1973

[racingfan1]

Pages 11-20

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A few comments regarding this issue. In the previous issue and in this one, Bill Fales urged everyone to attend the Nationals at DePue, and the APBA/UIM World Championships in Alexandria, Louisiana the following weekend. This was the first APBA and UIM race held at Alexandria. Charlie Strang told my Dad that under UIM rules the U.S. could run runabout world championships.

The NOA was in it's death throes and Baldy had contacted Carl Rylee to go through APBA to put on races. Carl always liked to put on the top show to go along with "The fastest water in the world" at Lake Buhlow, and as such wanted a world championship race. Baldy submitted application through APBA to host OA,OB,OC,OD, and OF World Championships at Alex in 1973. I think the UIM was both surprised and pleased at the request. As a result, the U.S. was awarded OA, OD, and OF.

Bill Fales also mentioned two drivers working hard to put on some quality racing on the same date and to support the races. Me and Neil Rose were mentioned. First of all, it was Baldy who was the prime mover in the 1973 Waldman Memorial. The first event where Jerry was killed was put together by my Dad, Jerry Waldman, Marshall Grant, Harry Bartolomei and Lee Sutter. This event held on the same weekend as the Eastern Nationals was a very sore spot with Baldy, even before the actual race date. As my Dad predicted, especially with huge jumps in gasoline prices and an unknowing supply of it, attendance at both races was down. We didn't know that the Eastern Divisionals applied for that date and I'm sure Neil didn't know about us either. But APBA offices sure did, and should have not allowed it. We were running around the same time as the year before, but the Eastern Divisionals were a little earlier than normal and should have been put off a couple of weeks. This was part of the reason Baldy ran for the APBA Council later on in the year and was elected.

[racingfan1]

Late August and September region 7 races at Lacon and Chillicothe Illinois would have been on the Illinois River ? I imagine Chuck Davis would have had a hand in these races ?

[racingfan1]

Here is the June edition pages 1-10

[racingfan1]

Pages 11-20

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Notice in this issue Dale that it was announced that APBA could hold World Championship races for all APBA classes. This was not what my Dad Baldy was interested in, although APBA and UIM were all for it. I have the letter from Charlie Strang that I mentioned earlier regarding this. Baldy believed this was diluting the real deal. You can't have World Championships in every class in every country, and they did not want this either. It was basically an apple to promoters in the U.S. (Carl Rylee, and Baldy Baldwin) to get more APBA/UIM sanctions going. Runabouts have always been allowed to run with hydros in world championship races, but nobody did in the modern era. They hoped to continue the NOA tradition of the World Championship races at Alex with separate classes. Baldy didn't bite, and neither did Carl. So nothing ever became of this, because no one in the U.S. ever filed for any U.S. APBA/UIM World Championships after Alexandria in 1973.

[Ron Hill]

I am sometimes amazed of how much boat racing "TIME" the Hills put in in their life time. My dad, Russ Hill, was listed as Inspector at the 9 Hour. I think I was listed twice as something...Racing "S" Class at San Diego. Where did we find the time, energy and money to race this much?

[Dave_E71]

Ron, we were talking about exactly the same thing last weekend. My dad was saying that the season started in late April with a race every weekend and finished up in Elizabeth City, NC (fast water there...) the first weekend in October. Racing some weekends in a different place Sunday than you were Saturday. Hell, even in '73, the Region 3 & 4 schedule is still pretty full.
It pales in comparison to some but, 2018 will be 60 unbroken years for us and 4 generations.
In my own opinion, if we had all the time and money spent on boat racing, yeah, we'd have A LOT more time and money but we'd be poorer for the experiences we missed and the real friends we didn't make.

Not sure why but the next issue is my all time favorite Propeller

[racingfan1]

Ron, we were talking about exactly the same thing last weekend. My dad was saying that the season started in late April with a race every weekend and finished up in Elizabeth City, NC (fast water there...) the first weekend in October. Racing some weekends in a different place Sunday than you were Saturday. Hell, even in '73, the Region 3 & 4 schedule is still pretty full.
It pales in comparison to some but, 2018 will be 60 unbroken years for us and 4 generations.
In my own opinion, if we had all the time and money spent on boat racing, yeah, we'd have A LOT more time and money but we'd be poorer for the experiences we missed and the real friends we didn't make.

Not sure why but the next issue is my all time favorite Propeller

I believe I know why and it may just have to do with a certain picture in a certain place,

[Dave_E71]

I believe I know why and it may just have to do with a certain picture in a certain place,

And I believe you are correct sir