Guy Lombardo's 1948 Speed Attempt

Lombardo Betters Speed Record For Gold Cup Craft in Florida
Band leader Droves Tempo VI 113.208 Miles Per Hour Over Measured Course

The Guy Lombardo Story Guy Lombardo's 1948 Speed Attempt Guy Lombardo and the Tempo Alcoa

Miami Beach, Fla., March 24, [1948] (AP) — Band Leader Guy Lombardo broke a seven-year-old Gold Cup powerboat speed record today when he was clocked in 113.208 miles per hour over a measured mile in his supercharged Tempo VI.

Equipped with a new 1,300-horsepower, twelve-cylinder engine, the Tempo VI was officially timed at 31.8 seconds over a mile course in Indian Creek. The time beat the 100.987 miles per hour established by Herbert Mendelson in his Notre Dame in 1940.

But Lombardo's main goal—to break the United States unlimited hydroplane speed record, held for sixteen years by Gar Wood—was temporarily postponed by choppy water.

After setting a new mark for Gold Cup craft, it was originally planned to make another run this afternoon in an attempt to beat Wood's 124.915-mile-per-hour mark set Sept, 20, 1932, in Algonac, Mich., in his four-engined Miss America X.

Lombardo said he would try early tomorrow morning, about 6:30 or 7 o'clock, when the water is expected to be calmest.

While several thousand spectators line the shores of Indian Creek—among them Gar Wood—Lombardo made about four trial runs over the measured mile course. He was officially clocked on two runs, and the average times constituted the recorded speed.

After the run Lombardo said the choppy water and his inability to run a true course were the primary reasons he failed to get more speed.

"I wavered too much," he said. "I need to run it a few more times to pick out a true course."

Wood congratulated Lombardo on his new record and commented: "He surely gets a lot of speed out of that single engine. His 113 miles an hour is very fast. Now I'd really like to see him beat my record."

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Postpones Speed Trials

Lombardo Ends Record Attempt When Fuel Pump Fouls

Miami Beach, Fla., March 25 [1948] (AP) — Engine trouble forced orchestra leader Guy Lombardo to postpone an attempt here today to lower the American speedboat record held by Gar Wood since 1932.

Lombardo said he might return in June when the waters in the area are calmer. He plans to leave for New York immediately with his boat, the supercharged Tempo VI.

Lombardo set a new Gold Cup record of 113.208 miles an hour over the measured Indian Creek mile course yesterday and was clocked at a faster speed of 114.8 miles today before trouble set in.

He broke the Gold Cup record of 100.987 miles an hour set by Herbert Mendelson of Detroit in 1940. Wod's record is 124.915 miles an hour.

Lombardo's mechanic said the engine trouble started when the fuel pump fouled.

(Associated Press, March 25, 1948)

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