1952 Silver Cup
Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan, September 1, 1952

Boat Banter Seven-Liter Class Wildcatter Does 73.476 MPH as Detroit Regatta Starts Speed Boat Trophy Taken By Gale II Gale II Takes Silver Cup in Annual Labor Day Classic Statistics

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Schoenith happily clutched the Mulford Trophy after their boat had been declared the winner of the 1952 Silver Cup classic held on the Detroit River on Labor Day. They had seen a dream come true in story book fashion when Danny Foster beat off the other six challengers in the abbreviated event halted after three heats by a sudden wind and rain squall that made further racing impossible.

Foster nursed Gale II to second place in the first heat behind the co-owned Dodge-Schaefer Hornet-Crust which won the Lt. Meehan Trophy for the fastest lap. Lou Fageol was at the wheel when he whipped the Hornet-Crust around the course averaging 78.001 miles per hour with a fast second lap of 81.092.

It looked like Fageol was a cinch to pick up al the blue chips after that first heat, but he reported to the press stand at the DYC later that Hornet-Crust had wrecked her crankshaft and was definitely out of the race. With that report, the Schoenith entry took over the favorite's role and proceeded to take the second and third heats with speeds of 63.094 and 88.007 respectively.

In the second heat, both Such Crust III and My Sweetie were disqualified for starting late, and Roughneck was disqualified for cutting a buoy.

In the third heat, Foster beat off the challenge of Such Crust and My Sweetie to win easily. At that time, the Schoenith's had no idea that their boat was going to win the famous Silver Cup because there were still two heats left in the event and anything could, and usually does, happen to these high powered monsters that roar up and down the river giving the local speedboat fans thrills and chills.

It was at this time Mother Nature took a hand in the proceedings and whipped up a terrific wind and rain squall that sent thousands of spectators scurrying for shelter and frothed the usually placid Detroit River into a whitecapped turmoil which made further racing impossible.

Two local boys, John Kress of Detroit and Gary Hooker, Jr., finished first and fourth respectively in the Edinburn Memorial Trophy race which also was cut short by the Labor Day storm. Kress piloted his 266 cubic inch class boat to two first places to score 800 points and capture the trophy. Hooker's Such Crust Jr. took fourth for 300 points.

[Reprinted from the Grosse Pointe News, September 4, 1952]

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