Bob Marvick F Racing Runabout Driver and Superb Architect: Passes at 92

When I was a kid, Bob Marvick was at my dad's six car garage shop every weekend. He had a Four Sixty and F Runabout was called the "Thundering Herd" in those days. My dad and Bob worked on his "F" all the time. I never quite understood but my dad reground the cam on the fly wheel for quicker spark, they worked on heads and pistons.

Bob and his wife had the same anniversary as my mom and dad and they went out my anniversaries together.

Ernie Dawe and I decided, well I decided, to borrow a WOA 44 Merc that my dad built, and put it on my D Runabout. I said we can race "F" Runabout.

We went to Bakersfield and there were 12 "F" Runabouts. I got a great start as I usually did, and got to the first turn first, as I slowed about 5 "F" Runabout came roaring around us.

I finished the heat third, knocked a small hole in the chine, but Ernie thought we shouldn't go out again.

About a month or two later we were racing at Havasu Springs. Ernie and I had "Retired" from F Runabout racing.

But Harry Bartolomei and Bill Boyes decided to run Harry's Quincy Cross Flow 44 on his 13' foot DeSilva. They managed to break the World Record that weekend, 1963.

But Bob Marvick with Jimbo riding deck was involved in an accident at the start.

Bob ended up paralyzed from the waist down for 57 years.

Bob's son lives two blocks from me.

Bob died at 92 in Thailand. He built a resort there. When he was here he drew plans for my dad's 6 car garage and the Meyer Drake Offenhauser Plant's building in Irvine, California and many more fine buildings.

The bottom picture is San Diego and Bob is leading the F Runabout Nationals.

Bob was an amazing man!