Unlimited Power Torque ~ Seacraft Magazine
With the temporary removal of the Aircraft Engined Hydroplane “AGGRESSOR” and “STAMPEDE” from unlimited open race meetings, the immediate future has been forecast by many as rather gloomy. However a quick tally of racing boats, new and old within Victoria at this time, shows that it will be a good season with a lot of close spectacular racing.
The following is a list of Victorian boats, of which we hope will all appear this season:
PITSTOP (Hydro) Supercharged 426 HEMI CHRYS – DON PREECE
REDLINE (Hydro) Supercharged 500 CHEV – PETER WADE
BIGCAT (Hydro) (New) Supercharged 426 HEMI – BERT BRAUMAN
BLACKNIGHT (Hydro) Supercharged 440 CHRYS – PAT HAWTHORN
MISS COLDSTREAM (Hydro) 390 FORD – RAY ADAMS
EXCITER (Hydro) (New) Supercharged 426 HEMI – TOM WATTS
VULTURE (Hydro) (New) Fuel Inj. 350 CHEV – JOHN LEWIS
HEMI (Displ) Supercharged 426 HEMI – WALLY KOEBECK
CHEETA (Displ) Fuel Inj. 300 Repco HGLDEN – LES RAMSAY
COMBINE (Displ) (New) Fuel Inj. 327 CHEV – HARVEY GUNN
ASSASSIN II (Displ) Fuel Jnj. 300 CHEV – TREVOR MATHEWS
KEVONNE (Displ) (New) 454 CIIEV – KEVIN ANGEL
HISTORY (Displ) Supercharged 427 CIIEV – KEN SMITH
STINGA (Displ) 300 CLIEV – JOHN NASON
If this rather impressive list of possible entries could face the starting flag it would provide a very spectacular season. It seems probable that “AGGRESSOR” will be back on the water again by Xmas time, this will give race personnel from the above boats time to have their machinery in excellent shape to clash with the Reigning Champ.
Other new boats that may make a possible appearance a little later on would be TREVOR MATHEWS in a Gillflite Hydro (picklefork) using a supercharged 426 HEMI engine, also from the same boat builder a new Hydro (picklefork) using a BRABHAM 4.5 litre racing engine owned by MAX RICHARDSON.
Other new boats will be a 300 Displacement boat from LEN HARRIS and a Tunnell- Hulled boat from Jackson Bros Marine, powered by the latest outboard racing engine.
An Unlimited Race Promotion Program to attract interstate entries to all Victorian Major Unlimited Races has been established. It will provide a Pre-Season Calendar of advent, including a personal invitation to all meetings, with as much pre-race information as can be compiled and will be mailed to all unlimited drivers and personnel throughout Australia.
The hopeful result is to attract as many interstate entries as possible, by providing plenty of information (including prize money) to all personnel, well in advance of all Major meetings.
If perhaps it attracts two, three even four interstate entries to clash with current list of 19 or so possible Victorian entries, it will make Unlimited Open Major Races an even greater spectacle than it has been in the past.
Well worthy of mention at this early stage, is—that the manufactures or the now famous Record Racing Jacket, which has now saved many lives, including my own, will be releasing a new jacket complete with parachute. Similar chutes have been compulsory in the Unlimited Racing and Drag Racing in the United States for some time.
It seems highly likely that if DAVE TENNY and LES SCOTT had both been wearing one of these chutes when “AGGRESSOR” cartwheeled at 120 M.P.H. then perhaps neither one may have been injured nearly so badly. The cost of these jackets with chutes will not be cheap, however considering the fantastic amounts of money spent on Unlimited craft, a few more bucks to save a neck would not go astray.
From my point of view with a new Hydro now complete and hearing in mind past experiences with my runabout, I will certainly be the first in line, regard less of cost.
Incidentally the numbers of racing drivers that now owe their life to a Record Race Jacket are steadily increasing; a quick count at this stage would show at least ten fortunate drivers to be in this category.
Lewis, J., 1972, ‘UNLIMITED POWER TORQUE’, SEACRAFT, November.