OMC Reunion photos

[Miss BK]

Hi all,

I'll soon be posting my pics of the OMC "Legends" reunion from last Summer at St. Louis. They were formerly over in the S&F history section.

So I hope it's ok with you all that I move them over here? I know I have a lot more photos over there - as time goes permits I'll go back through them and bring them over if you guys want.


Here's the first --- Walt, Barry Woods, Mike Downard and Jimbo McConnell. Walt Yarborough is on the far left, Jimbo on the far right. Not sure who the two guys are between Mike and Jimbo though. Can anyone fill in the names?

[Ron Hill]

Hi Ron,
It's been a long time. I was viewing your web site and saw a picture from OMC Reunion (2004). The two guys between Mike. D. and Jimbo are John Hervot and Harold "Mouse" Wade. Mouse is standing next to Jimbo. I think John H. came in later in the program as I was history by then.
I'm still racing in PRO=250 cc Hydro and having fun, but can't beat Chris Hellsten. DARN!

Bruce C.Summers V-71
P.S. My wife, Shirley, is a retired teacher and presently US.Title Series Chief Scorer. We're both PRO Commissioners.
Hope to hear from you.

Bruce and Ray Nydahl worked together at OMC in the 1960's...

Which one is MOUSE???? (Harold Wade)...Next to Jimbo???

[racnbns]

Hi Ron,
"Mouse" was actually the first of the raace group in the early 60's, he and Jack Leek went to races I never heard of=Green River(out West somewhere) and others. I was at OMC and was transferred to the race group in 1965. Nydahl came on the scene about the same time. At the Parker Nine Hour Enduro and the Lake Havasu Race of 1067-68 (fuzzy memory), Mouse, Ray and I were the OMC Group.
Jack Leek was our boss and Don Henrich was usually there, but we were the Dirty Hands Guys.
Do you remember the Chicago to Milwaukee Marathon? Didn't you drive a Glastron that beat you to death.
Those were the good old days.
Bruce

[Ron Hill]

Here is a picture of an OMC Pit Stop....

[Ron Hill]

In 1966, Ted May told me OMC wanted me to drive a runabout for them at Havasu. He said Jack Leek told him to have me show up at Havasu on Thursday, Thanksgiving day, to test....

I never heard from Jack, so wasn't too sure I really had a ride...I have visions of a DeSilva with two RACING EVINRUDES on the back....When we got to Havasu, we "FOUND" the OMC Team with four boats, an OLD SWITZER WING, a 17' Style Craft , a 17' Glastron with twin evinrudes and a 16' foot Glasstron with two Johnsons...

Well, they didn't look like race boats to me. So, the first thing I lookat is the lowerunits (Now called gearcases)...expecting to see racing lowerunits....and what do I see but a "FISHING" Lowerunit...
I ask Ted, where are the RACE BOATS????

Jack Leek knows my dad and he comes down and starts talking to us... Ernie Dawe is going to Co-Drive with me. Jack introdues me to Mouse and Ray Huelett, they explain how to drive the boat and how to start the motors...Then Ray tells me where the last driver flew out of this boat and ended up in the hospital....

Mouse looks at me with big blue eyes as if to say, "I don't know why he told you that." I take a ride, boat is wild as hell and only goes about 65...Dawe takes aride, says he really doesn't know if he want to drive that MOTHER...

Fred Miller and Paul Kalb are driving the 17 footer, Bert Ross and maybe Jim Henningon are driving the Style Craft and Ted may is driving the Switzer...
Ted was overall leader after the first day....

Basically, except for Kalb and Miller, who finished fourth overall, we broke everything OMC had....But, while everyone was running around the pits like "Chickens with their heads off", Mouse just worked steady...

I next saw Mouse at Parker, 1967. Again, we busted everything that OMC had and everything in the trucks...(U-Haul rentals)...but Mouse, just worked, no yelling and screaming....just steady work)...

When I next saw Mouse was in the summer of 1967, when I won Chicago to Milwaukee Marathon....I had this date that weekend from the University of Arizona, and after I'd won the race, she confided in me, saying, "If MOuse would run off with her, she'd leave tonight."....I never told Mouse that story....but I was sure made at her!!! She said, "He has the SEXYIST EYES". I told I hadn't NOTICED...

I sort of kept an eye out around Mouse after that...

He was always MR. STEADY.....Once when Jack Leek walked into the water at Parker with his STREET SHOES my brother commented to Charlie Strang, "No intelligent decisions are made with wet feet." After that, Mouse was the one who was always wet...

1970, before Paris, Mouse is working on some gearcases at OMC Belgium, I was done testing so, I was just kind of helping....Mouse looks at me, with those blue eyes, and says, "Ron, you always break everythings...he added we've been to Paris four or five times, and we never go to Berlin because everything is broken..."

Mouse asks me to save the equipment so we can go to BERLIN...I say Mouse, "You know me..I only run these things one way." Mouse smiles....as he does know me, and he knows, unless they put washers under my gas pedal, I'll run her flat out....

We do get to Berlin as Jimbo and me won it...After the race, I put my arm around Mouse and tell him, "See...we got to Berlin."


Ain't seen Mouse for a long time...long enough I didn't recognize his picture..but in my eyes, I know many an OMC RACE WAS WON beacause Mouse had done everything right...

Here's Mouse, wrenches in back pocet, wet up to his ying yang...fixing something on Sander's rig....

Thanks, Mouse...I know OMC was not a JOB to you...you loved every minute of it!!

[Michael J Gwaltney]

In 1966, Ted May told me OMC wanted me to drive a runabout for them at Havasu. He said Jack Leek told him to have me show up at Havasu on Thursday, Thanksgiving day, to test....
(EDIT)
Here's Mouse, wrenches in back pocet, wet up to his ying yang...fixing something on Sander's rig....
Thanks, Mouse...I know OMC was not a JOB to you...you loved every minute of it!!

You are correct Ron! Mouse was usually cool and ultimately made most decisions to techs as to just how we would fix problems. Remember the loose engines at Havasu? That's me in the white pants standing between Mouse and Jim Wagner. Michael "J" Gwaltney

[Ron Hill]

That is you, Michael...Mouse has the black on.....

Need better glasses...Hell, just got them checked yesterday...said I could see great for man 70.....I reminded the doctor I'm 60 (SIXTY)... He said, "WELL!!"

I remember too much...Loose engines? Whos caused that? Was that when my dad smashed Jack Leek's fingers, twice???

[Michael J Gwaltney]

Here is a picture of an OMC Pit Stop....

Was there, did that! Left to right. Jim Wagner, Michael J, Mouse Wade, Bill Travis (MN), Ray Hewlett, Bob Travis (MN), Kenny Soller, Johnnie Sanders, Tom Posey and Alan Yaw. Michael J Gwaltney

[Michael J Gwaltney]

That is you, Michael...Mouse has the black on.....

Need better glasses...Hell, just got them checked yesterday...said I could see great for man 70.....I reminded the doctor I'm 60 (SIXTY)... He said, "WELL!!"

I remember too much...Loose engines? Whos caused that? Was that when my dad smashed Jack Leek's fingers, twice???

KR 15's had serrated transom plates and stern brackets. Plates were threaded for mounting bolts to hold them in place for easier motor height changes. During Havasu race mounting bolt washers "sucked" into transom loosing tension. The fix was to drill threads out of plates and replace them and bolts on most boats during pit stops. Not an easy task in the water and good chance for pinched fingers. Michael J Gwaltney

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here is a photo of Ray Nydahl