1958 Apple Cup
Lake Chelan, Chelan, Washington, May 11, 1958


Miss Bardahl Wins The Big Apple

Apple Cup Revisited : 1958
Miss Bardahl Wins the Big Apple
Statistics

Apple Cup Summary

Heat 1-A

Boat

Drivers

Speed

Points

Miss Thriftway

Bill Muncey

104.287

400

Miss Bardahl

Norm Evans

100.521

300

Miss Seattle

Chuck Hickling

98.504

225

Miss Burien

Mira Slovak

97.035

169

Coral Reef

Harry Reeves

92.847

127

Heat 1-B

Thriftway Too

Brian Wygle

103.706

400

Maverick

Bill Stead

101.733

Disqualified

Miss U.S. I

Fred Alter

100.241

300

Miss Spokane

Dallas Sartz

95.659

225

Miss Pay 'N Save

Al Benson

92.672

169

*Maverick fouled buoy on third lap and was disqualified from heat.

Heat 2-A

Boat Speed Points Total

Maverick

107.313

400

400

Miss Bardahl

103.868

300

600

Thriftway Too

97.666

225

625

Miss Spokane

96.843

225

394

Miss Pay ' n Save

DNF

 

169

Heat 2-B

Miss Thriftway

104.428

400

800

Miss U.S. I

101.484

300

600

Miss Burien

99.282

225

394

Coral Reef

95.003

169

296

Miss Seattle

90.270

127

352

Final Heat

Boat

Time

MPH

Points

Total Points

Miss Bardahl

17:7.8

101.618

400

1000

Miss U.S. I

18:1.2

99.928

300

900

Miss Spokane

18:6.1

96.774

225

619

Maverick

22:9.5

78.419

169

569

Miss Thriftway

DNF eighth lap

800

Miss Burien

DNF fourth lap

394

Thriftway Too

DNF third lap

625

Here's some inside information on Miss Bardahl, which brought honor to Ole Bardahl of Seattle, glory to the Queen City YC, more fame to designer Ted Jones and his first unlimited victory to driver Norm Evans when the green, yellow and black hydro won the Apple Cup at Lake Chelan May 11.

The victory proved an Allison aircraft engine still can develop the speed and maintain the stamina necessary to win the major unlimited hydroplane race. The Bardahl craft has a model 1710-G-6 of the 12 gasoline engine, 5.5 x 6 in. bore and stroke, a supercharger ratio of 8.10 to 1, a peak engine speed of 4200 r.p.m., turning a 2.75-to-1 step-up Seattle-built Western gear, with the maximum shafts speed of 11,550 r.p.m. developed 2000 horsepower.

The propeller sizes used varies from 13-in. diameter by 19-in. pitch to 13½ in by 24 in. on a 1-5/8 in. diameter "K" Monel shaft. The speed which the lash-up develops is amazing, although Miss Thriftway, Thriftway Too, and Maverick outran Bardahl in the various preliminary heats. However, the Bardahl was still running fine in the final heat of the Apple Cup for the big payoff.

The new Miss Thriftway was the boat to beat. She is a foot longer and eight inches wider than the 30 by 12 ft. Bardahl, heavier (6500 pounds) and packing a powerful Rolls-Royce. Brian Wygle and Thriftway Too was a second formidable challenger.

But in the final heat the two went out on the third lap when she struck some debris, presumably a part of Miss Burien's sponson which moments before had collided with a buoy, and tore a hole in the two's bottom as big as watermelon. She was saved, of course, but went out of the race.

Willard Rhodes thought he had the quill shaft problem licked, but on the eighth lap of the final heat, with victory in sight, Bill Muncey had to bring Miss Thriftway to a stop when she lost power.

The Chelan race was the first unlimited race of the season and the first to be run under the new rules of the APBA which provide for preliminary elimination heats, with the winner of the final heat declared the winner of the race.

This arrangement proved most satisfactory. There were 10 qualifiers, 5 interesting heats, no boats lost and all drivers in good condition for the next major Northwest race, the Diamond Cup at Coeur d'Alene Idaho, June 28-29th.

 

(Reprinted from Sea and Pacific Motor Boat, July 1958, p. 48-N)


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