Truckin' on the Western Branch

Henry Lauterbach—Speedboat Racing A dominant force in hydroplane racing for half a century, Henry E. Lauterbach was a champion racer and renowned builder of hydroplanes—those light, swift motorboats that skim the water’s surface. He built his first boat when he was 12 and earned five national championships as a driver in three years in the early 1950s. He is in the National Hydroplane Racing Hall of Fame and, in 1974, was named to the American Power Boat Association Elite Honor Squadron. Lauterbach, who died in June 2006, at the age of 87, is as well known for his handcrafted boats as he is for his racing skills. He built more than 200 custom hydroplanes with the Lauterbach Specials remaining legendary in boat racing. During his later years he lived in Hatton Point, but spent most of his time in his workshop on Nansemond Parkway in Suffolk.

Roger Brown. Surry County native and longtime Churchland resident, Brown is a retired NFL player (part of the Detriot Lions’ Fearsome Foursome with Alex Karras, Sam Williams, and Darris McCord and part of the Los Angeles Rams Fearsome Foursome with Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, and Lamar Lundy).

Henry Lauterbach. Image by Sheally

Roger Brown

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