Outboard Tunnel Racing Pictures from the past to the present!!!

[RonShaw]

Lohring,

I had no idea you had already built an XTR120 electric. I picked up a new hull from Alfred a month ago for an FE Tunnel. Thought I would build a P-Spec which is really popular. Can you help me with setup and CG?

That's a great LeeCraft racing pic with the rear boat completely out of the water. I'm sure that was a non-recoverable lift-off!!! The graphics looks like the website pic. Is that Alfred's boat?

 

[lohring]

My XTR-21 was my first attempt at a P spec tunnel. It had the cowl altered so it taped down and made the whole boat the radio box. Today I would build a radio box cut into the tank hump like Brian''s Top Speed (post 11). I'm currently running a wood version of the XTR-21 with a different center section and 1" added to the sponson rear. The transom is in the same position giving an XT-460 look. I can check that boat for the setup and CG. Small battery moves to adjust the CG are very helpful.

Lohring Miller

 

[RonShaw]

My XTR-21 was my first attempt at a P spec tunnel. It had the cowl altered so it taped down and made the whole boat the radio box. Today I would build a radio box cut into the tank hump like Brian''s Top Speed (post 11). I'm currently running a wood version of the XTR-21 with a different center section and 1" added to the sponson rear. The transom is in the same position giving an XT-460 look. I can check that boat for the setup and CG. Small battery moves to adjust the CG are very helpful.

Lohring Miller

Thanks Lohring. That's very helpful. If you ever decide to mold that modified wood version of the XTR-120, please let me know. I would love love the have a 20 version that copies the 460 look, and with the extended rear sponsons, the running characteristics as well. What engine and ESC are you using? Thanks again for your help.

 

[Ronald van Essen]

On the website of brandonmodelboaters there is a picture where you see a collection of old pictures with a note on it: a day at the races.

Someone of this club could help me or us out and maybe post some..........

Ronald

 

[MattHench]

Here's some pics from '94, got some Hot Shots, yellow one was my first boat, then a DPI 1/4 scale, and if i remember right the 7.5 is a A/C hull

from canada, and a killer 7.5 tunnel by Bandit won in a raffle at the '94 APBA nats, I took them with my phone so there kinda blurry, Matt.

 

[julianconde]

here are the pics of the boats i have owned

julian

 

[Joe R]

Here's one from the past. My self queens.

 

[RonShaw]

Hey tunnel guys!!!! Let's see some more of your pics, (especially older pics), from the past!!!!......

 

[Ronald van Essen]

Here's one from the past. My self queens.

The yellow boat in front....must be the replica of the famous Dutch driver Cees van der Velden.( who past away already)

Great.

 

[Baxter Walton]

2001

 

[Carl Van Houten]

About the first picture, I wasn't at that race but I remember hearing about it for years. Talley loves to tell about the good ole days. That is Beth Lee spotting for Tommy Lee, Ron Talley spotting for his brother Mike Talley (the driver next tot Tommy). Mike and Tommy went to a lot of races together. They went over there to that race because they kept hearing about Ottos new Throphy Boat. Tommy called Mike Talley and said, let's go see what this is all this talk is about. I think Tommy took 1st and Talley took 2nd at that race.

 

[RonShaw]

About the first picture, I wasn't at that race but I remember hearing about it for years. Talley loves to tell about the good ole days. That is Beth Lee spotting for Tommy Lee, Ron Talley spotting for his brother Mike Talley (the driver next tot Tommy). Mike and Tommy went to a lot of races together. They went over there to that race because they kept hearing about Ottos new Throphy Boat. Tommy called Mike Talley and said, let's go see what this is all this talk is about. I think Tommy took 1st and Talley took 2nd at that race.

Carl,

Thanks so much for the updates to the picture I posted to start this thread. I used some of your post to update my original one. That was one of my very first major races and I was already all about tunnels at that point. I took that picture after seeing a lot of the tunnel drivers I had only heard or read about, on the drivers stand all at once. You made a mark yourself with your Aerotech design, as it took the LeeCraft bottom to a different level by adding extra beam and top deck design, that many of us still say today, was one of the best 40 mod rough water boats we have ever raced. Maybe you should pull those molds back out??????.............

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Ron,

Many a screaming K&B 8702's died a miserable death pushing the old Aerotech...LOL. If you lived in a coastal area, it was the boat to have. My goal was to pass Tommy down the straights and NOBODY on earth could do it back then. It drove us all crazy. We all took some serious butt kicking from ole Tommy. I will look for some of my old pictures. I have some old VHS videos form Stone Mountain, Swanee Lake and some from a pond below Birmingham back around 1984 or 85.

-Carl,

 

[RonShaw]

Ron,
Many a screaming K&B 8702's died a miserable death pushing the old Aerotech...LOL. If you lived in a coastal area, it was the boat to have. My goal was to pass Tommy down the straights and NOBODY on earth could do it back then. It drove us all crazy. We all took some serious butt kicking from ole Tommy. I will look for some of my old pictures. I have some old VHS videos form Stone Mountain, Swanee Lake and some from a pond below Birmingham back around 1984 or 85.

-Carl,

Carl,

I hope you can find some of those old pics to post. It did drive a lot of us crazy trying to catch Tommy. He was a master tunnel racer for sure. Their family experiences with full size tunnel design, building, and racing I believe gave him lots of ideas to experiment with and try. I raced against him many times and can only remember a few heats that I was able to wedge myself into the first lane before the start and hold that lane for six full laps against him. He would always pull us on the straights and when he got around, he was gone!!!!!!......... If his equipment was right and his stuff dialed in, he would ALWAYS win the race.............

 

[RonShaw]

I haven't seen any posts for a while. Does anyone else have some of the older pictures from years past they can share with everyone? I am still looking for anyone that may have pictures from the NAMBA Nationals in Bristol, PA in 1993.... Thanks.

 

[Ronald van Essen]

Here are two pictures of which I don't know anything, looking like some experimental tunnels....

http://i692.photobuc...s1/MVC-030S.jpg

http://i692.photobuc...s1/MVC-027S.jpg

 

[Mark Poole ModVP]

Ron, first pic is a Switzer Wing, actually more of a stepped hydro ram wing than a tunnel. Second pic is a big Ron Jones built tunnel with 3 Mercury stackers. Those were the days!!

 

[bob miller]

what is joey le junne doing now ?....i bought my first aerotech from joey long time ago....i think you could order aerotechs from tower hobbies back in the 80's....bob

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Bob,

Joey and I were partners until he shipped out five boats to some Jack-Leg before he got payment for them. LOL

I am not sure where Joey is these days. He has had numerous jobs that have kept him on the road. I am sure he has not raced a boat in 20 years. We invited him to come to race at our site about 6 years ago but I never heard from him. Joey and Tommy Lee would always get into it before the weekend was over back then. I remember the fist time I ever saaw somebody pass Tommy Lee...it was Joey! Back then nobody could pass Tommy. People that could run a quarter of a lap behind him thought they had done something.

I was calliing for Joey at a race in Mobile and he had zipped by Tommy going into bouey #4 and blew him off the water and I heard something going on beside me and when I looked over and Tommy was beating Joey over the head with his antenna. So funny even now. I remember it like it was yesterday. Ole Joey had one thing on his mind when he got to the race and that was to out run Tommy no matter what it took. I wish i had that on tape.

-Carl

 

[RonShaw]

Carl,

I sure wish you had a video of that to share. In my early years, I was fortunate to see many races Tommy dominated. I can only remember seeing one person pass Tommy in all those years and it was in Greenville, SC. Karl Sturm and Tommy raced side by side for 6 laps in 20 mod tunnel before Karl passed him on the last lap, just beating Tommy by a half of a boat length at the line. Many people that were either in that race or watching will always remember it. I would say 99% of the races he was in, he either finished first, or didn't finish........ .