Danbury

Own a piece of boating history, a 1950 Danbury Race Boat number 16. This boat has been restored as close to original as possible. The Crosley tin block engine was completely rebuilt, the hull reskinned and plywood for the deck was custom made to match the original herringbone pattern. It has only been in the water twice since it was restored.

The Danbury Racers were raced at the Danbury Connecticut State Fair Grounds in 1950 where they created the nations first Aquaway to race boats. Fairground owner John Leahy contracted Harold Kohler to design and build the Fairs own race boats creating the Danbury Racer. What documentation exists, 18 wooden and 2 fiberglass boats where built and assigned numbers to each boat. Boats where 10 5 long, with a 55 beam powered by either 44 or 48 cubic-inch inboard Crosley engines with no clutches. Danbury Racers reached speeds of 40+ mph. The first Crosley engines where the tin block design and later replaced with the higher cubic inch cast iron block engines.

The flooded race course was constructed on the horse-racing track which was flooded with water. The track was mile, 30 feet wide and 3 feet deep that had many problems just trying to hold the water in the Aquaway. Boat racing first started on the evening of May 20, 1950 with time trials during the day for six qualifying events. Boats raced for either 8 or 10 laps depending on their class of B or U designated by the APBA. Two Danbury Racers also raced in a Z class with the APBA.

At the end of the 1950 racing season boat racing came to an end to give way to stock car racing that proved to be more financially sound. The Danbury Racers were stored indoors on the fairgrounds for 30 years, where fair employees regularly oiled them and maintained their engines. On July 30, 1980, boats were put up for auction in Danbury, Conn., and nine were sold. Little seems to be known about what became of the other 10. A friend and I purchased number 16 and 18 from an individual in New Jersey who had purchased 6 boats.

I have documentation on the boats including an original Danbury Race Boat Poster, payoff schedule, drivers rules and regulations, insurance quote for drivers and bill of sale from the auction.