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APBA Gearcases: Check stock Rules
As for the APBA banning it…are they really going to turn a 12 year old kid away from a race when the lower unit meets the technical drawings in the rule book? If so they best re evaluate their priorities. I don’t think anyone I’ve spoken to would suggest that what hydroplane racing needs is fewer racers.
Hill Marine casts all their 7,000 propellers, yearly, here in America,
We have CNC machines that could machine billet gearcases cheaper than casting them heat treating them then machining.
I bought a new OMC gearcase a few years ago, and APBA may have some on hand.
THERE IS NOT ONE CLASS IN STOCK RACING THAT ALLOWS FULL SHIFTING GEARCASES WITH NOSE CONES. DO AWAY WITH HEIGHT RULES IN J, AXS, AND A. A PRODUCTION GEARCASE WITH LOW WATER PICK UPS WILL OUT RUN A RACING GEARCASE.
Production gearcases are not legal in any APBA Stock class.
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4 Stroke Mercury that Pavlick Had or Has 2022
I asked Mike if he wanted any help as I HAVE BOTTOM water pick up nose cones. I think his answer was he was working on a steering bar. WHY NOT USE Morris type cable like 90% of inflatables/BOSTON whalers use?
Mickey Schwarzenbach rigged the 55 HP Chrysler with store bought cables. THE MOTOR HAS NO STEERING BAR!
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Albert, WHY NO STOCK GEARCASES ON STOCK RACING MOTORS?
ALBERT HAVE YOU EVERY STUDIED OUR AMERICAN GOVERMENT AND THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED TO REPRESENT US? Well, I have baring a few, Trump not being one, people in our government are out for themselves. THEY COME IN POOR, FIFTY YEAS LATER THEY LEAVE AS BILLIONAIRES.
Over the year APBA's management, and those behind the scenes in APBA HAVE LOOKED OUT FOR THEMSELFVES.
Mercury has always wanted to win. BUT THEY WANTED TO SAY "WHO" won with a MERCURY.
OMC had SECOND EFFORT AS THEIR RACING DIVISION. but they raced against their "customers". But in fact almost all their customer boats and engines were owned by OMC.
Some will disagree with me, but I feel and have felt that CHARLIE STRANG RAN APBA.
MORE LATER!
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So, no stock outboard gearcases on stock outboard motors. Continued
Around 1980, a new neighbor moved in from Japan, two doors away. I find out he is Vice President of Kawasaki. Jet Skis are "POPPING UP
everywhere.
I dig out some old Speed and Spray Magazines nd BOAT Sport Magazines, for about a month, every time I see my neighbor who speaks no English, I run over and see him with a magazine that shows Stock Outboard Racing.
My neighbor has someone contact me from Kawasaki Corporation. They seem genuinely interested in racing, but they also would like to buy insurance to sell/give with each Jet Ski sold.
I contact Rick Sandstrom, President of APBA regarding getting Kawasaki into racing and selling them insurance. The APBA convention is two months away, I am Region 12 Chairman. Kawasaki plans on selling 10,000 units next year (1981).
I get a call from Rick Sandstrom that the APBA BOD has appointed me and Russ Kuhlman (APBA's Insurance man) as a two man committee to meet with Kawasaki at the APBA convention.
Russ and I talk on the phone and decide he could write a liability policy for $15 with $1.00 each policy going to Region 12 and $10 would be an APBA membership or $100 grand, not counting renewal.
Russ, three men from Kawasaki, me and Russ's secretary meet at 9:00 A.M. WE DISCUSS APBA'S HISTORY, RACING, PEOPLE. We break for an early lunch, meet back at 1:00. To me, I'M COUNTING APBA'S NEW MONEY AND Region 12's.
The meeting get serious, Kawasaki agrees to buying insurance and an APBA "RACING" membership with each Jet Ski sold. Owner could drop out the second year or renew at $25. Russ's secretary wrote up the agreement, Russ and I signed for APBA. Kawasaki signed, we shook hands.
I got up to my room about 4:00, told me wife Russ and I had just put APBA on BROADWAY.
At 5:00 Rick Sandstrom called and said come down to his room. I was ready for a drink and celebration.
MIKE Jones in there and so is RICK. Mike says, "We have a little problem, CHARLIE THINKS KAWASKAKI should start their own organization. WITH THEIR 10,000 VOTES THEY COULD CONTROLL APBA. Go tell the Japanese the deal is off...." CHARLIE'S EXACT QUOTE WAS LET THE JAPS START THEIR OWN CLUB.
A lot of air went out of my balloon that night.
I never spoke to anyone from from Kawasaki again. My neighbor was later promoted President of Kawasaki CORPORATION.
I'm not done!
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1979 Ron Hill Talks, ON AND ON
Because CAESAR'S PALACE sponsor a Seebold Tunnel Boat I thought it would be a great place to put on the APBA convention. I made a few calls and cut a deal with Caesar's for the 1979 APBA Convention (This was in '78).
I had a sponsor of considerable means. HE OWNED 92 DEL TACO fast foot restaurant, owned CRAZY HORSE CAMPGROUND IN HAVASU, plus a lot more investments than I could count.
With the help of Fred Hauenstein and the Stoker's of John's Custom Marine, we won the 7 Hour Enduro at Parker. Fred went to work for Mercury and "WE", MY SPONSOR AND I WERE TO GET THE BEST STUFF MERCURY HAD. We gave them our Evinude stuff, they gave us carbureted motors when Team Mercury ran fuel injection.
After Havasu 1979, I told my sponsor I was DONE getting beat by Mercury FUEL injection. I WAS GOING TO GO MOD VP RACING.
JIM JOST was Evinrude's PR man and he gave me a 235. TIM SOARES and I RAN 4TH THAT YEAR AT HAVASU.
Dick Sherrer and I wrote the rules for MOD VP. No racing parts. All part must be in warrantable condition. Dick was a Mercury dealer and sick of Mercury's dealings and OMC was head off toward V-8's. We wanted these to companies to help pay for racing rather than us paying them.
Mercury made all their races parts, "STOCK" in their catalogue....the warrantee rule disappeared.
MOD VP GREW INTO THE LARGEST CLASS IN OPC RACING..... THEN CAME YAMAHA, MERCURY AND OMC WANTED MOD VP DEAD.
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By 1982 I, I was Pretty Well Pissed Off At Mercury, OMC and APBA
Around 1982, I WAS TEACHING SCHOOL, MAKING LOTS OF PROPELLERS (and MONEY), plus racing MOD VP.
MOD VP was so fun in the early days, STOCK production motors that we could work on anyway we saw fit.
Volvo had a four bolt main 350 that they sold to everyone (8 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR). BUT IT CAME WITH AN ALUMINUM PROP ONLY.
I made a stainless steel Volvo prop that Western Engine bought about 400 props a year. Eliminator bought about 2 a week and that is how I SAW THE FIRST DAYTONA. I designed an outboard bracket for this jet boat and BOB LEACH, OWNER OF ELIMINTOR boats, gave me a boat to race for the design.
About this time I went into the Volvo Distributorship and they had 500 TOHOTSU motors in boxes. I ASKED WHAT A "TO HOT SHOE" (Tohatsu) WAS.
I bought three 30's on the spot for $1,350 or $450 each. My price for 4 props...
I find out that Sleek Craft is building some Addictor boats. So, I buy two.