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Thread: The Great Marithon Races

  1. #31
    Team Member buff5's Avatar
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    Default Top O Michigan Marathon winner

    I would like to know what year this event started. Also I know that a Mr Johnny Muller won it in B Class back in the early to mid 50's. Would like that information, I know he ran a Van Pelt (Spring Lake Michigan Boat), motor??? & also I would like to know where he lived at that time & whatever else I can find out???
    Thanks

  2. #32
    Tomtall
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    Thumbs up Top'O

    Ronald (buff 5) -This marathon race is one of,if not,the oldest and still running,stock outboard marathon races in North America.Founded in 1948 by "Ed Maloney" and "Fred Hamslon",who were co-owners of the "Top-in-a-bee" resort motel.The race was named after their motel,originally.

    Your best bet to find out about your friend Johnny would be to search old articles in the "Boat Sport" magazine http://boatsport.org/ archives of that time.They may have results posted for that race,at that time line. Good Luck!

    Eirc - Very cool on getting your jacket at Christmas! If you get a chance post some pics of it.

  3. #33
    FFX-61
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    "The Top of the B", yup, that what the old timer said, a long time ago at a Place they called The stab and shoot saloon, i stop in there every time i go.

  4. #34
    Team Member buff5's Avatar
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    Default Top-O-Michigan Marathon 1953

    I finally tracked down Mr Johnny Mueller & he still lives near Spring Lake, Michigan. He won Top-o-Michigan & the 100 Mile Gull Lake, Michigan Marathon in 1953 running a Mercury KG7H & a Van Pelt Racing Scooter which was built at Spring Lake, Michigan. He also went on to win many more races in later model Van Pelt racing boats. I believe all in "b" class.

  5. #35
    Tomtall
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    Cool Gull Lake,Michigan Marithon

    Ronald - Thant's great you made your contact with Mueller. You mentioned the Gull Lake 100 mile marithon race in your post. At the time my uncle helped put those races on. The pits were based out of Wilkinson's marine,one of three marina's on the bay of the lake. I still have conversation with my uncle about those races on the lake I still boat on and live 5 miles from. He just turned 95 and has told me in great detail how grueling a race it was. The lake itself is 5 miles long by approx. 1/2 to 3/4 mile wide. That made for quit a few laps on a lake that at times, could have 2 foot white caps. I remember he told me at the end of the race they had ambulance personel on site to help the racers get out of their boats and tend to their woehs. It's one of the old forgotten marithons of the 1950's. It would be very cool to see a re-run of on this lake. Unfortunetly it's all developed with big buck lake homes and no real good spot to pit out of. They also had some unlimited races held on this lake as well.If anybody has any more history or pic's of this marithon from the past please share them.

    The first picture is of the lake and how it looks today. The second one is of my relitives enjoying my uncles boat on the lawn of our cottage on the lake during that time period.
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  6. #36
    Team Member buff5's Avatar
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    Default Gull Lake Marathon

    Tomtall: Thanks for the picture of Gull Lake, yes, there are VERY few that remember that race today. I do not know how to post a picture on here but I am now deep into a restoration on a VERY rare 1950 Van Pelt "Racing Scooter". A boat identicle to the one that Johnny won the Top-O-Michigan Marathon in 53, it at this time, is the ONLY one known to still exist. It was built as a "A" boat, (9' 6" long), but could handle a B motor as well & of course is of the Phillipine Ocume Plywood construction with double cockpit. The unique thing about the Van Pelts was there were NO ribs as it was built with the "stressed plywood" Moulded bottom which was actually a two piece bottom sandwiched together. The inner bottom was only a partial bottom in the rear of the boat. If you send me your e-mail location I can forward the pics of the boat & you can post them on this board if you wish.
    Thanks
    buff10@charter.net

  7. #37
    Sam Cullis Mark75H's Avatar
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    Isn't Bruce Hazekamp the grandson of Van Pelt? Bruce is a member here on BRF.
    Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.


  8. #38
    Team Member MN1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by buff5 View Post
    Tomtall: It was built as a "A" boat, (9' 6" long), but could handle a B motor as well & of course is of the Phillipine Ocume Plywood construction with double cockpit. The unique thing about the Van Pelts was there were NO ribs as it was built with the "stressed plywood" buff10@charter.net
    Stressed skin construction is very strong, airplanes and even capsules are built this way.
    My first wood working project used this construction. A book case with shelves spanning 5 feet with no vertical support and made from 1/4" plywood.
    It's the distance between the 1/4" plywood that makes it so strong, about 1.375" in my case.
    Mark Nelson

  9. #39
    Tomtall
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    Cool 5 days till Top'O

    Well I had to go back in the archives and bring this thread back to life I started back when BRF was just a baby. The family and I have our family vacation planed around the Top'O race this year with relatives comming in from near and far to watch our son Adam get the crap pounded out of him for two days running the long courses this year. He ran the short "J" course last year. Says he is up to running with the big guys this year. We will see what he thinks after the Saturday race. We let him get his feet wet at Trenton,Mi. running the marithon there. He got baptised by the Detroit river with only 5 minutes left on the clock.(barrel rolled in turn 1). Hope to see some of you BRF members there this year. The picture below was the marithon boat at Trenton. Thanks to Jim Bellmer and his family for helping Adam run the marithons this year.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  10. #40
    Tomtall
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    Exclamation Dave

    Dave - Please do not break into our house when we are gone this time.Last time all the Labates Blue was gone when I got home. Beware I have someone staying at the house this time. I told Adam to just finish this year in one piece.Anything more is a bonus.

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