I have received many requests for my personal history of boat racing. To do this I am starting with my history from high school in 1943 as the events that followed are all a part of what and how I became successful in racing in general. I would like to further state I will name people that I was involved with and I apologize to any I may inadvertently leave out.

 1943 to 1946: 
I was able to attend a Technical High School where I majored in the ALLISON & ROLLS-ROYCE V12 and the PRATT & WHITNEY 9 & 18 cylinder aircraft engines. I had a fabulous instructor who not only taught me about the basics of nuts & bolts, but, most important, he worked with me many hours after school explaining how cam timing worked, magnetos & ignition timing, carburetion, differences in metals and why they were used, etc. About this time I built my first racing engine, which was a CUSHMAN SCOOTER. I bolted a plate to the piston to raise the compression and had the camshaft built up with electric weld and ground my own camshaft timing (on a bench grinder). I was able to raise the speed from about 40 mph to over 70 mph.
 Also at this time I was able to get a job doing minor repairs on ARMY aircraft engines at the Miami, FL, airport even though I was only about 15 years old. This lasted until a “bird colonel” saw me working on his P40 and had a hizzy; so they let me go. I then went to work as a diesel engine mechanic even though I had no formal instruction in diesels.

 1950: 
I took a year of diesel school in Memphis, TN. My final exam grade was 99.7% and we argued about who was right about the .3 %. They made a plaque (my first trophy) saying I made the highest grade of anyone who ever attended their schools anywhere in the USA.

 1951: 
I worked building engines and racing stock cars on the South Florida tracks. Although I did well at this, I did not like the environment and soon dropped out.
 
 

1956 Road Race - 1st place

1952 to 1963:  I started racing motorcycles and did very well. Back then you could not buy “racing bikes”; instead I converted a street motorcycle. I chose a brand that I liked, built-up the engine and won many motor-cross (dirt) races but it was not suitable for hard surface racing (road racing & flat track). I did race twice “on the beach” at Daytona but the best I did was about 10th. I also road raced a VINCENT BLACK SHADOW (the fastest production motorcycle at that time; about 140 mph) I souped it up and was running about 170 mph top speed, plus a VINCENT LIGHTNING for drag racing. Got it under 8 seconds in a ¼ mile.

AMA professional racing

1956 - 1/4 mile 7.996 seconds

1958 motorcross - 1st place
 

 
In addition, I was very good at endurance runs (cross country events in which you had to maintain a set speed like 24 mph and you lost points if you were early or late at various check points). Back then you did the calculations in your head as you drove. In about 11 years a good friend and I won about 98% of these events. I had a perfect score approximately 25 times (no points lost). I was one of only two people in the State of Florida that had a “Class A Enduro” license. My last race was at West Palm Beach in 1963.

1963 last race - 1st place

1967: 
I was returning from a fishing trip when I chanced across a boat race in the Miami Marine Stadium and stopped to watch. 
I went into the pits after the race and talked to some of the drivers as I was immediately drawn to this sport. 
As if pre-destined, I was discussing this later with a motorcycle customer William (Hutch) Hutchins, known for outboard racing, 
and he told me about a local made 280 that was for sale, Viola. 

 I bought my first racing hydroplane E184 with a Chevy and trailer for $1000. 
I named it TIGER, as this was one of the model motorcycles I sold and I was already known as TIGER from my motorcycle racing. 
I joined the Florida Inboard Racing Club (I became president later) and became good friends with all the members, especially John Onkey, who was successful racing the BALD EAGLE 280.
 
 

Marathon Race Photo

For the next two years I did extensive testing on both his boat and mine. I not only worked on the engines but also studied the aerodynamics of the top of the boats and cowlings and the shape and effects of the sponsons. Alas, the best I could do was a few 2nds. I did run it in a marathon race from Miami to Key Largo, a round trip distance of about 140 miles run over two days. I installed an EXTRA 12 gallon tank in the front and was running out of gas at the end of each direction. I won this event and received a nice trophy.
 

Tiger Two E-772

1968 to 1970: 
I bought a brand new Lauterbach 280, E-772 from its owner in Newport, Ky. 
Again I was not really succeeding in the 280 class.
 

Sayonara E-129

A few more 2nd places and I sold the boat, and bought a used 280, Sayonara E-129 from Tom Sheehy that had been winning.

Try as I may I still was running mostly 2nds and a couple of 1sts. 
I also tried the Plymouth engine and ran faster but burned out the main bearings four times; once while leading the Eastern Divisional. 
Finally I altered the lubrication system and kept mine and several other local racers engines together. 

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SHERMAN R. POLHAMUS
228 ALTA AVE.
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060
831-429-9793

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