Mod VP Pictures..

**fyremanbill** · 07-21-2005

Hey Ron, who's that guy giving me such a tough time in the back ground? Every corner, he'd look over his shoulder at me, then throw water in my face. What an honor to race with the old man!

**fyremanbill** · 07-21-2005

Dick Sherrer (or SD, depending who you were). About the 3rd race I ever ran, he passed me. I moved in behind and started following his line thru the corners. Next thing I know, I'm passing boats.

**Miss BK** · 07-22-2005

Great shots Bill! Bringing back waves of memories.

I was Ted's scorekeeper at Havasu & Parker from about 1979 until he quit racing about 1990. Even when I went off to college in Colorado Ted knew I'd always show up for the scorer's meeting. He never asked - he just expected me to be there.

And of course, I never missed one! LOL

Even the year I started racing, about 86, at Havasu was obligated to score the Mod-VPs (my crew chief) which was right after my race ended. But Ted saw me at the scorer's meeting the night before - meaning, I was now signed up to score the early tunnel race too. So that weekend I spent 6 hours in the scorer's stand, and 3 hours racing my boat - both days.

In your picture of Dick Sherrer -- the guy sitting behind him in the pink shirt -- that's Kurt Seebold (no relation to the well known family). He worked for Dick for years. We all hung out together back in the 'old' COBRA days. He went on to race PWC's, & became extremely successful making crank shafts for all the top teams, Machine Werx. He had moved someplace back east and I lost touch with him for over a decade.

About 4 years ago, Kurt found me on one of these lists! It was great to chat with him again -- and he said had moved back to California after a divorce. I contacted everyone I could find (the old COBRA brats) and we began to plan a "COBRA brat reunion".

But before we could get it together, I got an email that broke my heart --- Kurt was delivering some parts to a shop for his buddy and collapsed on the floor. It was an aneurism - he had no clue. Death was immediate. He had just celebrated his birthday the day before.

He left behind an adorable 4 yr old daughter.
http://www.sbtontheweb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=879

I miss Kurt ---

**Ron Hill** · 07-22-2005

Just got off the phone with Mike Miller of All Season's Marine....Seems MAYBE, we'll see Pat and Mike Miller at the Enduro in Division 5 running an STV......

And, they still have their two 45 SS motors, so, maybe they'll come to the Long Beach Sprint Nationals...and consider JOINING the Western Formula Lights Series in 2006....

Got to watch them MILLERS.....Especially the OLD MAN, TED...They CHEAT LIKE HELL....(You know what CHEATING IS don't you???? That's when you do your homework. Test and and test...Then, your kids drive like FRIGGING CHAMPS and win...That's the definition of cheating......LOL)...

I'd love to See All Seasons Marine back on the water!!! A great family tradition there!!!!

Picture: MVP CLUB...from 1981 Powerboat Magazine....Same phone number today for ALL SEASONS MARINE.

**Miss BK** · 07-22-2005

I can give partial credit to the Miller family for my meeting my husband.

Here's the story....
Mike and Pat Miller raced Mod-C in COBRA, and so did I - though I never really got to know them. They hosed me down, often. In 87, I was still running my 10' Kober Kat while all my competition were upgrading to the larger 12 footers: Gran Prix, BobCat etc....

But then Millers showed up with something NEW -- a 12' Tom Cat by Mirage --- and I watched as it passed me in the rough water, while I was getting beat to a pulp - but the Tom Cat just glided right on by me, not affected by the big waves at all ......I thought "WOW!"

Right then I made my decision on what boat I was going to buy!

A year later I met the builder of my "smooth riding" Mirage boat .... he was a very nice guy.

He became my husband 4 years after that.

Ok -- sorry for getting off-track, I know this thread is "MOD-VP Pictures", so here is one from Havasu around 81 or 82 or so... That's Fred Bowden in #34.

That's a LOT of Mod-VP boats!

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 07-22-2005

Val, I found this note while filing stuff. Would Louis be referring to Brad here? I don't know if there were any other sons. Just curious now back to Mod VP boats.

Wayne

**Miss BK** · 07-22-2005

Wow! Cool note!

Wayne, Yes, that would have been for Brad - he's LH's only son. But Brad never raced kneel down boats, so apparently Louis never found the equipment he was looking for. Either that, or LH may have changed his mind - there was an awful accident about that time that left one man crippled for life. From what Brad tells me, it really had an impact on the Collins family.

Brad raced ATV three-wheelers in the late 70's. He didn't start racing boats until he was in his 20's - around 1987 - when he raced a boat he built himself (The aforementioned 12' Mirage "Tom Cat"). In his first year in a boat, he won 12 of 13 races, including the Nationals in the most competitive and most popular OPC class of the time (Sport C)

But despite whooping up on everybody all over the country in a boat he designed himself and sold to many other competitors, he never made the Hall of Champions. He was told that he was still young and would have many more chances. So the HOC award instead went to an "old" guy in a class that was nearly dead (Sport E). Brad was too wrapped up in business after that to do another cross country tour, so he never got into the HOC.

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 07-22-2005

When I saw the note Val, I figured that was Brad. I sent Louis the names of a couple of guys that had some boats, but I figured he never got one. Seems to me that 3 wheelers were a lot more dangerous to race.

That's really a shame about the HOC situation. To me, that kind of performance would have been choice number one. When Gulf dropped out and APBA established the HOC it was up to each racing commission to adopt its own rules as to choosing the inductees. The first set of rules in the PRO division didn't differentiate between classes with very few drivers and those which were highly competitive. And multiple class drivers had an advantage over the drivers that ran only one class. We had a situation like that with Brad so I came up with a weighted point system that gave extra points according to the amount of competition the driver had as well as extraordinary performances. Brad would have been a shoe in with the points rather than politics.

**Ron Hill** · 07-22-2005

2005 Rules, and for quite awhile...the rules are pretty set in STONE...If you EARN the HOC now, you get in, no matter the age....

THE ONE JEWEL IN APBA'S CROWN IS THE HALL OF CHAMPIONS....

LH...?? Louis H. Collins.....Think we could DRAG HIS *** to Parker for the Enduro????

The FASTEST MERCURY I ever saw on a MOD VP was Louis's at Parker one year on an Eliminator...Seems that boat stands out in my mind..Did he have a 19 Daytona??

He had a 2:1 gearcase on that mother and a 1`4 1/2 X 32...Testing he blew out of the pits so fast is scared half us MOD VP drivers... (Of course, he never admitted 2:1 gears, as they weren't legal...but nobody looked anyway!!!!)

Cool letter Wayne...and thanks for all the stuff that just came in the mail...It is in a pile...and I know where my stufff is, everything in a pile and a pile for everything...

I could bore **** out of everyone with my Ann Strang?Charlie Strang stories...but will tell a few one of these days!!!

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 07-22-2005

your stories are all interesting. It's like reliveing history, combined with history currently in the making. I especially like the situations and predicaments you tell in a way that we can all identify with.