The E-Class flat bottom circle boat I crewed on in 72-76 did 8,500 rpm with push rods, but it wasn't easy or any where near streetable. It was a 327 Chevy with a Weiand tunnel ram, dual 600 center-squirter Holleys, custom cast heads with BB valves, Sig roller cam with a ridiculous profile, a prototype BRC "Rev Kit" (helper springs under the intake to keep the push rods from floating) and a Vertex magneto. It dyno'd at about 800hp on 110 octane race gas. The boat owner had $26k in '76 dollars in that motor and we did win our class at the nationals that year. I think the grand prize was a couple cases of oil and plugs and a kiss from the race queen.
Now that's hot roddin'!
There were some outsized egos to be sure. There was a guy in our class that was a successful midget racer with deep pockets who flipped his first 15 times out (as the story went) trying to pitch his boat around the turns like a midget. Another whose daddy owned Hallet and T-boned a few people because he couldn’t drive for ****. The midget racer ended up dominating for a few years. He even ran an early very high revving OHC 302 Chevy one season which fortunately broke a lot because it was really fast. The big ego’s were in the unlimited K-boats, most of which also ran top fuel drags.
Nothing like 8 boats going 140 and making a u-turn around 1 buoy turns a 1/2 mile apart for 5 lap heats. And we were the “slow” naturally aspirated 330 ci max class.
Real men don't need AC.
