1948 Henry Ford Memorial
Detroit River, Detroit, MI, July 10, 1948

Power-Boat Race Goes to Lombardo
His Tempo VI wins All Three Heats in Ford Memorial contest at Detroit

Leading Speed Boat Drivers Set For Ford Trophy Race in Detroit Saturday Power-boat Race Goes to Lombardo

Detroit, July 10, [1948] (AP)—The dependable old Tempo VI carried Guy Lombardo to a slow but easy victory today in the Henry Ford Memorial Trophy race.

Tempo VI made sweet music along the choppy waters of the Detroit River to win all three heats of the forty-five-mile race. Her time over the two-and-one-half-mile course was slow—averaging only 58.325 miles an hour. But it was fast enough to outstrip by far her only two competitors.

Lombardo's 1,200 points gave him first place over Lou Fageol, piloting So Long, and Ed Stair Jr. in the ancient Katy Did. Fageol picked up 600 points and Stair 300.

Eight starters were listed before the race, but only three were around at the finish. A variety of misfortunes befell the rest.

Hughes' Boat Sinks

Dukie, piloted by Howard (Whitey) Hughes, plowed into the wake of a river cruiser, flopped over and sank. Hughes and his mechanic, Charley Faulds, were uninjured.

Ed Fallon's Miss Great Lakes, piloted by Danny Foster, was expected to give Lombardo some competition before the 200,000 spectators. But Miss Great Lakes threw a propeller in the first lap and came near sinking.

The same fate befell Jack Schafer's Such Crust. driven by Danny Arena, and the So Long. The latter was repaired in time for the last two heats. however.

My Sweetie, a new hydroplane owned by Ed Gregory Jr. and Ed Schoenherr dropped out in the first heat with an overheated gearbox.

Flagged Off Course

And the radically built Miss-ter-e was flagged off the course in the first heat because owner-pilot G.E. Warren just couldn't get enough speed out of her.

Lombardo's time by heats was 58.43, 57.471 and 58.074. He was headed only once, that during the second heat when So Long forged into a brief lead.

George Matucci of Oakland, Calif., was injured in a race in the 225 division when his hydroplane, the California Kid, flipped on a turn and threw him into the water. Rescued by a crash boat, Matucci was taken to Jennings Hospital. His condition was termed "temporarily serious" while doctors looked for internal injuries.

(Associated Press, July 10, 1948)

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