1968 UIM World Championship
Lake Washington, Seattle, Washington, August 4, 1968

Miss U.S. Fastest Entry in 1B
Bardahl, Eagle Electric Tangle in First Heat
By Bud Livesay

History of Thrills, Spills Gardner, Eagle Electric Miss Speed Record by Tick Muncey Qualifies Miss U. S. High on Ladder 1968 Unlimited Hydroplane Roster A Persistent Game Miss U.S. Fastest Entry in 1B Bardahl, Eagle Electric in Same Heat Hydro Ladder Hydroplane Handicap Regatta Rules Time the Hydroplanes Bill Muncey Wins Hydro Title Muncey Luck Changes for Better Consistency Paid Off Feverish Battle Waged Backstage in the Pits Gardner Pushes Electric to Near-Record 120.267 ‘Mom’s Going to be Upset’ But Wracked-Up Regas Won’t Retire Muncey, Simon Celebrate Miss U.S. Victory Patriotic Parable Steady-Running U.S. Hydro Champ Miss U.S. Wins World Championship Hydro Race It's Diamonds For Miss Bardahl Statistics

There will be no delay in Phase I toward determining the world championship of unlimited-hydroplane racing today on Lake Washington.

Miss Bardahl and Miss Eagle Electric, each with two victories in four races this summer, were drawn for Heat 1A, starting at noon. Matched with the co-favorites are Smirnoff, Harrah's Club, Atlas Van Lines and Notre Dame.

Off qualifying averages the past three days, Bill Muncey rides into the starting gate astride the fastest mount for Heat 1B, starting at 12:30 p. m. Challenging Muncey's "Big Red," Miss U. S., are Gale's Roostertail, Savair's Mist, Miss Budweiser, Parco's O-Ring Miss and My Gypsy.

The six fastest hydros after four heats of racing will qualify for the grand finale to the Seafair regatta, scheduled at 4 o'clock. The six other boats will line up for the Mayor of Seattle consolation race, a single-heat event, at 3 o'clock.

The Bardahl and Eagle Electric are bruising for a battle and both drivers, Billy Schumacher and Warner Gardner, yesterday expressed complete satisfaction with the draw that put them together in the getaway heat.

Said Schumacher, young Bardahl driver, "We have to meet sometime and the first heat is as good a time as any."

Said Gardner, a "young" 53, "Billy was telling me that, should we get into the same heat, it probably would take an average of around 117 miles an hour to win. I agreed, because that's about the speed I intend to go."

Both the Bardahl and Eagle Electric are capable of such speeds. Gardner, during qualifying trials, just missed equaling the world's record for a three-mile track, with a clocking of 120.267 m. p. h. That, of course, perched the Eagle atop the qualifying ladder (and earned Dave Heerensperger, owner, a $1,000 bonus).

Yesterday afternoon, while out breaking in a new engine, Schumacher had a few eyes popping with two breezy laps at 118-plus and a "warm up" spin of 117.704. Officially, the Bardahl's qualifying time was a bit slower, 116.129.

Today there will be no warm ups, no testing. This is for real—and $4,500 to the winner. Also at stake is the national high-point leadership, won easily last year by Schumacher when he took six of eight races.

Billy the Kid's margin presently is tiny—3,900 to 3,300 for Gardner.

While Heat 1A appears to he a duel between Schumacher and Gardner, Muncey may have more of an argument than he'll face before the general elections November 7. Of the top eight qualifiers, three will be jockeying with Big Red — Miss Budweiser (113.684), My Gypsy (110.656) and Roostertail (108.652). And that trio had far more time to prepare. Muncey didn't get into the water until yesterday forenoon. Then he made it look easy with no-fuss laps of 114.165 and 113.684. That was topped this week only by the "Terrific Trio" bracketed in Heat IA.

Jackie Regas churned 115.385 in qualifying and the Notre Dame is in a realistic position as a spoiler should either Schumacher or Gardner get careless and concentrate too much on each other. They could wind up concentrating on catching Jackie.

Jim. McCormick can turn a corner with the best and Harrah's Club, while having troubles, quickly can find the combination that could open the money vault. McCormick had a 111.340 re-qualifying lap yesterday.

And if Bob Fendler and his driver, Bob Miller were successful in shaving a new rudder to satisfaction, the Atlas Van Lines has the chute speed to run ahead of any pack. Cornering had been a problem; then, with a new rudder, porpoising in the chutes. The Van, with the kinks worked out, is a dandy mover — big, strong and dependable.

The struggle within the battle, of course, will be to qualify for the world-championship final. The six boats most likely to succeed are Eagle Electric, Bardahl, Notre Dame, U. S., Budweiser and My Gypsy.

All, with the exception of Jim Ranger's Gypsy, have the experience at the helm necessary to keep their "cool" when the traffic gets heavy. Tommy Fults is a rookie in Gypsy and Lake Washington is big and had for first-timers. But Fults' boss surprised by winning the 1966 Seafair Trophy in the same boat.

Jerry Schoenith, guardian of the Roostertail, is encouraged each time out. He's still learning, by his own admission, and once he learns to get around the bend, the Roostertail could be a contender.

It took longer than expected yesterday to get the field of 12 boats completed. Mike Wolfbauer's Savair's Mist sweat tears—and blood—getting into the race. Grandpa Walt Kade made it, at 103.053, around 4 o'clock, after Bill Newton, referee, extended qualifying time to accommodate the hard-working Mist camp.

Kade wasn't overjoyed by the engine performance that qualified the Mist, but that's the one they'll use today.

Asked if they planned another engine change for tomorrow, Kade responded: "You must be kidding. We finally got one to run."

Still, going into the gate, the lineup is the world's finest collection of unlimiteds—minus three.

There are two unlimiteds in Australia and one in England. Obviously, they are not here for only the third world's championship sanctioned by the Union of International Motorboating, with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

The day may come, in the not too distant future, that the flavor will he international. Until then, today's field is the best available,

Qualifying Speeds
Boat	Driver	Average Speed
Miss Eagle Electric	Warner Gardner	120.267
Miss Bardahl	Billy Schumacher	116.129
Notre Dame	Jack Regas	115.355
Miss U. S,	Bill Muncey	114.165
Miss Budweiser	Bill Sterett	113.654
Harrah's Club	Jim McCormick	111.340
My Gypsy	Tommy Fults	110.656
Gale's Roostertail	Jerry Schoenith	108.652
Parco's O-Ring Miss	Freddie Alter	106.299
Atlas Van Lines	Bob Miller	106.719
Savair's Mist	Walt Kade	103.053
Smirnoff	Dean Chenoweth	101.504

World's Championship Hydro Handicap
No.	Boat	Driver	City	Engine	Comment
U 1	Miss Bardahl	Bill Schumacher	Seattle	Rolls-Royce Merlin	Experience in pits will tell.
U-25	Miss Eagle Electric	Warner Gardner	Spokane	Rolls-Royce Merlin	Capable of taking it all.
U-12	Miss Budweiser	Bill Sterett	Seattle	Rolls-Royce Merlin	Moving up with each outing.
U-15	My Gypsy	Tommy Fults	Detroit	Allison	Consistent, if not quickest.
U-2	Miss U. S.	Bill Muncey	Detroit.	Rolls-Royce Merlin	A candidate for near-top spot.
U-7	Notre Dame	Jack Regas	Seattle	Rolls-Royce Merlin	Mount still too skittish.
U-44	Gale's Roostertail	Jerry Schoenith	Detroit	Allison	Getting better all the time.
U-3	Harrah's Club	Jim McCormick	Lake Tahoe	Rolls-Royce Griffin	Tender feet still hurting.
U-35	Atlas Van Lines	Rob Miller	Phoenix	Rolls-Royce Merlin	Sprinter; runs poorly on turns,
U-80	Smirnoff	Dean Chenoweth	Detroit	Rolls-Royce Merlin	Not enough horses,
U-8	Parco's O-Ring Miss	Fred Alter	Detroit	Rolls-Royce Merlin	Mechanically not ready yet.
U-10	Savair's Mist	Walt Kade	Detroit	Allison	Just barely made race.

(Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 4, 1968)

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