An Amazing Story

[Master Oil Racing Team]

After a 25 year absence, I am once again the owner of a Konig racing motor. Details to follow.

Note to other admins ... do not unlock this thread. Additional posts may cause the whole thread to become corrupted, unreadable or completely lost.

There is a link to Part 2 provided on the last page.

[David_L6]

Don't keep us in suspense too long.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I have to take a picture first. Can you believe I bought a Nikon digital camera to take pictures of boat races and lost the charger two days before we went to Hawaii? Joe can

Anyway, I am waiting for dough to rise. My daugter's B'day is tommorrow & she's coming in tonight & wants pizza. Yeah, we make our own. Good too.

My daugter has a Sony digital & after I get the photo posted, I will resume.

[Ron Hill]

Put that "SUCKER" on a capsuled hydro and RACE!!!!

Ernie Dawe has a 45 Kilo Boat on order, from me, and at 14 feet long, with a capsule, I'd bet she'd work with a KOONIG...(Konig).....KOONIG is the way they say it in Canada, EH???

[Master Oil Racing Team]

But Ron.....you know what I think about almost every day? You know the butterflies while you're sitting on the side of the cockpit, looking toward the judges stand waiting and watching for the three minute ball to drop. Then setlling in on your knees, grasping the steering wheel, advancing the throttle a little and looking back at the pit crew as they lift the transom. Squirt two doses of gas into the carbuerator and the strongest arm grits his teeth and with a half a wrap of the rope snaps that 700cc brute into action. Back off the throttle as the pit crew eases the prop into the water and shoves the hydro away then goose it. Not too much, but to get on a plane quickly. Look over the left shoulder to check the traffic, then head toward the milling area. Just before I would turn left to head toward the milling area I would punch my "D" Koning and get the feel of the instant power. Get speed up and the wind in my face cleared all the butterflies away and I was ready for racing. How can you do all that to clear the butterflies in an enclosed cockpit?

[Ron Hill]

For whatever reason, and you may consider it BULL, but I only had "Butterflys" once at DePue....They were playing "Oh say can you see...and A Racing Runabout was first uip...I had set top QUAILFYING TIME and had been leading ARR the year before when a rod broke and spilled me....

I had the new LONG RODS, so that wasn't a worry...I was driving Max McPeeks AU....30 inch bottom, 9-M was the number.....and there was this young Sweetie I'd met in Michigan, about two weeks earlier, and she was there...She'd never seen a boat race and I was so "UP TIGHT" I didn't think they ever stop singing "Oh say..."...

As it turned out, Jerry Simison (spelled wrong) won and I got second.....

I usually started the engines myself.....and once the engine lit, I knew what my plan was....

Now, the Parker 9 Hour was another story....I don't think I ever slept the night before Parker, I'd toss and turn, get up and walk..go back to bed and toss and turn.......there were always so many things to worry about, besides the driving.... when they'd count down to zero, usually, I'd have to wipe a tear or two from my eyes.....as I loved racing and hoped things would go well, I also knew I would be able to do this forever.......then, I'd hit the switch....

My Konigs were always fun, I was never an abuser....I'd start the engine on as little of throttle that I figured she'd run on, and just "Tickle" the throttle to make sure she was clean....Then, I'd nod to the guys to let me down, and I'd come on the throttle...easy, like I'd seen Jerry Waldman do a hundred times....I always did my racing between when the clock hit 60 and the checkered flag....

Harry Bartolomei's Cross Flow Quincy 75-H on a 15:16 Konig foot, two in the boat, 13'6" DeSilva....Man you didn't have time for BUTTER FLYS....

The young lady that didn't see me win ARR, did see me win DRR, Chicago to Milwaukee to Chicago Marathon and the 1967 Outboard World Championships at Lake Havasu.......

I had a physical the other day, the nurse said, "WOW what a heart beat...perfect.".....I would be willing to bet, my heart rate changed little while driving.....

My good friend, Chuck Newton, who has passed on, often wondered "OUT LOUD" how I, who could only stay on one subject for two or three minutes, could get in a race boat and drive like a "CRAZY MAN" for 5 or 6 hours......

I guess, I loved be totally focused on the race......I can honestly say, I NEVER raced in a race, that I couldn't have told you who was a head of me and who was behind....Marathon or short course, I'd get focused and I just knew where everyone was and what was going on....

Few could drive a tunnel boat at Parker, all day and stay off their head....In Freddy Hauenstein's prime and my prime, when we drove together, we'd lap, 13 miles and 8 minutes 32 second full fuel load or empty.....That's just all we could squeeze out of her....people set their watches on our lap times...that Super Stangler, sounding like it was "RIPPING PAPER"... would run all day...Freddy and I ram 27 straight hours at Parker in my 16 foot Scotti...before they went to 7 hours....

Butterflies???? Yes, I guess I had them 24-7.....

ADD: My Konigs were set up with twin fuel pumps and regulators....I'd turn on both pumps with one switch, my dad had them so, if one quit the other worked. Then, I'd "Tickle" each float to make sure they were free and to just "tickle" a few drops into the carbs....I never squirted my Konigs.... Now Harry Bartolomei's were another story...Hell, he ran so much NITRO, the whole boat was on fire, in C Racing Runabout, and Harry was still cranking, saying when it starts the fire will go out...I tried to jump out and Frankie Signarello pulled my pants down to my knees, by the time I had my pants back up, Harry had the Mother running and the fire did go out, burned all the hair off my arm, though...(Four carb Konig)...Damn thing went two laps and broke a retainer....I won the "D" with a four carb that year...

[Master Oil Racing Team]

....I'm talking about. I had those same kind at DePue also, but a few years later. Your butterfly seemed to have followed you some distance.

[Jeff Lytle]

Morning Boys........

I can relate to your butterflies Wayne. I love your description you posted above--It's kinda' like really being there.
I used to get really nervous too before the 1st race of the day, but found after I had a heat under my belt, everything just kind of fell into place.
I was known for having to have a pre race pee. It didn't matter how I timed it, it always crept up to bite me........Usually when I had the life jacket on and my helmet in my hand and was ready to go. I could deal with the dry mouth pasties OK, but I could usually be seen wandering out into deeper water to "inspect" something on the front of my boat for a minute or two before climbing in to get the job done. Guess it way my bodys way of preparing itself for the upcoming rush.

BTW Ron, I pronounce it Konig just like everyone else does. Maybe Armand and the French Canadian boys did it another way, I can't recall.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I forgot about those deep water inspections Jeff Yeah, once the action begins, no more butterflies. Thinking back, it was the worst at the nationals in a qualifying heat with lots of boats. Once I knew I made it to the finals, I still had butterflies before the first race of the day, but it was not as bad as in qualifying. Another time is UIM racing with 20-21 boats in a heat. Well, my pictures are downloading now, so soon I'll tell the story.

[David_L6]

Yeah, once the action begins, no more butterflies. Thinking back, it was the worst at the nationals in a qualifying heat with lots of boats. Once I knew I made it to the finals, I still had butterflies before the first race of the day, but it was not as bad as in qualifying.

The only time I remember ever having butterflies in a qualifying heat was the very first Nationals I entered. I probably should be more concerned about making the finals than I am because I have made some late starts (don't won't to jump in qualifying) and then had to really work to get up to 5th (guaranteed to be in the finals) place. I don't want to finish 6th and then hope that I'm the fastest 6th place finisher. Winning a qualifying heat has never meant much to me. I guess because I've seen some guys jump the gun that had the fastest boat in their class. Never understood why they pushed the clock so hard when they were plenty fast enough to make the top 5 even if they started in last place.

Now once we're going out for the finals the butterflies start flying!

Another time is UIM racing with 20-21 boats in a heat.

If it was me going out with a crowd like that it would be called SCARED! - not butterflies. I remember Tim Butts describing some of the UIM races to me. It was impossible for me to even imagine before the internet came along and I was able to see some pictures and videos of those races.