by Scott Meyers S-81 Meyers Auto Tech
The first race this season in Yelm, WA the Meyers’ Auto Tech S-81 2.5 Stock Hydroplane was a rocket right out of the box, and we set world speed records on both the 1 ¼ mile and the 1 mile courses! Unfortunately, we failed the post-race technical inspection and had to surrender both records.
What happened? Well it’s a little bit hard to explain, but at the end of the day it was my fault. One of the connecting rods had been ground in a manner that is not allowed under the rules, and I had missed it when assembling the engine.
So with heads hung low we drearily came home to lick our wounds. By the next day however, I was fully re-inspired and began the process of assembling a legal motor (hey!… there’s a novel idea!) to run just two weeks later in Moses Lake. Needless to say, I have a new machinist now… thank you Troy.
Off to Moses Lake we went this past weekend and… drum roll please… we broke the record again! But wouldn’t you know it, Dutch Squires (Multi record holder and multi champion) broke the record by a greater margin than we did so he got the crown. Or… did he?
That evening the technical inspector, Bill Thompson, tears Dutch’s motor apart, finds the same problem we had before, and disqualifies him!
Now I need to stop here and let you know that I sure like Dutch a lot… I mean this is really one great guy, and he’s helped us out a lot, and I was trying so hard to feel badly for him… but by golly and by gum! Now that he was disqualified if we could pass inspection the record would be ours!!!!
We rip the motor to shreds… the carburetor checks out ok, the manifold is ok, camshaft, head, valves, all ok. And now it’s time for the money shot… we gotta pull the oil pan and let him inspect the rods. We flip the motor over, remove the bolts, remove the pan, and suddenly Bill starts laughing like crazy. Boy was I relieved… I wasn’t sure if he’d take it humorously or not…
You see, I had written “Hi Bill!” with a sharpie on the new, legal connecting rod before I reassembled the engine! So there it is….
The mighty Meyers’ Auto Tech S-81 2.5 Stock Hydroplane piloted by Jesse Robertson is the new World Record Holder for a 1 ¼ mile course!
World record. The fastest 2.5 Stock Hydroplane in the world. I’m not sure that part has really sunk in just yet.
I gotta tell you something… you folks reading this don’t know just how powerful this group of misfits that make up our team really is. Ours is truly one of those “once in a lifetime” teams that probably looks really goofy from the outside, but inside the tent are some of the best racing minds that I’ve ever known.
The local boys;
Jerod Marin – I love you man. I really do. No one has been closer by my side through this whole project. You all don’t know it, but this kid can drive too. Someday a really great team is gonna realize just how valuable he is and give him a shot in the driver’s seat. He can do it.
John Marin – me and this one go way, waaay back. He first talked me into circle track racing Ford 2.3’s eons ago. I’ll never forgive you John. You guys don’t know this either… John is a track record holder to this day, a many time champion racer, and the best and closest friend I’ve ever had.
Ben Gatewood – I actually pay this guy. No, not to race. He works for me, or rather as I like to say.. we work together. Ben is a workhorse, a good friend, and a level head when I need one. Need it done? Ask Ben. In fact, you won’t need to ask him, he’ll just do it.
The west-siders;
Lee Robertson
Gary Jenson
Steve Schmitz – Get this: I met these three guys racing 1/8th scale nitro r/c hydroplanes! That’s right… toy boat racers have broken the world speed record for full-size hydroplanes!
I have no idea how I became so lucky as to have these guys on our team.
Lee was born to build and race hydroplanes. Gary builds our hardware and it works. Steve is the level-headed thinker that stabilizes the other two.
Here’s how progress is made in this camp; we identify the topic, we discuss it, then we argue about it, then we fight over it, then Steve says “whatever”, Gary goes quiet, Lee gets angry, I get confused, and at the end of it all the boat goes faster! I’ve never had so much fun racing in my life!
Matt deVera – Matt, I believe, came into this gig knowing nothing about hydroplanes. But now he handles the hull, maintains the drive train, and provides the steady, reliable hand that I need throughout each race. I didn’t know that he came with the package when I asked Jesse to drive for me, but I’m awfully glad that he did. What needs to get done, gets done, and it’s done right.
Jesse Robertson – You know, I asked this guy to drive before I ever met him. You’ll think this is silly, but the word around the r/c boat circles was that he was a winner. I remember asking Gary about him… Gary very quietly and carefully said “You won’t be disappointed”. If you knew Gary you’d know that was a rock-solid recommendation.
Well… I’m not disappointed!
I’m gonna hate losing Jesse to a bigger team some day, but I’ll be happy to have been the guy who gave him the start.
