1962 NOA World Championships

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Rog Dykhouse had this roster of drivers for the elimination heats of the NOA World Championships held in Midland, Michigan 1962. The race course was on Sanford Lake. The total number of entries combined (less 1961 champions) was 510. Check out who was there. I have only scanned 3 pages today. Rog was having trouble with his scanner and computer communicating and sent me these to post. It's been interesting reading. Hope some of you have comments, photos or stories to share.

Rog was pitting for one of the driver's at this race and met Tim Butts for the first time. I have a story on Clayton Elmer to tell later. If anyone has any stories on the races, but for some reason doesn't post, I would be glad to if you would get with me on the information.

[David Mason]

My dad tells me stories of that race in Sanford...... Glad to see the names posted. It is great you have perserved history as you have. I think all I have of our old pro days is some 8mm films, and a few stills that are not yellowed up.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks David, but without people like Rog Dykehouse and many others that have sought out and preserved this information and Ron Hill and Ted March who have provided the means to present it, none of us would be having the enjoyment of seeing some of racing's past.

There were a lot of racer's at that event so there must be hundreds of stories. Can you tell us some of your Dad's?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

smashed a finger couple hours ago & too hard to type. So more qual heats. photo is clayton elmer driving for dean schmidt, san antonio. taken at this race,

[Master Oil Racing Team]

There are members here that were at that race. Tell us about it. Ralph Donald, I know you will post stuff from time to time.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

First a story.

Clayton Elmer was driving for Dean Schimdt, Brady Marine, out of San Antonio. That's where Raymond Jeffries and Artie Lund came out of also. Artie was just a kid and working in the pits at that time.

Clayton was running under the number of T-605. He tested for a week. They felt they had a good set up with their boats and they were ready for the competition. In his qualifying heat for D hydro he was up against Jim Schoch. Raymond Jeffereys and other tough competitors. In C hydro he was looking at Mel kirts, Dub Parker, John Griffin, Raymond Jeffreys, Milly Harrison, and Jerry Waldman. A Championship heat in its own right.

Clayton won D Hydro handily without any outstanding battles for the win. In C Hydro it was a different story.

The angle from the starting bouy to the first turn was a slight dogleg to the right. The straight shot from the starting bouy to the first turn was about the middle of the starting chute from where Clayton started. He figured he had a good line on getting to the first turn bouy and in and out. But on his inside Dub Parker and Dick Pond in Marshall Grant's K-4 were challenging. They raced to the turn, no one backing off. Dub had the inside and a severe left turn to negotiate. They raced neck and neck to the turn, but Clayton's lane was right for negotiating the corner. Dub never backed off until he was ready to turn. Too much angle. Dub went over. crashing into Dick and the last thing Clayton saw before he hit the water was Dick's right sponson in the air headed for him.

Dub went to the hospital, but he was only shooken up. In those days if someone was involved in a flip, they could get back in the restart. In his trailer Clayton had Jim Schoch's C Merc Quincy. Jim had qualified the motor, but Clayton does not remember why Jim wasn't in the finals. They didn't run Jim's motor in the beginning because it had a D lower unit on it and they weren't propped out. After the flip, they put Jim's C on Clayton's hydro.

Homer Kincaid got the jump on the field, but at the end of the backstraight Clayton was able to pass Homer and go for the win.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Sam, could you put in in perspective what motors and boats "X Hydro" meant in 1962?

[Mark75H]

NOA's X class was unlimited. You could even use 2 motors.

I imagine most of the boats used OMC 4-60's or the old X class version of the 4-60, 89ci V-4 OMC's, 60, 66 and 76 ci Merc 6's. It would have been possible to run an 89ci Merc, but it would surprize me if any did.

Entrop was using a V-4 in X at that time

Look at those elims for X ... 2 or 3 famous drivers in each .... I would not have wanted to run in any of them

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Those NOA racers from the 1960s were one amazing group. By the time I was 16 years old between my neighbor who got me into this and other members of the then MORA in stock outboard here I had the pleasure of meeting so many of those drivers and when we were not on deck on the mixed division classes we had here and elsewhere I had the pleasure to watch this since I was about 8 to where I was pitting for drivers by the time I was 13 and onward driving at 16. Big Big racing following in the 1960s. :)

[Rog Dykehouse]

As I recall, most X hydros drivers simply used their F motors that year but they were all Classics.
M 80, Chuck White had a six cylinder Merc turned 90- degrees via an adapter plate on the Quicky LU so he could run his six pipes straight out of the block with no elbows.He cast and installed his own cylinder pads!
M 61, Lynn Crocket had unique OMC 4-60 with V 4 Rods etc mounted on a Merc Quicky with In/Out gears built into the adapter plate so he could start that beast in neutral and then pop it into gear .
John Dertinger had a three cylinder Scott Mc Culloch about that time but I'm not certain he had it there.
R 22, Hu Entrop was the class of the field with his 60 Cu In Merc running onfuel but with NO tuned pipes. He had recently set a record at ~ 107 MPH.

These guys were all innovators.

Dave Mason:
Your grandfather Ray Mason really got our attention while testing his shovel nose Charlton hydro and his screaming Champ hot rod.He was concentrating on adjusting the carb as the boat slowly lifted while we all held our breath--when it blew over he was still twisting that Knob !! He wasn't hurt but the motor was likely history. He was a hell of a racer and a great guy!

Rog Dykehouse

[Master Oil Racing Team]

....I enjoyed our conversation very much, and hope to talk with you again soon. you're collecting of this information and making it available is very appreciated. I plan on scanning the roster's and final heats for the 1965 NOA World Championships that you sent in the next week or two. Those years of racing were watershed. It was the ending of one era and the beginning of the next. I just started racing when so many of the famous racers of that time were at their prime and quitting. Thanks for sharing your memories and I hope you will tell us of some other things that went on at the '62 nationals.

[David Mason]

As I recall, most X hydros drivers simply used their F motors that year but they were all Classics.
M 80, Chuck White had a six cylinder Merc turned 90- degrees via an adapter plate on the Quicky LU so he could run his six pipes straight out of the block with no elbows.He cast and installed his own cylinder pads!
M 61, Lynn Crocket had unique OMC 4-60 with V 4 Rods etc mounted on a Merc Quicky with In/Out gears built into the adapter plate so he could start that beast in neutral and then pop it into gear .
John Dertinger had a three cylinder Scott Mc Culloch about that time but I'm not certain he had it there.
R 22, Hu Entrop was the class of the field with his 60 Cu In Merc running onfuel but with NO tuned pipes. He had recently set a record at ~ 107 MPH.

These guys were all innovators.

Dave Mason:
Your grandfather Ray Mason really got our attention while testing his shovel nose Charlton hydro and his screaming Champ hot rod.He was concentrating on adjusting the carb as the boat slowly lifted while we all held our breath--when it blew over he was still twisting that Knob !! He wasn't hurt but the motor was likely history. He was a hell of a racer and a great guy!

Rog Dykehouse

Rog,

I recall my dad telling me that story a couple times... I hope I can convince dad to sometime get online and tell some stories. He is not very fond of computers though. Most of the good stories come out while in the pits enjoying some beer and telling of the good old days. A lot come out in the shop while building boats and engines. We really talk a lot about getting back into Pro if this four stroke stuff really takes hold. I know we try to make Constantine MI race each year if we are not racing the Mods somewhere that weekend. Constantine is only about 45 minutes from us. Ed Thirlby usually ropes me into riding that Jet Ski all day towing boats.

Maybe some day I will take someones 350CCH for a spin and see how much fun it still is to smell those Alky fumes. I still can't find a better smell from outboards than a good alky smell.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

David, it may be awhile if we wait on your Dad. Could you put up his stories in the meantime?