one of his C Service motors prior to the one minute gun, and after the 5 minute gun had fired. Several times he won Championships after having something of the sort go wrong and he would strip the wire with his teeth, use some electrical tape he always had with him, splice it back together, restart the motor, and make a legal start and win the race. He won several NOA World Championships that way, and finished several others that a lesser driver would have just quit and sat in the boat until the tow boat came.

    One day in the late 70's or early 80's he was competing in a race on one of our favorite courses, Fort Buhlow Lake in Alexandria, La. He had just purchased a new DeSilva "KR" Runabout, one of the first ones after Bruce Nicholson introduced it, and I do not have enough knowledge to know just what the problem was with it, but it was an evil boat, and one he never was able to master. You could go to a corner and do everything the same time after time, and then that one time you thought you were doing it just like all the rest, BOOM, it would unload you. He had other DeSilva's throughout the years, and that was the only one he had a problem with other than an AmPro boat (MOD) that was a first of its kind that was built for him to run and test. He suffered from what he called DRS, or "DeSilva Racing Shoulder" for many years after he retired from active driving from the strain put on his left shoulder trying to hang on to the throttle and keep from going over or being tossed out.

    Back to the story. He was running 500 Runabout, which was the class he really loved and enjoyed competing in, and made the start and got to the first turn in great shape. Next thing he knew, upside down, and boat slightly damaged. They towed him in and two of his competitors, Pete Voss and Bobby Houghkirk came to where he was pitting and offered to help him dry the boat out and put some duct tape on a couple of holes where the water had done damage. He accepted their offer and got the boat out in the rerun of the heat, (he was not the cause of the stoppage so was not disqualified) and BOOM, same thing happened again in the first turn. The boat was damaged a little further this time, but with egging on by Voss and Houghkirk, and some more duct tape, he went out again as he was not the cause of the stoppage, again. Third time is the charm, right. WRONG. This time the boat was not repairable and he did not make any more starts that day. The shoulder hurt him for many years thereafter.

    Butch won many World Titles in C Service Hydro and Runabout in NOA and also the 1971 National APBA Championship in C Service Hydro and a APBA National Championship in 500 Runabout.

    I have asked his Wife and Stepdaughter to send me some photos Eileen took of him, as she had given him all of the many photos we took over the years. Until I get those please enjoy the few we still have in our collection of him. I think Wayne Baldwin has some photos he could post also and I invite him to do so.

    RIP Butch.
    Attachment 59050Butch pic 1 001.jpg

  3. #193
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    I have a lot of photos of Butch, Bill Van. Where do you want them posted? I'm very busy right now, but I will do what I can. I'm glad I called him after his last surgery and you gave me a good time to call. We had a very good visit. I wish I would have done a follow up call a few months later. His and my Dad were also good friends and enjoyed each other's company very much. Butch surprised me turning up at the World Oil Expo in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1975. We had a great time talking boat racing and mostly boat racing friends.



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    Quote Originally Posted by Master Oil Racing Team View Post
    I have a lot of photos of Butch, Bill Van. Where do you want them posted? I'm very busy right now, but I will do what I can. I'm glad I called him after his last surgery and you gave me a good time to call. We had a very good visit. I wish I would have done a follow up call a few months later. His and my Dad were also good friends and enjoyed each other's company very much. Butch surprised me turning up at the World Oil Expo in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1975. We had a great time talking boat racing and mostly boat racing friends.


    Wayne:

    Just pick out a few you think are good and post them on this thread. If you are busy right now, in the future would be fine. Whenever you do, if it is a while, just put on this thread.

    Bill

  5. #195
    Team Member smittythewelder's Avatar
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    You have done your old pal proud with your stories, Bill.

  6. #196
    Team Member Gene East's Avatar
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    Does anyone have a copy of the photo sequence of Butch nearly back flipping? The drag of the pipes in the water forced the boat back down and Butch went on to finish the race.

    Don't remember where he finished, but it was at or near the front!

    That would be a perfect example of how tenacious he really was.

    At DePue few years back; Butch told me, he used to frequent a watering hole in Arkansas that had a lot of car racing pictures on the wall. He had the proprietor post large copies of each of the 5 shots; up and back down, to show what REAL racing is about.

    Smitty, you are correct when you say "Bill did his old pal proud". I think most people who knew them both would agree, they were more like brothers than just pals.

    Thank you Bill for keeping us all posted on his condition during Butch's long illness.

    One more "Winner" racing on Lake Paradise!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gene East View Post
    Does anyone have a copy of the photo sequence of Butch nearly back flipping? The drag of the pipes in the water forced the boat back down and Butch went on to finish the race.

    Don't remember where he finished, but it was at or near the front!

    That would be a perfect example of how tenacious he really was.

    At DePue few years back; Butch told me, he used to frequent a watering hole in Arkansas that had a lot of car racing pictures on the wall. He had the proprietor post large copies of each of the 5 shots; up and back down, to show what REAL racing is about.

    Smitty, you are correct when you say "Bill did his old pal proud". I think most people who knew them both would agree, they were more like brothers than just pals.

    Thank you Bill for keeping us all posted on his condition during Butch's long illness.

    One more "Winner" racing on Lake Paradise!


    Gene:

    Butch had the photo's you speak of on his office shop wall, and I asked him several months ago if I could have them to post on BRF when he passed. He said OK, but I don't know whether the word ever got to his wife Barbara.

    The photos were taken by the brother of another great Runabout driver, Jerry Simison, and perhaps he still has the negatives. I would dearly love to see that 5 photo series on BRF. Something you won't see but once in your lifetime. They were taken at the Memphis race that Marshall Grant promoted.

    I have an interesting story that I could tell about that race also, and the trip there, but will leave it for another time.


    ADD: Thanks for the thought Smitty. He was more than a friend.

  8. #198
    Team Member Gene East's Avatar
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    Bill, I will check with Paul Simison to see if he still has those photos and if so perhaps he will allow us to borrow them.

  9. #199
    Team Member Gene East's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gene East View Post
    Bill, I will check with Paul Simison to see if he still has those photos and if so perhaps he will allow us to borrow them.
    I checked with Paul today, unfortunately he has lost the prints and the negatives. Hope someone has a copy they will share!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gene East View Post
    I checked with Paul today, unfortunately he has lost the prints and the negatives. Hope someone has a copy they will share!



    Well, we are in luck if I can do this correctly. The photo sequence is right here on BRF. Joe Rome called this morning and told me how to find it. It is under "Stan Leavendusky in Memphis" if you use the search function. If not, and this link will work, you can get there that way also.
    Last edited by Ron Hill; 03-23-2020 at 04:22 PM.

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