In memory of racers no longer with us:

[GETBOATS]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...nt-Fred-Bowden

I knew Fred has been "Under the weather" since October. We have emailed for more than ten years. When I had not received one of his emails, a month ago I called him. He said, "He'd had water on the lung and heart, but was doing better."

Last week I called and didn't answer, so I called Bowden Development. Todd Bowden called me back and said, "His dad was making progress."

On Thursday, I'd driving our old Ford 250 truck, no blue tooth, and I get a call from Fred. (I have 4,000 pounds of steel on a F250, so I let it go to voice mail).


When I listened to the voice mail, I had to laugh. Fred said, "He'd seen me going down the freeway." I assumed he was heading for Parker, I figured I'd call him Tuesday and Tuesday's are easier for me to call and we could shoot the breeze.

I guess he made it to Parker. He felt tired, Saturday afternoon. He took a nap and never work up.

Fred was always good to me, he was a good sponsor for my son. When Fred would give Chad sponsor money, he's always make the check out to Chad, AND REMIND ME THE MONEY WAS FOR CHAD.

God Speed, OLD FRIEND!

A fixture in the boat racing community, quite a competitor and loved the sport, found this in my files, 1981 I believe, they made them lite those days. You'll be missed Fred.bowden.pdf

[NERSTROM]

I can't say enough about Fred, he was a great racer, sponsor and boat race supporter. Perhaps more importantly, he was a wonderful person and friend.
All the best to his family, we will keep them all in our thoughts and prayers.
RIP my friend.

[racingfan1]

Heard the unfortunate news today of the passing of Marshall Eldredge at the age of 87. My most heartfelt condolences to the entire Eldredge family. May he rest in peace. Picture is from the 2009 spring race at DePue.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

So sad to hear. Rest in peace Marshall. God bless all the Eldredge family. They are one of the few families that goes all the way back to the beginnings of outboard racing and continued with a solid span of generations of boat racers.

[zul8tr]

The racing world has lost a great contributor. I have known Marshall and his family since the early 1970's when I started racing APBA in Region 5 when I lived in West Palm Beach Fla. Marshall provided a wealth of information about engines, props, set up etc and helped me a great deal and we had many interesting discussions. I visited his shop in West Palm Beach and later when he moved to Yalaha Fla. I will miss him very much. My condolences to the Eldridge family. RIP Marshall.

[Donald]

Two old pharts that were still racing in 2009. I will miss him!

[ProHydroRacer]

Rest in peace Marshall, see you at the Finish Line.
Bill & Joyce

[David Weaver]

Marshal was a constant in PRO racing like Sunrise and Sunset are a constant to each day. I will miss our many conversations, especially over breakfast at the Giant's Den in Depue.

[ProHydroRacer]

Just read on that other site that Jim Warren had die.
Rest in Peace Jim.

[Ron Hill]

Sad news..TAF Driver Don Ermshar seriously injured

Boat racer injured at Cowtown Drag Boat Nationals
By JOHN HENRY

Special to the Star-Telegram
Related Content

Injuries in drag boat racing are often times much more dramatic than, say, a wrecked knee in football.

They can actually be frightening.

A big day at the races during the Cowtown Drag Boat Nationals at Marine Creek Lake turned scary when Don Ermshar lost control of his boat at the finish line of the Top Alcohol Flat finals.

When Ermshar’s craft skidded out of control across the water and broke into pieces just past the finish line, he became submerged in his boat capsule in about 30 feet of water.

Rescue crews rushed to aid Ermshar, who was submerged in the water for about five minutes. Nervous fans and crew members watched anxiously as emergency personnel brought him to safety. The 66-year-old Riverside, Calif., resident didn’t walk away from the accident. Race officials and a medic at the scene said he likely sustained broken arms and legs.

He went by ambulance to Harris Methodist Fort Worth, but his injuries seem minor compared to the dramatic accident.

But when you’re traveling more than 160 mph on a quarter-mile track things can go haywire.

"He was going 161 miles per hour," said a race official. "He crossed the finish line, and looked to just lose it."

Drag boat racing is essentially the NHRA on water. Safety has obviously been a big issue, and organizations such as the Southern Drag Boat Association, the governing body of this weekend’s races, have taken steps to help ensure the well-being of the racers.

Capsules, with a roll bar built in and a self-contained breathing system, now enclose drivers. The breathing system enables drivers who are submerged to breathe up to 20 minutes, said Tanya Ehrlich, the treasurer of the SBDA.

The capsule is constructed of steel tubing with a fiberglass and Kevlar outer shell, and it’s designed to break apart from the boat hull and engine in the event of an accident, just as Ermshar’s did Sunday.

"That’s been the greatest discovery for this sport," said an SBDA official. "It has saved lives."

Drivers are also required to wear helmets and goggles or some sort of device to protect their eyes. Many also wear suits made of fire retardant.

Ultimately, like anything else, you can’t live in fear. The show must go on, and it did Sunday.

Don Bausher of Las Vegas drove Habit Forming to victory over Ermshar, the points leader in the Top Alcohol Flat division.

In the top division, Top Fuel Hydro, Daryl Ehrlich of Round Rock and his Problem Child bested points leader John White of Leander.

The series heads to Chouteau, Okla., Aug. 1-2 and back to Texas in Lubbock on Sept. 5-6.