Jerry Waldman

[Ron Hill]

Jerry was the type, who could win five National Champions, in the same year and everyone would still LOVE him..

Here is a picture of him with Dr. Phil Wagner, Jerry's personal physican who traveled with Jerry...

Jerry's death, at Hot Springs, Arkansas, was much like the day the music died. When you look back on the turning point of kneeldown outboard racing, Jerry's death was a turning point.

Jerry's death changed the sport forever...The Day the Music Died.

Bye, Bye American Pie....Jerry was the one we all wanted to be like!!!

Wayne Baldwin photo.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

This is one of the last photos of Jerry in what I think is A hydro. He did not enter B Hydro as he felt his rig was not as quick as some other members on the North Team. So this is what I am sure is a pic of him testing his A a day or two before the race at Hot Springs.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here are a couple of photos of Jerry's last pits. The first was the leader of the film & was cut short and whacked out by light exposure, but I thought I'd include it.

The second was an early shot of the pits before many drivers had arrived. To the far left is Dave Nelson and pit crew. Dave was entered in B Runabout representing the North. He finished fourth. Our trailer is in the middle and Jerry's trailer to the right of the boat launch. We were the first ones. Team Captains Marshall Grant and Lee Sutter arrived a little later. You will note the hill with pine trees in the background. That served as a shaded bowl type spectator area. It overlooked the race course from what you might call the "end zone" of the first turn. At the top of the hill was the Bar/Restaurant Clubhouse and Offices of DIAMONHEAD which was a real estate venture. It was also a great place to watch from. The pits had a nice firm slope. It was a very protected section of Lake Catherine and the water was smooth except for the section along the front straight where a long narrow island was. The judges stand was on this island. The problem there was the vertical embankment rolled the small waves back onto the course. Anyone who ever raced close to a seawall knows the effect. It wasn't too bad, but it would make the boats handle a little squirrely through that section.

Jerry was one of the first to put his boats out to test. He had a lot of other things to do as Team Captain for the North. One of which was an interview at a TV station in Hot Springs as well as take a TV Cameraman for a ride in one of his hydros.

[Ron Hill]

Is Marshall Grant related to General Grant? Also, does anyone know what per centage of Holiday Inn that Marshall owns..I've heard stories...But would actualy like the truth..and not a Ted May story!!!

Re-read my own posting about Jerry Waldman, this morning....I only edited some of my spelling error, but man JERRY WAS BIGGER THAN LIFE....When I got third in A and B Hydro at DePue....(Waldman and Herring had beat me)...but I thought, I did pretty well against the rest of those GUYS!!!!

Standing on the podium with Waldman and Herring, in those days was BIG!!! (REALLY BIG TIME)...Jerry's death was like American Pie....

Thanks for the pictures, Wayne...

[Original Looper 1]

Wayne,

When I look at the picture that you took of Waldman driving the A hydro at Hot Springs, it brings back so many great memories of watching Jerry race through the years. One time after running the A hydro at DePue (and winning the championship), Jerry told me the only problem he had was staying awake. He said after driving the F, the A was like a Sunday drive with mom.

What's so amazing is that I am now the proud owner of that Waldman A Looper in your picture. I have it in my private collection, along with the 2 original dyno cards for that motor. When I bought it, I told Artie Neadeck that we should get his Ring of Fire (it's a beautiful boat) and my Waldman Looper together for a photo shoot sometime.

Wayne, I think some of the good memories that this web site brings back are more enjoyable than some of the actual racing that we did. At that time, we were too busy living the moment to appreciate the significance that we now realize was accomplished back then.

thanks,

Paul A Christner

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I can't say anything about Marshall Grant and Holiday Inn because I don't know. Joe has more of an inside than me. But what I do know is that his pit man Jerry Pennington (also a brother in law- married to Etta's sister) contracted out to Holiday Inn to build them in different places around the world. Jerry handled contracts worth millions of dollars and would walk in muddy slush in the pits to help someone pick the transom up high enough to crank the motor.

When I was in Nigeria in 1975 Jerry gave me a call just before I left. He was frustrated at not being able to do his job. He was there for months waiting on supplies to build a Holiday Inn in Kaduna Nigeria for a big celebration they had planned.

My Dad and Marshall were talking about racing and somehow the conversation got to Jerry and I being in Nigeria at the same time. The next thing I know is I get a call from Jerry. It doesn't happen like over here. You get a call then sometime in the next day or so an operater says the other guy is on the line. We spent a wonderful day together wandering around Kano. Jerry and his family came up and I took a few pics. They are on the BRF thread "WHAT'S A BOAT RACER DOING IN THE DESERT".

And you know what Ron?....I was entranced at the time of being able to be a part of what we were doing, but those guys were so focused and into boat racing that we were just doing the things you and I and others are doing now to help the sport. Jerry Waldman, Marshall, Tim, my Dad sat down and talked about so much. I recorded only a small part. I was just sitting there listening and talking a little. It was just sitting down with friends and discussing things and having a good time so I didn't think about how profound these guys were.

So I'm just a stupid 23 year old kid that likes to race that starts to record some events and suddenly.... the worst that you could ever think happens. And now looking back over the events I am in awe of all the people that were part of it. What it tells is that when you are living it...the so called famous people are just like you and me and are not pretentious. You just work with them side by side....race with them side by side...and when racing is over.....you have fellowship with them side by side.

Just like now, I am remembering when I was a junior in high school reading about you Ron.... and Gerry Walin...and Jerry Waldman....and to think I actually was in competition with you guys.

That's one reason why Jerry's death had such a profound impact on my Dad and myself. He was MR BOAT RACING!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I know what you mean Paul. I wished I had taken more notes because I can't recall all the stuff we did. It happens all the time when I am talking to Joe that he remembers some things that I had forgotten about then it slowly sinks in and I remember. All the guys racing now should take heed and write things down and take pictures because some day they will be glad they did.

We can take pictures of you looper and Arts Ring of Fire soon.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

When I took the following pictures Jerry was still on the way to the hospital. It would be a little later before the bad news was announced. Due to the bad lighting and the news of Jerry's death, I never printed or looked very closely at these three frames. But BRF is the ultimate site for outboard history so I decided to include them here. As I zoomed in I was amazed at what I found. There is a veritable who's who of PRO racing in these three frames.

[fbref5269]

wayne,

what was the cause of jerry's accident. we had heard that it was a problem with the steering cable anchor coming through the side of the cockpit, but looking at the pictures the cables look normal. i still remember when we all heard the news back in region 4.

frank

[Master Oil Racing Team]

These pics came out too dark for Joe to see. It was backlighting and I couldn't lighten them up much more without them being very washed out. So here goes.

2nd pic starting from left.

Buddy McBride, Jerry Simison, Ed Eastham (717T) possibly Elmer Nord, Paul Bogosian, blue shirt ?, Marshall Grant-white shirt, white T shirt?, Gene East-black T shirt, two of Artie Lund's pit crew. Don't know who's behind the motor, but looks familiar. Other side of the boat in hat-Richard Westbrook. Above Richard is Kay Harrison. To the right of the seawall in coveralls is Tom Goslee. Next to him smoking the pipe is a familiar face, but forgot the name.

3rd pic

Randy Grant is at the bow. Far side of boat in the middle is Steve Jones, Ray Hardy. In the white shirt behind Randy on the boat ramp is Ralph Donald. The tall slender guy behind Ralph is Clayton Elmer. Believe it was his final alky race. Way back behind Clayton wearing his colors of light blue pants with white shirt is Scott Smith. On top of Ralph Donald's trailer is Bill DeSilva. I believe it is Dick Hoppenwrath in the white AC Sparkplug shirt on the seawall.

There were a couple I recognize, but can't recall their names. One I think was on Jerry Peterson's pit crew.