1952 APBA Gold Cup
Lake Washington, Seattle WA, August 9, 1952
Gold Cup Captured by Slo-Mo-Shun IV
Seattle, Aug. 9 [1952] — A lone boat on a barren course, Seattle's Slo-Mo-Shun IV, won the Gold Cup today after five other speed boats conked out. One exploded and injured Driver Bill Cantrell.
The victor failed to finish the first heat when she lost a propeller on the fifth lap. Her sister ship, the defending Slo-Mo-Shun V, also from Seattle, blew a cylinder on the sixth lap and had to quit the race.
Mechanics quickly switched propellers from the V to the IV and Stanley Dollar piloted the 1950 champion back into the throne room of speed boat racing.
Her triumph came after Chuck Thompson had driven the gigantic Miss Pepsi to a new thirty-mile speed record of 101.024 miles an hour in the opening heat.
But Miss Pepsi dropped out of the running in the first lap of the second heat, a minute after Such Crust IV blew up. Of the other two boats which started, Miss great Lakes II split a gear box the second time around the course, and Hurricane IV was stopped by engine trouble in the fourth lap of the third and final heat.
Cantrell Tossed Overboard
Cantrell had placed third behind Pepsi and Hurricane in the first heat and hit the starting line well up with the leaders at the beginning of the second thirty mile tour. As the Crust entered the first turn, she exploded, throwing Cantrell overboard and hurling debris high in the air.
The driver was picked up from the water in a few seconds by a Coast Guard patrol boat and rushed to the hospital. It was reported at the hospital that Cantrell had third degree burns of the nose and second degree burns of body and arms. His condition was reported satisfactory.
With only one boat left in running condition, tomorrow's second running of the Seafair Trophy Race over this same Lake Washington course was called off. Rules for the Seafair demand an entry of at least four boats of the Unlimited Class.
Not one of the six entries finished all three heats. Half the filed was out after six laps of the first heat, which up to then was a terrific battle between Lou Fageol in Slo-Mo-Shun V and Thompson in the Detroit-owned Pepsi.
Fageol jumped into the lead at the start and showed the field nothing but stern for five laps. Pepsi hung close and when Thompson made his challenge on the first turn of the sixth lap, Fageol tried to hold the lead, but at that instant his engine gave out.
Thompson roared on in his twin-engined five-ton monster, finishing a lap and a half ahead of Hurricane and Crust.
Only Three in Next Heat
Morlan Visel of Los Angeles, owner-drive, failed to get Hurricane ready in time to start the second heat, and Pepsi, Slo-Mo-Shun IV and Such Crust were the only starters. After three-quarters of a lap, the Slo-Mo was going it alone and Dollar cruised to the heat victory at an average speed of 75.49 miles an hour.
For the third heat, Visel was ready, but he was Dollar's only opposition. Hurricane conked out after making a race of it for three laps. After that Dollar "loafed" at an average 84.35 miles an hour, finishing the heat alone to the accompaniment of a blast of boat whistles and screams from a crowd that police estimated at 250,000.
By winning two heats, the Slo-Mo IV earned 800 points to take the race. Miss Pepsi, consoled by the record she set, was second with her 400 points in the first heat. Hurricane IV was third with 300 and Such Crust fourth with 225.
Both Great Lakes and Slo-Mo-Shun V failed to complete a heat.
Bonus points available for the fastest heat and the fastest race average were not awarded because no boat finished all three heats.
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