Where The Action Is

[Danny Pigott]

Dave, is Lyle driving the boat he called CUS, like the word. I ended up with that boat after Lyle sold it and a D 40 cu MOD to a friend of mine. I ran it in DSH a couple times and my brother Robert ran it in DMH at some local races he even won a few with it. I sold it to a guy down the road that i thought wanted to race ,but was wrong. He went to one race and that was it, all he did was play after that. Don't know what happen to it. If i remember right Byers built it specal for CMH don't know why Lyle drove it in some of the roughest water i remember at the North South Championship in Cadis (sp) KY. in 77 all i remember is seeing the back of it both heats, i said d### hes got a 44 on his C boat an won both heats. There is a little more to this story i will tell later.

[ferv888ipba]

Wasn't that Lee St. Clair's number from Creve Coure, Illinois. But always remembered him having purple boats, so might be wrong.

Ray

[David Weaver]

Brandon Thirlby beats me to the last open spot at the first turn in 250cc Hydro during the 2009 USTS race at Constantine, MI. We had twelve boats looking for space in the first turn where there are realistically 8 lanes. All came out still running, if I recall correctly and I was plenty clean after this shower.

[David Mason]

Dave, is Lyle driving the boat he called CUS, like the word. I ended up with that boat after Lyle sold it and a D 40 cu MOD to a friend of mine. I ran it in DSH a couple times and my brother Robert ran it in DMH at some local races he even won a few with it. I sold it to a guy down the road that i thought wanted to race ,but was wrong. He went to one race and that was it, all he did was play after that. Don't know what happen to it. If i remember right Byers built it specal for CMH don't know why Lyle drove it in some of the roughest water i remember at the North South Championship in Cadis (sp) KY. in 77 all i remember is seeing the back of it both heats, i said d### hes got a 44 on his C boat an won both heats. There is a little more to this story i will tell later.

You are right, we called that Boat "CUS" It was also the number he had because of high point, back then they allowed you C.U.S. for C hydro, DUS for D Hydro, EUS for E hydro, etc. Yes, Byers built most all of dads boats back in the day. That one had a yellow paint job on the front. That engine you see on it was used not long ago in CMH down in Ocoee FL at a Winter nationals. Dad built up one last merc C that was gonna be a real barn stormer and kick those Yamatos butt. Well we broke it breaking it in. Oh well, maybe someday we will fix it and play again. With the rules so wide open now, it is very possible to make one scream. Just have to find the right stuff.

That boat is also the boat that a pic of him was in I think Powerboat Magazine, Rusty Ray took the pic. Kind of a controvesrial pic.... It seems someones pipes were in the way of progress.

Dan, do you remeber the ribfest we always did in TN at the nat's ? My Uncle Bill would make up some of his own BBQ sauce and wwe would cook like hundreds of pounds of ribs for everyone, we used bed springs on beer cans to cook over. Those were the days...

[Danny Pigott]

Dave i have got that pic of the pipes in Lyle's way, I think it was Karl Spondell (sp) in one of his glass Hydros. I remember ya'll used to camp on almost a island down from the reg, pits. You guys Terry Ringer, what ever happen to him after he got hurt in 76 ,i think a guy name nickles and some i don't remember. They use to call it Mason's island. you are right those were the days. I still remember you and Dale running JMH at Soddy Tn in the early 80's we still have Dale's J Hot Rod. I do remember the rib;s what a great time.

[David Mason]

Dave i have got that pic of the pipes in Lyle's way, I think it was Karl Spondell (sp) in one of his glass Hydros. I remember ya'll used to camp on almost a island down from the reg, pits. You guys Terry Ringer, what ever happen to him after he got hurt in 76 ,i think a guy name nickles and some i don't remember. They use to call it Mason's island. you are right those were the days. I still remember you and Dale running JMH at Soddy Tn in the early 80's we still have Dale's J Hot Rod. I do remember the rib;s what a great time.

Uncle Terry Reniger is still around. I got him to the Constantine Pro race a couple years back. He had fun. We still talk about the days. He got into some serious car racing for a long time. Raced midgets and sprints. Then his son raced in the Late Models around here. He has always had his hands in the racing world. he still does help us out building engines now and again. He still knows how to weld like a pro. He does a lot of RC car racing now. 1/4 scale stuff. I let his son Mike and his kids take my rig out testing at a local lake a while back, they seemed all enthused but just never got to the point of doing it. To many hobbies already I guess.

Trips down memory lane...... the best.

[sbirbarie]

Is this Skip Birbarie? It is at Hinton also in 1977.

Wayne,
It's not me although it's a Yale and I should know who it is; I'm not sure. It might actually be John. I'm sure Mike Schmidt would remember.

Keep all the great pic's and stories coming-I can't imagine how you remember so much.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Wayne,
It's not me although it's a Yale and I should know who it is; I'm not sure. It might actually be John. I'm sure Mike Schmidt would remember.

Keep all the great pic's and stories coming-I can't imagine how you remember so much.

Hi Skip,

Just wanted to say Hi! How is everything. You can respond to my e-mail jschubert@wi.rr.com

[Mike Schmidt]

Skip: I was going to call and ask you.. My guess would be John R Yale. D-14 was his number and it looks like his arms. He and Franny had a B around that time. Bet it was one of Uncle Nick's Konigs.

I do remember driving under you at the start in the finals....

Michael D-1

[1-D 1-US]

Good grief this is like old home week, we never ran together but I met u while cleaning up an old barn across the st. from u'r house [early 80's] ...I remember when John Yale started in DSH [56-57?]..bought a swift 6-D ? from Jim Loomis I think..as I remember he had quite a time for a while keeping the thing off his head. Over the years U & I & Bruce Parsons were the only racers from the town of Durham..Dion Arrigoni 1-D