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"I Drive Just Fast Enough to Win" |
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Miss Bardahl Easily Takes Gold Cup Honors |
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Newest Miss Bardahl Wins Gold Cup |
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Miss Bardahl Takes Gold Cup |
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Miss Bardahl Wins Gold Cup |
1967 APBA Gold Cup
Lake Washington, Seattle, Washington, August 6, 1967
Miss Bardahl Easily Takes Gold Cup Honors
Two Hydroplanes Sink at Seattle
Notre Dame, Harrah's Club Flip in First Heat, but Both Drivers
Survive
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Seattle, Aug. 6 [1967] (AP) — Billy Schumacher wheeled the sleek Miss Bardahl to an easy 1967 Gold Cup victory today after two drivers had been hurt in a spectacular crash at the start of the annual unlimited hydroplane race.
The 24-year-old Seattle racer won three preliminary heats, averaging about 103 miles an hour on the Lake Washington course, to score 1,200 points. He then finished second in the final heat behind Bill Muncey of Seattle in the Detroit boat, Miss U.S., to add 300 points and a crown-winning total of 1,500.
Another Detroit entry, Miss Lapeer, driven by Warner Gardner of Bay City, Mich., was second in the over-all standings, with two firsts and a second in the preliminary heats. She was third in the final heat for a total of 1,325.
Third place went to Miss U.S., which had a second and two thirds in the preliminary heats to go with the final-heat victory for a 1,150-point total.
Miss Budweiser Fourth
| Final Standings | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | U-40 | Miss Bardahl (5) |
| 2 | U-9 | Miss Lapeer |
| 3 | U-2 | Miss U.S. (3) |
| 4 | U-12 | Miss Budweiser (5) |
| 5 | U-22 | Atlas Van Lines (1) |
| 6 | U-19 | Wayfarer's Club Lady |
| 7 | U-88 | Hilton Hy-Per-Lube |
| 8 | U-50 | Savair's Probe |
| 9 | U-10 | Savair's Mist |
| 10 | U-77 | Miss Chrysler Crew |
| DNF | U-15 | My Gypsy |
| DNF | U-7 | Nore Dame (6) |
| DNF | U-1 | Harrah's Club |
| DNQ | U-80 | Smirnoff (2) |
| DNQ | U-44 | Gale's Roostertail (2) |
| DNQ | U-28 | Dutchman |
| DNC | U-21 | $ Bill (2) |
The Tampa, Fla., entry, Miss Budweiser, driven by Mike Thomas of Harvey Cedars, N.J., was fourth with 1,052 points.
Fifth was Atlas Van Lines, a Buffalo entry driven by Bob Schroeder of Williamsville, N.Y. Wayfarer's Club Lady, an Owensboro, Ky., boat driven by Jim McCormick of Owensboro, was sixth.
Schumacher easily outran his opponents in the preliminary heats, pushing the Bardahl up to more than 160 m.p.h. on straightaways.
Similar Accident 8 Years Ago
Jack Regas, making a comeback after nearly losing his life in a similar accident eight years ago, and Chuck Hickling suffered several broken ribs and cuts.
The 44-year-old Regas charged into the lead in the Notre Dame, then the boat apparently hit a swell nearing the first turn, became airborne and nosed into the water in a shower of spray and debris. Regas was thrown out.
Hickling, close behind in Harrah's Club, ran into the wreckage. His boat flipped and nosed under. He also was thrown out.
The Coast Guard quickly pulled them out as the four other boats were flagged down and the heat was postponed for a rerun after the debris was cleared.
Observers estimated that both were travelling at better than 150 miles an hour at the time of the accident.
Regas, who is from San Leandro, Calif., nearly lost his life in a similar accident in the 1959 Diamond Cup race on Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He was unconscious for several months after his boat, the Miss Bardahl, hit a wave and overturned.
Chuck Hickling lives in Bellevue, Wash.
(From the Associated Press)
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