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Lon was a great guy.
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http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...t=rich+fuchlin
Lon was a great guy.
ADD: http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...ens+jeff+lewis
I think it was either the first or second time I was at Depue about 3 or 4 years ago and the F runabout race came up and there were at least 4 maybe more Mercs went out Fuschlin won the race against Thirlby and the sound of those motors especially Lons gave me goosebumps and there was this gentleman in a wheelchair just beaming at the end of the race. I said who is that and was told that is the guy who made that motor the LON STEVENS. I went up introduced myself and thanked him for the motor. I will never forget that race , thanks LON. Regards John Lawrence
Lon "Invented" the ignition that ran with a light bulb. I'm sure Rich Fuchlin or Fred Hauenstein could explain how Lon's ignition worked, but I never fully understood it.
Lon told me, the last time we really talked, that when he was building power on the "SIX BANGERS" that his engine would develop a HARMONIC, somewhat like an opera singer when they break a glass. This HARMONIC would destroy his motors.
Wth his light system ignition, Lon could vary the timing on each cyclinder, by milling slots in his timing plate (The light went through the timing plate and caused the spark), he did not have a six cyclinder engine firing at 60 degress (I think 60 degreee times six is 360), he had each cyclinder fire just a little off the other, resulting in the Stevens sound, and not have a harmonic. (Almost a studder step motion to break the harmonic).
Lon never lied to me, so I assume what he told me was the truth. And that is the way I understood it.
I made Lon quite a few props in my life, and sold him many Cary Wheels.
He didn't do much work for me, but what it did was faster than expected (Time wise) and perfect quality...
Lon loved "F" Motors like no one before or will ever love them.
Lon built my first engine, a 3 cyl. merc. to run in FEH in 1976. I think all his engines were both a work of Love and works of Art. His Talent and Passion (For Mercs. and American Motors) will be missed ! I still feel the "6" that he built for Bob Davenport had the most "Kick A--" sound short of the Quincy Loopers !
Race well at Lake Paradise Lon !
I have one of those Stevens hand built ignitions. I suspect it is based on some parts from a car race ignition of the time, with custom parts added by Lon
PRO Racing Pioneer Lon Stevens passes
<HR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000; COLOR: #000000" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->As posted by APBA here....http://www.apba-racing.com/apps/news/index.php
Lon Stevens passes
Monday, January 4, 2010
To the racing world,
It is with great sadness that I must inform everyone that my grandfather, Lon Stevens, passed away in the early morning of Wednesday, December 30, 2009.
Many of you know my grandfather as one of the leaders and pioneers of PRO racing for over a half a century.
His racing and engine building career accomplishments, in my honest opinion, were surpassed by few if any.
He now joins my father, John Stevens, in his final resting place. The racing world has lost a great competitor, as we have lost an iconic member of our family.
It is my hope that he and my father are now racing together once again up in heaven with the same fervent passion and success they displayed here on earth.
May he rest in peace!
Regards,
Don F. Stevens and family
http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...cons/icon1.gif Bobby Passed a week ago Thursday, 1/07/2010
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I probably should tell some Bobby Kitchen Stories here...especially when he use to deal with me and Bahner Boats... http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...4291#post84291
But one story I will tell...Bobby is a GOLFING NUT and a BOATING NUT....actually, except for golf, we have a lot in common....a lot of BS, but actually hard workers...just that we're A.D.D. our minds jump around a lot...(This site reflects my thinking patterns..I focus on one thing for five minutes, then something else...always been that way...My dad would say, "Finish one thing before you start the next." Why? I'd ask my dad, you'll finish them for me...and he did... Maybe, that is why I'm not racing now...My dad always said, "He payed all the bills, did all the work and took the blame when we lost." We were a good team...
Anyway, Bobby Kitchen was racing MOD VP with Gary Garbrecht's Second Effort and someone didn't put bungees on the motor, when Bobby was making a "HOT" run in the early morning before Parker, when he backed off he blew over. I didn't see it, but I heard him back off, then I heard the RPM's coming up and up and up and all was quiet... I sent the patrol boat after him, but Freddy Hauenstein saw it from his house he's rented on the river, he'd been testing his D Stock Hydro, Freddy jumps in D Hydro and goes to see if Bobby is OK...
Bobby has some amazing one liners, but he answered Freddy with something like, "Im OK, I could drive to Kansas City and back with no problem." They put Bobby in the hospital...As they were putting him in the ambulance he handed a wet roll of money to Dr. Dean Puritzer from Mississippi, also (Dean's nephew plays on the PGA tour, but Dean has been mad at me for 20 years)...
Anyway, this roll of hundreds Bobby had in his pocket contained about $2,500. Dean couldn't believe Bobby would be carrying that kind of cash out in the boat...
I went and saw Bobby in the hospital, he seemed fine but they kept him for a day or two...he missed the race...
About five years later Bobby and I were talking about the blow over....He said, the darnest thing...I keep thinking I saw Fred Hauenstein in a D (HIGHED ROW) right after I flipped. It just keeps bothering me....
I said, YOU DID SEE FRED HAUENSTEIN...he was there testing his Stock Stuff at the ENDURO...Bobby just kind of stared at me.... He said he was sure it was Fred but had never said anything because he couldn't imagine Fred out on the river at 7 A.M. in a hydro...(Freddy told me not long ago, he was testing the first 44XS motors for Mercury)...
...Chad, my son, got married a few summers ago, so they had a bachelor party it was a four day cruise.. I met a guy on the cruise that rented out old SEMI trailers for storage units, in Las Vegas... Seems he was making a lot of money easy...
I call Bobby to buy some trailer...EASY MONEY... Bobby says with that MISSISSIPPI accent WWWWhy would start a new business that YOU know nothing about??? How much money do you want to lose???? You're in the PROPELLERS BUSINESS MAN...I'm in trucking business and I wouldn't rent trailers for storage....
Well, that ended that...Bobby and I talked about 30 minutes... we both had some good laughs!!!
Awhile back someone mentioned Outlaws on Water...I can't find the post, but found the hat that Bobby Kitchens gave me...
I wished Jackson, Mississippi was closer. Everytime I'm with Bobby, I feel like I could spend a month with him....just listening to his way of wording things...he has 150 diesel trucks on the road, everyday hauling Colonel Sanders Chicken...and he's 81.....Plays golf like a MAD MAN and Drag races THEM ALLISONS....with 2.5 Merc EFI's....
If Bobby were ayounger man, maybe he'd be interested in NIGHT Boat Racing, as I think he "BANK ROLLED" Outlaws on Water.....That is still my dream....Racing under the lights...
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I went to two boat drags this year, and enjoyed both. I talk to Pete McConnell now and then (Jimbo's brother), Pete races a Jet Boat in the drags and seems to really enjoy himself.
I've been thinking with all these 2.0 liter boats I have, maybe dragging them would make sense and be fun, too.
I knew Bobby drag raced with Allisons all the time, so I called his trucking company. Someone answered the phone, I asked for Bobby, and the gentleman said, "Who is this?" Two things entered my mind, both bad. One the IRS was at Bobby's AGAIN or two, he was dead.
I told the gentleman I was Ron Hill, he said, "Mr. Hill I remember your name, but Bobby passed away a week ago Thursday."
Bobby passed from cancer, he was only 81. He thought he was 81 three years ago, but toward the end, when he was getting things sorted out, he found out he was only 81 now.
I really don't recall how or where I met Bobby, seemed to know him all my adult life. Bobby made a little book on the side (He was in the trucking business) and sometimes dealt in cash, like quite a bit.
He'd come to California, once or twice a year, and we'd go shopping for boats. I had told him, and he knew it, that boat builders were always broke in the winter. So, usually he'd buy two or three truck loads of boats.
I enjoyed going with him. He knew I enjoyed seeing rolls of hundreds. His yearly purchases probably saved several California boat companies. He usually bought Bahners, Eliminators and Bakers.
When Gary Garbrecht ran FORMUAL ONE PROP, Bobby's diesels hauls the Forumla One Semi trailer to all the races and Bobby ran one a BAKER MOD VP and a Second Effort V-6 Johnson.
Later, he sponsored races called Outlaws on Water, raced the Mississippi River race and raced the Deep South Drag Racing Series. In drag racing he ran Allisons with Modified Merc V-6's.
Bobby got a free FEDERAL VACATION for 18 months, seems something about the IRS didn't think his contractors were contractors. So, the IRS took a few of Bobby's trucks and gave him an 18 month vacation, all expenses paid.
His vacation never broke his spirit, he came home and went back to work, working almost daily until his death. I think he had 150 diesels on the road everyday, hauling chicken.
Bobby loved trucking as much as he loved boats. Golf and sports betting were also his loves.
I never borrowed a dime from Bobby and never asked for a dime, but I always knew if I needed money, it was a phone call away. He'd cover me, because that was the kind of guy Bobby was.
God Speed, Bobby. You'll always be alive in the Hill Family!
Sad News-Dale Powell
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I want to pass on the sad news that my Father, Dale Powell passed away unexpectedly yesterday due to heart problems. He was 78.
Dad was an avid boater and boat racer dating back to before I was born in 1956. He was active in "Wildcat" racing in Western Oregon before getting involved with the Oregon Speedboat Association and the APBA in Stock Outboard. He raced CU and DU. He set 5 mile competition records in both classes at Lake Lawrence, and was close to the DU kilo record. He also carried 1-US.
After his success, he parked the boats as my brother Mark and I became old enough to start racing (me in 1966, Mark in 1968) and went all out to get us going in the sport with the help of Joe Price. 1970 was the last year any of us raced, and for fun, Dad was running AU at the time.
Here's to wishing Dad smooth water and wide turns forever. He is survived by his wife, my stepmother Nancy, my older half sister Debbie in Portland, my brother Mark in Switzerland, and myself.
Dale Powell Jr.
Fairbanks, Alaska
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Sorry to hear about your Dad Dale. God bless you and your family for the loss, and may Dale SR. rest in peace. Because Scott posted this, I know that you wanted the boat racing community to know off your loss. In memory of your father Dale...it would be cool if you could post photos and/or memories about racing here at BRF....or send them to Scott to post so we could read about them on the encyclopedia. There's not enough people really telling their story. I am glad you sent the info to Scott to post here. Don't stop now. Your Dad was an accomplished boat racer. Please fill in the story before he got to his top spot.