That's what the thread says.....
....an amazing story. Thanks for your contributions to the original Skootnz, and good luck on the next phase. I actually had a different amazing story before I started this thread and when Mike and Kate Hauenstein were at our house last Thursday night, I forgot to show it to them. It will come later. But I know there are many amazing stories out there if people would tell them.
I only have a few more years to go then mine's done. I guess I should have researched the whole thing before I started because I have since discovered a few inaccuracies. You know how the old brain remembers. Unfortunately, I do not have my notes from those days and have to trace things largely from photos. I found out toward the end of 1975 both Hookin' Bull and Texas Tornado had the same Texas registration number:confused: :;) . Methinks in our haste to get back to racing in our own backyard in Texas, we duplicated the numbers to be able to race.:) Don't know if that's what happened, but I have been a little confused about a couple of boat.s
If I would have thought about this thread more before starting it maybe things would have been more in order, but what you guys out there have contributed have moved it around some and added more interest.
BTW Skoontz, do you have any pics you could maybe post on an Off Topic thread with your daughter and her midget and mini dwarf cars?
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When there's a lull like today...
...it means get ready. So here's some more of 1975.
After Baytown I had to go to a torture chamber twice a week for six weeks after I could get around. My brother Mark had to drive me to Corpus christi and back to pick up the little red Fiat X 1-9 that I had ordered. For several months I couldn't look down or look up without holding my head. I couldn't work on motors, boats, test.............nothing. So I went to races to take pictures.
At the national Pro races I would meet up with Anne Finkl who came with her Brother-in-Law Phil Wagner and her sister Joanie. At the OPC and Inboard races in Texas I took my future wife Debbie. I went to as many races as possible. I was at my prime in racing and had no other way to get closer to the speed on water than to be with my friends, walk the pits and smell and hear the essence of boat racing.
So here are some pics from those days.
At the pro races Anne would carry some of my camera stuff & take notes,(first set) & Debbie did it for the OPC and GN races.(Second set of helpers) Those notes I can't find. BTW that's a young Joe Rome to the right of Debbie in the B&W photo.
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A little sidebar to the story
While looking through my contact sheet I found three pics I thought might be of interest.
1st. The boat in the foreground is having motor problems in 1100 hydro and he is heads up and aware that he will be lapped. When he sees Wayne Walgrave and another coming around the pins in a heated battle, he wants to make sure they know he's there (2nd pic):D
3rd. Who can guess who the lady is?
That's what I thought too....
....but, I'm not sure. It looks exactly like his style through the turn, the goggle and his position, but I am not sure because of the way the motor looks.
But, wait, I went back and took another look at the contact sheets and it appears to be Dan. There was a controversy at this race where Charlie Bailey was running second in 500 hydro when his shear pin gave up welding his prop to the shaft in the process. For some reason Tim didn't qualify with our boat and we had offered the ride to Charlie. Charlie decided to stick with his own rig. He lead out of the first turn the first heat but Bob Rhoades passed him and went on to set a record. Unable to get the prop off his motor, he notified the judges stand that he was switching to our boat. Charlie ended up winning the second heat and matching Bob's record, but he was dsq'd for the switch.
My Dad protested and the sqaubble between him and Judy Smith went on for several months. In the end my Dad's argument won because of another ruling. Dan Kirts was driving a (Yale?) with a Merc Quincy and something happened. Maybe flipped. Then he switched to a Rhoades with a Konig and they let it stand. Charlie had a 500cc Konig on the sister aerowing to mine, also Konig powered. Tim built mine and Charlie's Butts Aerowing at the same time. So Dan's switch was from two different manufacturers of boat AND motor, while Charlie's only differences were serial numbers within the same manufacturers.
Gets kind of interesting dredging up the past sometimes Jeff. I've got some photos of Dan driving Rex Hall's boat and I'll bet this was the time.