The Kirts Family

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I don't know the beginnings of the Kirts' family racing history, although I have seen a black and white photo of a young Mel Kirts receiving a trophy. This is as hard a racing family as I have ever seen. Nobody tougher. They will not give up. That's not to say they drive dirty, or were bad losers or anything like that. They are just fearless when it comes to racing. I guess it must be the Dad Mel racing until his sixties and the boys Tom, Dan and Jerry trying their sibling best to outdo one another. The Kirts family was always at the top, and they were a great bunch to race with. I will be looking for some old articles to see why I can find about the Kirts family that goes way back. In the meantime I expect there will be lots of comments on the Kirts family and their history. A few pics to kick this thread off.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

In the early 70's, before Mel died, Jerry Kirts and the rest of the family attended a race, I believe in Ackworth, Ga. Eileen and I were walking through the pit area and came to where the Kirts clan was pitted and saw Jerry laying down in a new hydro that had just been purchased. He was rigging it out and had his arm completely through a hole in the cockpit side into the lefthand sponson clear up to the armpit. He also had somewhat of a pained expression on his face, and I asked him if I could help. "Nope, I've got it", he replied. After we exchanged a little conversation, we walked on through the pits for about another hour. Whe we finally came back by the Kirts pit area, Jerry was still in the same position he was in when we were there before. I again asked if I could help with something and he said again, "No, I'm fine". Later on some months or even years later, he told me that he had been stuck in that position for a while before I got there, while I was gone, and then for a while after I came by a second time, because of the convoluted passage his arm had to take to get to the back of the sponson fin bracket bolts, to put nuts on. After he finally worked his arm, clear up to the armpit, to where he needed to be, he found he was stuck and couldn't get back out. He was in that position for over an hour before he finally managed to work himself back loose.

Whe he finally told me the story, I asked him why he just didn't say something while I was there either time, and I would have attempted to help him.What he told me explains a lot about the family and the way they were raised. I don't remember the exact words, but something to the effect that Mel told him and the rest of the kids, "What you get yourself into, you get yourself out of, without any help." Some folks might call that just plain stubborness, but that attitude won him a lot of boat races, both with the Kirts family equipment, and later with Elmer Grade. In addition to the attitude, I always thought he was the best driver of the family, not just for his driving ability, but he knew when to sometimes back off and save the equipment or not take a chance on busting his butt for nothing.

What a lot of folks don't realize is their Mother, Mary, was just as much, and perhaps the most competitive of the whole family. I wouldn't doubt that they got just as much of their personalties from her as from Mel.

I went to the first turn several times in the early 70's in C and D Hydro with Mel, Danny, and Jerry, and none of them was easy, especially all three in the same heat. I always thought they would rather beat each other than anyone else.

[wboxell]

I always thought they would rather beat each other than anyone else.

At the nationals in Hinton in 77 I didn't qualify for the finals. I had a new B boat and kind of wanted to see it run with somebody in it that could drive. It was decided somehow (beer was involved for sure) that Jerry would run my boat with his motor in the finals. The years have wiped out most of my memory on the race itself, but what i do remember was Danny. He came over watching as we rigged to boat. Then he would go over and stare at his boat. He would lift the nose of my boat, then the nose of his. Then I look around and Dannys standing there with the bow handles from his removed, in his hands, and says "every little bit helps" He knew he had Jerry covered in Jerrys boat, but now he wasn't sure.

As it turned out, he still had Jerry covered, but it sure was fun watching that day, and I agree "they would rather beat each other than anyone else" bill

[GPSevison]

One of the greatest Runabout drivers ever to hit the water, Tom Kirts, passed away from a heart attack, on August 23, 2008.

[Pete Nydahl]

Tom,Danny and crew.The first US Title Series race DePue,IL 1983 Looks like Tom has got a plan. Great racer,great guy!

[David Mason]

The Kirts were, and still are some of the toughest birds out there in boat racing. Some people have it, some people don't. The inate ability to drive anythng to it's maximum potential, dam the consequences. I always have had this deep respect for Dan Kirts, because it is him whom I remember the most as a kid. My dad has a lot of respect for him as well, so that means a lot to me. I have heard so many stores from my mom & dad about the early days and the Kirts. I never heard one about them giving up, or quitting. Whether you loved them or hated them on the race course, you had to respect their abilities to win races, and that drive to keep coming back. That edge was pushed each and every time they raced a boat.

[racingfan1]

At the nationals in Hinton in 77 I didn't qualify for the finals. I had a new B boat and kind of wanted to see it run with somebody in it that could drive. It was decided somehow (beer was involved for sure) that Jerry would run my boat with his motor in the finals. The years have wiped out most of my memory on the race itself, but what i do remember was Danny. He came over watching as we rigged to boat. Then he would go over and stare at his boat. He would lift the nose of my boat, then the nose of his. Then I look around and Dannys standing there with the bow handles from his removed, in his hands, and says "every little bit helps" He knew he had Jerry covered in Jerrys boat, but now he wasn't sure.

As it turned out, he still had Jerry covered, but it sure was fun watching that day, and I agree "they would rather beat each other than anyone else" bill

Some things never change. Just this past weekend at the USTS race in Springfield IL I saw Danny closely inspecting this setup Derek Gessler has on his 4 pipe 500cc motor. Even in his 70's he still takes it all in.

[racingfan1]

The Kirts family still races on today with Dan, white boat , and son Jim driving the capsule hydro classes and Tom jr in the 500cc runabout class.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks for the pictures and info Dale. Bill....I thought Jerry was gone but I wasn't sure. Had lots of fond memories on the water and in the pits with those guys.