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A 5 to 10 knot wind blows across the harbor from the south, making the water inside the break wall a tad choppy for stock outboard racing. A fleet of spectators line the shore, and outside the marked course in their Lymans, Chris Crafts, and Cruiser runabouts packed with a picnic basket with home made sandwiches, and a glass bottle containing coke or pepsi sitting in the metal cooler filled with ice recently purchased.
The boats are lines up on the beach, each driver talking to each other about different tactics and which lanes they are going to take for the run. This morning will be a Leman's start, with the driver sitting on the beach with their motors off. It's Saturday and most drivers are surrounded by friends and families, all of whom have been here before. There is the smell of a mixture of oil and gas that only an outboard can make floating in the air, and a familiar rumble as motors are dried fired, . There is an excitement feeling in the air, and a pit in the stomach of most drivers, wondering not only if their engine adjustments, prop selection, and other enhancements were just right for this first heat. Some are already thinking about the post race pot luck dinner and what stories will be told when they get together after dinner around a camp fire.
Sounds like a familiar scene that takes place almost every weekend somewhere across the country in the warmer months, right? The only thing different is that this is Stock Outboard racing in the 1950's on the shores of Lake Erie. This was the last time that Jack Deck ran his Switzercraft Baby Bullet (100) with his stock Mercury KG7H until...
Forward 50 years later. The scene is Fort Custer Park, Augusta Michigan, and the same driver, boat and motor is wheeling his Tee Nee trailer into the water, and donning the borrowed Kevlar pants, jacket, suit, and helmet. Family members and new friends, assist the 76 year old driver into the boat, and with a squirt of starting fluid, the 1952 kg7 starts and just like that, he is off on the marathon course.
20 minutes later, the kg7 still running, and the driver smiling from ear to ear, reliving the past days of simpler times, comes into the pits, with a collection of friends and family waiting and cheering at the accomplishment. Not only for the rookie driver, but the equipment able to finish. Forget winning, just finishing.
“Wow, haven't done that in years! The only thing that is different is that when I raced, we wore flip flops, a t-shirt, and this handmade fiberglass helmet. This modern stuff is hot! What a rush! Haven't felt like this in years!”
The same scene was repeated in different varieties at Grass Lake, Michigan, Trenton Michigan, and finally the season finale at Indian River with Top O'. By Top O, Jack had recruited 2 sons and 2 grandsons to run his pit crew. 1 son, races currently in 20SSH, and the other is searching for a boat. 1 grandson is begging his father and grandfather for a ride in the baby bullet, while the other has taken his first ride in a J Hydro at MHRA's Never Ever Racer program at Big Rapids and is looking forward to his rookie season next year.
So how did a driver come out of retirement after 50 years? He attended a MHRA racer school with his son in the fall of 2010, and asked if his class was still sanctioned.
Without this one racer school, Jack Deck would not be reliving his glory days, Mike Deck would not have run 20SSH this year, Dave Deck would not be running C or 20SSH in 2012, and Alex Deck would not be running J Hydro in 2012. One 4 hour afternoon, not only brought 3 new racers to the sport and 1 out of retirement, it also brought a family together for the summer weekends across Region 6.
Bottom line, you are never too young to enjoy this sport as a participant or supporter. One person's interest can spark a pyramid of others if you are passionate. Next year, there will be 3 generations of drivers on the circuit, 2 still being rookies with over 60 years age difference.
The boats are lines up on the beach, each driver talking to each other about different tactics and which lanes they are going to take for the run. This morning will be a Leman's start, with the driver sitting on the beach with their motors off. It's Saturday and most drivers are surrounded by friends and families, all of whom have been here before. There is the smell of a mixture of oil and gas that only an outboard can make floating in the air, and a familiar rumble as motors are dried fired, . There is an excitement feeling in the air, and a pit in the stomach of most drivers, wondering not only if their engine adjustments, prop selection, and other enhancements were just right for this first heat. Some are already thinking about the post race pot luck dinner and what stories will be told when they get together after dinner around a camp fire.
Sounds like a familiar scene that takes place almost every weekend somewhere across the country in the warmer months, right? The only thing different is that this is Stock Outboard racing in the 1950's on the shores of Lake Erie. This was the last time that Jack Deck ran his Switzercraft Baby Bullet (100) with his stock Mercury KG7H until...
Forward 50 years later. The scene is Fort Custer Park, Augusta Michigan, and the same driver, boat and motor is wheeling his Tee Nee trailer into the water, and donning the borrowed Kevlar pants, jacket, suit, and helmet. Family members and new friends, assist the 76 year old driver into the boat, and with a squirt of starting fluid, the 1952 kg7 starts and just like that, he is off on the marathon course.
20 minutes later, the kg7 still running, and the driver smiling from ear to ear, reliving the past days of simpler times, comes into the pits, with a collection of friends and family waiting and cheering at the accomplishment. Not only for the rookie driver, but the equipment able to finish. Forget winning, just finishing.
“Wow, haven't done that in years! The only thing that is different is that when I raced, we wore flip flops, a t-shirt, and this handmade fiberglass helmet. This modern stuff is hot! What a rush! Haven't felt like this in years!”
The same scene was repeated in different varieties at Grass Lake, Michigan, Trenton Michigan, and finally the season finale at Indian River with Top O'. By Top O, Jack had recruited 2 sons and 2 grandsons to run his pit crew. 1 son, races currently in 20SSH, and the other is searching for a boat. 1 grandson is begging his father and grandfather for a ride in the baby bullet, while the other has taken his first ride in a J Hydro at MHRA's Never Ever Racer program at Big Rapids and is looking forward to his rookie season next year.
So how did a driver come out of retirement after 50 years? He attended a MHRA racer school with his son in the fall of 2010, and asked if his class was still sanctioned.
Without this one racer school, Jack Deck would not be reliving his glory days, Mike Deck would not have run 20SSH this year, Dave Deck would not be running C or 20SSH in 2012, and Alex Deck would not be running J Hydro in 2012. One 4 hour afternoon, not only brought 3 new racers to the sport and 1 out of retirement, it also brought a family together for the summer weekends across Region 6.
Bottom line, you are never too young to enjoy this sport as a participant or supporter. One person's interest can spark a pyramid of others if you are passionate. Next year, there will be 3 generations of drivers on the circuit, 2 still being rookies with over 60 years age difference.
I was there when TROA joined APBA.
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