Thread: Dan Pigott

  1. #161
    Sam Cullis Mark75H's Avatar
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    Sure. I'll probably do it tomorrow.
    Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.


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    Default Hi Dan --- Byers Hydro --- Humm!

    It just totally blows my mind as to how little things had changed in boat design by 1970.
    That Byers hydro looks very much like my Sid Craft hydro from '57!

    I was already heavy into M/C racing in the seventies, but reading up on the history of boat racing tells me that a guy named Tim Butts built hydros that apparently were "state of the art" later in the 70's. Think they were called Butts' AeroWings.

    I attended the Lake Alfred Worlds a few weeks ago. And was astounded as to the development of the European's hydros.
    In my day, getting on a plane was a real chore as we "jacked" up the motor for more speed.

    I spent some time looking at the bottom designs of those boats. And observed how FAST they could plane off and get up to speed!
    Lots of advancement there!!!

    Can anyone fill me in on why the US still uses the clock start rather than the "dead stop" start method?

    To me, from my standpoint as a retired M/C racer, standing starts were the rule. And where you started depended on how fast you were in qualifying.

    Seems to me that the European qualifying method should be used exclusively in the US in this modern day and age.
    And I say that even though in my boat racing days, I was an excellent clock starter.
    Just seems more fair to me. (unless your engine won't start -hehe)

    Geo (EZ)

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    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    With as many classes as run in a race, it would take forever to qualify George. I prefer the clock start, even though most of my career I was not a good clock starter . Before the hydraulic lifting you had to check the course out and compromise between speed and getting on a plane and out of there. This is just an observation because all I ever did was clock starts. But with the hydraulic lifts, you can get on a plane quickly with a high pitch prop, then lower your motor down for good high end racing. When I was at Lake Alfred two years ago, seems that most Americans didn't have the sophistication of the European boats in this regard. It adds to the cost of campaigning, and may lead to domination by a few teams. I prefer the chanciness on trying to work into the position you want while milling. It opens more options for some maybe not quite as fast, but can get the jump, and closes the door on some who may be the fastest, but gets caught in the wrong spot when the one minute canon fires. To me it is also more exciting for the crowds to watch the milling throng coalesce into a thundering pack headed for the starting line.

    For more information about Tim Butts, there is a thread on him and his Butts Aerowings and how they revolutioned the kneelers. Go to search and type in Butts Aerowing..The Only Way to Fly, (which was the slogan painted on his trailer).



  4. #164
    Team Member Jeff Lytle's Avatar
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    Scan fixed!

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    Default Gotta admit Wayne --

    You make some very good points that I had not considered.

    In my early years of racing bikes, when we went to Canada or Europe to race they still used the "push start" method. Stand next to your bike and when they dropped the green flag you took off pushing, then jumped on when you got the fire lit.
    Like clock starting it was an art form to do properly. I never mastered the push start as I did it so rarely.

    I missed the qualifying at Lake Alfred. Do they just send everyone out on the course and log in all laps as they do in m/c qualifying?
    Geo

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    BoatRacingFacts VIP John Schubert T*A*R*T's Avatar
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    Default Qualifying

    Quote Originally Posted by ezryder View Post
    You make some very good points that I had not considered.

    In my early years of racing bikes, when we went to Canada or Europe to race they still used the "push start" method. Stand next to your bike and when they dropped the green flag you took off pushing, then jumped on when you got the fire lit.
    Like clock starting it was an art form to do properly. I never mastered the push start as I did it so rarely.

    I missed the qualifying at Lake Alfred. Do they just send everyone out on the course and log in all laps as they do in m/c qualifying?
    Geo
    George,

    They do one at a time, beach start when the flag drops out around the bend bouy & turn & complete the qualifying right at the flag stand. Fastest time gets the pole. Order of finish determines start position for next heat unlike Champ boat/F1 where they do qualifying times for dock position for 1st preliminary heat. They reverse the start from the first heat finish (1st place starts last). The points total determines start position for the 50 lap feature.

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    Default Hi John

    That's interesting.
    So they start from the beach with dead motors, around the back straight bouy and only back to the start finish line. Right? Less than one lap of the full course?

    Quite a bit of difference from the alkys and the F1 start methods.
    No wonder Wayne indicated not enough time to run the qualifying.
    One boat at a time would take a lot of time.

    With m/c's qualifying lasts a specific amount of time. And your fastest lap sets your starting position for the race. And also for the second day race if there is one.
    There is a lot of strategy involved in m/c qualifying. Especially on very fast circuits like Daytona where you averaging 115 or better per lap.
    At Daytona it's common for very good privateer riders to try and get the "draft" from one of the factory riders. And this can result to as much as a couple of seconds faster times.
    Of course, part of the game for the "money" guys is to make it very difficult for anyone to get their draft.

    It's quite a game to watch. And the best is at the MotoGP world championships qualifying rounds. There are lots of times where the
    pole position leader will change 4 or 5 times just in the last 5 to 10 min of qualifying.

    I used to love watching the F1 boat races. But damned if I see much of them on TV any more. I'm guessing it's probably because It's just gotten to costly to race at that level with no factory support -- or at least very little?

    If it wasn't for factory support MotoGP would be history too. In fact they are currently in deep dodo due to depleted fields of bikes.
    Their having to "bend" their rules just to survive. They rarely have more
    than 18 bikes on the starting grid. Not near enough bikes!

    This is the first year of a new championship class called MotoGP2 which consists of "specification" engines built by Honda, installed in any kind of frame you want.
    Now this class is booming. This year every race they have held has the maximum number of starters allowed -- 40 bikes.
    After the start the first turn is something to behold!!!!
    Extremely competitive racing. In most cases the qualifying times of the
    top 40 will be less than 2 seconds apart.
    It truly is awesome racing to watch!

    Regards,
    Geo

  8. #168
    Team Member Danny Pigott's Avatar
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    Default Carbs

    650/ 700 merc carbs these have never been installed on an eng. i have no idea what we were going to use them for maybe a 3 hole omc.
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  9. #169
    Team Member Danny Pigott's Avatar
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    Default Qunicy

    Qunicy Life Jacket 1970. I don't know how many of these still exist this one is still in good shape i just found it in sone old stuff this week.
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  10. #170
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    As Gomer Pyle USMC would say..."GaauuhhhUULLllleeeee!" Good stuff....keep diggin'!



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