1946 National Sweepstakes Regatta - Lombardo Scores a Speed-Boat Victory

1946 National Sweepstakes Regatta & Auerbach Memorial Trophy
North Shrewsbury River, Red Bank NJ, August 17-18, 1946

Lombardo Scores a Speed-Boat Victory
Red Bank Series Won By Tempo VI
Lombardo's Renamed Gold Cup Craft Dominates Revived National Sweepstakes
World Inboard Mark Set
Hampton 46.236 Clocking Tops Class B Figures
Auerbach Trophy Goes to Bogie
By Joseph Sheehan

RED BANK, NJ., Aug. 18 [1946] — Drawing only lightly on the resources of his powerful craft, Tempo VI, Guy Lombardo of Freeport, L I., today completed a clean sweep of the three-race title series of the revived National Sweepstakes Regatta, which wound up on the North Shrewsbury River before an estimated throng of 4,000 onlookers.

In his final trial for the Gold Cup. which Lombardo hopes Tempo VI can win for him at Detroit on Labor Day as it did for Zalmon G. Simmons in 1939 and 1941 under the name of My Sin, the orchestra leader ran away from his outclassed opposition with little difficulty. Only in the last heat did he open up at all.

After taking today's first fifteen-mile test in a dawdling 58.747 miles per hour, the maestro, whose first experience it was at driving his newly acquired craft, decided to see how she handled at a faster pace and stepped Tempo VI up to 65.3 m.p.h. in the last whirl, covering the second lap at 86.6, m.p.h. in the process.

While this was still well short of what Tempo VI can do at full throttle, it was more than enough to decide the issue and as fast as Lombardo, who is anxious to avoid the necessity for an engine overhaul before he goes for the big prize at Detroit against real competition, cared to risk at this time.

Gibson Bradfield's Buckeye Baby finished next in both of today's races, as she had in yesterday's single test, and wound up in second place on points. With her owner at the wheel. the Barnesville, Ohio entrant made a close race of it in the slow second heat.. However, Jack Wood of Detroit, who drove Buckeye Baby in the finale, was over a mile in back of Lombardo's faster effort. There were four starters in each test.

Expected opposition from Jack Cooper, the Kansas City veteran, did not materialize. His new 225 cubic-inch craft Speedliner [Tops II?], which had broken down before the start yesterday, crossed the link in the first national sweepstakes test today but conked out shortly after.

The third world record of the regatta was recorded when J. William Hampton of Somers Point, N. J., was clocked a five-mile average of 48.23 mph his Class B racing group inboard runabout.

The old mark, made by Sammy Crooks at Lakeland, Fla., in 1942, was 45.778 m.p.h.

Robert A. Bogie of Brooklyn recorded a sizzling 60.79 m.p.h. in capturing the Judge Emil Auerbach Trophy with his 225 cubic-inch Blitz II. His victory in the final ten-mile test of this open three-race series, added to a first and third yesterday, gave him the decision over Joseph Van Blerck Jr.'s Aljo V, season's big winner among the 225s. Aljo V, first-heat winner yesterday, was third today behind Reece Layton's Yellow Jacket III.

Competing at her proper class level among the 225-cubic-inch craft, Buckeye Baby won the special trophy put up by President Avila Camacho of Mexico. Bradfield completed a sweep of the two-race series by covering today's five-mile heat at 59.880 m.p.h. Albert Brinkman Jr.'s Sea Biscuit was the runner-up on points.

National Sweepstakes
Unlimited Class

Second Heat (fifteen miles) — won by Tempo VI, Guy Lombardo, Freeport, L.I.; second, Buckeye Baby, Gibson Bradfield, Barnesville, Ohio; third Yellow Jacket, Ray Gassner, St. Petersburg, Fla.; fourth, Blitz II, Robert A. Bogie, Brooklyn, NY. Speedliner, Jack Cooper, Kansas City, did not finish. .

Final Heat — Won by Lombardo; second, Bradfield; third, Gassner; fourth, Skyrocket, Leston W. Cloak, New York. Time, 13:47. Speed, 65.3 mph.

Final Standing — Lombardo, 1,200; Bradfield, 900; Gassner, 450; Bogie, 394.

Auerbach Memorial Trophy
Unlimited Class

Final Heat (ten miles) — Won by Blitz II, second, Yellow Jacket III, W. Reece Layton, Baltimore; third, Aljo V, Joseph Van Blerck, Jr. Hewlett, LI; fourth, Malt 'n Hops, J. Hanley, Providence. Time — 9:52.2. Speed — 60.79 mph.

Final Standing — Bogie, 1025 points; Van Blerck, 850; Hanley, 638; Layton, 600; Buckeye Bullet, Lou Butler, Zanesville, Ohio, 169