1975 Hydroplane Slate is Worth Record $350,000 for 10 events

Powerboat racing's most glamorous class, the unlimited hydroplanes, will compete for record purses of $350,000 next year in a 10-event schedule. The 1975 season for the 180-mile-an-hour "thunderboats" opens May 18 on Biscayne Bay in Miami and closes Sept. 14 on Lake Pleasant in Phoenix, Ariz.

Major races between those dates include the President's Cup on June 1, the Gold Cup on July 27 and the Seattle Seafair on Aug. 3. The Gold Cup, considered the sport's top event, has been scheduled for the Columbia River at Tri-Cities, Wash.

In announcing the schedule, the Unlimited Racing Commission of the American Power Boat Association also indicated that at least 20 unlimiteds would be ready for competition. The fleet is expected to include Pay 'n Pak, Miss Budweiser, Valu-Mart, Miss Madison, U-95, Lincoln Thrift and Loan, Red Man, Sunny Jim, Kirby Classic, Pizza Pete, Mr. Fabricator, Savair's Probe and CU-22.

Pay 'n Pak, owned by Dave Heerensperger and driven by George Henley, dominated the 1974 season with seven victories. Bernie Little's boat, Miss Budweiser, took three firsts before Howie Benns, the rookie driver, was injured in a motorcycle accident.

1975 Schedule
18-May Champion Spark Plug Regatta Marine Stadium Miami, FL
01-Jun President's Cup Potomac River Washington, DC
15-Jun Kentucky Governor's Cup Ohio River Owensboro, KY
29-Jun Gar Wood Trophy Race Detroit River Detroit, MI
06-Jul Indiana Governor's Cup Ohio River Madison, IN
13-Jul Hydroglobe Eastwood Park Lake Dayton, OH
27-Jul APBA Gold Cup Columbia River Tri-Cities, WA
03-Aug Seattle Seafair Lake Washington Seattle, WA
07-Sep San Diego Unlimited Mission Bay San Diego, CA
14-Sep Desert Thunderboat Regatta Lake Pleasant Phoenix, AZ

 

(Reprinted from the Associated Press newswire, December 29, 1974)