Favorite Photos past & present

**Miss BK** · 03-23-2005

No all those people on the right are just my brother's friends who came down from Kingman to watch him race. They had never been to a boat race before, but this race was close enough for them to drop by and "help".

**Ron Hill** · 03-23-2005

I was hoping it was me surrounded by all those WOMEN!!!!

The story about me ain't the time we ran "Prepration H" (Our green flat bottom) a ground up at Rainbo Beach....with Karon May aboard??? She's still mad about that...(We talked last September).....I reminded her, I wasn't driving...or drinking....but she wasn't watching the driver either...and he had been drinking...No, 1972...we ran that boat on shore before I was married....As I told Karon, we only went about 20 feet up the bank!!!!

How would you put a 1,000 bouy at Brawley...Eric Huhn wants to know...???

**Miss BK** · 03-23-2005

Ok .. I finally finished typing a bunch of stuff for Fred Miller...so now I can tell the Needles story.

Ok..If you notice in the picture, the beach is wet and sloppy. That's because we are not on a beach ---- we are standing on a sand bar. That morning we got to the race site and there was this brand new, long sandy island about 150 feet from the shore. The racers could not get around it, and it was blocking the inlet, so we had to come up with something else.

So the race committee says that all we can do is drag our boats out to the sand bar. But that means our trailers are going to be inaccessable and WAYYYYY back there - and that water is very cold to try and run back and forth. (February)

My brother has all these "helpers" who came down for the race and each one is told to take something to haul out to the sand bar - prop, crate, wrench etc.

Well.... we get all the way out there and just before our heat is about to start - we realize: NO GAS CAN! And it's too late to run all the way back in hip-deep water back to the shore where our gas can sat.

That's when I look over and see Ron Hill standing on the sand bar -- and lo and behold ...there's a full gas can at his feet. I say "Ron! Can we borrow some of this gas?"

Ron says "Sure!"

So we quickly fill the tank and my brother takes off. He ends up running better than he ever has, and comes within 2/10ths of a second from capturing 1st place! (That's when my dad waded out into that cold water and snapped this picture of us.)

Later that afternoon, I go looking for Ron Hilll to thank him. Afterall, if it wasn't for his generosity, we would not have been able to run at all.

I find him and say, "Ron, thanks for letting us use your gas. How much do we owe you?"

Ron says, "Nothing. That wasn't my gas."

I say, "Then who's gas was it?"

Ron shrugs and says, "Heck if I know."

LOL

And that's why I have to laugh everytime I see this picture

**Joe J** · 03-23-2005

Originally Posted by RonHill

How would you put a 1,000 bouy at Brawley...Eric Huhn wants to know...???

What in the world do you need a 1000' buoy for?

Joe

**Miss BK** · 03-23-2005

oh that reminds me...I've got some great pics of Joe from the 70's too.

I need to start scanning some more...

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 03-23-2005

Miss BK:

Judging by the haircuts, that photo was after I raced in that area in 1969. I think in an earlier post Ron put up a photo with him, Kay Harrison and I had a different year. But, what I was wondering about was the sandbar. Do you call racing at Needles the same as us southerners call racing at Alexandria? We stayed at Alexandria, La. and crossed the Red River to the race course in Pineville, La. When I raced at Needles, we actually stayed at Needles and raced at Topock, Az. Is that a different race course?

The reason I was wondering was because I was trying to think back, and we pitted away from the main pits because there was no more room. Seems like we pitted on an island that resembled the sandbar. There were maybe a half dozen or more that pitted out there. Next to us on our left was Sid and Bob Viera and to our right I think was Jay Root. I can't remember if Kay Harrison was out there too, but I remember talking to him there in our pits. I can also remember it very hard to understand what was going on because the echo between the PA's was out of phase and the announcement coming from one speaker would be followed a fraction of a second behind the other.

Had a great time out there and the people were all very hospitable.

**Ron Hill** · 03-23-2005

MissBK...

In those days, I guess as now, I was very nosey......I think I'd have known everyone's gas can.....and, I can't believe I didn't try to collect any money for ity, even if it wasn't mine!!! I was always "HUSTLING", then, as now!!...seems you are trying to butter me up for some reason!!!!!

FYI Out There: Needles is down river from Davis Dam...At night, or toward evening they (Needles and surrounding areas) use more power, so they let water out to generate electricity...So, the river comes up. During the night, people turn off their TV's and lights and sleep...(Use less power)..So, in the morning the river is LOW...

My brother always called the DAM MAN and got extra water for races.....but sometimes, it took and hour or so for the river to raise.....(On the morning of the race)...My brother actually got a long pretty well with the Dam Man...now and then, if a storm came along, though, the Dam Man would keep his DAM WATER...

Golden Shore Winternationals were held in a Bay at Topock...I thought it was one of the coolest courses in the world, because we had a five bouy first turn, decent straightaways, and a single pin for a second corner...but several things happened....sand settled in the bay, and the tree hugger types wouldn't allow dredging....even when the river was high, the damn toolies grew up and filled the bay.....

The REAL SAND BAR, where everyone goes and gets out of control, is down the river about 10 or miles from Topock, by boat or 25 miles as a crow flies...I try to avoid that place...too many naked women, ain't good for a old man's heart...but sometimes people make a man go there!!!! It was pretty calm there last time...it was a cool day, not very drunk out....I had my six L.A.P.D. "Body Guards" loking out for me!!!

Joe..1,000 foot bouy??? I thought this was a new rule!!! I was told that they thought this bouy contributed to the 25 SS Runabout crash...of which, I'm still sorting out....

Yea, all us people out west are pretty good people to "HANG WITH"....until the green flag drops....Really, people like MissBK are her "TEAM" always made the racing more fun....There were a group...in those days, mostly "FAMILIES"...we raced for trophies...and enjoyed the experience....We dreamed of "ROCK and ROLL" as Ritchey Valance said....But our "ROCK and Roll" was Ted May, the Youngers, Jimbo...The Dawes...The Hills...The Davidsons...The Martins..The Huhns...The Chambers...The Mayers and many, many more...

**Miss BK** · 03-23-2005

Yes, this race was actually held in Needles. I can't quite remember where it was, but I do know we drove through downtown Needles to get there. In 1986 SCOA put on a race near that same place and invited the mini boats. (My first crash). It might have been even been the same spot, but with some dredgework. The course took us under the Needles bridge (not the I-40 bridge, but the one that leaves Needles toward Mohave Valley).

Topock is several miles further downstream from this location, and on the AZ side.

They also used to race in Bullhead City (40 miles upriver) but quit putting races on there about the time my brother started racing. I remember sitting high on a hill above the river watching the races when I was about 9. There is a strip mall there now. That spot is right across the river from Laughlin's Harrah's casino today. That's also the spot where I used to do all my testing.

They didn't race in that area of the Colorado River very often in the late 70's and 80's. Not sure why. Most of the races were much further south: Havasu/Parker/Big Bend.

**Ron Hill** · 03-23-2005

FYI: Those Bullhead Races were Pete DeLackner's CANOE races..OPC, APBA....OPC was all WOA in those days Pete started APBA OPC with ...CANOE...(California, Arizona, Nevada, Outboard Enthusiasts)...

We did run a few SCOA races there, but controlling river traffic was difficult and the current was worse than Needles...If a man stalled, he'd be five miles down river before the heat was over.

**Miss BK** · 03-23-2005

Wow! I didnt know those were Pete's races. I didn't meet Pete until the 90's in Texas - he used to stop by the shop in Kaufman and we'd spend HOURS talking boats. I wish I would have known....

Yes! That river current was a fury. That's where I learned how to put a boat on the trailer - you came in, heading into the current toward the ramp with a lot of throttle until the last minute. If you didn't, OH BOY!

Oh, and when I rolled in Needles in the south turn, the current was so fast that I was already downstream, heading for Topock before my head popped up. Amazing how strong it is there. Maybe that's why they didnt race there much...