John "Johnny" Covals

[Ron Hill]

I never knew John Covals, but as a kid I heard Wendell Keith talk about him. Seems Dick O'Dea would mention him too. Got some pictures from John Schubert the other day and this is what he said.

That name was always mine. When we bought our first boat, a Jacoby 3 point from Johnny Covals, it was named Sleepy Time Gal. I guess that I went up to maybe VI, then stopped using the name.

John

This is John's Sid Craft but had the name Sleepy Time Gal...

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

I never knew John Covals, but as a kid I heard Wendell Keith talk about him. Seems Dick O'Dea would mention him too. Got some pictures from John Schubert the other day and this is what he said.

That name was always mine. When we bought our first boat, a Jacoby 3 point from Johnny Covals, it was named Sleepy Time Gal. I guess that I went up to maybe VI, then stopped using the name.

John

This is John's Sid Craft but had the name Sleepy Time Gal...

John lives in Scottsdale, AZ north of MacCormick ranch area. Builds antique miniature race cars as a hobby/hobby business. I have one picture in my scrapbook of him in his "BU" Sid-Craft from the Albany to NY marathon. Although the A's & B's started a 1/2 hour earlier then the D's, Bobby Switzer only passed John not too many mailes from the finish line. John was 2nd overall. THis pictures was taken at Poughkeepskie, NY the traditional 1/2 way point where most drivers stopped to refuel, as he did. He is actually pointing the wrong was as he missed stopping at the dock on the way down river. That is me (yes, John Schubert) waiting to grab his boat. We were waiting for my father to stop, but he never made it breaking down up river. Another friend of ours, actually Dick O'Dea's long time pit crew, Bob Koftoff to my right was with me as we made the drive from Albany to Poughkeepskie to NYC.

[Bob Rusnak]

Many years ago I found a KG9 H in a scrap yard. I bought it for $50.00 an when I got it home took it apart. It was all complete but in bad looking condition. Upon looking at the inside I realized this motor was rebuilt and never run. It had greese on the needle bearings and brand new rings in it with a fresh honing job done to the cylinders. With all the fresh greese and oil in it saved this engine. After a cleaning I noticed 44-J stamped on the block. This engine apears to be one of Johny Covals engines. Dick O'Dea seemed to remember him using a KG9 H in the Albany-NY Marithon. I still have this engine today. I will try to post a picture of it next week......Bob Rusnak....N-96

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Many years ago I found a KG9 H in a scrap yard. I bought it for $50.00 an when I got it home took it apart. It was all complete but in bad looking condition. Upon looking at the inside I realized this motor was rebuilt and never run. It had greese on the needle bearings and brand new rings in it with a fresh honing job done to the cylinders. With all the fresh greese and oil in it saved this engine. After a cleaning I noticed 44-J stamped on the block. This engine apears to be one of Johny Covals engines. Dick O'Dea seemed to remember him using a KG9 H in the Albany-NY Marithon. I still have this engine today. I will try to post a picture of it next week......Bob Rusnak....N-96

Bob,
I don't believe that John ever ran a "D" runabout especially in the Albany to NY marathon. He did however, ran a 4cylinder, probably the one you have, on a Hadley hydro that damn near killed him at a race in Harvey's Lake, PA. He also ran a "B" Hadley. These were very dangerous boats. I bought a picture of John testing his "D: Hadley on eBay & sent it to him. Foolishly, I didn't keep a copy as this was before I knew how to scan pictures.

[Allen J. Lang]

Hello Bob- I "may" be seeing John at our AOMC meet this Saturday. Will ask him about the 4 Barrel Merc.:)
Ye Olde Desert Geezer Al :cool:

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Hello Bob- I "may" be seeing John at our AOMC meet this Saturday. Will ask him about the 4 Barrel Merc.:)
Ye Olde Desert Geezer Al :cool:

Al,

Ask him to bring the picture of him in the hadley that I sent to him. Perhaps he'll let you borrow it to scan for us all to see again. Then you could mail it back to him. Do you remeber the Flying Saucer shaped Hadley? Terrible boats.

[Allen J. Lang]

John- Alonda said that if you were serious about attending the meet, we could clean up the upstair storage area which is a suite. Everyone who has stayed with us enjoyed a suite all to them selves :p
Did I mention that Roy Conklin is paying a Christmas visit with his sister. Will be heading back on the 30th. I am trying to get him to attend the AOMC meet.:D
Remember we are around frost area, so one must bundle up. The meet is a dry meet in the middle of Falcon field in Mesa.
Will let you know how everything turns out.
Ye Olde Desert Geezer :cool:.
Will ask John about the Hadley hydro.

[Bob Rusnak]

Al, ask John if he did own a KG9H engine. I think this week I will take a picture of it and post it on BRF. I will be finishing a MK 55H, one we ran in the club (EORC) and pulled it apart to check everything. It is all complete and I will be selling it when back together. Need the money to put into a 250 Rossi or VRP powerhead. We have two runabouts for this and no modern engine, just a obsolete 250 Yamato,......Bob N-96

[Ron Hill]

Where is this meet?

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Where is this meet?

Hi again- our meet will be held at the park at Falcon Field in Mesa. Will be just down the road from the Commerative AF museum. It is a bit cool with highs in the mid 50s. NO SNOW though. Have had FROST the end of last week.
With it being held so quickly, Sat 27 Dec, don't know just how many will show. Between people visiting other parts of the US and family gatherings. Figured we had better have one while our illustrious leader is in town.
Did you know Roy Conklin when you ran alkies? Hopefully he will be attending as he is going to be in town for Christmas with his sister. He arrives today.
Ye Old Desert Geezer

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Al, ask John if he did own a KG9H engine. I think this week I will take a picture of it and post it on BRF. I will be finishing a MK 55H, one we ran in the club (EORC) and pulled it apart to check everything. It is all complete and I will be selling it when back together. Need the money to put into a 250 Rossi or VRP powerhead. We have two runabouts for this and no modern engine, just a obsolete 250 Yamato,......Bob N-96

Quote from Dick O'Dea: The story on John Covals was most interesting. I saw John about 3 years ago he and Diana, and Barb and I met in Vegas for 3 days and had a great time. He had heart surgery soon after our get together, and unfortunately it has slowed him down, John had gone to Seattle with Bob Koftoff,
Dick Rees and myself in 59. We stopped a number of places looking for brass radiator Model T Fords. He was by then into antique cars. We also went to the stock nationals in Florida I believe in 58, but John did not race. I remember this race, as they ran the first heat of DSH late in the day, I won, they then decided it was too dark to race the second heat, and decided to run the race over again the next morning. I lost.

During the 50's we ran the Orange Bowl Regatta the day after Christmas, John was in Florida on vacation,
and Bob Hadley talked him into running a 4 point DSH. The water was bad and John was in a bad wreck, I don't believe he stayed in the hospital, but it beat him up pretty good.

What may have been his last race was the Albany to New York marathon for OPC boats. I don't remember the year. John and I ran a 15ft. Power Cat with twin Merc 1000's. Not a very big boat with all that weight on the back. We ran with the leaders, and refueled in Pougkepsie. some fuel overflowed, and the inside of the boat was like a skating rink. We ran quite close to the shore to the finish as the boat could not handle the rough water in the center of the Hudson River. We thought we won, only to find out Hank Bowman and Don Christy had beaten us by about 6 seconds. They had about a 21 ft. deep V and came right down the center of the river. We never saw them go by.

And, another quote: As far as I know we ran second overall. I believe the class was JJ class and it was just twin engine.

When John ran the hydro in Miami at the Orange bowl, to the best of my memory it was all Bob Hadley's rig. It was an expermental 4 point DSH. I don't ever remember John running a D other than that time. Jim
Ware might know for sure. I never saw John in a DU, and don't believe he ran one in the Albany to NY.
The engine that Bob Rusnack located may have been John's, don't remember him running it locally.

And, a picture of John on the left & Dick sitting on the deck after finishing the Albany to NY marathon, although they finished in Palisade, NJ

[Allen J. Lang]

Hi John and Bob- Well, I can not answer your questions as yet as I ended up in the hospital with congestive heart failure (take your blood pressure pills as stated) and a touch of pneumonia. Just got out Sunday NIGHT. I will be in touch with Roy ,he did make the meet, and I will contact John as I do not know if he made it. Was below freezing when Vern McKinley set up. Was supposed to have helped him. I had some of the important items.
Soon as I get info Bob, I will be in touch.I really looked forward to this meet.
Ye Olde Desert Geezer :cool:

[Allen J. Lang]

Bob- Just got off the phone with John Covels. He said that he had run SOME D stock and sounds like it was one of his engines. Said it was the engine that he had won the nationals on the west coast and was disqualified on lower unit dims. He was impressed you found it in good interior shape. Figured you found it at a flea market as he did sell at the Hersey PA market. He also said that he had been disqualified in A & B stock that he believed to be at Seattle and super strict in inspection after winning.
He went on into running OPC marathons such as the Albany-NY and round Long Island and a few other NE runs.
John- as far as the Headly hydro picture, he said that he will call me if he comes across it. He said he hasn't gone through his pictures in about 15 years.
Hope this helps answering your questions.
Ye Olde Desert Geezer :cool:

[Bob Rusnak]

Hi Allen, maybe the lower unit will be a factor in who was the owner. The lower unit is a short sked unit so it was an early one. I believe it has the solid bushing in the nose cone. I will see if it meets all the stupid spect's. It has the numbers stamped on the top of the block 44-J. The fact it was found in a scrap yard was amazing and bought for $50.00 scrap value. Blood pressure pills! know what you mean. Been neglectfull and now the pressure is up again. Maybe due to the all the beer and eating this month. Since I lost my job, I have been going through so many boxs of parts and pictures of racing. Found a Hellsten 125 engine, three FA Konigs, 2 MK 55H, B Looper, 1969 B Konig, Bob Hooghkirk's Zak C Konig, the one he won the Nationals with and a Bob DeCarlo/O'Dea 44 Merc. There are a lot of parts which I will assort and try to sell as some of the engines. I will part with one of the MK 55H as I would like to buy a 250 cc powerhead for my son Don to complete next season. The 500 Runabout is scary fast and would like to get out of that class. In all the old stuff I found, the EORC banquet Jan 17 will have some real nice give a ways. .....Bob N-96