Mod VP Pictures..

**Ron Hill** · 12-08-2004

This is Tim Soares behind the wheel in a Witch Craft, 1980.

Tim and I co-Drove together and finished, 4th or 5th or 6th....We had a great time...

Was glad to get the Eliminator Tunnel, though, so much easier to drive...

**Ron Hill** · 12-09-2004

We had a 24" setback, which at that time was UN HEARD OF. Tim made it out of a bunch of aluminum and welded it with a ton of weld, but she was HELL FOR STOUT... Truth is, we could have run a lot higher...

Brad Miller had helped with sponsorship... Crazy Horse Campgrounds was owned by Brad at that time, the Steakhouse wasn't open....well, maybe it was..largest country western stage in California...

**Ron Hill** · 12-09-2004

Seems like we ran a fifty gallon tank. Two hours nonstop. Stock OMC 235 Gercase...whatever came on the motor that Jim Jost LOANED us....

Jimmy loaned me motors for the year, then billed me at theend of the year for 60% off...That meant they cost me $2,000.

Of course, JIMMY was a GREAT supporter of MOD VP, and one year we have about 25 Evinrudes running in MOD VP at Havasu....Jost had a hand in just about everyone's MOD VP....

Of course, he was going against company policy... Company policy was the Engineering Department ran the racing of OMC...Policy was not racing PRODUCTION MOTORS... But Jost loved MOD VP...He'd say, "WOW, they sure got their boats 'DOLLED UP' , whatever that meant!!!

I once sent a gearcase back to OMC that was blown. I got a nice letter back explaining that my gearcase had a nose cone and exhaust reliefs, and there fore they could not cover the warrantee...and that they were returning my gearcase...WELL, THEY SENT ME THE LETTER, BUT IN THE BOX WAS A BRAND NEW 235 EVINRUDE GEARCASE...

Oh those were the days, THANKS Edgar (Rose) and Jim (Nerstrom).

**Ron Hill** · 12-10-2004

Tim and I are looking at my "CREATION". I made the "CLEAPER. I took a 14 1/2 X 32 cleaver and made a 14 X 36 Cleaper...A few MOD VP races were won with these wheels...

Note: The stainless gloves I wore!!!!

**march3stv** · 12-24-2004

Havasu Pre Start...Now this was racing!

**march3stv** · 12-24-2004

Start!

**Dabull1919** · 08-03-2005

Ron, I know you don`t remember me cuz I only ran Havasu& Parker one time each. I drove for Louis Collins the first time Mirage was at Havasu with a
Mariner and we did realy well till the gas tank split. I took out a bouy at the
Nautical Inn turn while Running second to Greg Foster. We made up that lap
and was running second to Stoker (Gregg pitted for fuel, we ran the whole
load-No stops) when the tank broke. Thirty min ta go and I sat in the infield
With the best seat in the house ta watch Allen lead on the first day. Day two
Louis, Brad and myself are all pumped up with a newly repaired gas tank and
something to prove. Then came the word-TO ROUGH TO RACE and we all hade to go home. This was very dissapointing as I had waited a long time
to get to Havasu and didn`t care how rough the water was, I wanted ta
race.

I`m sure glad you and the others are trying to keep our class from being
forgotten and it sure is nice ta see all of these great pictures-Thanks

Do you know if Reding Productions is still in buisness?

Mod VP forever
Bobby sanders

**Smokin' Joe** · 03-28-2008

Yes, that was racing. In 1979 I spent a month reworking the Allison bottom, got a special higher displacement V-6 via Tom Ireland and Jim Jost but had to send it back after running 3rd because Tom was hacked off that I took a co-driver instead of driving the whole 9 yards myself (he was right, as Alan Stoker showed time and again, and as I did myself in 1981). Kenny Shaw and Bill Muncie got the other 2 factory motors, and Kenny won.