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Photos courtesy Paul Martin |
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Scooter Too
(U-10) :
Alias "The
Submarine"
By Fred Farley - APBA/HYDRO-PROP Unlimited Historian
One of those rare examples of an Unlimited hydroplane with a W-24 (as opposed to a V-12) Allison engine, Scooter Too was built in 1955 by Bart Carter for industrialist Henry J. Kaiser.
Driven by Jack Regas, the U-10 was indeed a fast-moving contender but would be largely forgotten today were it not for the success of her predecessor--Scooter (U-12)--also handled by Regas--which won the 1954 Lake Tahoe Yacht Club Championship and the 1954 Lake Tahoe Mapes Trophy.
Numerous press accounts over the years have erroneously credited the U-12's accomplishments to the U-10 to the point where Scooter Too enjoys a reputation it frankly doesn't deserve. During her five years of activity, the craft reportedly sank five times (twice in Lake Washington, twice in Lake Tahoe, and once in the Columbia River) and was nicknamed "The Submarine."
Her best career performance was the 1956 Mapes Trophy where she won two heats and was leading National Champion Shanty I and Russ Schleeh by a wide margin in the Final Heat. Scooter Too was halted however by a broken connecting rod.
Cut loose by Kaiser, the 28-foot three-pointer campaigned from 1957 to 1959 on a low budget as Adios (U-10), Miss Moses Lake (U-26), and Miss Tri-Cities (U-26). A lack of Allison W-24 engine replacement parts kept her in drydock much of the time.
Future Miss Budweiser crew chief George McKernan made two of his infrequent appearances as a driver when she ran as Adios. Although her highest post-Kaiser era finish occurred when Norm Evans (father of Mark and Mitch) took her to third-place in the 1958 Sahara Cup on Lake Mead under the Miss Moses Lake banner.
Deactivated following an unsuccessful 1959 Gold Cup qualification attempt in Seattle with Red Loomis at the wheel, the craft vanished from the Unlimited scene.
She re-appeared a decade later as a display item atop a pylon at the entrance to the Columbia Park pit area, starting in 1969, where she remained for many years.
