Mister Fabricator

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

MISTER FABRICATOR (U-3) was the former third TAHOE MISS, built by Les Staudacher in 1964.

Limited veteran Tom Kaufman acquired the hull in 1973. It had last raced in 1971 as BUWEISER MALT LIQUOR, painted jet black. Kaufman kept the MALT LIQUOR color scheme throughout the three years that he campaigned the boat.

Truth to tell, MISTER FABRICATOR had seen its better days. The designs of Ed Karelsen and Ron Jones, Sr., had rendered the U-3 pretty much obsolete.

Under Kaufman's ownership, the boat made it into three Final Heats. With Tom at the wheel, it finished fifth in the 1973 Indiana Governor's Cup at Madison, fifth in the 1974 President's Cup at Washington, D.C., and fourth in the 1974 Gar Wood Trophy at Detroit.

Kaufman was honored as Rookie of the Year for 1973 by the Unlimited Racing Commission.

Many of the original crew members of MISTER FABRICATOR were former MISS MADISON team members, including crew chief Graham Heath.

MISTER FABRICATOR was involved in a terrifying accident at Owensboro, KY, in 1974. The water was rough and conditions were marginal. The U-3 ran over JUSTA-PEST III, driven by Charlie Dunn. Both boats were badly damaged. Kaufman was uninjured, but Dunn spent the night in the local hospital.

Kaufman had a falling-out with crew chief Heath in mid-season 1974. After Heath's departure, the boat never ran right again. In fact, in the U-3's last season and a half, it only finished one heat.

In 1975, Kaufman tinkered with an experimental turbocharged Allison engine. But the set-up failed to function.

MISTER FABRICATOR made its final appearance at the 1975 Seattle Seafair Regatta. The engine exploded during a race day morning qualification attempt.

Tom Kaufman returned to Unlimited racing in 1977 and again in 1980 before calling it a career.

The one time that I can recall Kaufman ever going all out in an Unlimited race was in the Consolation Heat at the 1973 Tri-Cities, WA, race. He really drove like a man possessed in that heat and nearly spun out twice, trying to catch first-place Jim McCormick in RED MAN. Tom averaged 94.703 to Jim's 97.508.

That was the only occasion when Kaufman seemed to be serious about race boat driving. The rest of the time, he seemed to be just along for the ride.