Where have all the race sites gone

[fbref5269]

hi all,

i just got back into racing after 32 years away from itcmh). i was sitting in my chair reading the lastest issue of the propeller and saw no pro, mod or stock races in region 4 for the remainder of the season. heck the season was void of many races. i was thinking where have the old race sites gone. i remember races almost every weekend in the 70's when i last raced.

so i thought it might be fun to have some of the racers to list the old race sites and what you remember about the sites. might be fun and maybe just maybe might spark some interest in getting some of them back.

here's my list:

denton: mother's day, rain, rain, rain and fried chicken

essex, md cox point: green water and the eternal flame of essex(methane flame at the sewer treatment plant

portsmouth, va: worst hangover i ever had, went to one of the pickney's weddiing, drank 2 bottles of champain, passed out on dave augustines front yard, blew chunks in daves bathroom while someone was in the tub. can't remember his name but the guy in the tub raced and had one leg. the next day we all went to plymouth. haven't drank champain since.

plymouth, nc: early morning paper mill blowing of the stacks. ahh the aroma.

camden, nc: pig roast, water moccacins and more water moccacins being shot from the judges stand.

hinton, wv: the sounds of the looper echoing thru the lake. loch haven reminds me of hinton. the early morning fog.

tappahanak, va: 4th of july. pit right on the beach.

at all the sites we raced i remember pop augustine always there to help no matter who you were or what you needed. i am glad to see the tradition continues with his son dave and all the augustine clan. every one of them.

well that's my list. wonder if anyone else has other site that no longer have races. maybe just maybe it may spark interest in getting some of them back. it will take some work but it sure beats sitting home over the weekend waiting 4 weeks until the next race. rather be smoking a cigar around a campfire or by the augustines rock star mobile home.

frank novotny
52-e
c-mod
the guy who sank at the june loch haven race
going back and staying afloat this time

[HRTV]

Frank I remember all the sites you have listed like it was yesterday, sadly its an era that's long gone.

[Danny Pigott]

old race sites

Hope Mills Nc Fred get off your butt an get this going, somebody will get you a boat to drive even if it's the pick up boat lol. Lake Waccmaw NC. I know the Mayor there he was a former opc driver. North Wicksburro (sp) Home of Junior Johnson

[sam]

St Michels MD, Chestertown MD, Northeast MD (I think Northeast was the site of the collision between an Augustine hydro & pickup truck)

[fbref5269]

it's sad isn't it

dan,

it's worth a shot. maybe there might be a spark.

i failed to mention several sites my day raced in the 50's. the magothy river association put on races n the 50's and 60's on the magothy river. my dad would pack up the family and we would go to the races in our century inboard. we would get to the site, have our picnic lunch, and watch dad race and the other races. they had an inboard class and it was just plain fun. i remember seeing the 30h, the 55h, the 40h there too. i beleive it was called outlaw races, no sanction from apba. they raced behind gibson island and by the riverdale town hall in aa county. when the day was over we packed up and rode home. i still have dads trophies and use them in my display at st michaels each year.

frank

[HRTV]

Hey Frank,

Remember Piney Point, MD :-)

[fbref5269]

this should be good

sam,

how did pop hit a pickup? maybe dave can tell us at loch haven around the campfire.

let's not lose sharptown in 2011. what needs to be done now for next year for the site.

frank

[fbref5269]

piney point

dan,

never made it there.

what are some of your memories of the old sites?

frank

[HRTV]

Hey Frank

We never ran stocks at Piney Point it was always OPC

http://picasaweb.google.com/HydroRac...eat=directlink

[fred tyson]

Danny, sorry to report -no lake as you knew it any longer in Hope Mills---massive rainstorm several years ago , knocked out the lakes dam, they replaced it with a massive waste of government money--took 3 years to build, guess what? end of June it washed out under the dam, sorry cannot help you out here, just remember a quote from years ago when the Pro Circuit was starting, " we will have better races with this program" well looks to me like there are only a few races of any kind left .The sad thing here is NOONE loved loved boatracing more than I did---Yes I remember the good ole days, Melvyn Cooper and I were discussing just that this past week, I can remember at a "back yard race" in Baxley Georgia there was over 16 350 hydros and about the same for 250 thru F Hydro, EL Hatton was there with all his Quincy rigs and that ungodly F racing Runabout,that was racing.......

[fbref5269]

getting there was half the fun

went to hope mills once. very nice site. any chance of druming up interest again?

getting to the sites was half the fun. i95 was not completed, richmond had those 25 cent tolls. we jumped from 301 and 95 heading south.

great memories

[Kev43V]

Here is some food for thought:
With todays economy many towns and small cities are trying to come up with new ways to get people to come to their towns. There really is no reason what so ever that it can not be US. We just have to take the time to call them. There are hundreds and hundreds of towns with a lake or river. If even 1 % of them would have us thats still a whole bunch of race sites.
right now as you sit here and read this there are several thousand people sitting around trying to figure out how to get a few hundred people to come to their town and spend some bucks...

[HRTV]

Kev,

I think this thread is more of a walk down memory lane for us region 4 old timers :-) Its just kind of fun to reminisce about the old sites etc. Its like looking at an old scrap book.

[fbref5269]

kev you're on the right track

kev and dan,

the thread is a look at a scrapbook, but if it can generate an idea for next year that's even better! if you can dream it you can do it. that's the spark i was hoping to get. we need sites and we need our children/grandchildren to get involved. nj has blocked the j class so why can't pa and md pick up the slack. loch haven has added another weekend to the schedule and that is great. it takes getting involved.

ok folks let's get to the scarp book and come up with some stories of the good old days and an idea or 2 to rebuild our sport.

frank

[sam]

sam,

how did pop hit a pickup? maybe dave can tell us at loch haven around the campfire.

let's not lose sharptown in 2011. what needs to be done now for next year for the site.

frank

I don't think it was Pop's boat that hit the pickup, but you can ask Dave at Lock Haven.

To race at Sharptown, the club needs to commit to the date at the fall/winter meeting. I will volunteer to be the race director if we can make the commitment at that time.