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SEATTLE, Aug 6 [1953] (AP) -- The old
queen of the speedboats, Slo-mo-shun IV, qualified today
for her defense Sunday of the Gold Cup at an average speed of 107.5
miles per hour, the fastest qualifying time in the history of the
race. Miss Pepsi set a qualifying record of slightly more
than 103 m,p.h. last year for the best average over a three-mile
course, The route was lengthened this year. by three-fourths of a
mile. The current holder of the world speedboat record of 178-plus
m.p.h. as well as the Gold Cup, the Seattle-owned "IV"
turned five laps at better than the century mark. Her best three
went into the books as her qualifying time. Her new driver, Joe
Taggart, just in from Detroit, took only a short time to familiarize
himself with the IV
and then blasted off on the record trial run. He replaced Paul
Sawyer, Rochester, NY lawyer-sportsman, who was relieved as the
IV's driver by the owner, Stan Sayres. The twin-engine Such
Crust III of Detroit qualified at average of 93.6 m.p.h. Driver
Chuck Thompson wheeled the big boat around around in one warm-up
lap, and then took four turns of the course to get in his qualifying
time.
(Associated Press, August 6, 1953)
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