Hey folks...Bill Van was the original Mr. NAFTA. He had an idea of mass producing good hydros very cheaply in Mexico across the river from Rio Grande City. The idea was an inexpensive way for beginners to get into pro racing with a hydro and Yamato. It was all coming together when Bill Van figured out the drug smugglers thought a hydro might be a good way to move some goods. Bill Van never cleared a fence quicker than that. We also had a project going down there at that time with Ray Hardy and it cost us a bundle. Between politics and drug smugglers, the border area is a very bad place for outsiders to do business. I don't know how much Bill Van lost, but with us it was around 600K and 4 years wasted.

Bill, I didn't realize that the idea came from you, but the fact that it was thought out because the ZAK pipes wouldn't slide makes sense. As far as I know then, only you, ZAK, Ray, Tim, Jack Chance, me and my Dad ever messed with one. The first three generations were very erratic like you said. I don't know if you ran a fourth generation. Ray did a major design change and it eliminated so many of the variables that could cause it to malfunction. Then it was just a matter of getting the balance right and which rotary valve to use.

And you're right about my Dad's kitchen. That was the focal point of his home. He didn't have any plans when he built it. He stood on top of the caliche hill overlooking the race course and figured out where he wanted the kitchen. Then he took a stick and drew the rest of the house around it for the builder to see where to put the stakes. The two main bedrooms entered directly into the kitchen as well as the living room and bar areas. When Hurricane Celia blew the house down, the contractor was able to put everything back together except the roof. Because there were no plans, they could not figure out how the builders did the original roofline. The way they figured it out was I blew up some aerials I had taken of the original house.

There have been so many racers at our house I once thought of putting together a list, but I don't know if I could remember all of them. They were from Australia to Germany and Canada, Seattle to Lakeland, Bakersfield to Ohio and all points in between. I cherish the times you, Eileen and others spent with us. If I could remember the recipes, I would start a thread on Baldy's House with some pics and stories. There are many, many members here on BRF that my Dad entertained there.