Back In The Day

[Billy Martin]

Originally Posted by h2oboater

Buy 1978 Billy Martin was the man, on the cover of Motorboat, they said he the fastest man on the ocean. Even Betty Cook thought he was the best driver then ! I like the use of a bungee cord holding down the shifters

My Father Still Laughs when he sees those pics, Just thinking about the poor photographer kneeling on the deck at 80+ mph trying to take the photos around the turns. Oh and yeah they did have a little fun with him as well lol.
Jr.

[el indio]

Originally Posted by Stormrider

Magnum Mark(el indio) still does this... on his 41apache.

i dont have an old ex race boat........but i do have on old ex work boat....there is no forum for those on this site....but without the work boats there would have been alot less race boats......food for thought for you offshore groupies! cya.....

[racesdad]

Originally Posted by ygrowup

The 30 Velocity / Putt Putt reminded me of B-Fast, which ran out of the great lakes mid to late 90's. Ralph & Tom usually managed to keep this fast, but unpredictable beast in a straight line. But every once in while, she'd show her mean streak by spitting out one or more of the crew. Louie "the buoy" was navigator & chief rag waver at the turns & S / F. He also held the distinction of getting tossed with alarming regularity. Key West ~'95....they're in a huge pack of B boats coming into the first outside turn in typical KW nastiness. As the spray settles and the scrum is sorted out, the turn buoy is destroyed and Louie has once again gone swimming. Although ok, bad news is the slower B boats and an even larger fleet of A boats are now turning on the only orange thing in the water...Louie's head! And the Detroit legend of "Louie the Buoy" was born.

As the Velocity boys say....pads, steps, beaks, bustles, bull!

louie was nuts. we have had a few together. i miss those days. BRING THEM BACK PLEASE
MIKE STANCOMBE

[el indio]

buenos dias..........

[h2oboater]

Originally Posted by priceb

This old stuff is so cool. I could read the old school boating mags and sites non stop. I think there should be a profile page for both a. old school boats, and b. old school drivers with profiles on their lives, careers and if they are still alive etc.

I'd love to know what happened to guys like Billy Martin, Art Norris, Dante Tagnoli etc.

Also, what happened to their boats

Art Norris a 24 year old Detroiter Won the 1974 APBA High Point Championship in his 36' Cigarette Slap Shot in just his second year of racing. At that time Norris was the VP of the Detroit Red Wings a team his family owned. Art did not return to defend his Championship in 1975, instead he went back to the hockey team. Art Norris did keep ties with power boating, he opened a Magnum dealership.

This story is from a 1974 Powerboat Magazine.

[Black Tornado]

"Snapper" Norris was one of the best 36's driver and him Slap Shot was simply Magnificent!

Go ahead,h2oboater!

[h2oboater]

Speed Trials from 1974, many types of boats raced offshore in California back in the day. This is were many newcomers in the sport started [Hal Sahlman Betty Cook] This is from a 1974 Powerboat Magazine.

[priceb]

Hey Thanks Black Tornado & H20 Boater

But what ever happened to the boat slap shot? Does it still exist? What ever happened to Snapper Norris? Does he still race?

Also, nice to see Billy Martins son on here. What ever happened to your dad's boats?

[Black Tornado]

Originally Posted by h2oboater

Speed Trials from 1974, many types of boats raced offshore in California back in the day. This is were many newcomers in the sport started [Hal Sahlman Betty Cook] This is from a 1974 Powerboat Magazine.

Little story aboat that photos:

The first above on left was one of the three The Cigarette that Don drove in the him triumphant 1969's season. Then it was sold to Balestrieri that drove it to win the world Title in 1970.
In 1971 Balestrieri made to modify the boat being cut it some centimeters under the deck. The boat turned out therefore shortened of 1' becaming a 31' and made to put a deck in marine plywood. After some races failed the boat was abandoned and Balestrieri send it in the Tornado Team in Florida. In USA the boat competed in a race in 1972 drove from the rookie De Angelis before being drove from other rookie,Hal Sahlman in 1974 as The Little Cigarette.
In the right page the Nordskog's Powerboat Magazine,first 35' ever builded. Note the first version of that prototype still with the 36' deck and engines hatches like Richie Powers wrote in a old post.

[priceb]

Originally Posted by Black Tornado

Little story aboat that photos:

In the right page the Nordskog's Powerboat Magazine,first 35' ever builded. Note the first version of that prototype still with the 36' deck and engines hatches like Richie Powers wrote in a old post.

Black Tornado, can you please elaborate on this quote? Can you also go into more detail if possible about whatever happened to it? Also, how similar is the 35' top gun to this boat?