1975 Hydroplane Slate is Worth Record $350,000 for 10 events

Powerboat racing's most glamorous class, the unlimited hydroplanes, will compete for record purses of $350,000 next year in a 10-event schedule. The 1975 season for the 180-mile-an-hour "thunderboats" opens May 18 on Biscayne Bay in Miami and closes Sept. 14 on Lake Pleasant in Phoenix, Ariz.

Major races between those dates include the President's Cup on June 1, the Gold Cup on July 27 and the Seattle Seafair on Aug. 3. The Gold Cup, considered the sport's top event, has been scheduled for the Columbia River at Tri-Cities, Wash.

In announcing the schedule, the Unlimited Racing Commission of the American Power Boat Association also indicated that at least 20 unlimiteds would be ready for competition. The fleet is expected to include Pay 'n Pak, Miss Budweiser, Valu-Mart, Miss Madison, U-95, Lincoln Thrift and Loan, Red Man, Sunny Jim, Kirby Classic, Pizza Pete, Mr. Fabricator, Savair's Probe and CU-22.

Pay 'n Pak, owned by Dave Heerensperger and driven by George Henley, dominated the 1974 season with seven victories. Bernie Little's boat, Miss Budweiser, took three firsts before Howie Benns, the rookie driver, was injured in a motorcycle accident.

1975 Schedule
May 18	Champion Spark Plug Regatta	Marine Stadium	Miami, FL
June 1	President's Cup	Potomac River	Washington, DC
June 15	Kentucky Governor's Cup	Ohio River	Owensboro, KY
June 29	Gar Wood Trophy Race	Detroit River	Detroit, MI
July 6	Indiana Governor's Cup	Ohio River	Madison, IN
July 13	Hydroglobe	Eastwood Park Lake	Dayton, OH
July 27	APBA Gold Cup	Columbia River	Tri-Cities, WA
August 3	Seattle Seafair	Lake Washington	Seattle, WA
September 7	San Diego Unlimited	Mission Bay	San Diego, CA
September 14	Desert Thunderboat Regatta	Lake Pleasant	Phoenix, AZ