1953 APBA Gold Cup
Lake Washington, Seattle WA, August 9, 1953

Slo-mo is Dream Boat to Driver

By Joe Taggart, Driver of Gold Cup champion.

Longer course Proposed Oval for Gold Cup Cut to 3.75 Miles 90 Miles At 100 M.P.H. Gold Cup Regatta Slated On Sunday Speed Record Set by Slo-Mo-Shun IV Cup Boat Bought By George Simon Coast Speed Boat Loses Propeller Sayres Sued by Lawyer Gold Cup Entrant Ripped In Tune-Up On the Eve of the Gold Cup Race Sunday Race Condemned Miss Pepsi to be Retired Slo-Mo-Shun, ‘Grand Old Lady’, Sweeps Gold Cup Distaff Side Prays Home Slo Mo IV Slo-mo is Dream Boat to Driver Calling the Space Patrol In the Wake of the Roostertails Five Boats With But One Thought Gold Cup Race Won in the Pits Gold Cup Invaders Won't Return Says Schafer The Old Lady Got Into Another Race Gold Cup Race Sidelights Slo Mo Shun IV Surprised Slo-mo-shun IV Captures Gold Cup Race for Third Time Schafer Reluctant to Return to Seattle Slo Mo Shun IV Keeps Gold Cup Slo Mo IV Remains Queen The"Old Lady" Does It Again The Gold Cup Stays in Seattle Statistics

Slo-mo-shun IV of Seattle is the greatest boat I ever laid my hands on.

You dream about perfect riding boats, you talk about terrific power, and you think that some day, some way a boat, can be built that will stay under you for 90 miles and more.

And here it is, this wonderful boat I had the chance to drive in two heats of the 1953 Gold Cup race Sunday.

I didn't have too much time with the boat. But that qualifying heat Thursday opened my eyes. Here was the boat I'd been dreaming about.

But could she go 90 miles that way?

Sunday I found out. She went 90 miles and there wasn't a drop of water or a drop of oil in her bilge. Nor did I have a drop of oil on me.

I got a little messed up on the start, was caught in a different position that I figured to be. But darned if I didn't get a break, saw an opening and the boat responded when I stepped on her to climb right through and into the lead.

Miss Great Lakes was closest to me and going great guns. It might have been a tougher race if he hadn't had his bad luck right there on the first turn.

I was away but here came Gale and really winding.

But nothing was going to catch this Slo-mo once she was out of that mess and running.

I got a great thrill out of the way she pulled out of that first turn and went on her way. I felt right then this race could be won and handily it we had no accidents.

I had a mind to ease off a bit but she handled so beautifully on the turns, was accelerating so smartly it just didn't seem to he necessary.

I just kept wheeling her, never feeling I was really pushing her and before you knew it we were across the finish line and with the checkered flag waving at us.

As, you know Lou Fageol turned in a sparkler in the second heat.

And when I came back it was just to keep her running right.

Gale gave us a battle for a couple of laps but she had trouble with her gear box oil pump and Lee was covered with oil, couldn't keep up.

We just held our own the rest of the way and I had my first Gold Cup win, or a share in it, and Slo-mo-shun IV had her third.

What a boat!

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