Billy B;
Before you cry "WRONG", it appears you didn't keep all of your old issues of Race Boat And Industry News.Let me direct your attention to the July 1975 issue, page 25, article entitled "The Worlds Fastest Blown Fuel Flatbottom", by Kevin Spaise.It goes on to say
"It hasn't always been Al Bush in the illuminous Crazy Horse spotlight. The boat debuted at the NDBA National Championships at Long Beach Ca. August 1973, with a daring new comer at the controls - a gutsy guy named RICK LEE who was tabbed by everyone as the next true superstar of dragboat racing. In LEE'S first try at the watery quater he turned a 136 - plus mph run. After winning the prestigious nationals he proceeded to another of the circuits premier events - The 7th Annual Race Boat And Industry News Fuel & Gas World Championships - and won that race hands down.LEE made a name himself and the boat - with consistent wins through that season. But at the end of the year at the Nationals in Long Beach, August 1974 the Cinderella story romance between LEE and Crazy Horse turned into a big fat pumpkin, exactly one year after it began. He got a little out of shape and then a lot out of shape and before he knew it he was on his head.LEE was virtually uninjured physically, but he would never drive a fueler again - at least not the way he wanted to. Pete and Marline Kaiser were devastated at the loss of their boat. They both wanted out of dragboat racing for a little while, but Marline finally talked Pete into another boat. Three weeks later at the next race a unpainted Hondo was towed slowly through the pits. A huge supercharged Chrysler sat between the stringers. It was Crazy Horse ready to run. RICK LEE was also back and wanted back in the boat. After only a half - pass, however LEE and Crazy Horse parted company forever. He couldn't drive it the way he wanted to drive it - so he didn't want to drive it. A frantic request was relayed over the PA system. Crazy Horse needed a driver!!!. The request produced four candidates. Two backed off when they learned their potential ride was a blown fuel flatbottom. Another of the four was totally inexperienced, and the fourth candidate was Al Bush. Bush who had run against the Crazy Horse in earlier days with his own fuel flatbottom ironically tabbed IRON HORSE liked the way Kaiser's Hondo worked. He was a qualified wheel man and he was ready. On October 6, 1974 Bush's first race day in Crazy Horse, he went 151,153, and finally 155.70 mph - a new Kern County Boat Club Record. Less than one month later Bush shattered the NDBA record formerly held by Larry Schwabenland with an amazing 156.25 mph pass. The rest is history".
Billy - you are right about Al Bush being "beached" by the NDBA for running between the buoys and the rocks/beach at Long Beach Marine Stadium. Bush did have to sit out a few races for that stunt. It was an awesome pass, I was at the race and witnessed it. It seemed as though he was only five to eight feet from shore when he made that pass. This happened later in his career around 1976 or 1977. By 1976 Rick Lee (Billy, your right again) was driving a JET BOAT - Peggy Ann Brendel's FACTORY HONDO "K" JET BOAT "HURRY ROUND HONDO" and showing all the vdrive K boats the way around the race course at Lake Ming. The boat was untouchable.