Ron Hill Family: Hill Marine and Signature Propellers

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Got to tell your Dog that yellow newsprint is real crumbly.....and probably had lead stamped into it. So tell him to be careful so you don't get charged with endangering your Dog. Be careful with those pieces and keep your story and clippings coming.

[Ron Hill]

My dad would have been 110 today. It seems a very short 20 years to not have him here. My dad and mom came to California in 1935 BROKE, by the time I was born, 1944, they owned a house and 22 acres at Lake Elsinore, and my dad was racing boats. My sister was 13 years older than me, and my brother was ten years older.

My dad started me in racing when I was 11, 1955, and supported me til about 1989. We won a lot of races together, he rebuilt many of my factory motors to make them faster. We won the Elsinore 500, 1973 and the Parker 9 Hour (Division II) 1975, with motors my dad built. He and I are bought APBA Honor Squadron Members.

I'd get crazy ideas, and my dad would make them come true. We raced Stock, Alkies, OPC.

I'm not sure my dad ever complimented me and I'm not sure I ever really thanked him.

One time someone told my dad, "Those Hill kids aren't very good losers." My dad said, "Well, they haven't had much practice."

We went to races to "WIN" and we did "WIN" often.

Miss you dad. I'M HAPPY YOU WERE ABLE TO TEACH CHAD SO MUCH ABOUT MOTORS BEFORE YOU LEFT US.

We were racing at the Parker 9 Hour the weekend my dad passed, 1997. A good weekend to go, I always thought!

12/29/2017

[Ron Hill]

I've really only known Dudley for the last 15 years. Not knowing him longer is my loss, what a great guy. Have have not read his whole book, but I got one on Amazon and one directly from Dudley. The book is well worth the $19.95 or whatever it costs.

He's one of a kind, I consider him a true friend.

[Ron Hill]

Red Thomas gave me my first "A" Stock Mercury motor, 1954.

[Ron Hill]

These KG-4 propellers are kept in my safe at the office. They are from a by gone ear, never to return. We raced these props on Chad Hill's Sorensen Runabout with a restricted Johnson 15. Chad won the Winter Nationals at least once, we never went to the Summer Nationals as Chad played football and APBA expected him to be at their nationals for a week to race two heats.

I think Chad won 56 straight races but my memory is often wrong anymore.

Of the six, only one was ever on a 60-J Mercury, it has two small shear pin holes on the hub, this is my casting made by me.

There are two Smith Wheels, two John Csypulski wheels and one Lockhart, that says , "Younger"....Keith Keith or Mark Yunger's KG-4 prop.

I had planned having a Propeller Museum, but got side tracked along the way.

10/71 is the oldest. A Cary, aquired from Roy Miner and I modified it.

[Ron Hill]

Jake qualified 5th on Saturday and ended up 5th. Qualified 3rd, Sunday and ended up 16th after a roll over. Jake and Jordan Hill in the pits.

Thanks to Redline oil for the support!

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Jake qualified 5th on Saturday and ended up 5th. Qualified 3rd, Sunday and ended up 16th after a roll over. Jake and Jordan Hill in the pits.

Thanks to Redline oil for the support!

Jake looks like a younger Ronnie Hill

[Ron Hill]

This was the first 12' DeSilva with a single chine. The made for a guy in Texas that hated it, so the built him a new one with double chines. Ralph told me to sell for anything over $250. So, I took it home, set the motor back 2", cut the after plane off and moves the steering wheel over so I could get it to "Lay Up" in the corners. Bill Boyes and I were good friends in those days, he'd borrowed one of my "C" motors for two years...Anyway, I put him in this 12' DeSilva, we were all running 13 footer, and Bill just hauled ***. I named it "Mother Please, I'd rather do it myself". Bill's mom was great but very protective of her "BILLY". Bill won this C Runabout race. I told him to give me a check for $350 for my motor and check to me for DeSilva of $500. Bill's mom gave me a check for $850.

I won the Divisionals the next week! I paid Ralph the $250 and made a BIG PROFIT!

I posted this on the DeSilva page, but they don't allow sharing.

[Ron Hill]

T-65 was the second DeSiva Wing. This was Havasu, 1967. Tom Roth of Denver was driving. He was a lap or two ahead of me when he ran out of gas on the first day. I went on to win the T class. I drove the first DeSiva Sled at the Parker 9 Hour, spring of 1967. Neither Bill nor Ralph was happy with that boat. I started cutting on it, and said, “Just cut it up we’ll build a new one”

[Ron Hill]

1978 Parker Enduro: Questions were asked about the start and the wreck at the start.
I have written about my experience winning the 1978 Enduro with Fred Hauenstein and myself:
Sent: Wednesday, December 4, 2019, 02:10:20 PM PST
Subject: Parker 1978
1978, was some what the middle of the Outboard Wars. Team Mercury had their big semi race trailer, with four Factory boats, but they also supported many teams. OMC had a team that wasn't as visible.
My sponsor, for 1978, was Brad Miller owner of Crazy Horse Campgrounds and 92 Del Taco Fast Food Restaurants. I had built Brad some great V-Drive Inboard Propellers and he decided he wanted to win the Parker Enduro. Brad raced GN and had re sold some of my props to Rocky Aoki owner of Benihana Restaurants.
I had explained to Brad that to win Parker you needed an Evinrude and a Molinari. Brad wanted a Mercury and Seebold.
It was President's Day, 1978, three weeks before the Enduro when Brad called me. I went to his office and he explained he wanted to win Parker. I said, "I hope you don't think you can drive a tunnel." He said, "No, I'll drive the Del Taco Express GN."
I called Gary Garbrecht, from Brad's office and old him I wanted to buy a Seebold and a Merc. Gary said, "Christ, Ron! If you'd of called me a week ago I'd have given you a boat, but I don have anything. I have ten or twelve boats in that race."
So, I called Jack Leek. He said he had a Triple C Evinrude in the box and Bob Hering Paris Boat he could sell.
Brad sent Chuck Newton out that day with a certified check to go get the boat and engine.
Because Fred Hauenstein and I were friends, we had co driven at Parker 1968, 69, 70, 73, 74 and 75, plus me getting him his job at OMC, I called Fred and said, "We just bought a CCC Evinrude and Hering's Paris boat." Fred said, "I'll go get the motor and I'll make it run."
The next week, Fred called me at John's Custom Marine and asked what I was doing. I said, "Flattening the bottoms on this Molinari." He said, "Don't fire the motor til you are with me."
We got to Parker, I actually had not been in a tunnel boat in two years. Jim Nerstrom and Fred Hauenstein met me at Blue Water Marina. I took off out of the pits and headed for "Squaw Dam" I made the corner and headed up river when I thought the motor, "Stuck" a piston. I pulled in and put the boat on the trailer. I said, "I 'stuck' a piston, I'm sure." Jim Nerstrom pulled the cowling and looked at the plugs. He said, "You fowled a plug." I said, "Are you sure?"
Jim changed the jets and I went back out...I made a few passes as they had asked me to to do, then I "Turned It On". My old Scotti would go 107 MPH and we had finished third in '75. By the Chevron gas sign, my Scotti would only be going 90 MPH. I had purchased a new 125 MPH Keller speedometer, when I made the corner at Squaw Dam, and turned it on, by the Chevron Gas sign, I looked down at the Keller and saw 122 MPH.
I slowly backed it down and trailered the boat. I got out an announced to Jim, Fred and anyone else that would be listening, "I can win this race."
John Stoker, Al Stoker and Chuck Newton had busted their asses getting the boat ready. I would be using their fuel dock. Al was driving with Earl McKinny in MOD VP.
I really don't recall where we lined up at La Paz County Park, as this was the first year of starting down river. When the flag dropped, I did my usual for the Enduro. I had finished the last five Enduro's I had run, 3 seconds (9 Hours), a 7th a Overall and a 3rd overall, first in class.
My usual was to get started and make sure the motor was running fine and let it warm up some. I was on the Arizona side, and just as I got going boats came flying from everywhere. The picture of Sutter, upside down, is imprinted in my brain, as I recall running to the left of him.
What had happened, Renato Molinari and Bob Hering were Mercury's Hot Shoes, on Saturday testing they made wide corners to keep their speed up with their big props. Well, Sunday morning, the river was down probably two feet.
Bob Hering took off and was just going to "BLAST" by everyone by going close to the California shore like he'd done all day Saturday. But on Sunday, he hit bottom and it ripped his transom off the boat and his boat spun like a top under the on going boats. Like I say, I don't recall how many guys crashed, but it was six or eight. I made one lap and they red flagged the race.
Bob Hering broke his ankle or knee getting in the patrol boat when he slipped an feel. The only injury in this amazing crash!
When they restarted the race, I took off and looked at my watch. An hour and a half later, I stopped for gas. John's Custom Marine Team fueled me in about 30 seconds, but they ran the tank over. When I hit the starter, the boat went up in flames.
Bouncey, who currently works for Wilkes Marine, was working for Brad Miller at the time. He ran to get the fire extinguisher, John Stoker put the fire out and Al Stoker took the picture.
John told me to get back n the boat. I said, "Hell no, it was on fire." He said, "Yes, but the fire is out get your *** back in the boat before I kick your ***." I said, "You aren't big enough...but OK, I'll make one lap."
So, I made a lap and asked myself, "Why are you going to stop?" So I continued for another hour and half or so. I was wet to my arm pits, March weather is cold and the river is colder. When I stopped for gas, Fred Hauenstein was standing next to my dad with his jack and helmet on. Fred had had his own factory ride with Jimbo and OMC, but I knew he had broken down. I thought I was near the front, if not leading.
I gave Fred the thumbs up, they carried him to the boat to stay dry!
Fred jumped in and took off. I went to my motorhome to change clothes and warm up. I was seriously cold.
My brother, the numbers guy said, "Well, George Osborne and Brett May are in second and Freddy is getting away from them. But you were a little slower than George. Freddy had been racing with OMC for the last two years, almost full time.
When Fred stopped, we had about an hour and half to run yet. I yelled at Fred that Brett and George were coming and I may or may not be able to hold them off. Did he want to drive another leg? Fred said, "He was OK." Fred made two more laps, and the Mercury of May and Osborne blew a gearcase.
Now all we had to do is last another hour or so.
As it turned out we won overall with an Evinrude, Earl McKinny and Al Stoker won MOD VP, and Jimbo, who was co driving with Fred, before they broke down, drove Lee Holden's UJ Evinrude to first in class and third overall!
So, Evinrude won all three outboard classes in 1978.