Buddy Byers, Jr.

[Ron Hill]

Let me be the first to admit, I don't feel Boat Racing has gotten its true "DO" as other sports have... Week before last, I attended the APBA NATIONAL CONVENTION at the LAX Marriott...

I have to shamelessly admit, I was the only one in the BAR selling propellers...Hell, I sold $600 worth, covered my bar bill..


I went to a few meetings, took some pictures...didn't mean to YAWN....and left...

I wanted to go to the DRAG meeting...as in DRAG RACING...and I also wanted to go to the Historical Society Meeting...As luck would have it, both meeting were the same time...

So, As I grabbed FREE LUNCH at the Historical Society Meeting I went to the Drap meeting and the three of us there, handled our meeting rather quickly!!!

As I went back to the Historical Society meeting, I decidied I like their meeting... They give away 80% of their profit for the year. This year, they had around $17,000 to give away...Didn't really hear where thye gave the BREAD, but they did buy 5 or 6 Sorensen A HYDRO KITS to build boats for kids...Great IDEA, in my opinion...


Then Buddy Byers, who Chairs the Historical Society, mentioned that Edgar Rose had donated something...sounded like money but missed it... And the Gary Garbrecht family had donated Gary's helmet collection...

Truth is, the APBA Historical Soeciety has one goal, to HELP BOAT RACING..They will take any donation...cash is is best, but other stuff will be taken.

It was told that Buddy Byers pays APBA $200 a month for the APBA Historical Society Museum, out of his personal account. It ain't millions, but Buddy has also given the Historical Society some large sums...

I've know Buddy since about 1976, but I felt very humble as he ran this Historical Society's meeting. Buddy raced outboards, and becasue his family owned a Chrysler Auto Dealership, was offered help from DeSoto to race inboards...

Buddy was hurt driving Miss Chrysler in 1966 at the Orange Bowl Regatta...

I took several pictures of Buddy and his wife, Diane...at the 2007 convention, but seem to have lost them...

In clsoing here, I'd thank Buddy Byers, Jr, for all his work for boat racing...Thanks, Buddy!!!

Buddy told me, had he not been hurt, he'd have driven Bill Harrah's Tahoe Miss in 1967, at a salary of $100,000 a year....Buddy recently sold his half dollar collection for 3.8 million dollars...He said he use to just pick up half dollars where ever they went racing...