Best open cockpit flat driver ever

[O.B eddie]

Besides me of course my vote the one only AL BUSH world record holder the fireman was the man!!!

[O.B eddie]

My second vote would go to that guy with the black boat 263 I think it had gross valve covers on it.. One question? has that guy ever driven a boat before no wonder he gets spanked at every race at ming!!! By jets to slow ones at that.. wink

[FlatRacer]

Wrong! It's Julian Pettingil.
You didn't specify drag racing sleeping

[O.B eddie]

Sorry!!

[RiverToysJas]

How about the fastest man on land and water, Eddie Hill??? I've always been a Hill fan.
In seven years, he won 55 of 103 races and won every major race at least once.
RTJas :D
[ January 10, 2003, 07:31 PM: Message edited by: RiverToysJas ]

[dossangers]

RAY CASELLI think about driving an old wood flatbottem with nitro at 140mph no thanks!!

[O.B eddie]

10-4 doss in an IRV BRENDELL HONDO.. AL ALSO

[FlatRacer]

More wrong information! The fastest man on land AND water is Donald Campbell who in 1964 held the water speed record at 276 mph, and the land speed record at 403.1 mph.
[ January 10, 2003, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: FlatRacer ]

[BigBoyToys]

Right, wrong ???? I think it's an opinion so there can be no right or wrong.....

[BigBoyToys]

I say.....ME!!!
eek! LOL

[O.B eddie]

Flat dislexic read it says open cockpit FLAT.. NOT a hydro or any thing other than a flat or excuse me runner bottom or sled as they used to be called!!!!!!!!! HEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAW get em cowboy

[superdave013]

RiverToysJas:
How about the fastest man on land and water, Eddie Hill??? I've always been a Hill fan.
In seven years, he won 55 of 103 races and won every major race at least once.
RTJas :D I didn't know he was a flat driver. Do you have any pics of him in a flat. I'm an Eddie Hill fan myself.

[superdave013]

I also like Al Bush but I'll toss one in for Sunny Jones. I always liked watching the late Jim Ermshar too!

[GofastRacer]

superdave013:
RiverToysJas:
How about the fastest man on land and water, Eddie Hill??? I've always been a Hill fan.
In seven years, he won 55 of 103 races and won every major race at least once.
RTJas :D I didn't know he was a flat driver. Do you have any pics of him in a flat. I'm an Eddie Hill fan myself. Eddie Hill drove a hydro, not a flat, he is da man!...... :cool:

[racingfastflats]

best open cockpit driver in a flat, hmmmmmm. Now all of those guys that you have previously mentioned have managed to get theirselves wet a time or two. So, i think when you consider best drivers they sould include the ones that have been able to avoid disaster. Just my 2 cents....

[GofastRacer]

racingfastflats:
best open cockpit driver in a flat, hmmmmmm. Now all of those guys that you have previously mentioned have managed to get theirselves wet a time or two. So, i think when you consider best drivers they sould include the ones that have been able to avoid disaster. Just my 2 cents.... Shit happens to the best, some are luckier!..

[cal***boat]

The late TOM BLACK in "EXPLOSION BFF"
Those were the days of the NDBA which I first started out in. The boat was called "LITTLE BEAVERS BROTHER" BGF

[RiverToysJas]

FlatRacer:
More wrong information! The fastest man on land AND water is Donald Campbell who in 1964 held the water speed record at 276 mph, and the land speed record at 403.1 mph. OK then, Eddie Hill is the quickest man on Land and Water! wink
RTJas :D

[126driver]

FlatRacer:
Wrong! It's Julian Pettingil.
You didn't specify drag racing sleeping Gordon Jennings Jr. and of course Lance Faulkner belong on that list too.

[A.SNEED]

ITS SS10 FROM UTAH DREXEL BRANDENBERG

[126driver]

A.SNEED:
ITS SS10 FROM UTAH DREXEL BRANDENBERG That's right. I forgot about Drexel. wink :D

[A.SNEED]

ANY OF YOU POSERS EVER HEARD OF SONNY JONES?

[Kindsvater Flat]

RiverToysJas:
How about the fastest man on land and water, Eddie Hill??? I've always been a Hill fan.
In seven years, he won 55 of 103 races and won every major race at least once.
RTJas :D I agree with you RT. Eddie is the FASTEST. And Ercie is still an old hottie :D

[Beautiful Noise]

Sonny Jones,He made it so Easy looking with his 1 Handed run's down the Liquid Quarter :)
Steve

[A.SNEED]

FINALLY

[126driver]

How fast did Eddie Hill go when he set the record? I know it wasn't a flattie, but wasn't it 200 - something? Damn! that's outrageous in an open cockpit boat. eek!

[A.SNEED]

232 HILL

[126driver]

I've heard that there are still pieces of his boat ("The Texan"?) at the bottom of Firebird.

[superdave013]

A.SNEED:
ANY OF YOU POSERS EVER HEARD OF SONNY JONES? This poser already put his name in there.

[O.B eddie]

Hey what about the guru himself!! maybe jeff martin? how about snyder, roadstrom or giroux

[BILLY.B]

There have been alot of great FLAT drivers,("FLAT is capatilized because the word demands respect when talking about fast boat's") and I have had the fortune to of painted alot of there boats including MY BOAT TOO Sunny Jones last ride.But there were some names you guy's left out.Like Larry Swabenland BFF record at 155 and change in a sanger no less,Bob Dice use to play with the overide peddles at 160 let the bow float around like nobody could,farther back yet,what about Roy Doby in a boat called Gear UP?he was an airline pilot, great name for his boat.All these guy's were great drivers in there drag boat day's especially in an open cockpit.Circle drivers, It has to be without question Julian Pettingill,followed closely by Gordon Jennings Sr.And when It came time to start a K race with the old clock start ther was none better then George McDougall.Gordy JR's records speak for themselves and so do Lance's for the modern era of circle drivers. :cool: :cool:

[BigBoyToys]

Lance was the man! But it sure brings back lotsa memories from my teenage years watching all those names running.... Circles and drags both.
[ January 11, 2003, 07:59 AM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

[nitro557]

ronnie anderson he drove the virginian pgf

[pgf127rt]

I will have to put Marvin Savage's name in the pot, as he was always in the mix with some of the greatest of all time, besides he is from Texas.

[BILLY.B]

BigBoyToys:
Lance was the man! But it sure brings back lotsa memories from my teenage years watching all those names running.... Circles and drags both. The SS racing series is some of the most competitive racing around,but I sure miss the day's of twenty K's showing up at an event and you had to qualify to make the show.I took my K all the way to canada and there were 15 K's,that's a long way to tow if you didn't make it, luckly we did and we finished 2nd behind George Nordling.Same with the drag boat races, use to be 16 fuelers, 8 fuel flats, alot of blown gas flats,hell at the n.d.b.a. nationals at long beach one year Larry Bitter (HI JACKER B.G.F.)showed up with two boats,that was in 75,how cool was that! :cool: :cool:

[BigBoyToys]

BILLY.B:
BigBoyToys:
Lance was the man! But it sure brings back lotsa memories from my teenage years watching all those names running.... Circles and drags both. The SS racing series is some of the most competitive racing around,but I sure miss the day's of twenty K's showing up at an event and you had to qualify to make the show.I took my K all the way to canada and there were 15 K's,that's a long way to tow if you didn't make it, luckly we did and we finished 2nd behind George Nordling.Same with the drag boat races, use to be 16 fuelers, 8 fuel flats, alot of blown gas flats,hell at the n.d.b.a. nationals at long beach one year Larry Bitter (HI JACKER B.G.F.)showed up with two boats,that was in 75,how cool was that! :cool: :cool: Yep...I miss all the K-boats. I remember when I was 16 years old (a long time ago) watching the SS and K-boats running at all the races we ran at (we ran SJ and CJ circles) and telling myself that I was gonna have a SS or K-boat someday.

[BILLY.B]

BBT,what was the name of your guy's boat? we also ran a PC boat called Mr BIG STUFF,were you around then? Don Christy Jr. drove it to the pc record back in 1980.

[Kurtis500]

Al Bush...period

[stix818]

I would have to agree with Al Bush but Larry Peto, Wayne Mettler and some of those other guys sure did a damn good job. Overall though my vote would have to be my old man, Vince Nelson.

[Stab-n-Steer]

I also vote for Ray Caselli. As a kid, my dad and I went everywhere to watch Panic Mouse... Sadly, I also saw his last run at Oakland :(
I have to give an honorable mention to Scott Peralta, SS126 wink Not for his driving abliity but he's one funny dude! :D
S&S

[BigBoyToys]

BILLY.B:
BBT,what was the name of your guy's boat? we also ran a PC boat called Mr BIG STUFF,were you around then? Don Christy Jr. drove it to the pc record back in 1980. Back in the mid to late 70's we ran in AJBA and NJBA (circles), From 1979 to mid 80's was APBA. We ran the SJ, CJ and an occasional KJ(KJ, now that's going waaaaayyyy back) class with a boat named "Banana Split". Boat number was 747 (AJBA and NJBA) and 748 (APBA). Bottom and pump was done by Bill Scotten way back when he was still racing. Ahhh yes, those were the days :)
We still have the boat, and we're in the process of building a new engine and restoring it. There's a good chance that it will be at CFW for the Bracket Races and/or Fathers Day.
[ January 11, 2003, 10:24 AM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

[BigBoyToys]

And for you old nostalgic Endurance Jet (EJ) fans, remember the Parker 9 hour enduro? Remember a boat named "The Horny Hornet" owned by Steve McEathron? I own the engine that was in this boat, won the Parker 9 hr 2 times and took APBA #1 one year :cool:
[ January 11, 2003, 10:29 AM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

[24ROD]

superdave013:
I also like Al Bush but I'll toss one in for Sunny Jones. I always liked watching the late Jim Ermshar too! superdave, When did Jim Ermshar pass away? I didn't know anything about this.
:confused:

[126driver]

Stab-n-Steer:
I also vote for Ray Caselli. As a kid, my dad and I went everywhere to watch Panic Mouse... Sadly, I also saw his last run at Oakland :(
I have to give an honorable mention to Scott Peralta, SS126 wink Not for his driving abliity but he's one funny dude! :D
S&S Uhhh, thanks....I think... wink :D

[Fiat48]

There were and are so many good open flat drivers that it is just magical to watch them set a boat. It's a nack that is learned rather than born with, but I swear some are just naturals. But Sonny Jones will always have my vote for his "adjustability" in driving. He only liked to drive Alcohol Flat, though he was liscenced to drive anything on the water. I watched him qualify a river racer flat for a guy once. We all watched him make that run and it was magical. The guy never attained the speed or ET that Sonny qualified the boat with.

[BigBoyToys]

24ROD:
superdave013:
I also like Al Bush but I'll toss one in for Sunny Jones. I always liked watching the late Jim Ermshar too! superdave, When did Jim Ermshar pass away? I didn't know anything about this.
:confused: Ermshar passed away a few weeks ago 24ROD December 17, 2002 I believe.
[ January 11, 2003, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

[superdave013]

What about this old roundy round boat & driver.
Anyone remember George Striegel's Kwicherbichen??
Wouldn't it be fun to blow past the Roadrunner in that thing. :D
http://www.rivertoys.com/featuredboats/featuredgalimages/kwitcherbichen4a.jpg

[stix818]

Fiat, Sunny was one bad dude. I have a Cole that he set up(running gear and all) and took it out for the first time in October. That thing rode great. I played the video and was showing a little fin and not pushing any water. I was one happy mo fo.

[stix818]

Man that is one crazy looking boat!!! How did it run?

[FlatRacer]

I can read just fine. I know it said open FLAT driver which is why I said Julian Pettingil (and Billy B. knows it too). :p
I wasn't the one who brought up Eddie Hill. I was merely educating the misinformed fan who thought Eddie was the fastest man on land AND water. Quickest in the 1/4 mile, yes, but not overall fastest. While he'd be the fastest if you limit your parameters to drivers of piston powered vehicles, Donald Campbell is still the fastest man on BOTH land and water. Now, if Ken Warby were to climb into a land speed record type car and go faster than Campbell's 1964 land speed record, that title could easily be his. But, for now the 1964 records still give the combined title to Campbell.
[ January 11, 2003, 02:40 PM: Message edited by: FlatRacer ]

[24ROD]

Brian Coin.........

[dossangers]

The Samster!! http://narberthpa.com/Bale/bmp/dbc/SKurtovich/0_rapid_ray_caselli.jpg

[boatguy222]

superdave013:
What about this old roundy round boat & driver.
Anyone remember George Striegel's Kwicherbichen??
Wouldn't it be fun to blow past the Roadrunner in that thing. :D
http://www.rivertoys.com/featuredboats/featuredgalimages/kwitcherbichen4a.jpg SD,
One of the Coolest Old School Flatbottoms ever!! It still holds the APBA 1/4 mile record for unblown fuel flat at 116mph in 1971. I would love to have to set-up to run Nostalgia Circle class,

[superdave013]

boatguy222:
superdave013:
What about this old roundy round boat & driver.
Anyone remember George Striegel's Kwicherbichen??
Wouldn't it be fun to blow past the Roadrunner in that thing. :D
http://www.rivertoys.com/featuredboats/featuredgalimages/kwitcherbichen4a.jpg SD,
One of the Coolest Old School Flatbottoms ever!! It still holds the APBA 1/4 mile record for unblown fuel flat at 116mph in 1971. I would love to have to set-up to run Nostalgia Circle class, Are you sure about that speed? I thought it went much faster then that.

[boatguy222]

[/qb][/QUOTE]Are you sure about that speed? I thought it went much faster then that. [/QB][/QUOTE]
SD,
Thats just what the ABPA book sayed, Iam sure it ran faster, but Thats the number I have in print, hell it might be a different boat it lists Gary Carroll as owner/ Driver, So.. you had better ask George to set the Record straight!

[O.B eddie]

BILLY.B:
BBT,what was the name of your guy's boat? we also ran a PC boat called Mr BIG STUFF,were you around then? Don Christy Jr. drove it to the pc record back in 1980. His boat name was slow poke!! :D

[Bense468]

http://www.rivertoys.com/featuredboats/featuredgalimages/kwitcherbichen4a.jpg
What hull is that? The reason I ask is because it is right hand steering.

[A.SNEED]

hey posers why didnt anyone say DALE SONNABEND UBGF