Here's your abbridged version
The Parker 9 Hour Enduro was started in 1963 by local Parker Residents Marrion Beaver and Cecil Florence (with a lot of help by a lot of people) after Marrion and Cecil traveled to Miami Marine Stadium for their (Miami's) Endurance race. The two felt they could make a bigger and better "Enduro" on the Colorado River so thus began the Parker 9 Hour Enduro which in and of itself has a storied history which lasted until 2000, which by then it had become a shell of itself, a four hour race (2 hours each day) which pitted F1 tunnel boats vs. GN's, not the way it orignally began, which was a "run what U brung" race boats, pleasure boats, etc. The F1's ran like timex watches and attrition was so high that only a handfull of boats were running at the end plus the fact that due to low turnout it was a financial disaster to the conducting organization. So with that it ended until 2003 when a few guys were waxing nostalgic on another message board. It took a lot of time, effort and dedication on the part of a few but it came back and has been back now for 6 years. No, it is not the Parker 9 Hour Enduro on the original course (Blue Water to La Paz County Park and back) but it is growing in the right direction and NO capsule boats are allowed as it creates a whole new set of circumstances (diver's, safety, etc.) and is what killed the original Enduro in the first place.
BTW, some of the biggest names in boat and auto racing, not to mention a President's son, astronauts, a certain Oil Well Fire Fighter (Red Adair), and nearly every major boat builder from the 60's on up participated or fielded boats in the old 9 hour (it went to 7 hour in the 70's with gas crisis) also, Mercury and OMC slugged it out against each other and the field of Inboards. That is why it was brought back. That is also why I am also bringing back the Salton Sea 500 in 2010 to compliment the Enduro as next to the Parker Enduro, the Salton Sea 500 was the oldest and during it's time was one of the most prestigous Endurance boat races in the world held at a time when the Salton Sea was at it's height of popularity.
Incidentally, the Overall Winner of the Blue Water 300 Mile Enduro gets the "Marrion Beaver Memorial Cup" which I am proud to say Marrion was the 1st Grand Marshall of the race when it came back and came to 2 more subsequent Enduro's before he passed.
Last: Now there was also a "mini-enduro" as well for boats 15' and shorter (tunnel boats, addictor, Mini Gran Prix, etc.) that was run for approx. 10+ years (mid to late 80's to late 90's) and was a great race in and of itself (La Paz to Badenoch's and back) beat the
[email protected] out of ya but fun as hell and we used to line up 70+ boats and turned them loose at once.
Ask away! I am a huge fan of boat racing history and was lucky enough to have been give every issue of "Speed and Spray" magazine from the late 40's through the 70's (which I read cover to cover).
Ross Wallach, RPM RACING ENT.
