BABCOCK: Not quite. We established four major goals. 1. We would aim at a 1969 racing year with the boat ready by December 1969 and initial testing done in California. 2. We would attempt to raise the 1-2/3 mile course record from 93.072 mph set in 1965 by Bill Sterett to over 100 mph. 3. We would try to ahow any prospective 7-litre owner/racer that you could campaign vigorously on the local, regional, and national circuit-about 19 regattas-with one engine and comparative low expense while putting on as fine a show as the Unlimited Class with its huge trailers of gear, special equipment, high money expenditures and constant maintenance problems. 4. We hoped this effort would create new interest in Limited Inboard hydros. Since the Unlimiteds hadn't appreciably altered their speeds, format or record in many years, and had killed six fine drivers in a relatively short span of time, it seemed to me tit not enough was being done to develop interest in the fastest (by power-to-weight ratio), most interesting, colorful class of inboards, namely, the 7-litres.
To achieve these goals we gave thee power assignment to Keith Black, asking for 1,000 hp out of a 426 supercharged Chrysler engine using straight menthanol and no nitro. We gave the hull assignment to Ron Jones with no restrictions except that it be able to hold the specified engine.

POWERBOAT: And WIN!

BABCOCK: Naturally! No, seriously, we had the hull design concept in mind, but I feel a good designer most be left reasonable latitude for possible change during construction, if such change is well substantiated and not a radical departure from the original agreement.

POWERBOAT: With the hull and power work farmed out what was your part in all this?

BABCOCK: I coordinated the effort, eventually raced the boat and put up the loot, which I found from time to time was an important ingredient when applied properly!

POWERBOAT: In your initial testing, what did....

BABCOCK: Excuse the interruption, but we had one subsidiary goal pertinent to racers everywhere. We also wanted to prove a belief of mine that if you approach racing correctly with proper hull design and proper engine, then exercise proper maintenance and management without too much hurry and rush, you can put together a team and new concept to come out a winner. Further, that it could be done with non-professionals.
I flat guarantee we were all amateurs except Jones and Black. And except for Glenn Davis' gear box design, which MUST be called professional, we were strictly a bunch of do-it-your selfers! However, we followed one rule always: When we needed a pro, we didn’t interfere try to bull it through. We called a pro, didn't interfere, and left him with responsibility for the work. I believe more amateur teams should adopt this policy.

POWERBOAT: What were you up against competitively!

BABCOCK: Everything tremendous!
But especially Long Gone, Sayonarra, Miss Merton Bluegrass and Earl Wham who held the Kilo at 159.217 mph, Country Boy, Budweiser, Thunderbird, Quick Delivery and the rest. These were very quick litres. We heard that several were unbeatable.

POWERBOAT: Back to initial testing of Record 7; how was she?

BABCOCK: Loose. Very loose. We made two phone calls a week to Jones for some time to settle her down. But Jones' premise is that you can always settle a boat down, but if it's glued and running inefficiently, it's far more difficult to break it loose and make it efficient than it is to tame it. The boat sponsor-walked and sometimes there were two, three feet of daylight under her. It w-as a VERY interesting ride at times. Also a tremendous thrill. It handled, steered and controlled much like Challenger, yet was sporting almost twice the horsepower and had a rear end which seemed never to come down! As you know the secret with conventional hulls is to keep up the rpm so the tail won’t drop. Imagine how I felt driving a hull which, slow or fast, never seemed to drop! Finally, I decided if I could keep the left skid fin planted in the water and the boat tracking properly, there would be no limit to the speed attainable in a turn or on a chute. However, initially we were such an awesome sight that I believe a few delegations were called to beach us as a hazard to boat racing and everything else!

POWERBOAT: How'd you tame her?

BABCOCK: Jones suggested changing the balance and getting some air released from under the boat. We trimmed the air traps, eventually took them completely off. Later we made and did one other thing I won’t reveal. We fiddled with 8 to 10 other minor things, went out on Black Lake for an easy run, came in and found we'd averaged 90 mph. I couldn't believe it. I thought I'd run 80 or less! Next heat we posted a 94+ average, but a displaced buoy had been returned to the course without a re-survey. No record possible. However, the engine was torn down anyway-the first of several times that year we were to take it back home in a basket. But that's part of record racing.

POWERBOAT: We recall that Record 7 actually broke the 7-litre competition record three times the summer of 1969. Unofficially at Black Lake with the 94, officially at Green Lake with 97.5 and officially on Lake Sammamish with the final 101.580 mph. What about all this?

BABCOCK: Well, we were up against Earl Wham and Merion Bluegrass at Green Lake. Although we broke the clock with a perfect start, I've never driven a poorer race in my life. I was always three to four seconds behind the boat. In the second heat we had too much magneto advance and blew a couple of pistons. Since we were supposed to leave for Nationals next morning, this was tough. The logistics of getting personnel and engine and to Morgan City, La., by the following Thursday afternoon were an intinary nightmare. But we made it.

At Nationals our strategy was merely to finish ahead and not extend the boat at all. I found the clock difficult to read and that, coupled with my desire not to jump the gun, found me 7 or 8 in a field of 12. Lord, I've never seen so many big boats and so much water in my life! In fact, for half a lap I didn't see anywhere but straight up because ise there were walls of water all around me. I moved to the outside because all the thrashing, beating and action was on the inside, and at the start of lap two I was all by myself, which was gratifying. We won the first heat.
I was about a second late at the start of heat two, fortunately, because two of the eight boats jumped. Budweiser, behind on the inside, was moving well. To offset that situation, I put my foot into it, got just behind Long Gone and stayed there. And won the National Championship. Everything went according to plan except that I never want to start late again among that many boats. It takes more courage than I care to summon up on given notice. Perhaps I should mention here, too, that officials, in particular Charlie Strang. watching the start of all these l2 healthy 7-litres, said they'd never seen anything as thrilling in Limited, Unlimited or any other racing competition. As is said, strong men paled, women fainted and children screamed. Or something!

POWERBOAT: Your Lake Sammamish try at the over-100 mph competition record came at the season end, didn't it, you with no cushion of extra regattas in case you didn't make it?

BABCOCK: Yes. Ole big mouth here had said publically we'd try for the record, so the time came when it was put up or shut up. First we tried a late regatta but had a problem, came back to the pits on the end of a string and spent the day taking 33mm color pictures!
The next week there was a special drag and ski sanction so we arrived again primed to go. Water was perfect and as I mentally went over race strategy I remember thinking that since this was the first day of the event, and first heat of two days of four heats I shouldn't be too concerned, and shouldn't press too hard. We'd learned from previous racing that the needle only had to hit about 135 mph on the chutes even though the boat could do better easily. But faster speeds wouldn't allow the boat to settle down to make best usage of speeds through the turns. It's a reverse psychology that's hard to control when you're driving, but you pour it on in the turns and actually back off on the chutes-back off from maximum chute speed possible, I mean.

In the first lap I bettered 100. In the second I posted exactly 100 and in the third with the boat working perfectly I turned everything on for the finish to rack up a total time of 2:57.2 for a heat average of 101.580 mph. That last lap was 103.4 mph and I KNEW it was faster than I'd ever run before. But the speeds truly surprised me because I did not think I'd run 100 in the first two laps.

POWERBOAT: You showed practically no emotion over this record. Just threw your arms up once in a big V, then helped get the boat cranes onto the trailer. Weren't you pleased?

BABCOCK: Yes-no. Not immediately. You see, we'd just discovered we had racked up enough points to win High Point for the year. We'd won Divisionals and Nationals. Now we had a new competition record, and a milestone of over 100 mph at that. We'd toyed with running the Kilo, too. Suddenly, we had everything except the Kilo and it was sort of overwhelming. The only thing more surprising than NOT achieving the goals you set, is achieving all but ONE of them. It's exciting but sobering. And it really put the pressure on toward running the Kilo. But we DID have a champagne party and over celebrated handsomely. It was then that I think everybody really got excited.

POWERBOAT: What was your preparation for the Kilo?

BABCOCK: Nil. Or practically. What I mean is, our goal was to campaign inexpensively, without elaborate changes, always utilizing a competition set-up.

POWERBOAT: You mean you ran the Kilo in competition configuration? You sound nuts!

BABCOCK: That may be, but our idea was to put a boat into speeds above 170 mph with competition setups and combinations. We'd seen the Unlimiteds go into special everything to attain higher speeds. We felt this was both unnecessary and clumsy. We wanted very high straightaway speeds with a boat still able to return, unadjusted, to circle racing. And we were determined to get what we wanted.

POWERBOAT: But you prepared SOMETHING, didn't you?

BABCOCK: We checked everything. The gearbox appeared to be indestructible. The engine, except for repair of burned pistons, changed sparkplugs, and some bearing changes through the season was the same as new. We'd had no difficulties due to routine maintenance on heads, push rods, or valves. We running the same blower drive set-up. Careful disassembly and assembly at key times had provided us with an essentially new engine despite vigorous high speed, high racing.

It turned out that the Seattle Inboard Racing Association was able to stage a today Kilo Trial Noy. 15-16. We ran a complete checklist on the entire boat and trailered her to Samamish with a "flight plan" of starting into the traps at 160 and reached a possible 170-175. In testing we'd figured a 6.500 rpm with a specific prop pitch gave us a 160 speed. In our first run through the traps on the top side of 6,500 rpm we posted 160.1 exactly. I was too slow on the reverse run at 148 and got an average of 154. A pit man held up the chalk board noting 138, meaning 138 mph, and I felt sunk because I knew dang well I'd been faster-boat feeling, air pressure, rudder pressure transferred to the wheel. I couldn't believe it! So I tried another run which averaged 164.9 up and 159 back for an overall of 161.4, which was a new world's record.

POWERBOAT: But the present record is 166.159. Why did you up it?

BABCOCK: Earl Wham. About half an hour later, Earl went through. It was obvious he was capable of surpassing our 161. We also knew Tom Gilpatrick's Quick Delivery could go through like it was on a rail and post a speed above our 161. Remember, this was Saturday, and each team had time to make modifications and come back Sunday to blow off my record. We huddled. Yep. We'd try again. And we decided to take a look at 7,000 rpm.
On our first run I know I entered the traps at 160 or more and somewhere in that run I believe we hit 180. A patrol boat held up a boat with 72 on it, meaning I'd posted 172 mph. That was gratifying-to post 171.983 mph actual timed speed at 7,000 rpm. Coming back I got into the traps slower, didn't get through as fast and had one dipsy-doodle at the end as I decelerated. But we had the new record 166,159 mph on Nov. 15, 1969.

POWERBOAT: Care to give out any technical information?

BABCOCK: Sure, because that leads into the subject of trying for the world water speed prop-driven record of over 200 mph. We used two props all year, a record 12 ½ /18½ and a Record 12 ½ / 19. We used the 19 for the Kilo. Fuel was standard menthanol. Gearbox ratio, which is 60% overdrive, was the same. Used the Indy ignition system, the infrared without breaker points. We knew the engine was rated to develop an undisclosed maximum horsepower, with 1,000 coming in at 7,200 rpm supposedly, we were to red line it at 7,500. But with so much throttle left after 7,000 I’d guess the engine would turn 8,000.

Keith Black says that’s a no-no. After 7,500 not only are you loosing power but at 8,000 rpm the engine won’t live long. However, we do believe we could turn an engine, gearbox and prop set-up at 8,000 which would give us a theoretical speed of 194 mph at the same slippage factor on the prop evidencing at 7,000 rpm. We found slippage decreasing after 160 mph. We got 20% slippage at 5,000 rpm; 18% at 5,500; less than 15% at 6,000 and under 12% at 7,000. Assuming about 10% at 8,000 leads us to a 194 speed. A change in gear box ratio to 60% or 70% overdrive, and a prop change front 19" to 20" pitch and we'd be in the neighbourhood of Roy Duby's over 200 mph set in the Miss U.S. unlimited.

POWERBOAT: As we all know, your attempt at this higher speed with the late Tommy Fults at the wheel was unsuccessful.

BABCOCK: Yes. We had problems. Then the boat took on water and became unbalanced in the final run that ended in an accident which destroyed the boat and injured Tommy. Fortunately, not seriously.

POWERBOAT: Do you think the rather astonishing accumulation of the five 7-litre titles and records may have affected your usual cautious appraisal of record-setting chances?

BABCOCK: When I look back now I think we were premature. I still think the boat, engine, rudder, gearbox, and all-this concept is capable of a world prop-driven record. Now, at this higher speed I don't know if a competition configuration boat is usable. Maybe even a boat in straightaway configuration isn't usable, either. It may be that a special boat and special set-up is required. I don't know. I don't think anybody really knows, yet. Those extra miles up in that speed range are mighty hard to come by. But our idea always is to TRY for speed with competition configuration.

POWERBOAT: The loot you mentioned-what did it all cost, George?

BABCOCK: Our pioneering effort cost about $35,000. But another litre could duplicate our situation, using what we learned, for around $20,000 a season. We're willing to tell anybody the concepts we used. And we'd be DELIGHTED to tell everybody what they DON'T need. We had spares and duplicates we never used. Also, both Keith Black and Ron Jones got experience at our expense which doesn't have to be duplicated now.

POWERBOAT: We understand you had a new Record 7 built and it's now being outfitted. Which reminds us that last year your 280 Colonel Bogey raced and set a new competition record of 78.466 mph with Pat Berryman driving. How come you didn't drive?

BABCOCK: I'm beached for business reasons.

POWERBOAT: What attracted you to the 280 class?

BABCOCK: Competition and difficulty. In many ways setting a stock record is tougher. Fortunately, we had Orv Roupe of Precision Engine Specialists, Inc., Seattle., interested in the 273 Plymouth. He worked on three of these engines which ultimately achieved only a 7 hp variance on the dyno. But the one in Colonel Bogey did the job. Earl and Quentin Rue worked with Orv on the allowable modifications in lubrication areas, exhaust system, valve spring tensions, cam shaft settings, carburetor and other settings and all allowable tolerance throughout the engine.

POWERBOAT: Since you've had success with both stock and modified engines what, in your opinion, sets apart the stock specialists?

BABCOCK: Obviously, the stock hull must be more efficient, and whoever works the stock engine must be super-expert. In our case, Orv Roupe and his men are deeply knowledgeable about the science and physics of the internal combustion engine. Their attention to detail is minute and patient. But one real secret is that they forbid additional tinkering with the engine by boat crew, self-styled experts, other mechanics, owner or anybody! In plain words, they won't tolerate an amateur screw-up of their professional work. Which is quite bright of them.

POWERBOAT: Looking to the future, are you going for more 280 records?

BABCOCK: Yep. Hop to raise our 78.466 mph to around 80 or more. And we think about the Kilo 280 record, too, at 110+, perhaps even up to 115 mph.

POWERBOAT: What’s slated for this new Record 7 in the competitive area, or Kilo?

BABCOCK: First we have a new, but veteran, driver for Record 7 in George Henley. He's proved himself in outboards, limiteds and unlimiteds. He'll work with us to see what the potential of this new 7-litre is. We're hoping to see a 105 mph average on the course. If we can get that, then we may have discovered a format for a new combination which will provide a breakthrough toward even higher speeds. This will, in turn, provide proving grounds for the next step toward a higher state of the art of racing, which we hope will be applicable to racing in all the classes. For ourselves, the right sponsor might see us competing in one of these classes. As for another Kilo run, we have no plans toward it and no desire for a higher Kilo speed at this time out of the 7-litre.

POWERBOAT: Those sound like a fair batch of goals which will keep you busy this season, possibly several seasons. What's in the immediate future?

BABCOCK: We're aimed at both the 7-litre and 280 National Championships with present plans, but the national economy always has something to do about whether we manage to appear or not.

POWERBOAT: What? You mean the availability of money has an effect upon racing, as well as the skill, management, determination and so on?

BABCOCK: Did I say that? Certainly not. I never said that. Like I said earlier, it's luck, pure and simple. We're just lucky, that's all!

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