klam99

The Klamath Dyno

Highlights:
We raised a purse of $6000.00, most of which was handed out. The only exceptions
were the classes that didn't have a full turnout.
Golden Bear Casino, a major sponsor, treated the drivers and navigators to
a great dinner and provided a really good band. The casino was hopping that night!
Both days started out cold and damp, typical coast weather. Sunday ended up warm and sunny.
I'd like to put a couple of racers under the spotlight for a moment for shear determination and guts.
The two that stand out are Dwayne Longfellow(244) and Bruce Mills(222).
Now, they don't have the fastest boats or the prettiest boats or the most dollar per foot
boats but what they both have by the sackfull is what to me is the true Whitewater Marathon
Jetboat racers spirit. They will run, anywhere, any water and they will keep on running.
Dwayne made EVERY race this year. Bruce made EVERY race except the Clearwater.
Dwayne and his stalwart navigator made every race with ailing motors, lost grates, etc. etc.
Bruce and his son raced every single race. They weren't the fastest, they weren't the shiniest,
but they were THERE. And they finish if it's even remotely possible. (Donnie, don't think I've
forgetten about you and your practically unmatched charge in Unlimited class the last two years either.)
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While wiping bugs from his face shield, Bruce did the big loop-de-loop on a gravel bar a little
below Huffman's cabin and got five broken ribs for it. He lay there on the sandbar and told
his son NOT to raise the red flag on any of the race boats but to only raise it when the sweep
boat came by. Steve Zimmerman and family were pulling safety boat duty up at Denver's place
and they ended up taking Bruce to the Glen ramp where the ambulance was waiting. He spent
a while in the hospital then checked himself out and headed back to the motel where I went
and talked to him. The guy is incredible! Here he is, flat on his back in a motel room, groaning as
he chews a piece of steak because the broken ends of his ribs are grating against each other
and his biggest concern at the moment was finding someone to drive the boat (222)
Ricochet Rabbit the next day.
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At the same time, Dwayne had hacked 244 back together so many times there was nothing
left but bent and broken parts, so they tied it down on the trailer and called it quits. I saw
Dwayne do damn near the same thing at Boatnik. Anything required to finish the race is the least
those two in 244 will do.Anyway, the next morning Bruce's son ran across Dwayne and
Dwayne ended up driving the Rabbit sunday. No points, no extra money, just plain old
W.M.J. racing in the truest fashion. This was the kind of racing and racers I signed up for.
If I was looking for all the other BS that has become fashionable lately, I would have
bought a stock car, (shudder) a PWC or maybe even a BMW.
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My hat (if I wore one) is off to both teams and crews from both boats. Good Job.
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I don't know for sure about the rest of C-class, but I had a heck of a good time with the
two at a time heads up races we tried this year. I think the other guys liked it too, even though
it wasn't a real whitewater race. It was definitely a hit with the spectators. The Marysville Flash,
Mike Messick dominated the weekend and took first with Sam Waller hot on his tail in second.
Two fast boats and two fast drivers! Third place was a tie between us and Joe Ross's Ms. Gold Beach.
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The Chandlers debuted the Danger Zone reincarnated as a Kwik Kraft. For having been
built in something like 28 hours it ran very well. I think? it's the same motor that was in the
black boat, but am not sure. Phil ably handled the driving with the Chandler's son Will navigating.
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Ben Rachor and Steve Larson nailed B-class, Jim Vantress was second in the also-recently-built-in
less-than-two weeks Kwik Kraft. What is it about those Kwik Krafts that makes you want to just
run out in the shop and fling one together? Is it some kind of a Lego Maniac thing? Anyway, Ben
and Steve were the second fastest boat overall.  I think Donnie Smith and 357 Magnum were not
having a good weekend but he kept plugging away at it, probably not nearly as speedily as he
would have liked. Donnie's thing is to finish, any way he can, no matter what. That's what the
marathon part of the name means and that's the way the rules are set up.
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