1949 Outboard High point winner

[racingfan1]

How many of these guys do you remember ??

[Ron Hill]

I was 6 in 1950, my dad was the motor inspector and weigh master. Many things that I recall from that race maybe wrong, but this is what I remember:

1. Doug Creech broke the C Hydro record with a Swift boat, that had a "Custom Deck".

2. Marshall Eldridge broke a record and my dad could not find where it measured. He told Marshal, "I know you didn't come to California from Forida to run illegal." Here is the micrometer, find the spot that makes your unit legal. Marshall found it.

3. Seems "Guess Who" set a mile record with Sid Street driving it.

Just names:

Dr. Louis J. Novotney drove a PODH, a Pacific One Design Hydro.

Pual Wearly had a race boat shop in Muncie, Indiana. He was also in the tombstone business. In 1952, when we went to the Indianapolis 500, we drove to Muncie to visit Paul Wearly. I was so impressed with his shop, he had complete race boats for sale....

Gordon Slack from Dallas, Texas. Any relationship to the Slacks hat raced SJ and other classes in Texas?

Homer Kincaid: At one race he won every first place in every class.

This is what I remember about those 1949 names!

[Gene East]

Ron:

Too bad you don't remember Clem Landis! He was a great friend of Homer Kincaid and later of O.F. Christner.

When Clem came to Quincy, he stayed as a house guest with Mr. & Mrs. Christner.

Clem was one of the funniest men in boat racing. He had a very fast A-Runabout that we often carried on the Quincy Welding trailer.
Earle Hull usually drove the boat for him.

At a race in Lakeland, FL in the late 60's or early 70's Clem decided to drive the boat himself. He was 72 years old at the time.

Clem got a good start and broke into the lead. As he was going down the back stretch, he blew over!

The rescue crew hauled him off to the hospital. When he returned to the race course; a TV reported asked him how he was feeling.

Clem smiled for the camera and said, "Son, I'm stiff every place but the right place"!

[smittythewelder]

No Stock classes; when did that all get its start?

I see Wes Knudson was racing outboards at the time. Fifteen years later you'd see him listed as having won one of the old front-engine Inboard runabout class championships for the umpteenth time.

[racingfan1]

I've heard and read a lot of names but Doug Creech is not one of them. I see his name a lot in the 50's Propellers. Did he race a lot or was he that good ?

[Ron Hill]

I've heard and read a lot of names but Doug Creech is not one of them. I see his name a lot in the 50's Propellers. Did he race a lot or was he that good ?

My dad was the Weigh Master and Assistant Motor Inspector at Salton Sea the year Dough set the C Hydro record. But he did that on Friday and we got there Saturday. All I ever heard was that it was a Swift, with a custom deck.

It appears he did a lot of winning. Winning then and now took time and money, not just talent.

I remember Wes Knudsen racing his "B" or "E" Inboard Racing Runabout. Some what like Ernie Rose's "B" Racing Runabout, an old Speedliner with an in line six or four....Used to be fun to watch as it was out of the water more than it was in it.

My dad first started working on Mercury Outboards, when Seaboard Equipment Company became the Mercury Distributor, around 1949-50. My dad became the first Mercury dealer in California and stayed a dealer til he died in 1997. He never had a retail boat shop. He and Al Hart inspected at the 1952 Oakland, California Nationals. My dad inspected at the Winnebagoland Marathons 1953-1954-1955. He also inspected a DePere, Wisconsin Nationals 1954.

I think, Elgin Gates raced the 115 mile Needles Marathon with a Mercury and as the Mercury Distributor in 1951.

I know by late 1953 or early 1954 the Los Angeles Speedboat Club had "Secret" meeting at my dad's house and voted the DAMN Mercuries out of the club. My dad resigned his Race Chairman position job that night, and the next night helped USA (United Speedboat Association) to be formed. My dad never join LASA again. He kept STOCK OUTBOARD RACING "STOCK" from 1951-1978.

Sid Street driving Z-Z-Z-Z- ZIP http://vintagehydroplanes.com/boats/zip/zzzip.html

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

I've heard and read a lot of names but Doug Creech is not one of them. I see his name a lot in the 50's Propellers. Did he race a lot or was he that good ?
Yes he was & very financially sound

[DeanFHobart]

No Stock classes; when did that all get its start?

I see Wes Knudson was racing outboards at the time. Fifteen years later you'd see him listed as having won one of the old front-engine Inboard runabout class championships for the umpteenth time.

From The APBA Web Site.......

60956

[oldalkydriver]

Ron or anybody in the vicinity of Salton Sea. Next time you are on Hwy 86 coming from I-10 going towards Westmoreland. The last station on the right, or the first on the left if traveling from Westmoreland area, stop and use the restrooms. They are in the back of an eating area. As you leave the men's room, towards the right side look on the wall. They have sever enlarged photos of the 1950 race. I didn't have my cell, or I would have taken some pics to post.

[DeanFHobart]

From The APBA Web Site.......

The Stock Outboard Nationals started in 1949 with runabouts only. Hydros were added in 1951, So the first two years of Stock Outboard racing in APBA was for runabouts only. The APBA web site has the list of locations where the Stock Outboard Nationals were from the beginning.

[hydroplay]

Ron,
If your dad inspected at the 1954 DePere stock nationals, did you go with him? It was my very first boat race. I could ride my bike to the pits, maybe 10 blocks from our house. BTW, I learned that the railroad tracks crossing the street at a low angle at the north end of the pits were more hazardous to a 6 year old kid on his bike than crossing 2 main streets to get there. Still have a pennant from the race hanging in the basement. One day we got to watch from a cabin cruiser from the middle of the course.

Sam Hemp

[Ron Hill]

My dad and Major "Red" Thomas had become great friends. Red has a DSH, DU, BU and AU. His D's were junk boats and junk engines. His BU was a new 20-H and fast, his "A" he burned up every race in 1954, til the Divisionals. My dad discovered the water pump on the bushing cones motor, had no blades.

Anyway, Red won the Divisionals in California dn he and my dad went to the Nationals together.

I did go to the 1954 and 1955 Winnebagoland Marathons.

The best story from DePere: Jimmy Jost, some kind of a "BIG SHOT" in APBA was going out to patrol the Nationals in a Dumphy and new Mercury and he was sitting 4-5 cases of beer. My dad said, "Jimmy you can't take alcohol out on the course." Jimmy said, "Russ, this is beer." After a short argument, Jost went out to patrol without beer.

Over they years we laughed about that often.

I was 1o in 1954.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Ron,
If your dad inspected at the 1954 DePere stock nationals, did you go with him? It was my very first boat race. I could ride my bike to the pits, maybe 10 blocks from our house. BTW, I learned that the railroad tracks crossing the street at a low angle at the north end of the pits were more hazardous to a 6 year old kid on his bike than crossing 2 main streets to get there. Still have a pennant from the race hanging in the basement. One day we got to watch from a cabin cruiser from the middle of the course.


Sam HempSam, I raced in those nationals finishing 4th overall in BSH. Was 6th in the first heat won by Dave Kough from NJ as I was. .We started 16 boats we were on the far outside. As we came past our pits I was just passing Dave & started to blow over. Hal Kelley, who we went to Depere on his trailer & my Dad said all they saw was me hanging on with the steering wheel & throttle. Managed to recover to finish 6th, the n in the second heat finished 3rd for 4th overall. Not bad for being 15 years old. Two weeks prior at the Divisionals Kough won the first heat & just missed the record. The next heat I won & set the record which was the first record for the 20H.
Interesting town. My father went to the Hardware store & bought white gas for us to use. Being from the east coast that was all we used.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

My dad and Major "Red" Thomas had become great friends. Red has a DSH, DU, BU and AU. His D's were junk boats and junk engines. His BU was a new 20-H and fast, his "A" he burned up every race in 1954, til the Divisionals. My dad discovered the water pump on the bushing cones motor, had no blades.

Anyway, Red won the Divisionals in California dn he and my dad went to the Nationals together.

I did go to the 1954 and 1955 Winnebagoland Marathons.

The best story from DePere: Jimmy Jost, some kind of a "BIG SHOT" in APBA was going out to patrol the Nationals in a Dumphy and new Mercury and he was sitting 4-5 cases of beer. My dad said, "Jimmy you can't take alcohol out on the course." Jimmy said, "Russ, this is beer." After a short argument, Jost went out to patrol without beer.

Over they years we laughed about that often.

I was 1o in 1954.
Ron,

Jimmy also raced in BSH at those nationals. I believe that he actually was in the final 16.