1969 Seafair Trophy Race
Lake Washington, Seattle, Washington, August 3, 1969

Hydro Fans Due for 'Sneak Preview' Today
By Del Danielson

Atlas Starts Seafair Tests With 'POW!' Miss Budweiser Turns Lap at 117.674 m.p.h. Wanderer Flips; Driver Hospitalized Hydro Czar Raps One Day Trials Hydros vs. Yanks Chenoweth Could Take Title With Win in Today's Race Hydro Fans Due for 'Sneak Preview' Today Kasper 'Pitched' Into Hospital Bud Wins Grabs National Point Lead Sterett, Once Retired, Now Title-Bound Winner by 3 Miles Miss Budweiser Wins Seafair Fred Farley Remembers The Wanderer Statistics

The finals in today's Seafair Centennial Trophy Race( are scheduled for 4 p. m. but fans of the splash-and dash business called unlimited-hydroplane racing will get a sneak preview about three hours earlier.

Four of the "hot" boats it the 10-boat field were drawl for Heat 2B. The Myr's Special, the Miss U. S., Notre Dame and the Budweiser will join the Savair's Mist at the starting line and the heat winner will be the heavy favorite to win the Seafair Trophy and the biggest chunk of $26,500 in prize money.

In Heat 1B, the back-in-action Miss Bardahl leads a field of question-mark boats. The Bardahl came out of retirement for this one after winning Gold Cups and national championships in 1967 and '68. Joining the Pride of Ballard will be the Parco O-Ring Miss, Atlas Van Lines, Mister P's and the Pride of Pay 'n Pak.

The Myr's Special, with Dean Chenoweth at the wheel, has won two races in a row and will be trying to sew up the national championship for J. Lee Schoenith, its owner. Chenoweth directed the pickle-forked Myr's Special to wins at Madison, Ind. and the Tri-Cities.

The Miss U. S., Bill Muncey's ride, is capable of winning it all today. Muncey directed the fire-engine-red hull to a win in the World's Championship at Detroit this year and could overtake Chenoweth on the point ladder with a win today. Muncey is one of two drivers in today's field that has won on Lake Washington — and he's done it four times.

The Budweiser appears ready. After Bill Sterett pushed the beer wagon to wins in the first two 1969 outings, problems arose. The boat is ready again with new props and the Bernie Little camp wants this one.

The only non-winners in Heat 2B are the Notre Dame and Savair's Mist.

The Notre Dame has to be considered one of the "hot" ones, if for no other reason than test runs. The Shamrock Lady, one of three Seattle boats in the field, is one of the speediest boats in the fleet—alone. A sister ship to the Bardhal, the Notre Dame hits fantastic speeds during test runs and has bogged down when the course gets crowded on race day. Sponson changes at the Tri-Cities two weeks ago ironed out most of the wrinkles and Leif Borgersen tied Chenoweth with 1,000 points for the day. But Chenoweth's win in the final heat gave him the win.

The Savair's Mist, Walt Kade's pride and joy. is always there. It's not one of the speedier boats around, but it always finishes. And if the speed demons pop, Kade will be there to pick up the pieces, the points and the money.

The Bardahl, which ran well in four days of testing, got the good draw. And even it is a questionable threat to the "hot dogs."

A driver, Fred Alter, was rounded up at the last minute; the crew has been hustling 20 hours a day since the boat was un-retired a little more than a week ago. And the Bardahl is minus a few parts (sold when the boat went into retirement).

The Atlas Van Lines, despite being 12 years old, is one of the speedier crafts around. Jim McCormick turned a lap at 119.469 miles an hour Thursday, the fastest time of the week. But McCormick "popped" more engines than anyone else during the testing days. If it holds together, look out.

The Pay 'n Pak, with Tommy Fults in the cockpit, has been the never-quite-ready boat all season. Dave Heerensperger, owner, has great expectations for his outrigger, but they are as yet unfulfilled.

Bob Gilliam's Mister P's surprised a few people when it qualified for today's race by turning 103-plus on Friday. But the former Fascination is still a long shot in this race.

Norm Evans took over the Parco O-Ring Miss at the Tri Cities, but the boat is still two buoys behind the class of the field.

Seattle is the only race site on the circuit with a three-mile course, so the boats will only turn five laps in a 15-mile heat. At all other unlimited races, the hydros go six laps on a 2½-mile course.

Heat 1A gets going at 12: (15 p.m.. Heat 1B follows at 125. 2A at 1:45 and 2B at 2:15. The five top boats after the prelims will complete the 45-mile race in the 4 p.m. finale,

(Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 3, 1969)

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