This web page will feature the next hull
that campaigned under the Wa Wa too name and was built by Henry
Lauterbach in 1963. This hull replaced the Wa Wa too hull
that was built by Henry Lauterbach in 1958.
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The next 4 photos are of the new tear drop
sponson deck design by Lauterbach.
In the early 60's, Ritner and Lauterbach
wanted the Kilo record that Sid Street and the Z-Z-Zip had.
Thus the streemlining of the sponsons. Henry built several more boats with
those sponsons. There were two or three Miss Washington DC's,
two or three Miss Crazy Thing's and many other 150 and 225's.
When the Miss Peg showed up at the Southland in St. Pete with her
skid fin behind the sponson and set the record, the tear drop sponson went
away because the water created too much lift. |
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If you will note, all the late model Lauterbach's
went back to his original sponson design.
All 4 of these photos taken in July 1963
at the Eastern Divisionals, Clarksville, VA. This is a brand new
boat just completed by Lauterbach. This is her second race. The first race
was at Hampton, Va. the week before. At Hampton, the boat was not painted
(just primer) and did not have drain holes in the transom. |
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Henry Lauterbach drove the new boat and
Skeeter Johnson drove the old boat. They finished first and second respectively.
The boat went back to Lauterbach’s shop and was finished in time to go
to the Divisional race the next weekend.
Skeeter won the race in his first time
in the boat. |
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A young Larry Lauterbach looking over his
father’s creation. |
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Photos of the Wa Wa
Too Chevy engine at Walt Stevenson’s shop taken in July 1963.
| These 3 photos taken at Bill Ritner’s construction
company yard in August 1963 a week after the Divisionals at Clarksville.
The boat was taken back to Lauterbach’s shop after the race and was finished,
as well as refitted to the trailer. Lauterbach was very interested in the
exhaust system on the record setting 135 hydro Avenger. |
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| He talked Ritner into a similar system
as you can see in the photos. The boat had a real neat sound, but performance
was not enhanced as thought. The pipes were replaced with short headers
in September. Note the protective coating on the windshield has not been
removed. |
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|
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Driver Skeeter Johnson (left) and Henry
Lauterbach, Jr. |
Skeeter posing on the boat. Note the zoomie
exhaust pipes that replaced the collected header pipes from August, earlier
in the year. |
The old station wagon was replaced by a
new flat bed truck.
© 2003
Brent
McLean
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