In memory of racers no longer with us:

[Ron Hill]

I was told, a few minutes ago, that Ted Bravo passed away a month or so ago...

A moment of silence for me...

Then, I'll write a several lines about Mr. Ted.... AKA Teddy!!!

[Ron Hill]

Ted Bravo came to Parker and drove my Red Sleek Craft....not sure what year...after that we were friends forever///He offerd me an HST, he had for free...Ted March went and looked at it..I was considering driving to NY to get it...

Rest in Peace, Ted...

[J. Sherlock]

In memory of Art Kennedy:

[tthibodaux]

One of my favorate racers of all time. Great guy and one hell of a racer. When I was a kid we use to stay with him and his family at their house in St. Louis on race weekend. I remember how happy my dad was when Art won the 1986 F1 race in Pittsburg.

[J. Sherlock]

One hell of a driver and boat builder:

[J. Sherlock]

FAST, FAST, FAST and faster:

[J. Sherlock]

One of the best:

[wsmerriman]

"Butch" Butch Kennedy.JPGwas a great guy!
Do think he and his father qualifies to be in the APBA "Honor Squadron".

Thank You in advance for your comment,
Bill Merriman

[Ron Hill]

Robert John "Pete" McConnell, Jr., Jimbo's brother, passed away early this morning after a long illness. He was a PROUD Mustang and a member of the Class of 1958 and my favorite Brother-In-Law. Services are pending. Quote from Cathy McConnell. 8/02/16

[Ron Hill]

I wrote an article for the APBA Propeller Magazine about Dave. After it is published I'll post it here.

I will say, Dave and I were friends since about 1960. He always said he raced me for 18 years and never beat me. I sold him three C motors in 1978. He went on to win the nationals, set some records and maybe be high point with those motors.

Since he retired from the dry wall business , about 12 years ago, he and I have "HAD ADVENTURES" about once a month.

& weeks ago we went to look at a boat he figured we could use at Needles.

His cancer spread fast, he passed on October 27, 2016. He was 83 years old.

Oh, that is Dave in the middle, 94-C, me in 1-U.S. and Carl Meyers in the blue Morehouse. San Diego Flood Control Channel, 1964.

Subject: Dave Bryan




My long time friend Dave Bryan passed, he had stage 4 lung cancer



I'm not sure when I first met Dave Bryan. He lived in Realto and hung dry wall. He seems to "Hang" with that San Bernardino group.

In the fall of 1970 I bought a guy out of racing, nice trailer, two Hill Boats, a new Dawe C Hydro and a couple of C Mark 30-H's.

Jimbo McConnell and I put on a racing at Rainbo Beach, Needles, California February `4-15 or there abouts, in 1971. I was teaching at the time and it was a three day weekend, President's day or something. Colder than hell, but we partied pretty well and got up to Vegas Friday night.

Saturday morning I set the two Hill Boats up for C Runabout and offered several people a free ride. Johnny Craven, who had actually won the Colorado River Marathon in 1953, in D Runabout. just happened to be at the river, he said "He'd drive my boat."

We always seemed to have accidents at Needles and this race was no different. Danny Loper turned his A Runabout over and cut his arm pretty good. In C Runabout Dave Bryan spun out but head up river, and sheared a pin. Craven came around the corner, there actually 12 C Runabouts, not that far behind Dave but caught his roller from where he'd spun out and he "T Boned" Dave. Dave was sitter with his back to the bow, when Johnny hit him, he him him in the chest and knocked out of the boat.

I watched the whole thing and didn't look bad at all. My boat wasn't damaged and either was Dave's. The haul Dave to the ambulance and took to the hospital.

At the hospital, Doctor Hartenstein had just got there to sew up Danny Loper's arm. Dr. Hartenstein looked at Dave and said we have to operate on you right now. Dave said, "Let's wait 15 minutes." Doc Hartenstein said, "You'll be dead in 15 minutes."

As it turn out, Dave spleen was ruptured and had Doc Hartenstein not come right off the gold course to fix Danny, Dave would have been.

The next week, I donated blood to Dave because I didn't think he had much much being a dry waller.

Even thought, everyone in the club knew that Dave needed blood, I was the only member to donate blood to him.

We started to be friends after that. Dave always said, "His accident caused him to quit being a dry waller and be a contractor." Over the next several years Dave build many homes and several very nice boats.

When his Grandson was born, he build four rocking horses, one his Grandson, Jason, one for my daughter, Jessica, one for Steven Dawe and one for Dick Davidson's daughter. They were beautifully painted, pieces of wooden art.

In 1977, when we put on the Stock Nationals at Bakersfield my dad and Dave built the judges stand, because APBA required a 1,500 foot run to the first turn and our regular stand was only 1,000 feet.

In 1978, I decide to quit Stock Outboard Racing. I was racing MOD VP, I had a great job taching school, two small children and a propeller business.



In February, 1979, we raced at Puddingstone on Saturday only, with Jim Wilkes and COBRA. That night we had the club awards banquet at the In at the Park next to Disneyland. My wife put the function on, O came home with my three Stock outboards, my niece and nephew's boat and my MOD VP. It was dark and cold when I got home. I showered and left for the party.

When I got there I walked up to the bar between Jimmy Dawe and Dave Bryan. I said, "Jimmy, you want to buy a couple of D motors??? $2,200 for two D Motors, two boat, two props and a trailer. He said, "Sure." Dave turned to me and said, "I've raced against you for 18 years and never beat you. Do you want to sell you C's?" I said all three 30-H's for a GRAND. Dave reached in his pocket and gave me a grand, and said, "I'll come buy and get them in the morning."

So, in 5 minutes I was out of Stock Outboard Racing paid for my MOD VP boat at the same time.

That summer Dave bought my trailer from Jimmy Dawe and went back to Wisconsin and raced all summer. He may have ended up high points, at every race he told everyone Ron Hill sponsored him and he had the trailer to prove with about 50 of my props hanging in the trailer. He and his wife Judy may have done that for two summers.

Dave ended up winning the C Runabout Nationals in Oroville, 1982 and breaking some records. He decide to retire after the 1982 season.

After that Dave moved to Las Vegas and started doing dry wall with his Grandson. 14 years ago, I called Dave and invited him to Thanksgiving dinner at my daughter's river house in Needles (Vegas is 90 miles away) He and his wife stayed in their motorhome.

Dave told me if I get to Vegas give him a call. The next spring, I decide to go see Bill Boyes, Sr. in St George, Utah about putting on a boat race. I met Dave at the Vegas Bass Pro Shop. I told him my daughter and her husband had just bout a lot across from Needles for $150,000 and they planned to build a house on it for $150,000, then sell it for $500,000.

Dave said, "Wow! I did $22 million in dry wall last year, but when a school teacher and a car salesman think they can make $200,000 on one house, it is time to close my business."

Dave and his wife closed the business and bought a motorhome and traveled the country for about a year.

They build a summer home in Washington and winter home in Carlsbad, California. Dave just got in the habit of coming up and visiting me, we started having "Adventures". He sold his house in Washington, and I bought his motorhome.



Dave went to the Parker Enduro with us, and he admitted, he could see why I had so much fun with that race. We went to Whitney Point, NY to the Stock Nationals.

He bought a Mark 30-H from Fred Hauenstein and restored it like new, then gave it to me to put in our corporate offices.

Our "Adventures" weren't anything really crazy. We took a boat to Minden for Greg Jacobsen, that Fred Bowden sold him. We went to Las Vegas and picked up a lawn mower I sold to a guy in Australia. We went to Billy B's Boat Show in Needles, with John Schubert from Illinois. We'd meet in San Diego and eat fish at the wharf.

Dave and I headed up to Mickey and Vickey's Apple Valley Marine, taking our 25 foot Maximum boat and I ran out of gas, we coasted into a gas station, I realized I didn't have my wallet. Dave filled my tank.

About ten years ago, Dave and I ran into Gary and Jason Williams at a boat race. They were considering getting back into boat racing. Dave said to Gary, "Gary, I quit boat racing after I set the records and won the Nationals." 20 years later, I came to the races to see Ronnie, I looked out at the lake and cried. I wondered why I ever quit, all my friends were here." Jason started racing right after that, I talked to Gary today. They have been back in boat racing for ten years with no plans to quit.

Five years ago, this November we had a chance to buy our building. We were $75,000 short on the down payment. Dave loaned us the money, and was actually mad we repaid him so fast.

In 1965, when Ernie Dawe bought the house he still lives in, Dave came over and added a two car garage to Ernie's garage and dry walled it.

Ernie and I visited with Dave on Saturday, 10/22/16. He is under hospice care, but he very much enjoy our visit.

Dave and his wife Judy had been married for 64 years.