1960 Apple Cup
Muncey Wins Apple Cup
Bill Muncey, hosed down twice by Mira Slovak in Wahoo, doggedly went on to win the Apple Cup at Lake Chelan, May 8 with Miss Thriftway. Hydroplane experts — and none more experienced than durable Mr. Muncey — say that the surfacing prop of an unlimited throws up a mass of water that may amount to some hundreds of gallons. Running through a roostertail is like running through a cement wall and the force of this air-borne water has been known to tear off sponsons or damage decking.
Muncey was early wetted down in the Apple Cup, running into Wahoo’s roostertail on the first turn of the first lap of the first heat. The spray shorted out Thriftway’s big Rolls engine, although it was protected by a cowling this year, and the unlimited went dead in the water. Muncey was almost a full lap behind before he could get away again, and never could quite catch up with the others. Wahoo finished first, Norm Evans in Nitrogen was second and Muncey was a third. The Wahoo’s roostertail had torn the goggles from his helmet.
The two had a second encounter in Heat 2A after Muncey had established a lead with a good start and Wahoo was a close second. On the last corner of the second lap, Muncey was cutting wide when Slovak shot down an inside lane. Muncey said later he had to back off to avoid a collision; but he could not avoid another horrendous hosing by Wahoo’s aggravating roostertail. Muncey slowed, gave chase, but on the last lap Wahoo threw an engine rod, so Thriftway won.
On the final heat with the only serious challenger sidelined, Muncey went on to an easy win, with Nitrogen a steady second after staving off a threat by Chuck Hickling in Miss Burien.
After the Apple Cup race, Muncey cited the APBA rulebook to the effect that when two boats are on intersecting courses, the one which has the other on her own starboard shall keep out the way. But Slovak said that he was free and clear and well ahead of Thriftway before any crossing situation developed. The referee, Stanley Donogh, said there was no violation of the rules.
So, there the incident closed, as Thriftway owner Willard Rhodes, with the Apple cup firmly in grasp, did not protest officially; but he indicated that only the cool, resourceful driving of Muncey averted what could have been a tragic accident.
| Total Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miss Thriftway | 1025 | |
| 2 | Nitrogen | 900 | |
| 3 | Miss Burien | 750 | |
| 4 | Miss Bardahl | 738 | |
| 5 | Wahoo | 400 | |
| 6 | Miss Everett | 254 | |
| 7 | KOLroy I | 225 | |
| Heat Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat 1 A | |||
| Entry | Time | MPH | Points |
| Wahoo | 08:53.2 | 101.275 | 400 |
| Nitrogen | 09:00.6 | 99.889 | 300 |
| Miss Thriftway | 09:54.8 | 90.786 | 225 |
| Hawaii Kai III | DNF | — | — |
| Miss Everett | DNF | — | — |
| Heat 1 B | |||
| Miss Bardahl | 08:57.4 | 100.483 | 400 |
| Miss Burien | 10:03.0 | 89.552 | 300 |
| KOLroy I | 11:29.4 | 78.328 | 225 |
| Miss Spokane | DNF | — | — |
| Heat 2 A | |||
| Miss Thriftway | 08:26.4 | 106.635 | 400 |
| Nitrogen | 08:57.6 | 100.446 | 300 |
| Miss Burien | 09:04.4 | 99.191 | 225 |
| Miss Bardahl | 09:31.6 | 94.471 | 169 |
| Miss Everett | 12:27.8 | 72.211 | 127 |
| Wahoo | DNF | — | — |
| KOLroy I | DNS | — | — |
| Final Heat | |||
| Miss Thriftway | 08:29.8 | 105.923 | 400 |
| Nitrogen | 08:48.6 | 102.156 | 800 |
| Miss Burien | 08:53.8 | 101.161 | 225 |
| Miss Bardahl | 08:14.4 | 97.402 | 169 |
| Miss Everett | 10:30.2 | 85.687 | 127 |
| Hawaii Kai III and Miss Spokane, no points. | |||
(Reprinted from Sea and Pacific Motor Boat, July 1960, pp.41-42)