Jerry Waldman

[Ron Hill]

The way we heard the story, in Region 12, was this. Jerry FREQUENTLY, I won't say always, but everytime I remember racing with him, started on the outside, or at least lane 8, 9...toward the outside.

As the D Hydros headed for the first turn, Jerry Peterson was on the outside and in front, Jerry was closing in, when Jerry "Hooked" a chine and spilled. His boat went sideways in the spill, with the bow to the left.

I had heard that Jerry cranked hard left to miss the spilling boat. At the bow, where the deck meets the bottom, is where Jerry's head hit the boat (Peterson's boat was still in the air and Jerry almost went under it) when his head hit the boat, basically killed him instantly.

Neither boat hit. Neither boat was hurt. Dr. Phil Wagner traveled with Jerry to every race, after, Jerry had broken his back at the NOA Kilos when he sit the C Outboard Hydro Record. Phil performed a traechotomy on Jerry.

It was always considered a BOAT RACING accident. A man has a right to turn his boat over without the guy behind him hitting...at least that was always a Hill Family rule.

OMC Prop Man, Don Hendrich may have summed it up best. He looked me in the eye, and said, "You know Ron, you go into the first turn enough times, the odds will catch up with you."

My take on Jerry's death maybe wrong or way off, as I was NOT there. But in my minds eye, I've seen this scene played out maybe a thousand times. AS I ALWAYS started 8th lane out or wider and I did it for a reason...My OLD MAN always said...to my brother, me, Jimbo and everybody else...."STAY OUT OF TROUBLE".

It's like flying, there is only about six minutes that are dangerous in flying, going up (3 minutes...need to get high enough you could get back) and going down (last three minutes, you ARE going down). When you make the CHOICE to go to the inside on a pass, there only a split second that something bad can happen. Most of the time, in a heat race, there isn't really much risk...but the first turn is always dangerous with a group of boats...

I wish I had a DVD sound track of Waldman and Herring Loopers.....just to listen to going down the road....

[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's about the way I heard it Ron. I didn't see it because there was a ton of water between us. There were 11 drivers and that front straightaway was very narrow. I was looking up the roster and picked up on something I had either forgotten or there was an error. It shows Jerry Peterson entered for the North driving W171 and Ray Nydahl racing for the West in X12. Either the scorers wrote it down wrong or for some reason Jerry and Ray swapped boats. I don't know why they would because each one of them had excellent rigs.

I didn't like to start on the inside at that time either, but when the one minute gun fired I was in a bad spot to fight for that outside position. The milling area was also tight and when I looked to find a better slot, the field was already pretty much committed. I reluctantly took the inside and accelerated toward the starting line. It was the most spine tingling start I ever made and I can still feel it.

Sometimes there is a quick little scare here and there when you have some close calls or flip in the first turn after the start, but it happens and then its over. In this case, by the time we were inside the 500 foot safety bouy we were already up to speed. At the starting line we were all over 100mph and there was not much spread from front to back. Every driver was in the hunt. I can truly say I was terrified the whole front stretch to the turn. It was 4 months before I got our first Butts Aerowing HOOKIN' BULL, and although our 12'8 Marchetti was a good boat I had some serious thoughts about getting through the turn without flipping.

I just hung onto the throttle and my mind was running at top speed. I kept waiting for the boats to my right to back off for the first bouy. We were already at the point where we should have started to set up for the turn . No one did. One thing I didn't want to do was back off too soon then get cut off at the apex of the turn. When we were almost on top of the bouy, I just dumped the throttle to scrub off speed, then got back on it hard. To my relief I came out of the turn first and started down the back straight. I looked over my left shoulder and saw Billy Seebold in second place chasing me. When I turned back ahead I saw patrol boats with the flag men standing up furiously waving their black flags. We had one stationed half way down the course and one at each turn. Billy and I both backed off and went all the way around and back to the pits.

As fast as we were going, if Jerry Waldman had probably just one second less, he would have cleared Jerry Peterson's boat. There was a little damage to Jerry's boat, though Ron. The top inch or so of Jerry's cowling was broken off. It was a terrible tragedy not only for Jerry Waldman, but Jerry Peterson took it extremely hard. He quit racing for a number of years, but not a man ever blamed him. It was just a chance thing that happens in racing. I know for a fact that Jerry Waldman would have wanted him to continue to race.

Here is a cover of ROOSTERTAIL from the start of A hydro at the North South Championships at Knoxville in 1967. It shows what you are saying Ron. I was on the outside and just inside my boat is Jerry Waldman, then Bob Hering next to him. Looks like we're watching the clock and getting ready to hammer it while Jerry Parrot in X77 on the inside has nailed the start. In the end Bob Hering won with Jerry Waldman 2nd and Jerry Parrot 3rd.

Jerry had broken his back the year before I started racing. I don't remember if it was Phil Wagner or someone else that told me, but I can remember hearing that his doctor advised him not to race anymore as he had old injuries that could prove fatal in another serious one. I seem to remember that he had a steel plate in his head as a result of one injury, but I am not sure whether that's true or not.

[Ron Hill]

Probably a scorer's error and had the race been run under "Normal" conditions someone what have caught the error. I'm sure, the whole scoring team went into schock after the accident.

Look at the post you made with Jerry...I really catches Jerry Waldman the driver...I was accused of spending more time looking back than looking ahead... (As Bill Jack Rucker, Sr, Ted May and I always joked...We said, "The lake wasn't big enough for THEM guys to pass us..."

Jerry liked the OUTSIDE...If you have speed you can take the first turn, if you don't you USUALLY can get the hell out of the way...

Looking at the Rooster Tails picture, you can see Jerry sitting up, thinking...."Is this going to work?"

This is the picture of Jerry I'm using for the DePue Reunion plaques...

[Gene East]

Wayne,

You're so right about Jerry Peterson and how this accident effected him. This was simply a racing accident and in no way could Jerry be held responsible.

Everyone involved in racing of any type understands that this can and does happen, but we all believe, "It won't happen to me".

Jerry was at the funeral and many of us felt nearly as much compassion for for him as we did for the Waldman family.

I believe Sandy Plummer said Jerry is going to be at DePue. I'm looking forward to seeing him again. He was always a true gentleman and a worthy competitor.

Note to Ron.

The plaque you are planning for Gerry Waldman is great. I'm sure there will be lots of potential buyers. Thank you for honoring Gerry in this manner.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Yeah Gene, I remember everyone there at the funeral coming up to Jerry Peterson and telling him he wasn't to blame. Looking around at the huge crowd at Jerry's funeral was like looking at a driver's meeting at the nationals with everyone in suits. I'm glad he will be attending and look forward to seeing him there. Jerry was not only one of the top drivers of the day, but is also a very friendly and likable guy.

[john lawrence]

I want to really thank all who participated especially Wayne for the pics on the great narration and comments, made me feel the emotion of that time. Thanks again Wayne.

[Rex Hall Jr.]

Jerry Peterson should not feel bad, because he did not hit Waldman in the boat like most people think. I was the first boat to the first turn and Jerry was just to my left, when I made my turn, Jerry started to turn tighter and hooked a sponson which threw him out. I had to straighten the wheel and go wide because Jerry was rolling on the water. His boat turned hard left and sat back down right side up and Jerry Peterson hit the boat, but Waldman was not in it. Someone hit Jerry in the water, and we will never know who it was. I told Baldy Baldwin about what I saw and he told me not to bring it up, as invetigation would have to take place and this way it was ruled just a racing accident. After the race I told Jerry Peterson waht happened, but I don't know if he believed me, but that is what really happened, and I am the only eye witness to it. Rex Hall

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Regardless of who hit him Rex, it still would have been a racing accident. But thanks for filling us in. We never talked much about it because there was so much water you couldn't see anything. We looked at that film over and over again, but it was shot from head on and above the turn. Looking down all there was was water. You could tell something happened, but not see any detail.

Were you on the outside Rex, or was someone else to your right? I just remember that the whole pack was at the turn at the same time, but I couldn't tell where Jerry was. I always figured Jerry Peterson was inside of Jerry Waldman and barrel rolled then Jerry W went underneath. I can say I never remember my Dad describing what you just posted, but it's certainly possible. What I remember being told was that both arms were broken and he had head injuries and that a younger man without the previous injuries would have pulled through.

[ferv888ipba]

Wayne,
Thanks for the picture of Jerry sitting straight up. Last weekend I was up in Winona, beautiful place to race, and we were talking about Waldman and our memories.

Jerry, before the DePue Men's shelter was built, would be just to the west of the present shelter around a couple of picnic tables set up for the drivers meeting and would be talking to drivers and crews, taping them with his recorder. Not sure what he did with the recording, but it would be fun to find out what happened to them.

I remember Jerry would always pit just to the first turn side of the ramp. When he was testing, he would start his own engine, throttle locked, folding his starting rope up, and then off toward the opening to the river. That was back in the old days when a spectator fleet came in off the river for the races.

He would then come back off the point on the back stretch and goose it going down to the bottom turn. Someone said that he was breaking it in after being re-rung and he would always head out at an idle. I can see this in my minds eye as I write this. The "Pink Ladies" all lined up at Lake Depue.

This weekend at Winona, Dick Hoppenrath, Steve Wilson, DoSeth, and Wayne Walgraves were all there. I remember betting Ted May 5 bucks that Walgraves was going to beat everyone in the "F Hydro" race when Walgraves was running the Chapperal of his own design and build with the big 6 on the back of it. Ted said Walgraves had no chance with the crazy looking rig.

I had been watching Walgraves during testing and that boat was fast and I thought he could beat Waldman's 44. The first heat was exactly as I thought it would be, Walgraves smoked all of them.

The second heat came up and I could not believe it, Walgraves 6 would not start and Waldman ended up winning the title. Ted was a little nervous, becasue like Trevino doing skins, probably did not have the 5 bucks to bet me, but boy did I love hanging with Ted at Depue, I learned things then that I wonder today what they were or even what they meant. But, that was Ted, but even that is another story. Loved him flat out.



Ray

[racnbns]

Wayne,
Thanks for the picture of Jerry sitting straight up. Last weekend I was up in Winona, beautiful place to race, and we were talking about Waldman and our memories.

Jerry, before the DePue Men's shelter was built, would be just to the west of the present shelter around a couple of picnic tables set up for the drivers meeting and would be talking to drivers and crews, taping them with his recorder. Not sure what he did with the recording, but it would be fun to find out what happened to them.

I remember Jerry would always pit just to the first turn side of the ramp. When he was testing, he would start his own engine, throttle locked, folding his starting rope up, and then off toward the opening to the river. That was back in the old days when a spectator fleet came in off the river for the races.

He would then come back off the point on the back stretch and goose it going down to the bottom turn. Someone said that he was breaking it in after being re-rung and he would always head out at an idle. I can see this in my minds eye as I write this. The "Pink Ladies" all lined up at Lake Depue.

This weekend at Winona, Dick Hoppenrath, Steve Wilson, DoSeth, and Wayne Walgraves were all there. I remember betting Ted May 5 bucks that Walgraves was going to beat everyone in the "F Hydro" race when Walgraves was running the Chapperal of his own design and build with the big 6 on the back of it. Ted said Walgraves had no chance with the crazy looking rig.

I had been watching Walgraves during testing and that boat was fast and I thought he could beat Waldman's 44. The first heat was exactly as I thought it would be, Walgraves smoked all of them.

The second heat came up and I could not believe it, Walgraves 6 would not start and Waldman ended up winning the title. Ted was a little nervous, becasue like Trevino doing skins, probably did not have the 5 bucks to bet me, but boy did I love hanging with Ted at Depue, I learned things then that I wonder today what they were or even what they meant. But, that was Ted, but even that is another story. Loved him flat out.



Ray

I think Wayne said the Kill switch was off!

Bruce