Don't know how to make this short, but Lake Maggiore is where I fell in love with inboard hydros! Started going in '76/'77, went every year after that....LOVED the Southland Sweepstakes! 7Litre D1 hydros, and Canadian GP hydros going at it...chute speeds approaching 170mph.. the starts of these monsters going into T1 were FRIGHTENING! Lots of unlimited drivers drove limiteds...I said HEY to the late, great Jim Kropfeld..I think he drove a 7litre called "Country Boy"....I remember seeing Tom D'eath, Steve Reynolds, Andy Coker, Larry Lauterbach, John Prevost, and Dave Villewock ......like him or hate him, he was top dog in flat bottom racing...lottsa U.S.1s on the side of his skim board! The Southland was such a historical race....goes wayyy back! LM was considered one of the best and FASTEST race courses in the U.S......lottsa records fell there...pretty safe too.....Ray Gassner put St Pete on the map as a sports celebrity back in the 50s/60s driving his "Sunshine Baby" hydros......I watched so many GREAT races at that place.....such a shame it went down the way it did....ive got a buncha pictures somewhere...if I can find em ill try to post em! I could easily triple the size of this post, but ill stop here!
