Demon Chaser Driver's Corner 2002 Archive

THE DRIVER'S CORNER 2002 archive

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EXCERPTS FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH DAVID COES

Tuesday, June 11, 2002

I thought I would give an update on what is going on with the racing program. As I have already mentioned, I purchased a rather large warehouse some time ago. Over the winter months, I had been feverishly working to make it into a shop for Demon Chaser Racing. A number of bays was in the process of being constructed, along with a fair size office. During this time, I got an offer on the building and property which I promptly turned down. I purchased this place as a headquarters for my racing program and I wasn't particularly interested in selling it. I had gotten to the point where I had moved the boat into one of the bays and was in the process of getting ready to move the rest of my tools into the building. I needed to get the boat ready for the 2002 season when I received another offer on the building. We negotiated a bit, and then I received an offer I simply could not refuse. While the deal was great, I was running out of time; a commodity which is always in demand.

I immediately located another building and negotiations got underway. I closed on that building in the latter part of April. However, in order to even get my boat into the new building, a large garage style door needed to be installed. This necessitated architectural drawings and a permit from the city. Then the dropped ceiling needed to be raised in order to get clearance to remove the engine from the boat as well as providing room to raise the boat in order to place it on a dolly. Needless to say, the place is in shambles right now. I removed the ceiling because I don't have time right now to raise the whole thing, and am building a gantry in order to hang a hoist to lift either the engine or the boat. I designed the gantry so it is adjustable in height.

As with most things, there usually are snags between the theory and the actual construction of an item. This has been no different. I carefully cut the side angles for the steel supports and drilled one inch holes for the bolts which would be used to adjust the height of the cross I-beam. We welded up the side steel for the gantry and everything seemed to be going perfectly. I had left a quarter of an inch clearance between the inner wall of the outside support and the outer wall of the inside support. In theory, this would leave me a bit of clearance so the inner support could move up and down, thus being able to adjust the height. I sanded down the outer wall of the inner support and coated it with anti-seize material. I then slid the inner support inside the outer support while on the ground, supporting it with wooden 2 X 4's so it would go in straight. It was getting a little hung up so I took a sledge hammer and started to pound it in, figuring that it probably just needed a little "help." Well I got it in about a foot and then it completely seized up. I couldn't get it in and I couldn't get it out. Plus, now that I had this extension on it, I was dealing with a project that weighted about 750 lbs and was 10 feet wide (at it's base) and 18 feet long (at the top of the extension). It was also lying on the floor, so it was taking up an inordinate amount of space.

Plan One was to pound it out using the plate we had welded on the extension where the I-beam would ultimately rest. The only problem was that I could only pound on it in one place, which very quickly resulted in the plate breaking off. Plan Two was to weld the plate back on (which we did), get it outside the shop (that was a chore!!) and pull it out by attaching one end to my truck and one end to the forklift. I managed to drag my truck across the parking lot using this technique. I was getting a little frantic by this time because (working off and on) this whole process had taken about 3 days at this point. I finally got the bright idea of cutting the 10 foot extension off at about 7 feet and drilling a one inch hole in the piece which was stuck in the outer support. I inserted a one inch thick bolt which has the tensile strength of 175,000 lbs in the hole, and proceeded to attack it with the sledgehammer, much to the delight of my 4 children who eyed this whole project with wonderment. They have seen (and heard!) "poppi" go into a frenzy before so I figure I haven't done any permanent damage to their individual psyches. As I would strike the bolt, the children would chant the number of hits. A number of passer-byers appeared to find something quite humorous in the scene. I'm glad I can make so many people happy. Since I was successful in my endeavor, I guess the only downside is that my hands have swelled up badly from wacking the steel with the sledgehammer. I barely was able to get my wedding ring off, and my hands don't have the strength to grip a pencil. I am attempting to take a couple days off from work this week and hopefully the gantry will be finished by the end of the weekend. The saga has started......

Valleyfield-- The Prologue, The Race and The Aftermath....

I knew that getting ready for Valleyfield would be a thrash; I had spent weeks trying to get the gantry and shop in order, hoping that this would make my work on the boat more efficient. Unfortunately, I had miscalculated the height of the gantry and didn't have the clearance to rotate it into position. I abandoned my efforts involving the gantry for the time being because I had precious little time to pull the engine, check the bearings, replace if necessary, replace the valve springs, set the clearances and do all the other small tasks that need to be done prior to running. I ended up taking about 6 days of leave from my day job and worked nights and weekends in preparation. I intended to go a day early, so that I would have an extra day to relax and take care of any smaller tasks that I needed to do, rather than try to get everything done here and then get to the race site with no "slush" time. I knew I needed to replace the throttle cable and was pretty sure that I would be able to get one at the race site from another racer. I had tried to repair the one I had, but I knew that I was asking for failure if I attempted to use it.

We arrived at the race site on Thursday and on Friday replaced the throttle cable fairly easily. Once I had made the decision to go through the escape hatch, everything was fairly accessible. Initially I hadn't wanted to break my gasket on the hatch because it is notorious for leaking, and the last thing I wanted to do was spend my time bailing out the cockpit prior to running. In the end, it was a good decision, because I found that my hatch latching mechanism was binding and need to be replaced. The hatch was sealed and everything appeared to be in order.

On Saturday, I arrived at the pits early, so I could start the generator and heat my oil. I have a pretty set routine that I do and it normally goes very quickly. In the past, I have had help in the pits from people (who, for the most part, know nothing about hydroplanes) and it usually has gone well. The best example was Rising Sun last year when I had a nine year old boy who, upon seeing the boat, attached himself to it for the weekend. He handed me tools when I needed them, as well as polishing the boat prior to running. The only thing that I can say about the successful times is that the individuals who helped me had common sense and also didn't feel the need to crawl around the boat or engine compartment to make themselves look important.

This was the first time I had brought help as well as having an individual meet me at the site who was going to "help" me also. I was also meeting an old friend (who I hadn't seen since 1976) and his son who I had never met. Saturday was a complete disaster. It was the classic case of monkeys and the proverbial football. To be fair, I did get some much needed assistance in replacing a starter (definitely needed an extra pair of hands) but unfortunately that is the only positive thing I can say. My tools at the site were in complete disarray and only after laying everything out when I got back home did I find certain items. Several sockets and extensions were located in my box of spares with my bolts and nuts. I still can't find the lock to my tool box.

I felt like a babysitter for a couple of adults (who shall remain nameless) who seemingly had lost any common sense they may have ever possessed. A fellow racer, seeing the empty drums next to my boat, and not realizing they were being used to house regular garbage and not oil, asked if it would be OK to dump the contents of his oil sump (5 Gallons of oil) in the drums. Not having a clue, and not having the sense to ask anyone else, one of my "helper's" blithely assured him it would be OK. Fortunately, I heard him and was able to advise the racer not dump his oil there, and that the pit tower would be able to direct him to an oil dump. As racers, we have a responsibility to keep the race site as clean as possible. I doubt that the normal sanitation workers would have appreciated having to clean up 5 gallons of oil from a trash can. Unfortunately, my "helper" at this point was part of my "crew" and, as such, I was responsible for his actions, whatever they might be....

There are a number of other examples of ridiculousness but there is no reason to go into them. At one point I attempted as courteously as possible to tell the guys to go enjoy the festival and that I would finish up but they simply wouldn't go. My old friend John and his son (neither of whom am I including in this chronicle of ineptness and stupidity) took off for a while. Eventually my two "helpers" left to go back to the hotel and I spent a bit of time preparing things for the following day. Then I went to visit with the other GNH and UL teams, as well as a 5L buddy whom I had not gotten a chance to talk to during the day. My mood improved considerably after spending a couple hours with them.

I had made up my mind that I was going to cut my "helper's" loose as soon as I got back to the hotel. I didn't want them to go away mad; just to go away. I didn't have to worry though. My "helper's" left without my having to say anything. There was an e-mail waiting for me when I returned home though, berating me for my lack of appreciation for their (my "helper's) hard work and for what they considered my poor treatment of them. (Since I never did tell them exactly what I thought of them, I'm not sure what their specific complaint is. Perhaps it is my lack of effusive gratitude for mislaying and losing my tools). I also had a telephone message waiting for me at home with the other individual whining that this was the worst day of his life or something to this effect.

The facts are this: Last year I broke down a total of 15 heats. Mechanical failure is something I am very used to. I have done a number of mechanical repairs in the pits between heats and on Saturday nights between races by myself. Occasionally I have been fortunate to have real help from very competent people. Breaking during a race is something nobody likes, but if you race a lot, is inevitable. I do not get stressed out by having to repair my boat; this is part of racing. I get very, very frustrated by people who lose my tools, are disorganized, don't listen and don't understand that attention to detail is not only the path to winning, it is also a safety issue; mine and those I race against. There is a huge difference between being frustrated with mechanical failure and being frustrated with "helper's" whose egos are so big they get upset because they think they should be appreciated (after constantly screwing things up because they don't listen or ask questions if they don't understand).

My point of view is pretty straightforward: I spend a majority of my time and disposable income on my boat. My family sacrifices to a certain degree because the boat represents the "vacations" we don't go on. I race perhaps 6-8 weekends a year. And on a race weekend, I will put my boat in the water for total of two heats on Saturday and two heats on Sunday. Each heat will take less than 9 minutes; of which less than 4 minutes will be actual racing. I will travel (roundtrip) an average of 20-30 hours to do this. I endure the breakdowns, the sometimes disappointments, the long, hard hours of work and the financial drain for a very simple reason; and it is the same reason that every other racer, from 1L to Unlimited driver or owner does it; because I love it. Take a good look-- we don't get publicity so there isn't any ego or "I'm a star" gratification or attitudes. You don't see any racers in the limited classes getting million dollar contracts to drive a boat. I don't go to the races to drink beer, watch girls or go shopping. I go to RACE. Perhaps this is why I'm not very receptive to a a couple of dilettantes along for an ego ride with no regard or appreciation for what type of commitment is needed to successfully complete a weekend of racing. It is not that I have a problem with their attitude per se; each to his own. I only have a problem with it when it affects my ability to prepare my boat for racing. I also have a issue with anyone who is so self-immersed that they cannot be part of something and not realize that they are not the focal point; it's just not about them. (BTW, I would like to add that racing doesn't preclude the aforementioned activities :-), it's just not my primary reason to go).

One very positive note is this: when I got home I told my 16 year old son, Jaime, that I really appreciated his help because after comparing his actions to that of two "adults," he came out way ahead. I had discussions with several boat racers and a guy who races dragsters in my office and they all had their own horror stories concerning "help" which were pretty much on par with mine, so I guess my experience wasn't that unique after all. Because I normally go to the races alone or with my family, in the past, I have depended on a number of people who have stepped forward to help me. I suppose this particular situation made an impression on me because it was such a negative experience (with people I actually knew even though they aren't knowledgeable about racing) and all the other similar times were so positive. I have met a number of really great people at the race sites; fans (and like these two guys not particularly knowledgeable about the technical aspects of racing) who (unlike them) have helped me tremendously, from Rising Sun, Indiana to Tonawanda, New York and everywhere in between.

I had a nice dinner with John and his son Rob. Rob went off to discover the night life in Valleyfield while John and I wiled away the hours catching each other up on our separate lives since 1976. The next morning I was in the pits and had started the generator at a little after 7:00 AM to heat the engine oil. By 7:40 AM I had everything ready to go with the exception of connecting the shaft. I would do that after the oil was warmed sufficiently for me to start my engine and I checked my timing. The truck was packed for the trip home with the exception of the tools I had laid out on the table that I would need. By the time John and Rob showed up (a little after 8:00 AM), I was lounging in my chair drinking coffee and thoroughly relaxed. In fact, I was so relaxed I was sitting in the chair staring at my trailer wheels when I realized the lug nuts on both wheels were loose. I checked the other side and they were in the same condition. I ended up spending 30 minutes or so locating a jack (Dennis Macy lent me his) and then working on my trailer tightening lug nuts. We also went to get a bite to eat and then got to watch some of the races (which started at around 10:30 AM).

The GNH's were running around the 10th heat and then the 17th. The first heat was pretty much a "show" heat; attrition had knocked out a couple of boats so we had 8 boats that would be in the final. The positive aspect was that we could try different props or try different tactics without worrying about not qualifying for the final. Tom Morgan (GNH 826/Juggernaut) had some engine problems in the qualifier so he was working my radios for me. I had planned on running in the outside lanes as my engine's torque curve is not suited to small courses (this was a 1 mile course) and tight turns. I think everyone else had the same idea. I hung back a bit but couldn't get to the outside as it (as well as the next two inside lanes) were taken. Since I didn't plan on running hard for this heat anyway, I figured I run "trailer" in the outside lane anyway.

I hit the start/finish line and going out of the first turn I felt a violent vibration. I immediate thought of my prop and got off the gas. The vibration went away. I hit the gas (gently, I thought) and continued forward movement. The vibration then came back. I figured I'd thrown a rod because if I had lost the prop, I wouldn't be going anywhere. Or at least I thought. I then shut down to prevent further damage to (I thought) my engine. After raising the canopy twice (to show the officials I wasn't physically injured), I settled into the cockpit to watch the rest of the boats. I was right next to the outside buoy line and my attention was attracted to a number of people shouting at me (in French) and pointing at my boat. My first thought was that I was on fire. I have a fire system but wasn't going to activate it until I could see what the problem was. I untangled myself from my radio harness, seatbelts and air hose and jumped out of the cockpit. I then could see that there was no fire-- I was sinking!! I waved to the rescue crew who initially waved back thinking I was just letting them know that I was alright. They quickly saw that I was sinking and the flares went up.

The rescue crew and crane operator were great. After towing me in, the crane operator carefully lifted the boat up, and with the rescue crew and myself standing on the transom of the boat to tilt it, let the water run out. This procedure took between 15-30 minutes of carefully manipulating the boat so that the weight of the water in the boat wouldn't further damage it. A review of the damage showed that I initially lost one ear of the prop. This unbalanced things to the extent that I bent the shaft, broke the thrust bearing, damaged my steering arm and put a hole in the bottom of the boat where the strut had originally been mounted before it tore away.

John and Rob helped get the remaining water out of the boat and we finished packing up and I headed home immediately. I took a couple of breaks and got home before noon the following day. I had already called Art Davidson from the road and he was happy to hear that the engine had not been running when it was submerged. He gave me instructions on the care and feeding of the engine to make it survive. I had also called Steve Lewis from the road and he told me he had already told Henry (Lauterbach) the news. Steve arrived to survey the damage just after I got home. After resting a bit, my son and I removed the engine and had the oil removed, all the mechanicals maintenanced, and the boat cleaned up before 7:00 PM. Because there are a number of boats at Henry's right now, we haven't been able to get the boat in until this weekend. While there certainly is quite a bit of work that needs to be done, I am confident that we will be running at Hampton.

On a happy note, John and Rob are hoping to attend the Hampton race so I'm looking forward to seeing them again and being able to share one of the premier races on the circuit with them. I expect that Ray Downes (webmaster) will also be here which will great as we haven't seen each other since the last race season. The mechanicals are ready to go so everything hinges on whether we can get the hull ready. Again, while there is extensive work to be done, I'm confident that we'll be ready. I expect some late nights at the boat shop-- but after all, this is racing!!!

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