Fantasy Finals- ASH

[Ron Hill]

Only One Don Christy That I Know Of...

I'm surprised someone hasn't answered you, but I'll add a little. I remember your grandfather, Donny, driving Sid Crafts like no one else. I also remember Don's dad and and Mr. Sid Craft, Sid Uritsky, having more than one cocktail at a race or two..

I remember Don winning B Stock Hydro in Boston, 1963 and being DQ'd for running a 25 Fishing block. A mistake I could see myself making. Actually, it may have been better than a 20-H block, but the way Don was running he could have won with probably ayn motor in the field.

I was never happy about the DQ and can not tell you who the actual winner was, as I will always remember Donny Christy won those B Stock Hydro Nationals.

I had a one hell of a BU race with Don in Beaver Falls, PA in the qualifying heats. I could out top him, but he could out punch me....and we raced it out as such. Seems you had to win to qualify and I finished 3rd or 4th in the finals....in BU...I borrowed our crew chief's boat as he had been and a serious accident on the way to Beaver Falls.

I had heard to "Watch Out" for Christy, and this was my first and only time to race him, but he drove me hard, clean and fair... I don't recall seeing Don after Beaver Fall, PA 1966.

This is a picture of Carl Meyers, who was hurt in the car accident on the way to Beaver Falls. Maybe your grandfather, Don, could spot the BU trophy from Beaver that I was talking about. I can't. I gave the trophy to Carl, in 1965.

[hchristy2013]

When you say Don Christy, do you mean Don Christy from MD, I am his grandson, and I want to show him more pictures, but not many on here, can you guys put more up.

[modracer7b]

Mark, As a side note, the Mike Boon rig was one that I set up for him. I built the engine and prop and taught him to drive the clarkraft. I was in the US Coast Guard during the 68 season as I had a little thing called the draft getting in the way of my racing. I beat Mike two weeks after he won the Seattle Nationals on the long course at Lowell Ma.

Bill Rosado

[Ron Hill]

Doc Wilson...

The "Doc whats his name" that Ron Hill refers to would be none other than Dr. Stuart Wilson of Elm Grove, WI. Noted surgeon at the Froedtert/Medical College of Wisconsin who just might have that KG-4 in his basement!
I would like to add B.J. Raji for Fantasy Pit Crew.
Hope to see some of you at Top 'O next summer.

Talking to Ron and Gerry Hedlund, at DePue, they both agreed that Doc Wilson was the only one to turn their hydros over...I'm not trying to start anything here...I'll just say, "Those were the days..."

I remember Bob Todd going 72 MPH through the KILO, and Jeff Fritz going 61....Jeff, won the Nationals...In those days kilo speed weren't the same as competition speeds.... as my DU would run 74 in the kilo and 60 for competition...

ADD:

Seems I remember George Stillwell, Sr. winning heat after heat in Guntersville...He was a small man, and kind of sat sideways in the Sid Hydro...What I remember best about Guntersville was that the Miss Alabama Contest was in town....

LAST ADD:

How about Joey Sokoske in ASH??? Didn't he have a fast ASH?

[1977 ASH]

One of Dr. Stu Wilson's KG-4's was one he bought from Dave and Lloyd Swanson - I think he bought it from them after the 1968 Stock Nationals in Seattle where Swanson and Mike Boon battled all the way around the race course for both heats of the finals in ASR (or AU in those days).

I was pitted next to Dr. Wilson at the Lake Placid, FL Stock Nationals in 1971 and something fell into the gas tank of his KG-4 - it was facinating to watch him direct his pit crew to hand him needle nose pliers and various tools as if he was in the operating room. It was great to watch - and he retrived the foriegn object holding it up as if he had removed a tumor.

We had some fun in those days........

Mark Demaray

[flatsmoke]

I don't think this is in the correct place, but I saw Dr. Stuart Wilson, Dr. Phil Wagner, Dick Hoppenrath, John Schubert, Ron Hedlund, Gerry Hedlund, Don Anderson, Ron Anderson, Ralph Donald, and Billy Seebold in Naples, Florida a couple of weeks ago. They all looked great!!!

[Matt Dagostino]

Doc Rocks..................

The "Doc whats his name" that Ron Hill refers to would be none other than Dr. Stuart Wilson of Elm Grove, WI

Doc Wilson saved my dads life at the 1973 Utah Stock Outboard Nationals. My dad suffered what my mom and crew felt was just overheating but Doc was pitted next to us and diognoised it as a heart attack. He/we rushed my dad to Salt Lake City where he was tended to. My dads heart is still rocking and he is in his 70's living down in sunny Florida!

Go Doc!

[dwilderacer]

B.J. Raji?

For what, a tow vehicle?!

[Chip Trampe]

Fantasy Finals -ASH

The "Doc whats his name" that Ron Hill refers to would be none other than Dr. Stuart Wilson of Elm Grove, WI. Noted surgeon at the Froedtert/Medical College of Wisconsin who just might have that KG-4 in his basement!
I would like to add B.J. Raji for Fantasy Pit Crew.
Hope to see some of you at Top 'O next summer.

[Graham]

George: Great stories though. Great times. In 1961 there were 33 ASH's in the elims with only 2 open spots. You better have been first or out.
I watched all the straigtaway record attemp runs and in particular remember
George (Pappy) taking everything out of his boat that he could to gain more speed. Look up Amos Shaner's record for that event. I think now that I was wrong at 55 and that it may have been 56. I also saw Bob Todd run 72+ with his BSH.

Don Graham

[modracer7b]

George, I have to agree with Don about the speeds back then. I got 2nd at the 65 Nationals, beating Don Christy and all the other big guns doing about 55. From 63 to 66, we never went faster than 57 and got 1US three times in 4 years and placed nationals top 5 a few times. Please scan and post those pages as I don't recall those speeds until the late 60's into the 70's.

Bill Rosado

[G Stillwill]

Don I may have been wrong about who finished third in 1961 but as far as the records and speeds you are very wrong. I knew Shaner and Cristy very well, Shaner used Cristys Motor and broke the record at over 60 mile and hour in 1962 just look in the old propeller year books which I still have and you will see what the ASH records were. Ala was a measured 1 and 2/3 measured course so you didnt need a whole lot of punch.

[Graham]

Ash 1961

Hi George: If you are talking about ASH finals in Guntersville, AL 1961 then your facts are wrong. In 1961 the final results were Don Christy, Pappy and me (Don Graham). Also I watched a guy by the name of Amos Shaner break the ASH one mile straigtaway record at 55 + MPH. The guys just were not running as fast as you quoted. Best on closed courses was about 53 to 54 with good punch.

Sincerely,
Don Graham

[G Stillwill]

Dad finished 2nd in 1960 at Beliot in BSH, 2nd in 1961 at Guntersville in ASH , and 1st IN 1962 at Guntersville in ASH.
In 1961 Christy was First, Dad Second and Hutch Third
In 1962 Dad First was First, Christy Second and Hutch Third
Dad won six heats just to get in the show that year.
Now how fast did you have to run back then to win in ASH I still have the time slips from the runs through the Kilos
Two one way runs at 62 and change and two return runs at 58 and change, the course was at the end of the lake
and two short for an A going the other way. I still have the motor and prop from back then.
When Edgar tore the motor down at inspection he just scratched his head and said there is no reason that
the motor is so fast it aint even balanced. Lots of stories from back in the day from behind the scenes.
Dad could have done better but we just didn have the money to put an all out effort but boat racing and his boat racing friends was his passion.

[modracer7b]

Rosado's A Runabout would have beat the A Hydros, I'd bet...

I would use our A Hydro for a standard of how fast I wanted the A Runabout to go and usually could run as fast as the hydro. Our A Hydro took 1 US in 63, 65 and 66, so I had a good measuring stick to go by. In 69, I had a kilo setup that was running 58MPH, but the kilos were blown out and I stopped racing midway through the next season.

Bill Rosado