Leroy was a Tacoma Longshoreman, as I was,
and is the person responsible for getting me started in hydroplane racing.
He was in my father's "gang" and in mine for 25 years. In the early
days on the waterfront before containerization we worked in gangs made
up of 8 men who always worked together on the ships. Leroy was a very talented
person as he made and designed the 1st cabover hydroplane in the Pacific
Northwest for Armand Yapachino who just celebrated his 82nd birthday and
is planning to campaign his Karelsen designed hydro in select races in
Region 10 this coming season. Armand is the only surviving charter member
of the Tacoma Inboard Racing Association.
Little Chris A-42 rounding the buoys at speed
Photo used with permission from the Crimmin Collection - photo by Eileen
Crimmin
Used by permission of Ned Crimmin from "The Crimmin Collection"
Leroy Little with his fast Falcon powered 150 cu in hydro.
Note the plywood grain brought to a highlight by a blowtorch.
Chris Little, for whom Leroy's hydroplane was named after.
Chris Little again.
Of special interest is the 6 Volkswagen carburetors on methanol, one
of many configurations Leroy experimented with.
A must stop at Tiny's Fruit Stand on the way home from an eastern Washington
race for fresh fruit.
Little Chris on Green Lake at Seattle
Photo - George Mattson 1965
Written on back of photo
Outside
Leroy Little - Owner/Driver - Tacoma, WA
Little Chris A-42 - 150 cu in hydroplane
This boat is the only nationally ranked hydro in this class from the
Pacific Northwest.
He ranks 4th in the nation.
Boat is 16' homemade cabover designed by Leroy. |
Inside
Lock Madil - Owner/Driver - Vancouver, Canada BC
in
Spitfire II - 150 cu in hydroplane
Little Chris - 2nd overall
Spitfire II - 4th overall
|
Photo by George Mattson
Photo taken July 30, 1965 at Green Lake - Seattle, WA
Little Chris under construction.
Leroy replacing a sponson bottom runner & putting on the aluminum
on Little Chris.
Joya - Mia 16-E
Armand Yapachino
Joya - Mia 16-E
The other hdyro built by Leroy Little. Note the drop down sponsons
on this hull.
Falcon engine with homemade tri-y manifolds for SU carbs.
Leroy cut the intake log off the Falcon head with a hacksaw and made
patterns for each intake and cast them in his homemade foundry.
Note the Mallory Rev-Pol distributor & coil.
Little Chris on Lake Washington during 1966 National Championships.
Photo used with permission from the Crimmin Collection - photo by Eileen
Crimmin
Used by permission of Ned Crimmin from "The Crimmin Collection"
Leroy made this homemade fuel injection with cast aluminum megaphone
headers.
Leroy sold his hydroplane to Jack Holstin who painted it and called
it HiJacker.
Leroy examining his homemade cast aluminum intake manifold for Dick
Rupe's Kelp Cutter with 221 cu in Ford.
This manifold is now in possession of Joe Schulte who has had the Colcock
Kelp
Cutter restored by Allan Blide.
Props I have made by Leroy Little. Leroy designed and cast propellers.
Two are raw unfinished castings. The three little ones are for a 48
or 91 cu in hydro.
The chrome plated ones are for 150 cu in and 280 cu in hydros.
I lost contact with the last owner of Leroy's boat as he retired from
Boeing and moved.
I heard the boat was in a field behind a house in the Federal Way area.
Leroy passed away a few years back shortly after he retired.
© Story by Randy Wold
© Chris Little |
