1951 Detroit Memorial [2nd Running]
Detroit River, Detroit MI, September 1, 1951


Thompson Pilots Dossin Brothers’ Speed Boat to Victory on Detroit River
Miss Pepsi First in 24-Mile Event
Averages 85.454 M. P. H. for eight Laps in Detroit's 250th Birthday Regatta
Schoenith's Craft Next: Gale II is Second in Both 12-Mile Heats
Dodge's Delphine X Home Third

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Thompson Pilots Dossin Brothers’ Speed Boat to Victory on Detroit River
bullet Miss Pepsi Wins Feature
bullet Statistics

DETROIT, Sept. 1 (UP)--Veteran peed boat driver Chuck Thompson drove Miss Pepsi to an easy victory in the 250th birthday festival regatta on the Detroit River today.

The Dossin brothers' boat won both twelve-mile heats and claimed its third major victory of the racing season. Previously it had won the Steel Cup at Pittsburgh and he Maple Leaf regatta at Windsor, Ont.

For the eight laps in two heats, Miss Pepsi averaged 85.454 miles an hour. The fastest lap was the first of the first heat, when Thompson drove her 89.265 miles per hour.

Finishes Second Twice

Joe Schoenith's Gale II, driven by his son Lee, followed Miss Pepsi across the finish line both times to take second place. Third place went to Horace Dodge's ancient Delphine X, which finished third in the first heat and fifth in the second.

Five boats answered the starter's gun in each heat of the unlimited class race. Only three finished the first while all five completed the four laps of the three-mile course in the second.

Such Crust I, driven by Danny Foster, and Gale I, driven by Al D'Eath, dropped out in the first heat. Gale I edged out Such Crust for third spot in the second heat.

Seven other boats listed as possible starters were either sidelined or failed to appear. The top casualty was Hornet, a new Dodge boat, said to be one of the fastest on the river. Bill Cantrell got the boat out of the pit but had to come back with a damaged gear box.

Missile Fails to Qualify

Another new boat, Guided Missile, owned by Harris McBride, failed to qualify. Gold'n Crust, the former Such Crust II, encountered motor trouble Thursday and could not be repaired in time to start. A third Dodge boat, My Sweetie, was not put into position while My Darling, owned by Andy Marcy, Springfield, Ill., also had trouble. Guy Lombardo's Tempo VI and Super Test, the former Miss Canada did not show up for the race.

Joe Taggart of Canton, Ohio, won the seven-liter class race with his Tomyann; Bill Rothbusch of Cincinnati won the 225-class with Wild Goose; Aubrey Thacker of Washington won the 225 division II with Jezebel IX; Dick Rankin of Pontiac, Mich., won the 135 with his Hi Ball, and Swede Stromstedt of Medera Beach, Fla., won the 48-cubic inch with his Dragon Jr.

[Reprinted from the New York Times, September 2, 1951]


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