Diamonds Aren't Forever
by Bob Senior
Ten Diamond Cup races for unlimited hydroplanes were held between 1958 and 1968. No
race was held in 1967. The race course was on beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene, in the Idaho
panhandle. The pits were located between Templin's Motel and Sherman Avenue*. Enthusiastic
crowds of "hydro-nuts" would occupy Tubbs Hill for the best spectator viewing.
We will endeavor to recap the highlights of the races as follows:
1958:
Bill Stead drove William T. Waggoner's U-12 Maverick to an impressive win in the
inaugural Diamond Cup contest, besting Brien Wygle in Thriftway Too, Dallas Sartz
aboard Miss Spokane, and Miss U.S. I, driven by Fred Alter. Miss
Thriftway and Bill Muncey were never in contention during the winner-take-all Final
Heat due to sponson damage. Other entries of interest in the preliminary heats included Miss
Seattle, Chuck Hickling; Bill Brow and Dick Short who shared the Miss Burien
ride; Adios, George McKernan; Miss Bardahl, Mira Slovak; Coral Reef,
Harry Reeves; and Miss Pay 'n Save with driver Al Benson.
1959: Duplicating the feat of her predecessor, the new Waggoner
U-00 Maverick and driver Bill Stead captured this accident-marred contest. The
first two heats were run on Saturday. Bill Muncey and Miss Thriftway won Heat 1-A
in a thriller over Jack Regas and Miss Bardahl. In Heat I-B Maverick won
over Miss U.S. I, driven by Don Wilson. In Heat 2-A Bill Brow's Miss Burien
hooked badly, lost a sponson, and sank and the heat was re-run. Heat 2-B went to Brien
Wygle aboard Hawaii Kai III who out-dueled Bill Muncey and Miss Thriftway.
|
Norm Evans gets tossed |
In the re-run of Heat 2-A Jack Regas and Miss Bardahl hit a wall of water, and
coasted to a stop. The unconscious driver was rushed to a hospital, with a brain
concussion, severe facial cuts, and broken ribs. The heat was called a contest on the
basis of three laps. Maverick was first, Norm Evans and the Miss Spokane were
second, and Nitrogen and Don Dunnington took third. The Final Heat was a battle
royal between Miss Thriftway, Maverick, and Miss Spokane. Stead and Muncey
held first and second for a lap; then Evans made a devil-may-care move inside and gained
the lead. On lap four Miss Spokane caught a sponson, spun out, and Evans was
pitched from the cockpit. Red flares caused the heat to be called official on the basis of
completion of three laps. Miss Thriftway and Maverick tied with 1000 points
each, and a 1.8 second advantage in elapsed time gave Stead his second straight Diamond
Cup.
1960: Norm Evans and Dallas Sartz co-drove Miss Seattle Too
to top honors. Evans won Saturday's Heat I-A, then departed and flew East to drive in the
Harmsworth Trophy competition. Rex Manchester in Miss Spokane was second and Ray
Crawford aboard $ Bill came in third. Ron Musson and Joe Mascari's Hawaii Kai
won.Heat 1-B in a great duel with Bill Muncey and Miss Thriftway. Chuck Hickling
and Miss Burien were third, and Jim McGuire and Miss Bardahl came in fourth.
Dallas Sartz took over the Miss Seattle Too, and won Heat 2-A over the Kai,
Bob Gilliam's KOLroy I, and $ Bill. Miss Thriftway won the fastest
heat of the race in 2-B. defeating Miss Burien and Miss Bardahl.
Miss Seattle Too, the Kai and Miss Thriftway all had a shot at the
cup as the Final Heat began. Miss Burien took an early lead when Thriftway
went dead in the water. Hawaii Kai did not finish due to losing a prop. Miss
Burien won the finale but a second-place finish for Miss Seattle Too put a
jubilant Dallas Sartz into the winner's circle. Miss Burien placed second over-all.
Miss Thriftway was able to re-start, finished fourth in the heat and third
over-all.
1961: Bill Muncey scored 1200 perfect points to defeat five
other entries with Miss Century 21 (the former Miss Thriftway, re-named to
publicize the Seattle World's Fair). Other results in order of finish were Miss Spokane,
Rex Manchester; Cutie Radio, Billy Schumacher; Miss Burien, Chuck Hickling; Miss
Seattle Too, Dallas Sartz; and Fascination, Bob Gilliam.
1962: The fifth annual Diamond Cup was won for the second
consecutive year by the odds-on favorite, Miss Century 21 driven by Bill Muncey.
Colonel Russ Schleeh and Tahoe Miss won Heat I-A, followed by Such Crust IV,
Fred Alter; Gale VII, Bob Schroeder; Miss B & I, Bob Miller; and $
Bill, Rex Manchester. Tempest, with Chuck Hickling driving, did not finish.
Two new hulls competed in Heat I-B, Miss Bardahl, driven by Ron Musson, and
Shirley McDonald's Notre Dame, with driver Warner Gardner. Miss Century 21
won the heat, followed by Gale V, Bill Cantrell; Miss Seattle Too, Bill
Brow; Miss U.S. I. Don Wilson; and Notre Dane. The Bardahl threw a
rod and scored a DNF.
Tempest won Heat 2-A, defeating Notre Dame, Tahoe Miss, Miss U.S. I, Gale
VII, and $ Bill. Heat 2-B was taken by Miss Century 21. After exchanging
positions as often as three times a lap, Miss Seattle Too nosed out Miss Bardahl
for second. Gale V battled Miss Century 21 early in the heat, only to expire
with a burned gearbox bearing.
Tempest led the Final Heat for two laps, with Tahoe Miss and Miss Century
21 scorching behind in second and third. Such Crust IV, Miss Seattle Too,
and Notre Dame trailing. Miss Century 21, responding to the skill and
tactics of pilot Bill Muncey, pulled into second, then finally into first place. The Final
Heat ended with Century 21 the winner, followed by Tempest, Miss Seattle Too,
Such Crust IV, Tahoe Miss, and Notre Dame. Point totals brought this final
order: Miss Century 21, Tahoe Miss, Seattle Too, Tempest, Such Crust, and Notre
Dame.
1963: Spectacular competitive racing and a near-tragedy marked
the sixth running of the Diamond Cup. Bill Muncey and Miss Thriftway turned back
repeated challenges to earn his third consecutive Idaho victory. Mira Slovak was
hospitalized when Miss Exide disintegrated during a Final-heat duel with Thriftway.
The Exide, competing in only her second race, was a total loss. Miss Exide
had earlier won Heat I-A, defeating Tahoe Miss, Chuck Thompson; Miss Eagle
Electric, Rex Manchester; Tempest, Chuck Hickling; and Fascination, Bob
Gilliam. A superb race between Miss Thriftway and Miss Bardahl, with Ron
Musson driving, highlighted Heat 1-B. Bardahl then broke a connecting rod, scoring
a DNF. The heat order of finish was Thriftway first; $ Bill, Norm Evans in
second; and Tempo, Bob Schroeder third. Warner Gardner took Heat 1-C driving Notre
Dame, while Fascination I and Bob Gilliam finished second. A broken
supercharger drive gear in Gale V sent Bill Cantrell to the pits early, and a balky
carburetor retired Fred Alter in Mariner Too.
In Heat 2-A Miss Exide out-sprinted the field, defeating Tempest, Tempo, $
Bill, and Fascination. Miss Eagle Electric DNF'D when some aluminum peeled off
the bottom and wrapped around the shaft. Only Miss Thriftway was able to finish
Heat 2-B, as various woes struck Miss Bardahl, Gale V, Tahoe Miss, and Notre
Dame. The Final Heat had to be re-run due to the Exide accident, and Tempest
and $ Bill battled the entire five laps. Hickling nipped Evans by two lengths at
the finish; Tempo was third, Notre Dame fourth, and Miss Thriftway
came in fifth.
Needing only to finish the Final Heat to win the Diamond Cup on total points, Muncey
seemingly "coasted" to fifth place finish. That was not the case. Thriftway's
engine was "running on borrowed time". A closely guarded secret before the final
heat was the news that her engine had two "torched" cylinders, and time was
running out on the other ten.
1964: Bill Brow and Miss Exide defeated Ron Musson and Miss
Bardahl in two out of three match-ups and topped a field of 13 thunderboats. Miss
Eagle Electric, the host boat from nearby Spokane, Washington, gave the partisan crowd
a thrill when driver Norm Evans won Heat I-A. Mariner Too with Warner Gardner
scored a second, while Jerry Schoenith in Gale V, Jim Fyle in Savair's Mist,
and Billy Schumacher in $ Bill trailed. The Exide defeated the Bardahl
in Heat 1-B, followed by Miss Budweiser with Bob Schroeder, and Fascination
with Bob Gilliam. Miss Madison and Buddy Byers took Heat 1-C after Bill Muncey
driving Notre Dame and Chuck Thompson in Tahoe Miss both jumped the gun. Notre
Dame placed second, and Tahoe Miss did not finish, nor did Bill Cantrell aboard
Miss Smirnoff.
Thompson drove Tahoe Miss to the fastest lap and heat of the regatta in taking
Heat 2-A while defeating Madison, $ Bill, Budweiser, Notre Dame, and Savair's
Mist. In Heat 2-B it was Musson's turn to settle an earlier defeat, driving Miss
Bardahl to victory over Miss Exide after jumping to an early lead with a
near-perfect start. Eagle Electric was third, Mariner Too was fourth, and Gale
V and Fascination did not finish.
Entering the Final Heat Exide, Bardahl, and Madison were tied with 700
points while Eagle Electric followed with 625. Any one of these could take the Cup
by winning the finale. Bardahl took the lead up the first back-stretch. Suddenly
Brow poured the nitrous oxide to Miss Exide and shot into the lead. An intense duel
followed for three laps, only a roostertail separating the two hydros. Brow hung on for
the win, narrowly defeating Musson by .437 m.p.h.
1965: Miss Exide and Bill Brow posted their second
consecutive Diamond Cup victory amid torrid duels between the Exide, defending
National Champion Miss Bardahl and Notre Dame. Heat 1-A was won by crafty
veteran "Wild" Bill Cantrell and Miss Smirnoff. Warner Gardner was second
in Mariner Too, and 20-year-old rookie Rex Bixby brought $ Bill in third.
Buddy Byers drove Miss Madison to fourth place, Chuck Hickling and the four-seater Miss
Budweiser were fifth, and Savair's Mist, driven by Red Loomis, was sixth. At
the end of one lap of Heat 1-B three boats, Notre Dame, Bardahl, and Exide,
were virtually dead even. Exide kept the lead for good after two laps, behind Brow,
a great driving duel raged between Notre Dame's Rex Manchester and Bardahl's
Ron Musson, with the Hibernian Hydro barely nipping the Green Dragon by a boat length.
Jerry Schoenith and Gale's Roostertail did not finish, and Chuck Thompson and Tahoe
Miss did not start.
Heat 2-A produced another fine battle between Exide and Bardahl. Bill
Brow won his second heat of the race, followed by Bardahl, Mariner Too, and Savair's
Mist. $ Bill and Gale's Roostertail did not start. In Heat 2-B Bill Cantrell
led the field until Miss Smirnoff's supercharger "blew", yielding the
lead to Notre Dame who came home first. Miss Budweiser was second, Miss
Madison was third, Smirnoff did not finish, and Tahoe Miss was again
unable to start.
Going into the Final Heat Miss Exide held a 100-point lead over the Notre
Dame. Rather than risk everything, Brow drove to a conservative third place position
in the heat, winning the race by 25 points over Notre Dame. Miss Bardahl took first
place in the Final, Notre Dame was second, Miss Exide was third, Miss
Madison came in fourth, Miss Budweiser scored a fifth, and Mariner Too
was sixth. One other unlimited, not previously mentioned, watched the race from the pits,
Bob Fendler's unqualified Miss San Diego.
1966: Mira Slovak and Tahoe Miss scored 1200 perfect
points in a Diamond Cup whose Final Heat was run in near-darkness, the final boat of the
Final Heat crossing the finish line at 8:10 p.m. The event was probably run under the
darkest conditions ever. One of the drivers remarked, "I steered by the headlights of
the boats on the backstretch. The cruisers had all their lights burning". Besides
three heat wins for Tahoe Miss, Chuck Hickling in $ Bill, Warner Gardner in Miss
Lapeer, and Bill Cantrell in Smirnoff won preliminary heats.
The overall final standings for the race were:
- Tahoe Miss
- Miss Budweiser, Bill Brow
- Miss Lapeer
- Smirnoff
- Wayfarer's Club Lady, Bob Fendler
- Miss Dixi Cola, Fred Alter
- $ Bill
- My Gypsy, Jim Ranger
- Miss Madison, Jim McCormick
- Miss Chrysler Crew, Bill Sterett
- Miss Tri-Cities, Bob Miller
- Savair's Mist, Walt Kade
Red Loomis in Savair's Probe and Bob Gilliam in Hilton Hy-Per-Lube failed
to score points.
1967: There was no Diamond Cup race held in 1967. Newspaper accounts blamed the
decision to not hold a contest on "continued student riots during race week".
Race officials and city fathers, with an infusion of assistance from the Spokane area,
decided to revive the race for 1968.
1968: Billy Schumacher and the "Checkerboard Comet" Miss
Bardahl won the tenth and final Diamond Cup race for unlimited hydroplanes. Gusty
winds forced repeated postponements of the preliminary heats, again sending the Final Heat
off into near darkness. Rookie Tommy Fults drove My Gypsy to a second-place finish
in the 13-boat field. Matched with Miss Bardahl in Heat 2-C, the former drag-car
racer proved his driving skill by defeating the Bardahl in a thrilling five-lap
duel. Fults' lap speed and heat clocking were the fastest of the day.
Host boat Miss Eagle Electric of Spokane, driven by Warner Gardner, won two
preliminary heats. Bill Sterett in Miss Budweiser, Leif Borgersen in Notre Dame,
Miss Bardahl, and My Gypsy also won preliminary heats. Schumacher
out-distanced Miss Budweiser and My Gypsy in the Final Heat to earn the win.
Notre Dame came in fourth in the Final and Miss Eagle Electric's bid for
victory was erased when a supercharger failed at the initial turn of the final heat.
Final standings and point totals for 1968:
- Miss Bardahl, 1100
- My Gypsy, 925
- Miss Budweiser, 925
- Miss Eagle Electric, 800
- Notre Dame, 794
- Savair's Mist, Walt Kade, 525
- Atlas Van Lines, Bob Miller, 450
- Miss U.S., Bill Muncey, 300
- Smirnoff, Dean Chenoweth, 300
- Gale's Roostertail, Bill Cantrell, 300
- Fascination, Bob Gilliam, 169
Harrah's Club, Jim McCormick, and Parco's O-Ring Miss, Fred Alter did not
score points.
On April 29th, 1969, Race Chairman Tracy Petersen announced cancellation of the Diamond
Cup, citing high costs and falling interest. The trophy itself was later awarded at a
feature race at a local horse race track. Diamonds aren't forever!
(References and research credits: A.P.B.A. summary sheets, Phil Jursek, Fred Farley,
David Greene, E.K. Muller, Yachting magazine, Bob Carver, Eileen Crimmin, Bob Brinton,
Unlimited Hydroplane News.)
(Reprinted with permission from the Unlimited
NewsJournal March 1984)
* Steve Shepperd was kind enough to send in the following correction:
"The pits were located in two places over the years.and in neither case was the
pit area ever between Templins and Sherman Ave. The only thing between the two were a side
walk. The original pits were at the public boat launch area at the base of Third
Street...one and a half blocks south of Sherman Ave. They were moved for the last race
(1968) to an area on the west side of Templin's North Shore Hotel.
"The older Templins building which was nearer Sherman had been torn down by then
(or at least was closed) if memory serves. The North Shore was eventually purchased by
Duane Hagadone and it was incorporated in what is now the Coeur d'Alene Resort.
"There is a memorial to Col. Warner Gardner now at the Third Street boat launch
site. "
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© Leslie Field, 1999
1958:
Bill Stead drove William T. Waggoner's U-12 Maverick to an impressive win in the
inaugural Diamond Cup contest, besting Brien Wygle in Thriftway Too, Dallas Sartz
aboard Miss Spokane, and Miss U.S. I, driven by Fred Alter. Miss
Thriftway and Bill Muncey were never in contention during the winner-take-all Final
Heat due to sponson damage. Other entries of interest in the preliminary heats included Miss
Seattle, Chuck Hickling; Bill Brow and Dick Short who shared the Miss Burien
ride; Adios, George McKernan; Miss Bardahl, Mira Slovak; Coral Reef,
Harry Reeves; and Miss Pay 'n Save with driver Al Benson.
