1960 Diamond Cup
Lake Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, July 23-24, 1960

Miss Seattle Too Wins Diamond Cup

Miss Seattle Too Wins Diamond Cup Diamonds Aren't Forever : 1960 Statistics

Although the fastest boats in the West were matched at the Diamond Cup race, July 23-24 at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, a series of spectacular incidents dimmed the hopes of the top contenders one by one. Finally Miss Seattle Too, owned by Milo and Glenn Stoen of Seattle, coasted to victory in the final heat.

Of the 11 entries in the race, three never got started, due to mechanical difficulties. David Johnson's Tool Crib and one of Bob Gilliam's KOLroys never qualified. Bob Miller's Miss Everett broke a gearbox and lost her shaft on the start for the first heat. Lawrence Schuyler's $ Bill from Lompoc, California, with Ray Crawford driving, finished a steady last in each of the three heats entered. Bob Gilliam's other ailing KOLroy entered only one heat.

All of the remaining six boats were dangerous threats in any race, with able crews, hot engines and ample reserves. But Bardahl, driven by Jim McGuire, never was a serious challenge this race, coming in last in the two preliminary heats entered and next to the last place $ Bill in the final heat.

The community sponsored Miss Spokane, brilliant with a new code of lilac paint, had three new Rolls engines this year. Second to Miss Seattle Too, in heat 1A, driver Rex Manchester withdrew her from heat 2B when the water line broke. Making a roaring start in the final heat, the Spokane boat blew her engine after crossing the line.

The new Miss Burien, sponsored by the Washington community of Burien, powered with a hot Allison engine and driven by Chuck Hickling, use new to races this year. He signed and built by Ted Jones last winter, she lagged behind Miss Thriftway and Hawaii Kai during their furious duel in heat 1-B and was second to Thriftway in heat 2B. When Miss Thriftway, Burien and Bardahl went into the first corner after the start, Miss Thriftway was sandwiched between the other two boats, with Burien on the inside and Bardahl on the outside. Bill Muncey, pressed close by Bardahl, had no place to go but out in front of Burien.

It was the opinion of the referee, Stan Donogh, that Bill Muncey had established an overlap on Burien; but it did turn out to be a hairbreadth escape for both Hickling and Muncey. Burien made contact with Miss Thriftway's stern and came into the pits with a streak of familiar Thriftway orange paint honor starboard sponson. During this course of events, Burien was hosed down and subsequently had several slow laps, was even passed for a time by Bardahl before coming in to take second in a three boat race.

While Miss Burien won the final heat, she was never pressed after the first lap. With the main threats eliminated, Dallas Sartz driving Miss Seattle Too was content to take a second-place and cinch the points for the Diamond Cup. No matter how fast Hickling drove Miss Burien in the final heat, he couldn't take the Cup. His fastest lap was the third in 2B, 105.058 mph.

Most dramatic was the clash between Hawaii Kai, now owned by Joseph Mascari of Huntington, New York and driven by Ron Musson, and Miss Thriftway. The former boat holds the world km speed record and the latter the mile straightaway record. The two met first in heat 1-B. Muncey in Thriftway had made perfect start and held position until the fourth lap when Hawaii Kai passed in the in a terrific burst of speed over a rough water course. Hawaii Kai posted the fastest lap speed of the day in the fifth lap, 112.50 mph in a demonstration of power that electrified spectators.

However, in the next heat, Hawaii Kai, matched against Miss Seattle, KOLroy and $ Bill, came in second to Miss Seattle Too, with Musson nursing a broken water line.

In the thundering start of the final heat, there were seven boats over the line. Miss Spokane conked out immediately. At the first corner, somebody hosed down Miss Thriftway and left her dead in the water, to finally restart to grab the fourth place from $ Bill. At the south turn, the beautiful coral pink Hawaii Kai broke her strut and her flailing prop tore into her bottom and she lay slowly sinking, but was rescued after the heat.

Two drivers shared Miss Seattle Too's victory. Norm Evans drove the first day, then left immediately for Port Huron, Mich. to drive Sam du Pont's Nitrogen II in the St. Clair International Trophy Race. Evans hit a buoy in the third heat and was disqualified. Wild Bill Cantrell driving Gale V won the trophy.

The showing of Miss Burien in the Diamond Cup had an immediate result. The boat was selected as one of the U.S. unlimited hydroplane team to challenge for the Harmsworth trophy in Picton, Ontario August 19-22. Others are Chuck Thompson's Miss Detroit and the Nitrogen. All have Allison engines. The Coeur d'Alene race was headed up by Carter Crimp for the Coeur d'Alene Unlimited Hydroplane Association. Duane Hagadone is the Commodore. The lake course, the official barge and the method of running the races are similar to that of the Lake Washington races. Assisting Stan Donogh, the referee, were Jim Skinner and Jack Colcock of Seattle. Cricket Callender was chief scorer. Don Dunton of Spokane was starter and Don Merz of Seattle chief inspector. Jerry Bryant, Seattle, represented the American Power Boat Association, while Andy Joy, Seattle, furnished the timing equipment.

The Diamond Cup race for a gem-studded $2500 trophy is run on a $20,000 budget. As in Seattle, race buttons are sold and log boom space was sold to 300 boats. Spectators were estimated at 40,000.

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