2021 NAMBA Nats Race Program

I attended my first Nationals in Amarillo Texas in 1980. It was really cool to see racers from all over the country. Then my second Nationals was at Legg Lake in 1981, what an experience. It was the 10-year anniversary, the best of the best showed up. Guys I had only read about in the magazines were there. Guys like Jack Garcia, Norm Teague, and Ed Fisher to name a few. There were many more. These guys really knew what they were doing. The quality of their boats and their driving was on another level. I remember thinking I really wanted to be as good as those guys someday. Sometime in the early 2000’s nitro racing in my district was slowing down, but Gas boats were becoming very popular. I'd always been a nitro guy, but I thought I would give Gas boats a try if I wanted to keep racing. I found out that with a gas engine my trigger finger could be more than an on off switch. It really fit my driving style. It was new challenge with new things to learn. Some things I learned, somethings I didn’t. First time I met Butch “The Boat Man” Fields I asked for his help with my engine. When he saw I was using a piston stop to get my flywheel off, he threw my tool in the lake. He fixed my engine then told me I was not allowed to work on my own engines anymore. Sometimes it’s better to leave it to the experts. My favorite race of all time has been the World Cup in Las Vegas. The race was always first class, with racers from all over the world, and the competition is second to none. I really like the format. Having to qualify top 6 is hard enough. Then even if things go your way and you're in the final, its winner take all. No way of backing into a win at the World Cup. Only race I've even been to where everyone stops what they are doing to watch the finals. I have been lucky enough to race RC Boats in all corners of the USA and I have loved every minute of it. I just got back from a boat race in Evansville Indiana. I have never had a reason to go to Evansville, but I met some awesome people I probably would never have met if not for racing RC Boats. And that is what it is all about, the people. So many people I would never have the opportunity to meet if not for this great sport. I wouldn’t trade the times I spent going to races with my dad as a kid. Or the close friends I have made in this hobby over the years for anything. With the 50th NAMBA Nationals coming up, it really got me thinking about how fortunate I have been to be involved with such a great organization and group of people. My father raced full size boats in the 70’s; first driving a flat bottom then Outboard Tunnels. My brother Dave and I were often his pit crew. Then when I was 14 my dad decided we should race RC boats instead. He said the racing would be just as good, but not hurt nearly as much when you crashed. Part of our house was basically a hobby shop. My dad had been playing with RC stuff since the late 50’s, mostly planes, but cars and boats too. We each built a couple of boats and went racing. I live in Albuquerque where there is no water for hundreds of miles so, we headed to Amarillo Texas for a District 7 race. Since we had never had our boats in the water, we got there real early so we could get some testing done. We fired up the K&B outboard and threw it in the water, it seemed to run pretty well but it didn’t turn worth a darn. We kept working on our boats, but they were real squirrely in the corners. Then as I'm driving, I hear this voice from behind me with a heavy Texas accent say “You might want to try turning right. They work better that way.” What do you know they do turn better to the right; we had no idea. Full size boats turn left so we thought RC boats did too. So, after we got that figured out, we were ready for the racing the next day. Morning arrives and the wind is blowing 30mph and blew the whole weekend. Out of all the heats my father and I ran we did not finish a single heat. Even though racing was a bust for us we still had a great time. The group of guys from District 7 could not have been nicer. Some of the boats were really nice, and some of the drivers were really good. That was where I also met Jerry Wright. It was also his first RC boat race. We have been friends and racing buddies ever since. We couldn’t wait for the next race so just a couple of weeks later we headed to Oklahoma City for another district race, we even finished some heats this time. Funny thing happened at that race, we met this other new guy, I think it was his first or second race. His outboard kept quitting as he was walking down to the shore to launch it. It kept happening over and over. About the 5th attempt his engine stayed lit all the way to the beach but, instead of launching his boat he launched his transmitter. Leaving him standing there holding his boat with the engine still running. I think that guy is still around. In fact, I think he’s our current NAMBA president, Al Hobbs. Good times. No Water in Albuquerque - By Dale Roberts 2021 NAMBA Nationals Page 34