In 1960, I had just turned 17 and was coming off my rookie year of D Utility runabout when Harry Bartolomei suggested to outfit my 55H with a set of Quincy exhaust pipes. “We are starting a new class called D Racing Runabout, you can grow with the class while modifying the engine including burning alcohol. It should be a lot of fun!” persuaded Harry.
For some time, the Northern California Outboard Association had been hosting most of the alky outboard races in (then) Region 11. The club’s forte was to always have a sponsor, run a tight schedule, maintain a good show, and award prize money/nice trophies for the participants. Region points and achievements were a big thing back then.
The popularity of annual regattas located in small cities such as Marysville and Lodi proved to be a breeding ground for future drivers. As drivers, usually you left home early Saturday morning, drove an average of 100 miles, setup your outfit, and used the afternoon for testing. Tailgating was not popular back then, so most left for downtown to invade the local restaurants and motels on Saturday night. Those on a tight budget slept on the beach. Sunday was dedicated to racing the scheduled Outboard classes. You may have heard about racing in Reno, Nevada. Actually, it was a tiny 1/8-mile triangular course in Sparks. The local casinos put up prize money in the form of REAL silver dollars. I remember holding a few bags of silver only to regret allowing them to go through the local slot machines. The racecourse was terrible, but the spectators gathered in the bleachers loved it. We had a young lady driver named Janet. She was known to plant her sponson on your deck occasionally! The rush to the first turn was “Wild and Wooly”! You had to tune for 5000 ft and have acceleration like a“jackrabbit”. Some brought out their Nitro Cans — “boom boom” as my deck rider called it. We called him “Marble” but that’s another story.
If you wanted to stretch out on a larger course, many drove 300 miles to run on a nicely laid out mile oval at Lake Ming, Bakersfield, California; otherwise one could consider the 700 mile drive to Yelm, Washington in September for a lesson in establishing a 1 to 2/3-mile record on Lake Lawrence. On my first trip to Lawrence, I remember seeing a Mark 75H on 14 ft Cabover balanced over two saw horses. They told me that was Hugh Entrop in the cockpit, giving orders on how many weights to place over the bow handle. A “Prop Rider” it was! Entrop came down the start on the outside late but entered the first turn in front of the pack. What a sight, the six-cylinder wailing with the tail 4 inches off the water!
I will never forget my first national win at Casper, Wyoming in 1964. Fred Hauenstein and I battled it out in the D Racing Runabout class. Fred still claims I jumped. A couple years later was my first trip to Depue, Illinois. The Quincy Welding Works trailer was amazing with boats stacked three-high and three-long with a large walk-in engine box. Jerry Simison’s trailer was packed with RED runabouts, one for each class. It rained so hard just five miles to arriving that we had to nearly stop as the rain was overcoming the windshield wipers on the Ford Wagon. Headquarters was the Holiday Inn at Peru, and Charlie Strang was “master of ceremonies” for the awards banquet. So many stories and memories we all have!
Concluding, I would like to report that the Northern California Outboard Association has been a continuous officiating club of the APBA since 1927. Let’s keep our sport strong! Remember to maintain your membership in these unusual times!
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