KG4 marathon runabout speeds?

[KG4]

Question for any marathon racer that used to race the KG4 back in the day.What kind of speeds did they run with the KG/Mk15?

[racer121M]

Bob...I had a pretty tired KG4 and I was heavy and I probably didn't get much over 40 if that. I know it seemed like I was crawling out in Bert Lake.

Bob

[A/B Speedliner]

AU Marathon Speeds

Do not recall the actual speeds we ran in AU with a KG4 but it seemed like the day would never end. My quess is in the mid to high 40's. A lot depended on the actual race. Lake George was an 88 mile race and you could stop at a refueling barge if you did not want to carry all of the fuel, that also was the case at the Twice Around Manhattan race. Some of the others like the 1000 Island race you would carry all of the fuel you needed. I would transfer fuel from a 6 gallon tank tied to the front seat (LOL) and transfer fuel to the green tank using an aircraft wobble pump. One year I took a fifth place in AU and was out there for 5 hours, average about 20 MPH.those were the good old days.

Speaking of the KG4 we took delivery today of the first batch of prop shaft cone nuts with the bushing as used in the "Q" KG4 and KG7 engines, $55 plus $5 for shipping. See our web site aeroliner-boats.com
David

[Smiley]

In the late 50's we ran wildcat marathon races around Fox Island, Pierce county, Washington and Vashon Island. Tacoma Outboard association sponsored the events. We rand standard fishing lower units under merc a b c and d motors. My Astd KG4 did a top speed of38.5 mph. In the marathon of course it was much slower.

Bob Smiley

[1977 ASH]

Geez - what a small world. Bob - you have to be the same Bob Smiley that lived in Kingston. If so, I bought a KG-4 from you in the early 70's - it had a 506 series block on it. It ended up being my best A Stock motor - I won the Nationals in ASH with that motor in 1977 and set the 4 lap 5 mile (1 1/4 mile course) ASH competition record with it that same year at 52.326 mph. That motor ran about 60 mph on my ASH. Thanks again all these years later for a great motor. I had some fun with that one.

Here I am in the 1-US boat with that motor in 1978.

Mark

[Smiley]

That is amazing Mark.

That was a great motor. We ran that A std (fishing lower unit)on a calkins copy. My sister Diane raced the rig after I bored the block 30 over and had a new prop put on the rig. She became the driver after the first race of the rebuild. She was undefeated in class A and had to step up into the Class B and race against the super 10's. That was during the days of Channel 13 televised races. She was quite the celebrity.She still brought home the front runner hardware. After that series, I was known as (Diane Smiley's brother).It did cook. When I got the 20h converted the quicksilver went under that powerhead. We polished every piece of aluminum on that machine and kept it clean even though we ran it in the bay here in Kingston, (salt water). When I sold it it was on the number 2 Karelson runabout copy of Jackie Holden's record boat. The one with the canvas cowling and the inverted dish on the planing surface. Quite the boat in its day. Alas the outfit had to go to pay for college, a wife and baby. I am happy with that decision and of course you are to.

I would like to see that motor again sometime.

Your message has made my day.

Thanks

Bob Smiley

[1977 ASH]

Bob

I remember that Karelson - Dave Swanson had one too and a guy from New Jersey (named Bobby Strasser) won the Nationals in ASR in 1969 or 1970 with one as I recall. Maybe it was your old boat, Jackie's or Dave Swanson's. I did not buy the boat from you - just the motor. I came to the motel there in Kingston. I still think of you every time I pass that place when I ride the ferry.

Glad to hear from you - we can turn this into a Pacific NW stock racing history thread.

Mark

[Smiley]

Mark

I am kicking the tire again and looking for equipment to race again. Now with six grandchildren, they would have a ball. I am looking for quality equipment in the AXS and A runabout and hydro. complete setups, a small trailer for transport and all other equipment. Do you still have that KG4?

That fotograph above looks like Little American Lake in Spanaway, WA. Is that correct?

Give me a call
360-297-0596
360-731-0269 cell

Bob Smiley

[1977 ASH]

Bob

I do not have any stuff for sale but can check around for you. The photo above was taken at Silver Lake in Everett.

Mark

[Graham]

KG-4 Runabout Speeds - 1957

Craig DeWald broke the 1 mile AU straightaway record at the "1957" Worcester, MA Nationals driving a Reveau Flying Chips 24P @ a speed of 49.164 mph. He also set the ASH record at 53.552 mph driving Ginger B 4P.

Don Graham III

[1977 ASH]

Don - cool stuff. In my day - the late 60's to the late 70's - speeds for the KG-4/Mark15 A class were in the high 50's to low 60's. I set the ASH kilo record in 1972 at 61.291 - the AU record in '73 by Craig Selvidge at 61+ and later the ASH record kilo record was up to about 64 as I recall when they retired it and came out with the OMC's. Competition records were in the mid 50's. Great motors in my book.

Mark

[Graham]

KG4 Speeds

Mark: Your right about the motor. I was awarded the 1-us in ASH for 1960 & 1961. Great competition. I remember one heat in particular during the 1959 season at Turner Falls, Ma which was as follows: Don Graham, Don Christy, Roy Minor, Herb Lanphear, Ted Thompson and Bud Goodwin plus others to make 12 boats. We had three eliminations. It was quite a accomplishment to make the finals. What a race. This line up was almost every week. The speeds then for ASH was somewhere around 53 to 55 mph in competition.