Plight of the Bumbled D

[mercguy]

still flappin' yur gums??

Darren...that flea infested thing you call a "dog" does not impress me much....Dont most dogs have all four of their legs and both eyes? Or is the pic you posted of your "dog" hiding something. Also, when you sold your trailer to Dave Trisko, you left something behind. It was a reciept for a Ronco (as seen on TV) home nuetering kit. We have all been curious ever since...what did you use it for....your "dog" or something else....please let all of your new region ten buddies in on the secret....hehehe...and by the way..I will stop at NOTHING to get off the parity committee...short of ordering the same thing Darren did...wait...I think they said if you order right now, they would include a second kit no charge...hmmmm... Be afraid..be very afraid...

I will have a "talk" with BULL and let him now what you said about him...... Beware Reg10, ya might see DSHDave getting mounted by a certain dog, if he/she keeps wearing dresses!

[daveracerdsh]

Bull

Gomer...you call that mangy flea infesting thing that passes as a dog "Bull" ? Honestly Gomer....the least you could do is give it a decent name..such as "Fluffy" or "Snoball" etc etc etc...And..I dont do dogs...just so you know...I do have my standards....If your mangy dog comes a calling..well....I will get out my Ronco home nuetering kit and he will come back to you barking in fallsetto..

[mercguy]

Gomer...you call that mangy flea infesting thing that passes as a dog "Bull" ? Honestly Gomer....the least you could do is give it a decent name..such as "Fluffy" or "Snoball" etc etc etc...And..I dont do dogs...just so you know...I do have my standards....If your mangy dog comes a calling..well....I will get out my Ronco home nuetering kit and he will come back to you barking in fallsetto..

I will pass on the info to appropriate person................heck Dave, Bull takes/leaves bigger SH@#$#Ts that what you weigh!

[daveracerdsh]

Gomer and his crappy dog Fluffy

Gomer...when you move up here to region ten...make sure you leave your "Dog" home...We have real he man dogs here that will hump your sorry excuse for a mangy mutt to death...Here in region ten...well..I am done for the night. Be afraid..be very afraid.

[Davedshcsh]

D Stock Controversy

I've read with interest the postings concerning the new Tohatsu engine versus the Mercury Mark 55-H.

I'm no longer racing, a combination of too many birthdays and a bad back, but still interested.

This controversy reminds me of the old expression of history repeating itself, and I have the benefit of historical perspective. Back in the 1950s the only engine available in the B Stock class was the Mercury 20 c.i. Things proceeded along those lines until introduction of a new engine, the Champion Hot Rod. This put most Mercury drivers on the beach, as that engine was no longer competitive. So, there was a situation of a lot of people with Mercury engines faced with a choice of either running at the back of the pack, sitting on the shore, staying home or buying a Champion Hot Rod. Most drivers who wanted to continue racing bought a Hot Rod, meaning that their Mercurys sat in the garage or became fishing motors. After a few years of this, Kiekhaefer (Mercury manufacturer) was unhappy because they were, of course, no longer selling B Stock engines. They subsequently came out with an attachment for the Merc 20 c.i. lower unit, which became affectionately known as the "toilet bowl." It was designed specifically to compete against the Champion. Out of the garage or off the fishing scow came the Mercurys. Almost overnight this altered Mercury began defeating the Champions. Now it was the turn of the Hot Rod drivers to make the same choice described above; sit home, buy a lower unit attachment for the Merc. (assuming they still had the engine) or buy an entire new Mercury engine with the revised lower unit. This last choice was, naturally, what Kiekhaefer wanted.

Because Champion was a company with limited financial resources, it had to decide if it still wanted to compete by introducing a new or modified engine. It was decided no, so once again Mercury had the field all to itself. It was not long after that Champion went bankrupt. Again, probably what Kiekhaefer wanted, as they knew they had the money to keep developing products while Champion did not.

I've read, as you all have, conflicting accounts of whether Mercury drivers "boycotted" a recent race where some Tohatsu drivers came. I don't know, as I wasn't there. Assuming that situation did occur or might occur in future, I'll offer an opinion. If the Tohatsu engine has been approved by officials to compete in the D Stock class, there is little drivers can do to prevent that engine from being used. It would be futile, in my opinion, to refuse to race against this engine. It's the same situation as Mercury versus Champion, as described above. "Adapt or perish," as the old expression goes.

There will never be a situation where everyone's racing boat is equal. Some people can sit down and write checks for the best boat, the most highly-tuned engine, the best props, etc.

I'll give you two examples from my own racing days. I knew a driver who worked for a very large Mercury distributor that also sold stainless steel props.
When this driver took apart his engine to install new piston rings, at the same time he would replace main bearings. He would sit down at work in front of a pile of 20 or so main bearings and spin each to determine which was the freest. Back on the shelf would go the other 19. As you know, for some unknown reason, if 25 or so stainless props come off the assembly line, one will be the fastest. Every time the driver I refer to saw that a new shipment
of props came in, he'd take a day off to test each one with, of course, the approval of his boss. He'd then select the best one for his own use, and all the others would go back on the shelf to be sold to others. Needless to say, unless this guy made a driving error in a race, he was practically unbeatable.

I relate this story only to show that there can't ever be an ideal world in racing where every driver is the same. Ultimately, with or without protests from drivers, if the Tohatsu engine is passed by officials and is clearly better, the Mercurys will go on fishing boats. It's the nature of competitive sports.
If not the situation of the guy I knew, someone with deep pockets will always be difficult to defeat. Unless there is a situation of very rough water, a mediocre driver with superior equipment will almost always defeat a superior driver with mediocre equipment.

I feel for the drivers with D Mercurys, but cannot see any recourse for them.
It's the Mercury-Champion situation all over again.

I'm reminded of a saying from President Harry Truman: "The only thing new is the history you don't know!"

Thanks for your attention.

[daveracerdsh]

Dsh

Wow...what a great post. You just put all of the feelings of the people involved and condensed them into a concise overview of the problem. I do understand the frustrations of people involved...trust me, I am one of the frustrated ones....Can you somehow send this to APBA and possibly have them print it in the Propellor magazine? Or make sure Ed Hearn sees this and can qoute you on it in the future? Again, many thanx. Like I have been trying to say, for any motor sport to grow...we have to look to the future.