1957 APBA Gold Cup
Lake Washington, Seattle, Washington, August 11, 1957
Miss Thriftway Triumphs in Gold Cup Speed-Boat Competition at Seattle
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Seattle, Aug. 11 [1957] (AP) Miss Thriftway successfully defended the Gold Cup today in the fiftieth anniversary running of the speed-boat race, winning her first two heats and finishing second in the final phase of the ninety mile contest.
A crowd estimated by police at nearly half a million persons crowded the shores of Lake Washington or watched from nearly 1,000 pleasure boats around the course. The sky was studded with clouds, but there was no rain and the water was nearly ideal for the big unlimited hydroplanes.
Shanty I, the holder of the Harmsworth Trophy and last years national champion, finished second in the point total.
Shantys twin sister, the Maverick, which beat Miss Thriftway in the final thirty mile heat, wound up third in the point standings.
Hawaii Kai forced out
Hawaii Kai, a speedster from Seattle, set a torrid pace in the final heat until she lost her power on the last turn of the ninth and next-to-last lap. In winning her first heat of the day, the Kai set a lap record for the three-mile course and a heat record.
Going into the final heat, the cup decision rested between the Seattle-owned Miss Thriftway and Shanty I, with Miss Thriftway 100 points ahead. Either one was in position to turn in the best over-all time for ninety miles and win 400 bonus points.
Shanty I lost her chance when her driver, Russ Schleeh, miscalculated the south turn buoy after the start and had to loop back to circle it. After that, knowing the race was his as long as he stayed ahead of Shanty I, Bill Muncey held Miss Thriftway in the middle of the field.
Gale V, which had three drivers during the day, made a race of it with Miss Thriftway for a time, but had a brief spell of engine trouble and finally finished the heat in fourth place. Schleeh had Shanty I moving fast at the finish, but had to settle for third.
1,500-Point Total
With two 400-point firsts, one second worth 300 points and an elapsed time bonus of 400 points, Miss Thriftway wound up with 1,500 points.
Miss Thriftway averaged exactly the same speed for her two heat victories 104.016 miles per hour. Her average for the ninety miles, 101.983 m.p.h., broke the mark of 99.552 set in 1955 by Gale V.
The flame-pink Hawaii Kai III hung up heat and lap records in the final section of heat one. Jack Regas turned the first lap at 114 miles per hour to better the mark of 113 m.p.h. set in the first heat by Miss Wahoo. His official heat time of 109.823 bettered the old mark of 101.024 set over a three-mile course by Chuck Thompson in Miss Pepsi.
(Reprinted from the Associated Press, August 11, 1957)
The Final Standings | ||||||
Pos. | No. |
Boat | Driver |
El. Time | Av. Speed | Points |
1. | U-60 | Miss Thriftway (1) | Bill Muncey | 52:09.5 | 101.979 | 1,500 |
2. | U-29 | Shanty I | Russ Schleeh | 55:28.6 | 97.678 | 925 |
3. | U-12 | Maverick (1) | Bill Stead | 58:34.5 | 92.553 | 869 |
4. | U-222 | Breathless II | Jay Murphy | 59:12.3 | 91.334 | 652 |
5. | U-99 | Short Circuit (2) | Chuck Thompson | 59:44.1 | 90.845 | 638 |
6. | U-55 | Gale V (2) | Bill Cantrell, Lee Schoenith, Roy Duby | 60:54.1 | 89.195 | 620 |
7. | U-8 | Hawaii Kai | Jack Regas | 400 |
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8. | U-77 | Wahoo | Mira Slovak | 400 |
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9. | U-2 | Miss U.S. I (2) | Fred Alter | 352 |
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10. | G-22 | Such Crust III (2) | Jack Bartlow | 338 |
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11. | U-19 | Miss Rocket | Marion Cooper | 225 |
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12. | U-4 | Miss Bardahl (1) | Norm Evans | 225 |
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DNF | U-37 | Miss Seattle | ||||
DNF | U-62 | Thriftway Too | ||||
DNF | U-56 | Gale VI (1) | ||||
DNQ | U-36 | Miss U.S. IV | ||||
DNQ | U-22 | Breathless | ||||
DNQ | U-7 | Sunnee Brand | ||||
DNQ | U-46 | Whiz-ski [7-litre] | ||||
DNQ | U-24 | Miss U | Del Fanning |
[Note: Bob Burd's Racing Unlimited gives a slightly different finishing order for some boats further down the field:
9. | U-4 | Miss Bardahl |
10. | U-2 | Miss U.S. I (2) |
11. | G-22 | Such Crust III (2) |
12. | U-19 | Miss Rocket |
In addition, Sunnee Brand is simply listed as Sunnee; Burd also lists Miss Wahoo as Wahoo, a name she likely did not take on until 1959 --LF]
* * *
Heat accomplishments:
1A | 1. | Wahoo | 108.717 |
2. | Gale V | ||
3. | Miss Rocket | ||
1B | 1. | Miss Thriftway | 104.016 |
2. | Shanty I | ||
3. | Breathless II | ||
1C | 1. | Hawaii Kai III | |
2. | Maverick | ||
3. | Miss U.S. | ||
2A | 1. | Miss Thriftway | 104.016 |
2. | Short Circuit | ||
3. | Gale V | ||
2B | 1. | Shanty I | 98.369 |
2. | Breathless II | ||
3. | Miss Bardahl | ||
3 | 1. | Maverick | 99.944 |
2. | Miss Thriftway | ||
3. | Shanty I |
(Reprinted from Sea and Pacific Motor Boat 1958 Racing and Cruising Handbook)
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