An Amazing Story: Part 2

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 08-04-2007

The qualifying heats were on time with only one boat on the course. Looking at the times, it had to have been only two laps. The fastest didn't need to go back out if they didn't get bumped. You didn't have a time in the first try because you didn't finish Bill.

Incidentally, three of the five qualifiers were yamatos. Denny, Benny and Craig.

**denny henderson** · 08-07-2007

I have been to a lot of boat races, but only a few that were as exciting as that one. If I could turn back time, and re-run one race, it would be those four heats of OB. And, when I wasn't racing, I was watching the best racing I have ever seen.
Craig, Benny and I had the Yamatos running pretty good, but we had four heats against the Japanese team, the German team, the Italian team and the toughest of them all, the rest of the Americans, Danny, Jerry, Wayne and the rest. A couple of weeks before the race, Jim and I went to the lake to test my new engine and some other things that we had been working on. The first thing we tried was an intake cross-over manifold that Zak sent to Jim. I think I may have been the first to try it on a piston port Yamato. We just bolted them on, no jet changes, and picked up tons of low end and mid-range power, which had been the weakness of the piston port engines. At the time, we ran 25mm Bing carburetors on the "B", and 27mm on the "C" Yamato. Jim suggested we try the "C" carbs on the "B". The engine was running so good, I didn't want to mess with it, so I resisted. I just knew we would burn a piston or somehow screw something up and never get it running that well again. Jim won the argument and put the 27s on. Without even a jet change, we picked mid-range and top end speed. Suddenly I had a new problem, the boat was too small. We were ready.
The qualifying was two laps against the stop watch. My only problem was keeping the boat on the water. Most of the Yamatos ran well, they all had the Zak manifolds, but I was the only one who had the big carbs.
I will never forget milling for the start in the first heat. About 25 boats, most of them going in different directions. I almost got T-boned a couple of times. Just as the one minute gun fired, a bolt came out of my spray shield and went in one of the carburetors. The engine came to a quick stop. I was at the other end of the lake and could hardly even see the race, but I think Danny won the heat. Since I hadn't crossed the staring line, I was allowed to change powerheads. I put my old worn out engine on with all the new gadgets. It was weak, and when it broke over on plane, fell on it's face and died. I watched Danny and Guiseppi battle it out, what a race.
With a jet change I made it out for the third heat and got a good start. It was the first time I went 6 laps with 25 boats. The last couple of laps were plenty rough. Once on plane, I think the old engine was faster than the new one. I won the third heat with Danny second and Landini third. In the fourth heat, I came up to the line a little early, backed off a bit, and the engine swallowed its tounge. I was the last boat into the first turn and have no idea where I ended up.
I don't think Danny even had to run the last heat to win, but he did and I think he won it. Maybe Wayne will post the official results of the heats. I also like to see the results of OC. Those were the best races I have ever watched. I have heard that there is a video of that race, if so, I sure would love to see it.

**Bill Van Steenwyk** · 08-07-2007

Denny:

I think I have the video somewhere, probably in a box in the basement. I will see if I can find it and make you a copy. I now have a VCR/DVD recorder that I could put it on DVD if you have a player. Let me know and I will look for it in the next few days. I believe that Wayne's sister took some 16MM footage of the race also, but have no idea if it still exists, although I thought Wayne said something about it not too long ago. The video I have was made by the Japanese taken from the east end of the course looking at the boats coming right at you.

Bill

**Jeff Lytle** · 08-07-2007

I had a copy of that tape as well, but sadly

loaned it out and didn't get it back

NEVER AGAIN!!

This tape I had was the Japanese version, as well as the OD Worlds in Phoenix--Both races were excellent!

HINT!!--If Bill can't find his copy, I got mine copied from Eric Pugh, and he still has his original.

**wboxell** · 08-07-2007

i guess zak wasn't only working on gadgets for the konigs

i'm sure the same thing is going on now but we'll read the details in a decade or so

great post denny, i can remember watching

that field milling above the race course(that was the rule right?) thinging is anybody going the survive to make it to the starting line. what a show!

i want video!!! if anybody can really come up with video i will donate a few bucks to their beer fund for a copy.

bill boxell

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 08-07-2007

The same goes for me Bill Boxell. And Bill Van...the 16 mm film my sister Jan took was of the OD at Dayton the previous year. I found a place in Corpus that will convert it to DVD which I am going to do soon, when I find out which reel is the unedited version.

I would like to see the OD from Phoenix. Especially if it has the start of the first heat. It will show as I have always contended that Billy Jack Rucker and I were the only legal boats in the first heat. We were dragging our sponsons when the hand hit zero while the rest were flying toward the turn. I came around the first lap second so I got tossed out. There were too many to count and all boats were passed the line when the camera went off except us two. Billy Jack was all the way to the inside and I was all the way outside and under the camera. If that start is on the film it will show me up on my knees in the boat waving my arms over my head to get the attention of the judges, and I hollered, but I guess they didn't see or hear me. I never knew a tape existed, so hey Eric, if you still have it, could we see about getting some DVD's made. Heck, I'll even buy Jeff a knew one since he made us aware.

**Jeff Lytle** · 08-07-2007

Thanks Wayne, I sure would love to have another copy.............but wait........I'm thinking I'm having a brain fart. I don't think it was from Phoenix, it was the year Steve L. won. Was that Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton California?

**Jeff Lytle** · 08-07-2007

I'm in the process of uploading a clip of the race right now on You Tube, so I'll be able to post it here later on tonight or tomorrow. I'm sure it's not the race you're looking for Wayne, but it's worth watching

(I'm sure Steve and Larry will like it too!)

I have also located a clip from Dayton that I will try to get on here the same way.

**Jeff Lytle** · 08-07-2007

Here's a link to some of the Japanese footage:

http://216.120.234.56/RaceDec2.mov

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 08-08-2007

It's not Jeff, but it is cool t watch anyway. The one I was looking for was pre VHS.

Denny...I will post the 1978 Dayton later. I did it last night then again this morning and both times lost the satellite connection. I need to give it up until tommorrow. But, I will say your heat win was by far the fastest of the four, and Dan who finished second behind you had a time faster in that heat than the two heats he won.