WWA Info Exchange

For Woodworkers By Woodworkers
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:25 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 3:48 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 12:01 am
Posts: 4950
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Okay, I know that I'm dating myself.

To some of us, motorsports does not mean NASCAR it means hydros. In Seattle, hydroplane racing harkens back to 1950 when surplus aircraft engines were plentiful and the best possible speedway was Lake Washington. For one weekend a year the sound of turbocharged V12 engines shook the air for miles around. It was a dangerous sport. It was dangerous to begin with, but adding things like nitrous oxide injection and surface piercing propellors made it nearly insane.

Fortunately, technological improvements were made and the sport became safer. Unfortunately, technology also took away the thunder. Modern turbine engines (from helicopters) were lighter and produced more power than the old RollsRoyce and Allison piston engines. The trouble is that they whisper their way around the course and so the best city wide advertisement for the races was lost. The new races are also sprint like affairs with multiple heats, instead of the grueling test of endurance for man and machine that they once were.

I guess it's symptomatic of aging to wax nostalgic, but trying to explain to a youngster how your sternum would shake when the boats rounded the last turn and how your whole body would shake at the finish line, will produce either a polite nod, or a just blank stare. It's something that you had to experience, and sadly is gone forever.

If you would like a small taste of what it was like back then, I suggest the movie, "Madison". You might want to turn up the volume for best effect.

Cheers,
Tom

_________________
"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 9:43 am 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 1305
Location: Kerrville, Texas USA
Tom
Lots of things have changed, not all for the better.
I never attended a hydro race, only got the V12's at the drag strip.
And they were loud.

Anyway the young folk will never experience this type of thing and it
their loss.

Duan

_________________
Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 9:44 am 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2000 12:01 am
Posts: 311
Location: Albuquerque, NM USA
To a lot of us, it's F1 . :-)
...lew...


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 38 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group