Lake X, Mercury, and Racing Names
 

OK Lake X, Mercury, and Boat Racing Aficionados, get your memory hats on. Some time back, I said I would post a list of names that I had typed a few years ago, IF I could find it on this darn computer. Well, I finally found it and realized it is not as extensive as I had thought. Also, through this site and S&F, I have found out what did happen to some of them and re-established contact with others. Therefore, I have removed their names from the list, which made it even smaller. I will also post this on S&F, "Life at Lake X in the 60's". Anyway, the list follows. If you can add any information on these folks, please do. Best Regards to all - Steve Sirois
The list -
Freddy Kiekhaefer.
Anita Kiekhaefer.
Helen Kiekhaefer
Freda Kiekhaefer
Mabry Edwards
Jim Wagner
Jean Wagner
Joe Anderson
Red Anderson
Jake Andrson
Pete Anderson
Chet Strickland
Dale Thayer
Gene Wagner
George Anderson
Ed Finley
Billy Steele
Joe Swift
Dave Adams
Billy Marshall
Bob Eider
Pete Brogan
Joel Dumbolten
Clarence Pennel
Rachel (Lake X Maid)
Charlie Rush
Jim Emerson
Izzy Lashmore
Dave Martin
Jim Tebo
Wayne Vickers
Mel Riggs
Odell Lewis
Mike Ramsey
John Stenbeck
Roger Stenbeck
Ed Luthie
Gene (midshift)
Wayne Meyer
Roy Ridgell
Jim Stough
George Thompson
Gene Berg
John Laterneau
Johnny Bakos
Red Crise
Shirley Schwebbes
Ted Collins
Bruce Pfeiffer
John Flood
Al Copeland
Doug Janisch
Larry Smith
Cotton Simms
Dean Schallenberger
George (tower)
Sammy James
Jake Trotter
Jim Bruell
Jim Armington
Buckeye Marine
Barry Cohen
**** Clark
Jerry Gilbreath
Jack Gilbreath
Jim Harkins
Dave Stirrat
Bob Magoon
Barry Cordingly
Jerry Howard
Ray Dowling
Dave Martin
Bill Davis
Eddie Morenz
Ed Leslie

Seeroy: That`s an intense list, few names to add,
Bobby Ridgell
Phil Shanks
The Anderson daughters- Doris and ?????
I grew up with the Andersons, mainly crazy Jake. We used to raid the Siesta Key test base all the time, Jake was allowed to use one of the 14` Crosby`s with a merc. 400 on it, we used to terrorize the bay with the thing, We used to set it in like the fourth pin hole and let her eat, thing would porpoise and jump like crazy, we would load it up with kids and raise hell from dawn to dusk. It is a miracle we were all never killed. Jake got into some serious trouble when he stole the batteries out of the chanel markers, feds came down on him, I never did get caught, Brian Martel got caught with him, Remember, Marty`s fish camp by the front gate, we used to eat lunch there all the time, Marty was grumpy old man.
As for your list, some I know about most I don`t. Dave Martin is around, Gene Wagner is in N.C. John Stenback is in N.C. I think with Reggie.
You forgot Marty Bousinger in stock room, and Gene Lanham.
Barry Cohen owns the old Ghost Rider and shows it in NY. boat show. Bakos is in Fond du lac.. Magoon and Lanham are in Colorado. Jim Emerson is still with Mercury new X site. Mel Riggs is in Wisc. Doug Janisch has Parkinson`s lives by Okeechobee. Sammy James is in same area.
I`m sure Brownie can shed some light, on many of these people as well.
Good list, we should make more, afterall we really have no history for our past racing people and adventures, Offshore, OPC etc. we are probably one of the only sports to have no good recorded history. You can`t go to a library and read about the history, other than a handful of books. We need to do something about it while we are still kicking. It would be nice to be remembered, thanks to Charlie M. and the works of Crouse, it`s a start. For a motor sport that at one time had more deaths per year than any other sport in the world, you would think we could and would remember those who past. I tend to get on the box from time to time about our history, hope everyone understands. The people in the sport today seems it is just that all for today, and no past. SHAME !!!!!!!!!
All for now.
7XCHAMP
P.S. add my name to the list, I was there from 1967 to 1971 at Merc. Then Aeromarine from 1971 to 1982. Retired from racing in 1994.

I showed the first modern Volvo drive, the 200, on a 16' Donzi at the Jacksonville boat show in November 1964. Billy Steele, Joe Swift, and Norm Poole offered me their first born children if I would stop at Lake X on the way home and let them look at it. NFW. I was never at the lake until the '80's, when I was with Cougar. I was the 'other guy', remember?

What about: Jimmie Bruel, Jake Trotter, Danny Dereau, George Perroni, Dave Stirret, Barry Cordingly, Ed Leslie, and Eddie Morenz.
Those were the local pioneers, so to speak. All contributed to the history.?????????????
7XCHAMP

Lake X
 

Seeroy: Just remembered another: Stan Adrien.
**** Genth`s right hand man, co-driver etc. Was with us in Fondulac when we built the 29` Formulas at the boat house with Wayne Meyer ( Mr. Happy ). Quick story.
Jerry Howard and I borrowed Waynes Golf cart one night to go from the shop to the boat house where the travel lift was. As you know wayne`s golf cart was absolute off limits to any body from Lake X or racing division, well we were young and dumb and said what the hell. Of course you couldn`t just use the cart, we had to see how big of a wheelie we could get, and of course how fast we could get it going.
Well!!!! the trip back from the boathouse to the shop, with no lights, balls out, can`t see your hand in front of your face, we smacked into a trailer tongue stickin out a little to far. Threw us both out on the gravel, ripped us up like crazy, and totaled the cart. Talk about deep duty the next day. It sure was cold around that shop for the rest of the time we were there. God damned Lake X guys.
7XCHAMP

Good stories Richie. You should have denied all knowledge of Waynes golf cart, but your bruises would probably have given you away. I always enjoyed one of Wayne's sayings about water. He said, "Don't drink water, fish f*** in it." By the way Phil Schenk is still in Sarasota. I spent some time with him a year or so ago. He still has that incredible sense of humor despite some significant health problems. Jim Hauser has communicted with Phil on a pretty regular basis and keeps me informed. I wish we could get Phil on this site. He could tell some great stories. At the Lake we called him PE, Bill was BL, I was Neal, and Chet Strickland was CL. Chet once told me that he wanted a son so he could give him a name with the same initials as his own. His full name is Chester Leon Strickland. I asked him what he was going to name his son in order to provide the same initials. He said it would be "Chichi Luigi". There were times around the guys at the Lake that I laughed harder than any other time in my life. As you have said in some of your posts, and me in mine, we were all just kids having a good time and not knowing what incredible future experiences we were in for. I don't even think we knew what a great time we were having at the moment. Some of the names you wondered about are those that I removed from my list because I had already found out about them. Thanks to your previous post, I now know about even more of them. One of my greatest regrets is that I did not attend the Lake X reunion that took place shortly before Schwebby died. I had told him I would be there and then had to back out. I was in school to learn a new airplane and just could not break loose. As to Jake Anderson...I remember stories of him, and probably you with him, chasing cormorants around Osprey Bay with a small Powercat, trying to suck them down the tunnel. Seems that on one occassion, one of them came over the top of the tunnel and did what they always did when they were spooked off of their perch on the channel markers. I guess Jake got pretty well pooped on. We both need to tell more stories about those very early days. I think I once told you about the night I invented the "Moganeater" following a wild party at your house in Sarasota. :D -Steve

I can't wait until I'm old and crusty so I can post on here about Lake X and offshore racing from the late 90's into the millenium. Come on 2028!:party-smiley-048:

uh........ no.


:p

Joker - As I used to tell the young Fighter Pilots when I had reverted to only flying Transports, "I have been where you are. You can only hope to get where I am......and still be alive!" :cool-smiley-011: -Steve

Lake X, Mercury, and Racing Names
 

Do any of you rember my father, Frank G. Brown III. He and Mark Hauptner were Mercury Dealers in Palm Beach County.
He told me many stories about Lake X. He also raced in a few of the Bahama 500 races(SeaCraft # 31), and the Gateway Marathon's, etc...

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...read.php?t=138

Dad passed away June 2nd 2010....


Frank G. Brown IV
[email protected]