Originally Posted by
Master Oil Racing Team
John:
I been getting a little confused about DePue 1969-1972. I went through some old propellers and some drivers list for qualifying heats. According the the 1969 Propeller, you won COH. The order was
1 John Schubert
2 Homer Kincaid
3 Dan Kirts
4 Jerry Waldman
5 Rex Hall
You finished 4th in DOH, & 2nd behind Waldman in AOH
According to the 1972 Propeller COH results were as follows:
1 Fred Hauenstein
2 Billy Seebold
3 Dan Kirts
4 Jimmy Aderholdt
5 Jerry Waldman (who was 71 Champ)
Fred Hauenstein was not on the list so he was either defending champ or Western Division champ.
Take a look at the names and numbers on the first qualifying heat. There is you, George Andrews and Randy Johnson in that same heat. It looks like George more than Homer. Homer drives more upright & the driver looks a little heavier. I say that's the heat the photo was taken. Do you remember a blowover on the back straight, first lap. I think this was the heat. It was the only time I ever blew over in 17 years of racing.
I came out of the turn first and was way down the backstretch when I looked over my left shoulder to see who was chasing me. It was Billy Seebold on the inside. Just when I looked forward again, my Marchetti took off. I had no experience in bailing out, & as it climbed I thought it was too fast to jump. I looked down again & it was still too fast. The third time I looked down, I thought I was way too high to bail out. I was holding on to the steering wheel and throttle , the engine screaming, & the last thing I remember was thinking if I didn't turn loose of the throttle I was going to blow the engine.
I don't remember falling or hitting the water. I guessed I must have feinted from the height. When I came to I was up to my waste in mud, water to my shoulders, and only my neck and head out of the water. They tried pulling me in the safety boat, but I was stuck in the mud. One of the guys had to get in the water and push on me while the other pulled. When I got to the docks they were going to haul me in to check me out. Charles Bradley's dad offered to check me over, as he was a Doctor. The ambulance crew would have none of it until my dad intervened. So we got to go out to run the qualifying heat for BOH.
I think I qualified for B and I had won my heat of D, but the next two days of finals I was unable to move my neck from side to side or look down so we watched from the banks.
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