Al "Squibby" Henrich and Don "DAH" Props

[Ron Hill]

I first met Don at the 1966 Havasu Classic or at OMC in August of 1967. He didn't like to go to HAVERSTRAW, Arizona has THANKSGIVING WAS HUNTING SEASON. I somewhat thought of him as a "HAY SEED" as everyone knew it was LAKE HAVASU.....Of course, I'd never raced at Haverstraw Bay, NY......or never heard of it....ANyway, for 1966-67 until 1978 I saw Don often and we always talked long and hard. He talked about his girls, how Johnny Woods was his stock broker and made him tons when Tandy went public....We talked politics, we talked everything.....We spent 4 or 5 Octobers in Europe racing....

Don winters with his wife Judy in Havasu now and has for about 20 years. He took the ferry boat across the lake to havasu landing for our race last month (2009). He looked great, having some trouble with his hip. We laughed and talked......but in all the years and time I spent with Don he never mentioned that he and his dad raced.....

After the Beloit Nationals, 1970, I met up with Don at the OMC Prop Shop, where he was head of racing propellers. He told me he made the Kamics when he worked for Mercury. So, I had him measure my too good Kamic's I'd brought with me....Don measured one and said, "Wow! One blade is a 10 and the other is a 13...I bet I could sure fix this one....."....I said, "Don, I just won the Nationals with that prop....I started 8-9 both heats a powered through them....with easy....if you touch that prop you'll be dead..." We both laughed....Don added, "well, when you get a better one, I'll fix that one..."

Thanks, again, Richard Walbrun for writing this book... The Great Boat Race...

ADD HERE: Is Clinton McDurmon, mention here in the book, the same McDurmon of McDurmon Distribution in Fenton, Michigan???

[Danny Pigott]

I knew Don back in the 70's good props.