An Amazing Story: Part 2

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I'm trying to identify those that raced in 700 Hydro by some shots I haven't posted yet, and some that I have. I don't know who may have driven D-14. And there's a couple of boats and one driver in a pic I haven't been able to identify yet. This is what it looks like so far. Tim Butts, Wayne Baldwin, John Yale, Jerry Kirts, Jerry Peterson, Rick Saver, David Westbrook, Greg Hall, and Bruce Marioneaux. Did you race also Brian? I know you won the 500 Nationals three years later, but I can't remember if you ran here or not. If not, can you remember the other entries?

[G-10 Brian]

Wayne, I wasn't at Dayton, my engines were all old worn out round block Konigs and not fast enough for the Dayton race.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Well...at least I confirmed J-1. I had thought that was George Andrew's number, and it was so George was probably there. What had me confused was D-14 and I thought of Skip Birbarie except that he didn't drive 700's that I knew of. Turned out D 14 is John Yale, but I always associated him with J-2 or one of Elmer Grades boats. So I will dig a little longer for some missing prints and in the meantime here are the results of the Inboard Hydro Nationals held at the same time.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A few more inboard hydros before I get back to Pro 700 hydro.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

After I posted these first pics, I discover that it is Roy Alexander in his own boat and Greg Hall is pitting for him. On the other side is the forks of Jerry Peterson's X 12 and in the forground is John Yale. Franny Petrillo is wearing the dark glasses.

Debbie took most of the photos at Dayton. She couldn't use my 500 mm or 50-300mm zoom. These were all taken with a 200mm and she never took anything on the water very close, so pics are kind of small. The first racing pic looks like milling before the start and the second one looks like coming up for the start. The reason I say that is where the boats are laid out on the course and it looks like roostertails from starting up. I think that we came in two groups judging the spread of wakes in front of me. I am the inside boat in the lead. I can't remember all this, but it looks like the lead group came in too early, and us in the second group may have been a tad late. I finished 4th. I don't know where any of the others finished.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Some more action. John Yale fighting off Jerry Kirts driving Elmer Grade's F888. Can't tell who's in the kneeler in the background. This is the first heat.

[David Weaver]

Well...at least I confirmed J-1. I had thought that was George Andrew's number, and it was so George was probably there. What had me confused was D-14 and I thought of Skip Birbarie except that he didn't drive 700's that I knew of. Turned out D 14 is John Yale, but I always associated him with J-2 or one of Elmer Grades boats. So I will dig a little longer for some missing prints and in the meantime here are the results of the Inboard Hydro Nationals held at the same time.

I guess I do not remember John Yale well (the boats yes). IN the photo that follows, the driver looks a lot like Jeff Hutchinson from Lakeland, FL.

[Jeff Lytle]

I was thinking the same thing last night...........I never saw Jerry wear anything other than a GenTex jacket. In his later racing years, Jeff did wear a Lifeline chute jacket just like in the pic.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

One way you can tell is that Jerry Kirts hunches over and leans his head forward, while Jeff Hutchins' back is more straight and he keeps his head vertical or sometimes tilted back if he is leaning more forward.

When I was first trying to identify all the drivers, I started with pit pictures and the ones of the podium. The pics of the podium were too far away and all taken from the same spot so it was hard to get a clear picture of who the drivers on the right hand side were. I had thought one of them was Jeff Hutchins and I was kicking myself for being so lazy. I was wondering why I didn't move around and get some better angles, then I realized "Oh...I'm on the podium....Debbie took these".

ADD: I'm thinking the guy in the background above John Yale going through the turn is "Big George" Andrews.

[Jeff Lytle]

Maybe I should have spoken up yesterday, cause' I saw the trailing boat and thought it was George. He used to build these cool looking all wood cowlings that used to come up and wrap around the engine on the boats he built. If you look in the pic, you can clearly see it.