Lone Star Boat Racing Association

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

I see the NBRA race scheuled for Aug 15-17 in Ponca City, Ok. I am checking into that and thinking about driving up there to see a race. It would be about a 4 1/2 hr drive for me.

[BBaron]

Well S.D.B.A will be at marine creek
August 2&3 and in Chouteau,Ok. August 16&17
Where do you live ? I am in Roanoke Benny

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

I live in the Park Glen area near 377 and North Tarrant just a few miles south of you. I knew bout the drag boats running but that has never really appealed to me. The outbourds going around in circles just bring back all the memoriies of my chilhood. I got my email reply from Kampenracing and he says they are expecting over 100 boats in Ponca City, Ok in August. I think i am going to try to make that race.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Hi Dennis:

I don't remember you, but I am sure you were one of the little "pit rats" running around at the ODA races in the early 70's. I knew your Dad pretty well along with all the rest of your family. Charlie worked part time for me in a sales job about 10 years or so ago, for a year or so. Still talk to him occasionally as he will give me a ring or me him. I was wondering the other day if he would be taking pictures at the PRO Nationals in DePue next weekend. He used to tape the races and sell the video's to interested parties, and he did a very good job as he had some very professional equipment.
Your Dad and my wife Eileen both worked for Ozark Airlines here in St. Louis, he as a mechanic I believe, and she was a flight attendent. Hope he came out better in the TWA buyout than she did. Carl Icahn stole a lot of folks retirements in that deal. I know Butch Leavendusky has spoken with Bob recently after having lost contact with him when he moved from St. Louis to the Dallas area. I understand they are going to have a visit after many years very soon.
I had a very interesting experience in one of Bob's D Mod runabouts, or perhaps it belonged to your Dad, I never knew. Anyway in the early 70's, ODA had a race (one of many) at Portage De Souix on the river in the St. Louis area. Eileen and I showed up to spectate, and someone of your group, I believe your Dad, was not there. Bob wanted to put as many D Runabouts on the water as possible, so I was asked if I wanted to drive one. I had no jacket, helmet or anything else, and I believe Bob paid for my membership for one day just to get another boat on the water. I had not been in a runabout, much less a D runabout, for at least 20 years at that point, but I told Bob I would run to the first turn with the rest of the bunch and then just ride the rest of the way. There were some very good boats in that race, and I knew with my lack of experience, the last thing I wanted to do was get in someones way. I came down on the start and everyone else was late, and I got a perfect start. All the equipment the Lowrey family had was top notch, and it was running very well, good enough I got to the first turn first. The water was typically rough as most of the river races were, and there I was at the first turn first, with absolutely no idea what to do next, and with about 7 or 8 fast D runabouts bearing down on me. I managed to lope around the corner staying out of everyone elses way somehow, and finished the race in I believe about halfway back in the finishing order. I ran several more heats that day, just enough to convince me I had not made a mistake when I gave up runabouts for hydros during my racing career. But it was fun, and that was what it was all about.
Tell your Dad, Eileen and I said hello, and perhaps we will see him again in the future.

Bill Van

[BBaron]

The drag boats really dont turn me on but
I
know a lot of people with them and go to about 1 a year

[Y-62/Crews/ Lowrey]

Great story Bill! I had Mom and Dad over last weekend to see this thread on the forum. The names and the stories that surfaced while watching Tom's pictures was really neat for me. You could just see the memories flooding back to life for both of them. Dad told a story about you going to Japan and seeing the gambling venues they used to race boats. He also said you were refereeing at the Nationals in Hot Springs in '74. Dad had the fasted boat in the field in E-hydro but just before the start of the 1st heat he noticed the pin that held the block to the stem housing was backing out. He knew what would happen if that engine came loose and he just couldn't take the chance. He headed for the pits. He then noticed you motioning to him from the judge’s stand as if to say just keep circling the course. Later you told him that several guys had jumped the start and all he had to do was finish to place in that heat. That was a 3-cylinder Evinrude that had so much torque that it would actually kick the boat a little sideways going down the straight-away. The very next time he ran that rig was at Winters Park in St.Louis just a few weeks later. He said on about the second lap he punched it coming out of the turn and it didn't jump like normal. The next turn was a little worse and the field started gaining on him. It was then that he noticed the water boiling up from under the transom. The bottom of the boat was separating and filling with water. I very distinctly remember Dad getting out of the boat and stomping on the deck in disgust. He says now it was probably good that that didn't happen in front of the field at the Nationals.

Oh man, the stories, the memories. I feel like a little kid again. I still have a story to tell about the picture I posted above of Dad in his C-service runabout at Greenville, IL. It involves Butch Leavendusky. I don't have time right now but will try to get it posted this weekend.

Great to hear from you Bill and thanks again for the great story

[Master Oil Racing Team]

......Joe reminded me that there are many more members here at BRF. And it's been so long that I posted anything about the Lone Star Boat Racing Association, that I needed to put up some pictures. So I got these out of the first page of my 1980 binder of the Western Divisionals held on the Neches River at Beaumont, Texas. Louis Williams (14T) was the main mover of the event.

In the first pic is Dan Waggoner. He was the first Pro racer to help me with motors. I was a brand new racer, and I had no clue. Dan was around 70 or 71 years old when I took this photo.

The second pic is L'il Ray Yates. His Dad Ray and I started around the same time. Ray ran A, B, and C runabout, though not all at the same time. He also pitted with, and helped Bruce Nicolson for years and still regularly talks with Bruce. It is through Ray I have tried to get Bruce to get a computer. L'il Ray continued to progress in his racing and one year at Lakeland outran seasoned Pro's including Ralph Donald and Pete Hellsten.

In the third photo is Neil "Bimbo" Bauknight. Neil was a young kid growing up in the pits when I first met his Dad Jimbo. Jimbo raced B runabout. He was a happy go lucky guy with a perpetual grin. Jimbo always wore a straw hat in the pits, and bounced around among the pits crews laughing and telling stories. The year before I took these pictures, Jimbo fell asleep in his pickup while waiting for the right time to walk to his stand for hunting deer. He had been smoking, and the lit cigarette caught the seat on fire and he died of asphixiation before the pickup burned up. At the request of his Mom we took him to pit for us at Winona in 1975. We were only too glad to do that. He had a good time there and was a big help. Neil became an accomplished racer. He bought the best 350 hydro rig we ever had.

In the next pic. Neil is on the transom of Jack Kugler. It was a narrow course and Neil was more familiar with it than Jack.

Last pic, Bruce Nicholson as usual on the inside. T88 is Doug Doering and was brought into racing by Denny Henderson and Craig Lawrence. I don't know who 444 is, but the only guy who nailed the start and had the inside was my good friend Alan Ishii.

[Jerry Combs]

I don't know who 444 is, but the only guy who nailed the start and had the inside was my good friend Alan Ishii.

Alan was always good at nailing the start! If I had been smarter I would have always made my run for the start beside Alan. I miss the fun that we had back in the late 60's early 70's.

Jerry

[Master Oil Racing Team]

...because that's where I grew up.

pic 1. Behind the scenes at the drivers meeting. PRO race. San Antonio, Lake Calaveras 1984. Rick Hartley (Lake Kingsland) in the orange jump suit is just left of Tom Brady (T4) from Lubbock.

Pc 2. Don't know what this was about. Charlie Bailey is taking off his helmet and talking to his sponser, Carson Howell, after making a run in Jim Richardson's D runabout.

3. L.-R. My chief mechanic Jack chance hooking up connections with pit crew Jim Roerig and Johnny "BZZZZ" Becezcny.

4. Craig Lawrence pulling into the pits. After all the crazy antics throughout the years....it's hard to believe that Craig is in charge of outitting all the Hendricks NASCAR teams with their parts before heading out to a race.

5. 11 T. Seems like this may have come up before--I forget. This is N.E. "Fitz" Fistgibbon's boat. Fitz was elderly when I first met him. He always raced runabouts. My earliest remembrance of Fitz was from the early 70's. A great guy. Maybe Benny Bob Baron can fill us in on some more info from him. But this particular pic is not Fitz. It's his boat, but I think maybe Donald Brady or someone else is driving it.

[Skoontz]

Cool pictures Wayne. That's the way runabouts all should look today.