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 The red boat to your far left is Tillman Mohr - Owner and driver - Gene Defalco The boat y-84 was owned by John Callus and was named Stubborn Critter. My name is Jim Bland- My father, Don, and I raced a 145, mostly in regions 3 & 4 through-out the 60's and early 70's- Our most competitive racing was accomplished when Bob Tuttle was getting out of racing, and Dad picked up the (I think) latest "Red Top" Ruark hull. We campaigned the hull as S-15, The "Bland's Diet" after making the switch from flathead Ford to Ford Falcon motors. Anyway, a few photos survived the years, and with the advent of computers, damaged ones can be pretty well touched up. I'm sitting on a few that some of the older racers might enjoy, and if you'd like, your site may be just the place to post them - I've attached one of some boats in the water at Cambridge in 1973, waiting to go around the point to the race coarse when their heat is called- I can't remember all the names of boats and/or drivers. In the attached photo: I can remember watching the Y-84 racing often, but can't remember the owner and/or driver- Nor can I remember much about the green & white boat, which I think is a 145- Next, you can see the back of Stu Shanes head as he holding (I think the first) Hijacker Roberts hull- Next is the S-173, a Jones hull is Meri - Pam The brown cowled Ruark floating unattended is ours, (I'm standing over there in the green t-shirt holding on to the Budget Buster (another brown cowled Ruark) & talking to Ray Lynn Sr. - Next, I thought the yellow one might be the 145 "My Mistake" - it was yellow - but I've found it in another photo, and it's name was painted up on the tailfin - The furthest three boats, I can't make out - maybe one of your viewers can - Gene DeFalco raced in the 70s and 80s boat y-84 was owned by John Callus and was named stubborn critter and boat e-287 was paulas pet driven by Paul DeVegh.  |
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 Norristown, PA - 1972 I can remember the start in this photo like it was last summer, not 30 yrs ago - If you guys ever had the chance to run the Norristown course, you'll know that it's all straight-aways & the turns ( particularly the 1st turn) are like u-turns - ( a great course to watch the ski boats ) You'd also know that the pits are located at the 1st turn - The three boats in the photo arrived at the 1st turn just as they started the race - three abreast - and no one giving an inch - WOW Notice that Dave Sooy, driving the cabover "Double Eagle" chose the outside so he'd had the extra water needed to slide - (Dave was killed while racing a couple years later) ( in '72' the cabovers were just beginning to get wider transoms) On the inside is Walt Struzek in his "Vagabond", one of Dick Sooy's winningest hulls - The boat in the middle, E-287 ?, I can't remember - maybe someone out there can - Thanks - Jim |
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 Do You Know The Name Of This Boat? A-122, taken in 1972 or 1973 I think in Laurel Lake, New Jersey |
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 Going Airborne Steve Sharp is/was from Maryland - gone airborne in Mays Landing (I think in) '74' - The closest boat is me in S-15 ,The 'Bland's Diet', then is Don Green from Northeast, MD, in S-59 a Ruark 150 hull that Don was running as a 145 - This photo is a little deceiving - it was taken with a telephoto lens from a patrol boat inside the course between the starting line and the 1st turn - the flip occurred 2/3 down the back stretch - Steve was in 2nd place, and staying in the middle of the coarse (Stu Shane was leading) - I was just behind him on the inside trying to set him up for a pick - Don was on my right, 2/3 rd's down my roostertail trying to make a move on me - I was within the length of Steve's roostertail & to his left and was the first to notice when he started to go up - as I pulled into the infield, Don passed me, then then he saw Steve going up and turned in - Don & I were both slowing down & watching Steve fly, when whoever was behind Don came flying by, Steve was starting to roll to come back down, so the boat who's roostertail you see between Don & Steve was gittin' into the infield & out of the way at full speed The other photo is of Stu, myself and Don returning to the pits (I think while the rescue boats attended to Steve) |
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 "Jim Bland and Don Green watch Steve Sharp go airborne on Lake Lenepe in 1974" |
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 All Alone N 72 1973 I think this was taken at Cambridge ? |
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