1950 Gulf Hall of Fame
Fifteen To 1950 Hall of Fame
Fourteen men and one woman have been advised of their election to the Gulf Marine Racing Hall of Fame of 1950. Selection was made by a panel of six marine racing experts consisting of Lou Eppel, 1950 Senior Vice President of the American Power Boat Association; Charles F. Chapman, Editor of MoToR BOATING and Senior Honorary Vice President of the American Power Boat Association; Leston W. Cloak, President of the American Inboard Association; Albert A. Batter, outstanding regatta official, and Chairman of Region No. 3, American Power Boat Association; M. F. (Dave) Sloan, Marine Racing Representative, Gulf Oil Corporation, and J. M. Torance, Assistant General Manager, Marine Marketing, Gulf Oil Corporation.
Election to the Hall of Fame is for "brilliant achievement on the water," and citations to electees are based on the following: consistent winning, establishment of world records, winning outstanding trophies or events, winning a national class championship, and particularly outstanding racing accomplishments.
Drivers who were admitted to the Hall of Fame this year include:
George Sarant, Freeport, L. I., N. Y. Sarant. with his Gold Cup boat, Etta; became the first driver to win the difficult Around Manhattan Race two years in succession.
Stanley Sayres, Seattle, Washington. Sayres. in his Gulf Cup boat, Slo-Mo-Shun IV, drove a boat faster than any other human has ever travelled on the water. On July 26. 1950. he set a new world speed record on Lake Washington in Seattle of 160.32 miles per hour.
Ted Jones, Seattle, Washington. Driving Stanley Sayres' Slo-Mo-Shun IV, Jones won the Gold Cub Race in Detroit in straight heats setting heat and race records. Jones designed Slo-Mo-Shun IV, which has established itself as world's fastest boat.
Lou Fageol, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Fageol was considered by many to be the outstanding driver of the year. He took over My Sweetie in the second heat of the Gold Cup Race and led Slo-Mo-Shun IV, for 29 miles when a faulty oil line forced him to withdraw—this in a boat some 40 miles an hour slower than Slo-Mo-Shun IV. Driving Slo-Mo-Shun IV, Fageol won the International Harmsworth Trophy race in two straight heats, breaking lap, heat and race records. Fageol became the first man ever to drive a boat more than 100 miles per hour in competition, setting a lap record of 102.676 miles per hour and a race record of 100.68 miles per hour.
Aubrey Thacker, Washington. D. C. In his D.service runabout, Jezebel VIII, Thacker competed in 24 heats winning 22 firsts and one second. He won the National Championship at Ocean City, New Jersey, and set a new five-mile competitive record at Bush River, Maryland. of 47.071 miles per hour.
Sherman Crichfield, St. Petersburg, Florida. With his E-racing runabout, Hell's Angel, he made 23 starts and won 11 firsts and 7 seconds. He established a new five-mile competitive record at Picton, Ontario, of 63.875 miles per hour.
Edison Hedges, Atlantic City, New Jersey. During the season Hedges raced three service runabouts in the E. F and B classes. In the E-service class. he ran 4 heats and won 4 firsts, setting a new one-mile straight-a-way record at Ocean City, New Jersey of 54.566 miles per hour. He also set a new five-mile competitive record at Cambridge, Maryland, of 51.107 miles per hour. In the E-service class, he made 4 starts and won 3 firsts, setting a five-mile competitive record at New Martinsville, West Virginia, of 50.533 miles per hour. Hedges established a new five-mile competitive B-service runabout record which was later broken during the season. Hedges holds more marine racing world records than any other driver alive.
(Reprinted from Motor Boating, March 1951)