DU Before It Was D Runabout

[Ron Hill]

Interesting...


San Diego Flood Control Channel...Salt Water.....Hmmm..I'm going to guess this was June 1955. Why? Well "Doc" Bill Schaeffer, a dentist, later scorer/timer/assistant referee at Havasu, realized DeAnza Cove in San Diego was not going to be available for racing anymore and he, "Doc", worked with the city to get the flood control channel for racing. The city even provided a club house.

Our first race there was a Region 12 Regionals, June 1955. I remember it well. We had elimination heats in AU and Jimmy Dawe, Ernie's brother, and I had four heats of great racing. Jimmy had an old DeSilva, I had an old Terrill. We raced hard to qualify on Saturday, finishing 5th and 6th in our heats...Then, on Sunday we drove like crazy to get 5th and 6th again. I was 11, Jimmy was 13. Jimmy and I became friends that weekend. I would race against Jimmy for another 25 years. We developed a respect for each others driving when we were kids, this respect never changed. If you needed room Jimmy gave it to you...If Jimmy needed room, I'd give it to him...

Back to this DU picture...

290-C a Champion built boat by Champion, though Champion made kits, too. Craven's dad and mom owned a Mercury dealership. Later John sold insurance. He raced a Hill D Runabout when he passed with cancer. Boat's name was "RAVEN CRAVEN" as were all his boats in that era.....Black and red...John's biggest win was the Needles Marathon, 1953...1st Overall and 1st in DU.

D-464-C "Doc" Bill Schaeffer, old Speedliner, boat's name was "DRY DOC"...I think..as in dry martini!!!!

72-C-D was Jackie Loheed of Santa Ana, California...He and his dad both raced with homemade DU boats.

"U C Me Go" was Ogden Scoville, related to Ken and Kenny Scoville. OG had maybe played football at UC, I think, as the boat was blue and yellow and he raced in football pants...Old Speedliner of Major Red Thomas'.

No number was Joe Moore in a Ray McKean Craft...Mark 40, other were all KG-9's...424-C was Danny Morehouse in a Morehouse Meteor boat...I would drive an AU Morehouse that September at the North South race, and end up on Disney's Mickey Mouse Club Newsreel because Lee Morehouse had been in business with Disney, Hanna and Barbarra... Yellow boat, KG-9.

183-C...Don't know who this is....

D-288 or 280 is Charles Job...Rich Job's dad...This boat is a Litton built, but designed by Kenny Wade, a Garden Grove, California school teacher.

D-252-C is Warren Litton in his New Litton Boat, built by Kenny Wade. Litton made props and ran a Mark 40.

When Charles Job bought his ROPE START KG-9 from Carl Meyers, Charles won every race in 1956. Litton dropped out of racing after that year...

Let's see:

Schaeffer, Morehouse, Litton, Job, Moore, Scoville, Litton all had one thing in common..Russ Hill had built their motors....My dad built motors for anyone, at a fair price, they were always legal, and always built to the best of his ability...

Like George Stillwell is doing now with the Mercury AXS motors...You send George a motor it comes back and runs well...No guarantee of speed, but it is built right and legal....Some, like me, can't built motors....it is nice to buy one you know is legal and it will run....