Owner/driver
Bill
Fisk and his first exciting drive (130+ mph)
in
a Grand Prix
hydroplane at Valleyfield in July of 1998.
Steve Kuhr, driving
the new cabover Irishman GNH-317, flying side by side with me driving
my
vintage Irishman GP-317.
The
"Vintage
Irishman" and the "Original Irishman" side
by side in the
pits at Dayton
photo
by Judy Fisk
Getting ready to run at the 1998 Clayton Raceboat
Regatta
.................................photo
by Bob Silva...............................
Bill
and a little "Air Time" with "The Irishman"
Clayton
Raceboat Regatta
photo
by Phil Kunz
Bill
on the back straight with Buddy Byers in Chrysler Queen
Clayton
Raceboat Regatta 1998
photo
by Phil Kunz
Bill
side by side with Bob Larimore's old Heavy Duty
owned and driven by Bill
Wynn.
Clayton
Raceboat Regatta 1998
photo
by Phil Kunz
Madison
Unlimited Governor's Cup 1998.
Denny
Lemm put us in a great pit location between the Miss Madison
& the Budweiser
Here's
the hard working "Crew" Bill and Judy along with Chuck Holmes at the
1998
Madison Regatta.
What
a pit location!
Missing
were Jim & Jon Orbanek.
Carl
Joshlin watches The Irishman fly over the Budweiser.
Carl's
been with Bernie Little since the early 1960s and gave
Judy
and I a great tour of the Bud transporters. Thanks Carl!
Getting
ready for my run at Madison.
This
shot was taken just after the "Bud" flew over me and I got to check out
an unlimiteds bottom.
Hey,
how about it I'm in front of the "Budweiser".
"The
Irishman" coming down the front straight just after running under the
Madison
bridge.
As
you can tell by the opening picture on this web page Mark Evans driver
of the Pico unlimited really liked the looks of "The Irishman" on the
course.
He
gave us a hand loading the hydro back on the trailer, then tried out my
drivers seat. GREAT GUY !! Thanks for showing the interest Mark.
Bill
after running "The Irishman" at Madison
with
Mark Evans driver "Pico" U-100 unlimited
Vintage
Lauterbach hydros at Crystal Lake in Redwood NY Oct. 1998.
Floyd
Waterson made arrangements with the Fishers Landing Racing Club (FLRC)
to run the Vintage Inboards in the morning as part of their Stock
Outboard
event.
Once
the sun came out and melted the ice everyone had some great water time.
"The
Irishman" passing some cottages on the back straight at Crystal Lake
around
115 mph.
photo
by Judy Fisk
"The
Irishman" powering through the second turn at Crystal Lake.
photo
by Judy Fisk
Vintage
Inboard Hydro group after a fantastic weekend at Crystal Lake NY 1998.
Getting ready to
take Irishman out for some fun!
Photo
by Christian Bergeron at Valleyfield in 1998.
Bill's
1st GP run in "The Irishman" at the 1998 Regates de Valleyfield.
photo
by F.Peirce Williams
Bill
with his best friend and full time "Crew Chief" Judy in the Vintage
display
area at Valleyfield, Quebec.
This
was the beginning of a great summer full of "fast boats" and meeting
great
"fast boat people".
"The
Irishman" ran fantastic all season and we're looking forward to more
super
"fast boat" experiences.
Hey,
just mention you saw this web site and you can try the driver's seat on
for size at the next race. Bring your camera !!!
Bill
running over 130 mph in the "no wake" zone.
1998
Dayton Hydrobowl
photo
by Judy Fisk
Bill
trying out the drivers seat in "Slo-mo-shun" U-37 unlimited.
1995
Lake Tahoe Boat Show
Bob
Schroeder driving the "WILDROOT CHARLIE" U-54 in Buffalo NY on the
Niagara
River
Photo
from Pete Hackett
"Miss
AMERICA VII" U-14 RUNS AGAIN
Owners
Jeff & Barb Magnuson
ENJOY
, WE SURE DID !!!
Thanks
Jeff & Barb
Photos
taken by Bill Fisk Hammondsport NY 7/99
I enjoy anything
that can be raced and goes
fast. My racing career began in Microds at age 9 when I became to old
and
had to retired at 13. After High School , College and 4 years in the
Air
Force it was back to racing. First on 2 wheels Motocross and a little
Flatrack
motorcycles, then after getting run over a few times I got into Sprint
Karts.
I am a past Avon N.Y.Track and Cam Am Champion in IKF, racing single
and
twin engine Karts. Next step was into Enduro or roadracing with Coyote
Products
from Spencerport N.Y. I spent 6 years racing on all the major tracks on
the
east coast from Watkins Glen to Daytona. It was competition in WKA at
its
best with high speeds (115 ) racing for trophies and I've got a room
full
to prove it. In 1978 was the highlight of my Karting career when I won
the
WKA Open Heavy National Point Championship. Next after a major crash at
Mid
Ohio (but I was in the lead) Judy and I got into boating. First it was
for
recreation, then we saw an Antique Boat Show in Clayton N.Y. in 1982
and
we were hooked. Wooden boat collecting has been our hobby since and
we've
enjoyed many unique experiences. Then in 1991 John Clark started
talking
about a Raceboat Regatta of Vintage Raceboats in Clayton sometime in
1992.
Well, I was ready for a little more speed and the pictures on this web
page
are the results.
If you can supply
any information or pictures
of these Raceboats
Blue-Bye-U
SK-421
1964 Glen-L 17'
Flatbottom
Powered by a 421
Super Duty Pontiac thru a Halibrand V-Drive
Bill & Judy
running Fly-bys at the 1994 Clayton Raceboat Regatta
Photo by Karine
N. Rodengen
Tradition GNH-88
Owner/Driver Pierre
Villeneuve
"Budget Buster"
A-33 & E-30
Drivers Ray Lynn
Jr. & Sr.
Built 1962 by Harold
Ruark
powered by a Buick
V-8
Ray Lynn Sr. running
as E-30 won the 1970 Red Bank National Sweepstakes Trophy in this hull.
Doc's
Rocket
A-47
Dayton 1972
Owner Rudy Gurley
| Driver Doc. Davis
Came To Play
A-150
Clayton Raceboat
Regatta 1992
Owner/Driver Bill
Fisk
"
DIXIE BABY " I
- 32
1926
MSVPBA 725
Class
Stepped
V-Drive
Hydro Powered by a 725 "Hisso"
Original
Owner L.A.Layne
"The Houston Wildcat"
Winner
"Webb Trophy"
and the 1928 "Richfield Oil Cup"
Presented
to Layne
by Charles Lindbergh
| Coming back into
the pits after a few laps out on the course. The Irishman
lost a
piston/rod in Sept. 1999 in Toronto during an exhibition run. But all
was
not lost as that's how my vintage hydroplane ended up being used as a
pit
prop in the Miss Madison movie. I was then able to
spend time working
as a crew member on the movie, helping out with the unlimited vintage
hydroplanes
featured in the movie. In the off season, we rebuilt a 427 Chevrolet
motor
for the hull. The engine block started out as a stock bore Tall Deck
that
a local drag racer was going to build into a blower motor. The block
was
overbored .030", Oliver billet rods, Ross forged pistons,
full roller
Isky cam kit, and lots of dollars. The engine ended up at around 625 hp
which really keeps my reflexes sharp when I hit the GO pedal. |
 |
 |
Throughout the summers,
my crew chief
Judy and I have
a blast traveling and running the hydroplane at:
Detroit
Gold
Cup - Detroit, Michigan
Hydro Bowl
- Dayton, Ohio
Antique
Raceboat
Regatta - Clayton, New York
Madison
Governor's
Cup - Madison, Indiana
Crystal
Lake
and Buffalo Classic Boat shows in New
York
GP America
- Tonawanda, New York
Wine
Country
Antique Boat Show
National
Offshore
Race - Toronto, Ontario
Regates
de Valleyfield
- Valleyfield, Quebec |
For
display &
promotional information contact:
Bill
Fisk - Williamson,
New York phone (315) 589-8242
See
you at the next
Raceboat Regatta!
© Bill
Fisk
Back to the
boats
|
