In memory of racers no longer with us:

[J. Sherlock]

Dave Packer..#48

[J. Sherlock]

Driver: Warren Spinnenweber and Rider: John Sherlock Sr.

I was in the USMC and they borrowed my Switzer Shooting Star to run in the Albany to NYC Marathon. It was a tuff ride,,, a Switzer Star was not a good boat for this event. They finished and this was something to be proud of for that marathon.

[J. Sherlock]

Marty O'Neill
#250

[J. Sherlock]

In loving memory

Brandt Hilsen
1973 - 2004

Fatally injured racing CSH in Williamsport, Pa

[J. Sherlock]

Loss of a Legend
Friday, June 2, 2006
Legendary hydroplane builder Henry Lauterbach passed away last evening at a Virginia hospital.

[J. Sherlock]

FARMER Wilton T. "Will" Farmer Sr., 90, of Richmond, passed away Monday, December 11, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Elva Mae Farmer; his son, Wilton T. "Will" Farmer Jr. and his wife, Donna; two grandsons, W. Ryan Farmer and his wife, Michelle and Mark T. Farmer; one great-grandson, Michael; a niece, Shirley F. Hunt and her husband, Jerry; two nephews, Frank L. Farmer III and his wife, Kathy, and William F. Drumeller III; and his beloved dog, Cha-Cha. Mr. Farmer was a drummer and was a member of the Richmond Musicians Union. He played with many bands over a 70 year period including Barry McKinley and Skeets Morris. Mr. Farmer built race boats over a 30 year period. In 2000, he received the American Power Boat Association's highest honor, being elected to the Honor Squadron. He helped establish Farmer Machine Company in 1978 and served as vice president until the time of his death. The family will receive friends 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Central Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 3215 Cutshaw Ave. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, December 14, in Signal Hill Memorial Park.

[Steve Litzell]

I Just learn today That The father of Konny Motors has past after a long illness. The son Pavel Jr will carry on the business making outboards for racing and also parts for antique Konig Bikes. Steve

[Ron Hill]

My brother, Russ Hill, Jr. has quietly left us today. Russ has battled prostrate cancer for 25 years. He was USC Norris Cancer Center longest cancer survivor. Here is a picture of my brother, before he went in the Army, 1953. His Neal Hydro powered by a "SIX STUD" Evinrude Racing "C". The boat's name "The Bellflower Flash". Russ was always so proud of this outfit.

Just letting everyone know, Funeral services for my grandpa, Russ Hill will be held on Sunday, January 5, at 2 pm at the Huntington Harbor Yacht Club. It's open for anyone to attend.

[Ron Hill]

Sad news..TAF Driver Don Ermshar seriously injured

Boat racer injured at Cowtown Drag Boat Nationals
By JOHN HENRY

Special to the Star-Telegram
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Injuries in drag boat racing are often times much more dramatic than, say, a wrecked knee in football.

They can actually be frightening.

A big day at the races during the Cowtown Drag Boat Nationals at Marine Creek Lake turned scary when Don Ermshar lost control of his boat at the finish line of the Top Alcohol Flat finals.

When Ermshar’s craft skidded out of control across the water and broke into pieces just past the finish line, he became submerged in his boat capsule in about 30 feet of water.

Rescue crews rushed to aid Ermshar, who was submerged in the water for about five minutes. Nervous fans and crew members watched anxiously as emergency personnel brought him to safety. The 66-year-old Riverside, Calif., resident didn’t walk away from the accident. Race officials and a medic at the scene said he likely sustained broken arms and legs.

He went by ambulance to Harris Methodist Fort Worth, but his injuries seem minor compared to the dramatic accident.

But when you’re traveling more than 160 mph on a quarter-mile track things can go haywire.

"He was going 161 miles per hour," said a race official. "He crossed the finish line, and looked to just lose it."

Drag boat racing is essentially the NHRA on water. Safety has obviously been a big issue, and organizations such as the Southern Drag Boat Association, the governing body of this weekend’s races, have taken steps to help ensure the well-being of the racers.

Capsules, with a roll bar built in and a self-contained breathing system, now enclose drivers. The breathing system enables drivers who are submerged to breathe up to 20 minutes, said Tanya Ehrlich, the treasurer of the SBDA.

The capsule is constructed of steel tubing with a fiberglass and Kevlar outer shell, and it’s designed to break apart from the boat hull and engine in the event of an accident, just as Ermshar’s did Sunday.

"That’s been the greatest discovery for this sport," said an SBDA official. "It has saved lives."

Drivers are also required to wear helmets and goggles or some sort of device to protect their eyes. Many also wear suits made of fire retardant.

Ultimately, like anything else, you can’t live in fear. The show must go on, and it did Sunday.

Don Bausher of Las Vegas drove Habit Forming to victory over Ermshar, the points leader in the Top Alcohol Flat division.

In the top division, Top Fuel Hydro, Daryl Ehrlich of Round Rock and his Problem Child bested points leader John White of Leander.

The series heads to Chouteau, Okla., Aug. 1-2 and back to Texas in Lubbock on Sept. 5-6.

[Beale Tilton]

John,
Was the Albany to NYC race your Dad ran in '65 by chance. I was there three times and that was the worse. When we rounded West Point I wondered if we had missed Ft. Lee and headed into the Atlantic. We finished second in FE running a flat bottom 13' Allision. If I had been smarter we could have won. Earlier in the race we passed the class winners Mike Quale and the late Herman Haggerman.
That's the only race I ever ran that I received a certificate from the state for completion.
What year did a certain college boy from Califorina brag the night before how fast he was going to run the river in a flat bottom DeSilva?