An Amazing Story: Part 2

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I was looking through the roster of the inboard drivers and saw the names of several old friends from the outboard days...Lee Hertz, Nick Cerino, Marcel Bellville and Jay Root. Lee was there helping Tim in his pits, but I presume the others were not because I didn't see them.

Bruce Marioneaux is checking out the set up on his Butts, and you can see that Tim had been hanging around Joe Rome too much. He is now sporting a cowboy hat.

One of my all time favorite boats "Shadowfax" remained on the trailer. This would be the first time I put the new Butts laydown "Vibora de Cascabel" to the test. Blown out in Laredo, small tight course in Beaumont, loss of power in Acapulco. Here in Dayton I would finally be able to air it out and see what it could do.

L-R Eilleen and Bill Van Steenwyk, Joe Rome, Ray Hardy lighting up a smoke, and Debbie Baldwin and Ruth Butts in the aluminum chairs. You can see a new laydown Butts Aerowing in the background of several pics...No. 18. I can't figure out who it is and I haven't been able to find a roster of drivers.

Steve Hertz loved the new laydown. He wanted to drive one very badly. He wanted me to take this shot of him in the cockpit. Steve later on went to drive a small inboard , I think Y class, and some class of small open cockpit cars, then I lost track.

Final pic is one of my Dad talking with inboard VP Tony Scartine.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I always loved the few times we got to race with the inboard hydros. A couple of the images I still carry that got me interested in boat racing were the Bardahl ads on TV of Ron Musson in Miss Bardahl and watching Bill Sterret drive his 7 liter hydro on ABC's WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS. I wished I would have taken more pictures in the pits.

I tried looking up the results, but my file on this race is only about all the pre race stuff we did and nothing of the roster of drivers or results. I don't have any notes from race days either...just a very brief note on my racing. I looked in the Propeller and found results on the top three places of each class of the Inboard Hydro Nationals, but no mention in the Pro 700 Hydro Nationals because I didn't send anything in and apparently no one else did either. It was a time of turmoil in the Pro division and with the loss of our VP, our newly appointed VP Ralph Donald had just received notice that he was taking over Mel Kirts' unfinished term.

One of the entries that caught my eye was Capnzee'ss on the roster racing A-75 Super Tiger in 2.5 Liter. I looked very hard to see if I had a pic, but no. Then when I discovered he finished third in 5 liter, I went back to look for F numbers and a boat named "Hallucination" owned by Patrick Gudvangen out of La Mirada, California. Still no luck. I didn't take enough pictures. But here's a few of what I did take.

[Dave_E71]

.No. 18. I can't figure out who it is and I haven't been able to find a roster of drivers.

Was Malcolm Harden running a 700 at that time?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I never knew Malcolm to run a 700 Dave. If he did, it was after my time. I have tried to figure out who the two guys on the trailer were, but I can't. All I can name at this time that raced was myself, Tim Butts, John Yale, Jerry Peterson, Bruce Marioneaux, and Greg Hall. I have a pic at the podium that has a driver I can't identify yet. At this time some of the drivers were interested in what we were doing and in the OD or 700 hydro class, they were numbering their boats in the international way....just a number. Tim's boat was 71...mine was 73 with a very small T in front, Greg's was 169 although I always remembered it as 153. The Canadians boats were numbered UIM style. So there is not a letter designation in front of the 18 to get and idea of where the boat was from.

[Jeff Lytle]

Tim's boat was 71...mine was 73 with a very small T in front, Greg's was 169 although I always remembered it as 153. The Canadians boats were numbered UIM style.

The #169 boat was Roy Alexander'a 700.........As I recall, Greg flew up from Florida and drove for Roy. #153 was always Greg's number on his own boats.

[David Weaver]

Was Malcolm Harden running a 700 at that time?

I do not recall Mal ever racing 700cc. I recall about this time or soon after, they got sold the 500 equipment, as Tom thought that the engine capabilities were too much for the boats of the time and that accidents were likely to be more serious in nature.

[Dave_E71]

I do not recall Mal ever racing 700cc. I recall about this time or soon after, they got sold the 500 equipment, as Tom thought that the engine capabilities were too much for the boats of the time and that accidents were likely to be more serious in nature.

You're right David, that wasn't long after the nationals at Hinton, correct?

[David Weaver]

You're right David, that wasn't long after the nationals at Hinton, correct?

Hinton was 1977. I remember Mal driving a brand new Yale 500 that was a beautiful boat and probably would have been built around 1980 or so. I believe they got out of the 500 class around 1982-1984.

[G-10 Brian]

[

...No. 18. I can't figure out who it is and I haven't been able to find a roster of drivers.

Wayne, No. 18 is Rick Saver, Shoreview Minnesota

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Of course Brian. I had completely forgotten about Rick. I think I met him at that race. He was a professional hockey player. Young, tall, thin blonde with shoulders as wide as the cockpit. He was a very nice guy. I have some pics of him that he sent to me back in the 80's. I will try to find them.