1949 National Sweepstakes
Dodge's My Sweetie Proves Class, Sweeping Sweepstakes Features
20,000 Watch Cantrell Pilot Winning Craft
Sid Street Cracks Marks In Two Divisions of Regatta—Driscoll Makes Awards
By Charles A. Johnston
RED BANK — Upwards of 20,000 motorboat racing fans were treated to speed aplenty yesterday on the Navesink river course as the final day of the 17th National Sweepstakes regatta produced these developments:
My Sweetie, owned by auto builder Horace E. Dodge. Detroit and driven by Ben [Bill] Cantrell Louisville, Ky., won the Sweepstakes and the Red Bank Gold Cup setting a new sweepstakes record in capturing the event's second heat Sid Street, Kansas City, Mo., automobile sales agent, who broke the world's record for 225 cu. in. hydroplanes Saturday with his Z-Z-Zip, shattered his day old mark in the same boat.
Street and Les Trafton, St Petersburg, Fla., surpassed two world speed marks in other events but their records won't count because in each case there were less than four starters.
A warming sunshine and calm waters, unlike the choppy course and driving rain that intefered with Saturday's program greeted the racers yesterday and stayed thru trophy awarding ceremonies in Marine Park.
Driscoll Gets Salute
Gov. Alfred E. Driscoll, receiving a 19-gun salute from the starter's cannon as he arrived at the pits a few minutes after the end of the Sweepstakes, presented prizes to Cantrell and Street. The latter received the Good Will trophy donated to the regatta association by Mexico's President Miguel Aleman.
Hailing the Mexican trophy, and another given for the winner of the 91 cu. in. hydroplane class by Col. Garcia Valseca, of Mexico. Governor Driscoll said they were a typical examples of the feeling of international friendship shared by people of Mexico and the U.S.
The governor paid tribute to the racers and noted a relationship between the international good will and sportsmanship displayed by the racing contestants.
Dr. Jose Lela Larrea, Mexican consul general at New York, represented President Aleman at the races. The Mexican interest has been stirred by Rear Admiral J. Lippman, of the Sweepstakes association who heads an airlines and other business interests below the border.
Besides the governor and counsel general, dignitaries attending the race program included Col. John J. Duvivier, British Military mission to Washington, Col. Dean Drumman, of the British Signal School at Catterick, Yorkshire; Carlos Baz, director of the Mexican tourist division and Carlos Montalvan, director of the Mexican pictures and radio division.
Sen. J. Stanley Herbert of Monmouth; Racing Commissioner Hugh Strong; Richard W. Stout, Neptune; J. Russell Woolley. Monmouth county clerk; and Rans J. Abbott, executive aide to Mr. Driscoll, accompanied the governor when he accepted an invitation of Freeholder Joseph C. Irwin, regatta commodore, to go aboard an Irwin boat and review the spectator fleet watching the races from the Red Bank shoreline.
Impressing the huge crowd afloat and ashore more than the political and international luminaries, it seemed was the amazing Louisville speedster, Cantrell, who, having won the International Gold Cup at Detroit July 4, in My Sweetie, brought home the top prizes in what has become the biggest regatta in the country.
George E. Sarant's new Etta, a single step hydroplane little known out of its home basin at Freeport, L.I., won the Sweepstakes first heat Saturday when My Sweetie and another boat drew one lap penalties for beating the starter's gun but could do no better than third yesterday.
Etta's third in the final Sweepstakes heat, behind My Sweetie and Harry Lynn's La Ha La, however, gave Sarant enough points to place second in the final standings. Lynn, who hails from Lake Hopatcong, and who is aided in guiding La Ha La by Ernest King, also of Lake Hopatcong, placed third in the final totaling on strength of his third on Saturday and second yesterday.
It had been the La Ha La, side by side with Cantrell's Hacker design Gold Cup winner, that had beaten the gun Saturday. Both boats were required to make an additional lap of the 2½ mile course to qualify for points.
Winning yesterday, My Sweetie, lapping four of the seven starters, was scarely 100 yards short of overtaking Etta, and was more than a half lap ahead of Lynn when Cantrell brought down the first place checker flag.
He was clocked for the 10 mile distance at 87.464 m.p.h., breaking the nine year old Sweepstakes record set Aug. 25, 1940, by Danny Arena in the former Notre Dame, when it was owned by Herb Mendelson, Detroit. Arena had recorded 76.140 over 15 miles, the former Swepstakes distance. The Notre Dame last year was sold to Robert Frost and Warren Avis who rechristened it the Miss Frostie.
In making his mark, fastest of any speed My Sweetie has done in competition this year, Cantrell hit the peak on the third round when he set a lap record, breaking Arena's mark of 76.923, With a new high of 89.108.
Regatta officials said the My Sweetie was well over 110 m.p.h. on straightaways.
Guy Lombardo's Tempo VI, out of the first heat after making less than two laps, was kept out of the final when the orchestra leader announced he would concentrate on the 10-mile single heat Red Bank Gold Cup, a free for all for inboards.
But he might just as well have saved the effort.
Forced to the side of the course and almost swamped by My Sweetie back wash, Tempo fell behind in the early laps and managed only fourth at the end.
Behind the victorious My Sweetie, which was clocked at 82.08 mph, came the elusive Z-Z-Zip with Street at the throttle. Street had won the Cup last year over far less competent opposition. A half lap behind the Zip, and more than a quarter length ahead of Tempo, was Sarant's Etta.
The free for all, proving itself just that, drew 14 entries which ranged in classes from Gold Cuppers to Jersey Speed skiffs.
Joe Van Blerck, Freeport, L.I., and formerly of Red Bank, winner of the Sweepstakes last year in a 225 cu. in hydroplane, came into his own in the final heat of the seven litre class when he brought his new Aljo home a winner.
The Aljo won out over So Long, driven by Lou Fageol. Van Blerck's craft is a former So Long which the Freeport boat builder bought from the Kent, Ohio, autobus and engine builder when the latter acquired his new So Long.
Fageol, however, who makes the motors used in all seven litre boats finished second in the heat and took enough points to win the event and a trophy put into competition by band leader Freddie Martin. Fageol won the first heat Saturday when Aljo conked out in the second lap. Martin, the trophy donor, was on hand to see the race.
Proving the course to be in great condition, Street, already possessor of one record on Saturday, set out to break that in the Zip and to set another in his Whizz, a division two 225 cu in.
In his division one Zip on Saturday, Street had notched 75.122, breaking the existing mark made by Loren Pennington, Pacific Palisades, Calif., March 6, 1948 in Copperhead at Lakeland, Fla. Yesterday, the Zip made 76.524, even faster than a mark of 75.7 reported by Street, but not yet recognized by the American Powerboat association, at Valleyfield, Quebec, Can., last month.
The heat victory made it two straight for Street, who with the Z-Z-Zip won the National championship and the Trimper trophy for 225s last year, copped the division trophy.
His Whizz, in division two, failed to start on Saturday. Thus, his first place points yesterday were not enough to deprive Jerry Powell, Richmond, Va., who drives the Skadaddle, of the event victory. Powell raced uncontested Saturday and was the second of two entered in the heat yesterday. Yesterday Street's speed was 73.92 bettering the world's record held by George Mattucci, and made at Salton sea, Calif, last year. This is one of the speeds not expected to be allowed.
The 225s were divided into two divisions, one's exclusively for marine engines, two's just for automobile engines, to meet Trimper trophy regulations.
Street yesterday also dominated the 135 cu. in. hydroplane field even tho his craft. Gee Whizz, leading by nearly half a lap thru most of the heat, conked out in the home stretch and coasted across the line in second place.
The Gee Whizz, having won Saturday's heat, needed only second place points to win the event. It was Powell's Skadaddle who scooted home ahead of Street when the Gee Whizz went out, and his 400 first place points moved him to second place in the totals.
While Trafton won the Class C inboard division, A, B, and C ran together—in straight heats, his unofficial record of 56:998 was set in the first heat. The current record, set by Trafton at St. Petersburg, is 52.386. It was in this heat that the only spill of the two-day program occurred.
Hurtled into the river when a gush of air apparently churned up the water beneath the boat, the Cyclone, was John A. Beard, St. Petersburg, Fla.. Beard was uninjured but his boat bow sank and mired in mud and presented a difficult problem of salvage for the regatta committee. After considerable work, however, it was retrieved and towed off the course.
Beard, who was hauled aboard Commodore Irwin's official launch by Mr. Irwin and the party of foreign visitors, made several dives to adjust tow ropes placed on his craft.
Among those aboard the launch pulling Beard aboard each time he came out of the water were Maj. Gen. Francis H. Lanahan, Fort Monmouth commandant, and Col. C. D. Y. Ostrom, Fort Hancock commanding officer.
— Asbury Park Press, August 15,1949
Sweepstakes Regatta Summaries
Class "B" Outboards
First Heat, Five Miles
Won by Les Buckman, Baldwin, L.I.; second, Nick Allen, Jr.. Newport News, Va.; third, Ben Jankowski, Glen Head, L.I.; fourth, Joe Stager, Flushing N.Y.; fifth, George Andrews, Jackson Heights, N. Y.; sixth, Joe Frlns, Brooklyn, N.Y.; seventh, Phil Smith, Fair Lawn; eighth, Frank Desmond, Bernardsville; ninth, Robert Holiday, Middlesex; tenth, Rudolph Reisert, Bronx, N.Y.; eleventh, Dick Sowers, Falls Church, Va.; DNF, George Shevlin, Middle Village, L.I., Vic Scott, Levittown, L.I. Time; 6.04.2, Speed 49.396, MPH.
Second Heat, Five Miles
Won by Jankowski; second, Stager; third, Frins; fourth, Vic Scott, Levittown, L.I.; fifth, Smith; sixth, Bowers; seventh, Reisert; eighth, George Shevlin, Middle Village, L.I.; ninth, Hans Behr, Sandy Hook, Conn.; DNF Nick Allen. Jr.. Robert Soliday. Time: 6.05.0. Speed 49.316 MPH.
Total point score: Jankowski, 625; Stager, 469; Buckman, 400.
Class "F" Outboards
First Heat, Five Miles.
Won by Ben Jankowski, Glen Head, N.Y.; second, Vic Scott, Levittown, L. I.; third, Emil Mayer, Jr., College Point, N.Y.; fourth. Henry Shakeshaft. Jr., White Plains, N.Y.; fifth, Harper Chance, Merchantsville, sixth. J.B. Broaddus. Fredricksburg, Va.; seventh, Hershey W. Irwin, Boothwyn, Pa.; eighth, Hudson Moses. Washington, D.C.; ninth. Ray Shilling, Jr., Philadelphia. Pa.; DNF George E. Shevlin, Middle Village. N.Y., Byron C. Shannon, Audubon. Harry Dennis, Waverly, N.Y. Time: 5.29.4. Speed 54.579 MPH.
Second Heat, Five Miles, Won by Shakeshaft; second, Byron C. Shannon; third, Scott; fourth. Joe Stager, Flushing, N. Y.; fifth, Irwin; sixth. Moses; seventh. Chance: eighth, Shilling. Jr.; ninth, Harry M. Dennis; DNF J.B. Broaddus, Ben Jankowski. Time: 6.43.1. Speed 62.446 MPH.
Total Point Score Shakeshaft, Jr., 569; Scott, 525; Jankowski, 400.
Class "A" "B" "C" Inboard Runabouts
First Heat, Five Miles
Won by Tornado, Les Trafton, St. Petersburg, Fla.; second, Baby Eagle, Edison Hedges, Atlantic City; third, Pixie H., Barclay Stevenson Torresdale, Pa.; DNF T.M. Special, Edmund Thompson, Jr, Dundalk, Md.; Cyclone, John A. Beard, St. Petersburg, Fla. Time: 5.15.4. Speed 56.998 MPH.
Second Heat, Five Miles
Won by Trafton; second, Stevenson: third. Hedges. Time: 5.23.3. Speed 35.74* MPH.
Total point score: Trafton. 800; Stevenson, 525; Hedges, 525. (Stevenson awarded second on basis of best time.)
Class "D" and "E" Inboard Runabouts.
First Heat, Five Miles
Won by Hell's Angel, Sherman Crichfield, St. Petersburg. Fla.; second, Wild Oats, George Trimper, Buffalo, N.Y; third, Cupcake, Charles Jefferson, Philadelphia, Pa.; DNF Can Do, Julius F. Jensen. Freeport, L.I. Time: 5.00.3, Speed 56.496 MPH.
Second Heat, Five Miles
Won by Crichfield; second, Trimper; third, Jefferson. Time; 5.00.3. Speed 63.247 MPH.
Total score points: Crichfield, 800; Trimper, 600; Jefferson, 430.
48 Cubic Inch Runabouts and Hydroplanes
First Heat, Five Miles
"Y" Boats (Hydroplanes), Won by Jack Van Deman, Philadelphia, Pa.; second. H. Starkey McKenney, Solomons, Maryland.
"Z" Boats (Runabouts), Won by Sheila Boyd, St. Michaels, Md.; second, Stanley H. Jones, St. Michaels, Md.; third, Alice E. Cohee, St. Michaels, Md.; fourth. Francis E. Vintschger, Morristown; fifth, Edward H. Boyd, St. Michaels, Md.; sixth. Edward D. Campanella, Rumson; seventh, William Van Winkle, Little Silver; eighth, Walter Helmig, Cynwyd, Pa.; ninth, Myrl D. Russ, Lynnhaven, Va.; tenth, Joseph Rayman, Baltimore, Md.; DNF O.E. McKillips, St. Michaels, Md. "Y" Boat, time 7.01.0. Speed 42.755 MPH. "Z" Boats time 7.49.2. Speed 38.347 MPH.
Second Heat, Five Miles
"Y" Boats. Won by Van Deman; second, Jim Crudden, Philadelphia. Pa.; DNF H. Stark McKenney, "Z" Boats, Won by Cohee; second. Jones; third, Boyd; fourth, Van Winkle; fifth, Campanella; sixth, Helmlg; seventh, Vintschger; DNF Sheila Boyd, "Y" Boat time 7.28.0. Speed 40.178 MPH. "Z" Boat time 8.08.2. Speed 36.855 MPH.
"Y" Boat Total score points Van Deman, 800; second Crudden, 300. "Z" Boat Total score points Cohee, 635; second Jones. 600; third Boyd, 400.
225 Cubic Inch Hydroplanes—Division I
Second Heat, Five miles
Won by Z-Z-Zip Sid Street, Kansas City, Mo.: second. Barracuda, Lou Butler, Zanesville, Ohio; third. Blitz II, John M. Bogie, Saranac Lake, N.Y.; fourth, Sunshine Baby, Ray Gassner, St. Petersburg, Fla.; fifth. Goo Goo II, P.J. Henn, Murphy, N.C.; sixth, Lyndora, Bob Rowland, So. Norfolk, Va. DNF Blitz III, Robert A. Bogie, Saranac Lake, N.Y. Time — 3.55.1. Speed — 76.524 m.p.h.
Total point score: Street, 800; Butler, 525; Bogie, 525; Gassner, 296.
Time—Butler, 1.53.3; Bogie, 9.11.5.
225 Cubic Inch Hydroplanes—Division II
Second Heat, Five miles
Won by Whizz, Sid Street, Kansas City, Mo.; second, Skedaddle, J. D. Powell. Richmond, Va. Time — 4.03.5, Speed—73.9215 m.p.h.
Total point score—Powell, 700; Street, 400.
Seven-Litre Class
Second Heat, Five miles
Won by AIJo, Joe Van Blerck. Jr., Freeport, L.I.; second, Thunderblrd, Harry Blrdsall, Jr., Hartsdale, N.Y.; third, So-Long, Lou Fageol; Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; fourth, Dee-Jay IV, D.J. Murphy, Marion, Pa.; Mercury, Oliver M. Elam, Jr., Ashland, Ky. Time — 4.33.4, Speed — 66.471 m.p.h.
Total point score—Fagol, 625; Blrdsall, 525; Elam, 427.
135 Cubic Inch Hydroplanes
Second Heat, Five miles
Won by Skedoodle, Jerome Powell, Richmond. Va.; second, Gee Whiz, Sid Street, Kansas City, Mo.; third, Shooting Star, C. Mulford Scull, Ventnor; fourth, Spot Cash, Al Sunshine, Freeport, L.I. DNF Shirl II, Clarence H. Colllns, Norfolk, Va.; Bon Bon, Edward Fairbanks. Massapequa, N. Y.; Zip II, Curtis Martins, Hampton, Va. Time — 4.50.4 Speed — 61.898 m.p.h.
Total point score—Street, 700: Powell, 825 Scull, 525.
National Sweepstakes
Second Heat, ten miles
Won by Sweetie, William E. Cantrell, Detroit, Mich.; second. La Ha La, Harry Lynn, Lake Hopatcong; third, Etta, George E. Sarant, Freeport, L.I.; fourth, Sunshine Baby, Ray Gassner, St. Petersburg, Fla.; fifth, Mercury, Oliver M. Elam, Jr., Ashland, Ky.; sixth, Spot Cash, Al Sunshine, Freeport. L.I. DNF Aljo, Joe Van Blerck, Freeport, L.I. Time — 6.51.3, Speed — 87.464 m.p.h.
Total score point—Cantrell, 700; Sarant, 625; Lynn, 525.
Red Bank Gold Cup. ten miles
Won by My Sweetie, William E. Cantrell, Detroit, Mich.; second, Z-Z-Zip, Sid Street, Kansas City, Mo.; third, Etta, George E. Sarant, Freeport, L.I.; fourth, Tempo VI, Guy Lombardo, Freeport. L.I.; fifth, Aljo, Joe Van Blerck, Jr., Freeport. L. I.; sixth, Blitz II, John M. Bogie, Saranac Lake. N. Y.; seventh, Sunshine Baby, Ray Gassner, St. Petersburg, Fla. DNF Bon Bon, Frank Dubeshter, Bayside, L. I.: Barracuda, Lou Butler, Zanesville, Ohio; La Ha La, Harry Lynn, Lake Hopatcong; So-Long, L. J. Fageol, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Time — 7.15.3. Speed — 82.080 m.p.h.
Total point score — Cantrell, 400; Street, 300; Sarant, 225.
— Asbury Park Press, August 15, 1949