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Thread: ?? About Wings.

  1. #81
    Team Member Gene East's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Willabee View Post
    Were the engines 6 piper's? Was Ray a good friend of Earl Welch? Earl drove a gold/white Wing with 6 piper's. Thought his engine work was also done at Quincy? ..... #T-111 I think for Earl's Wing.
    The engines were indeed 6-pipers. I don't really remember Earl Welch, but it's possible. I remember Ray asked for no visitors while he was dying. I did talk to someone who went to see him any way. That may have been Earl. We made a lot of pipes. Even some of the factory pipes were contracted to Q.W.

  2. #82
    Team Member Gene East's Avatar
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    Could it be we are talking about the same boat? The engines pictured do not have cowlings. Ray never used cowlings on his engines. I'm sure Ray probably sold his boat when he got too sick to race.
    If so, the new owner may have repainted it. Who owns/owned this boat?
    Most people think Ford built the first automobile. Of course that's not true, but it does make interesting conversation.
    I received a phone call from Paul Christner about an hour ago. Paul is the son of O.F. Christner owner of Quincy Welding.
    Paul confirms Ray's boat was indeed black.

  3. #83
    Team Member Willabee's Avatar
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    Default Ray Bloch .....

    Quote Originally Posted by Gene East View Post
    The engines were indeed 6-pipers. I don't really remember Earl Welch, but it's possible. I remember Ray asked for no visitors while he was dying. I did talk to someone who went to see him any way. That may have been Earl. We made a lot of pipes. Even some of the factory pipes were contracted to Q.W.
    There weren't many 6 pipe Wings, so I'm pretty sure I know the boat you are talking about. Rick, you may recall quite some time ago we were talking about who ran Wings back in the day and I mentioned Earl and his friend with a black 18', both having six pipe stackers ..... Ray Bloch is the name I couldn't come up with. Ray's Wing was indeed black, but as I recall it, they both ran glass 18'ers.

    I think those guys ran 1000's. I saw them at a few races including the Parker 9 Hour. They always pitted next to each other, seemed to go out to test together. I think I recall Earl having all grey hair and this was 68ish, don't remember if Ray had any or not. Point is it seemed that they were a little older than most guys putting on a helmet and that they really came to these events just to have fun. They made one hell of a lot of noise, and were very entertaining, but didn't seem to race very hard. Matter of fact, at a race in St. Louis, they ran their Wings on a short course and got lapped, but still had a good time and the fans seemed to love those big ol' noisey boats.

    Just my opinion, but back in that 67/68 time period, if you were going to a boat race for the first time, nothing got your attention like a Wing with stacks or a triple engine Powercat ..... mean, very mean looking machines!

    I think this is Earl's Wing, Boots Spellman bought it from Merc and ran a couple of club races still dressed in it's original colors.


  4. #84
    Team Member Gene East's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Willabee View Post
    There weren't many 6 pipe Wings, so I'm pretty sure I know the boat you are talking about. Rick, you may recall quite some time ago we were talking about who ran Wings back in the day and I mentioned Earl and his friend with a black 18', both having six pipe stackers ..... Ray Block is the name I couldn't come up with. Ray's Wing was indeed black, but as I recall it, they both ran glass 18'ers.

    I think those guys ran 1000's. I saw them at a few races including the Parker 9 Hour. They always pitted next to each other, seemed to go out to test together. I think I recall Earl having all grey hair and this was 68ish, don't remember if Ray had any or not. Point is it seemed that they were a little older than most guys putting on a helmet and that they really came to these events just to have fun. They made one hell of a lot of noise, and were very entertaining, but didn't seem to race very hard. Matter of fact, at a race in St. Louis, they ran their Wings on a short course and got lapped, but still had a good time and the fans seemed to love those big ol' noisey boats.

    Just my opinion, but back in that 67/68 time period, if you were going to a boat race for the first time, nothing got your attention like a Wing with stacks or a triple engine Powercat ..... mean, very mean looking machines!

    I think this is Earl's Wing, Boots Spellman bought it from Merc and ran a couple of club races still dressed in it's original colors.

    I'm more and more convinced that the man who I talked to about Ray was Earl. I think you are correct in your statement that neither driver pushed too hard.

    I was involved with promoting some OPC races in Quincy in those days. One race we promoted for 3 years was a two lap race from Quincy,IL to La Grange, MO, a distance of about 40 miles. Ray was always among the leaders in the first lap, but never finished the second lap. Always some minor problem such as a broken wire etc. The 6 pipe engines were a big crowd pleaser. They also may be part of the reason I wear hearing aides.

    As far as whether the boats were wood or glass; I don't know about Earl's boat, but Ray's looked and felt like wood to me. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck.......

  5. #85
    Team Member Willabee's Avatar
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    Default Ray Block .....

    Quote Originally Posted by Gene East View Post
    I'm more and more convinced that the man who I talked to about Ray was Earl. I think you are correct in your statement that neither driver pushed too hard.

    As far as whether the boats were wood or glass; I don't know about Earl's boat, but Ray's looked and felt like wood to me. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck.......
    Gene, I received a photo from mbd29 of the black Wing with the six pipe powerheads that I was talking about. This is the boat that seemed to always pit and test with[IMG]http://i39.tinypic.com/333zimu.jpg[/ the gold & white six piper owned and driven by Earl Welch. I believe this Wing was owned and driven by Ray Block, is it the Wing you were talking about?

    Picture didn't print, I'll try again.

  6. #86
    Team Member Willabee's Avatar
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    Default Ray Block .....

    Quote Originally Posted by Gene East View Post
    Could it be we are talking about the same boat? The engines pictured do not have cowlings. Ray never used cowlings on his engines. I'm sure Ray probably sold his boat when he got too sick to race.
    I received a phone call from Paul Christner about an hour ago. Paul is the son of O.F. Christner owner of Quincy Welding.
    Paul confirms Ray's boat was indeed black.
    Gene, is this the Ray Block Wing? It is the one I remember pairing with Earl Welch as we discussed.


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