1965 Diamond Cup
Diamonds Aren't Forever (excerpt)
By Bob Senior
1965: Miss Exide and Bill Brow posted their second consecutive Diamond Cup victory amid torrid duels between the Exide, defending National Champion Miss Bardahl and Notre Dame. Heat 1-A was won by crafty veteran "Wild" Bill Cantrell and Miss Smirnoff. Warner Gardner was second in Mariner Too, and 20-year-old rookie Rex Bixby brought $ Bill in third. Buddy Byers drove Miss Madison to fourth place, Chuck Hickling and the four-seater Miss Budweiser were fifth, and Savair's Mist, driven by Red Loomis, was sixth. At the end of one lap of Heat 1-B three boats, Notre Dame, Bardahl, and Exide, were virtually dead even. Exide kept the lead for good after two laps, behind Brow, a great driving duel raged between Notre Dame's Rex Manchester and Bardahl's Ron Musson, with the Hibernian Hydro barely nipping the Green Dragon by a boat length. Jerry Schoenith and Gale's Roostertail did not finish, and Chuck Thompson and Tahoe Miss did not start.
Heat 2-A produced another fine battle between Exide and Bardahl. Bill Brow won his second heat of the race, followed by Bardahl, Mariner Too, and Savair's Mist. $ Bill and Gale's Roostertail did not start. In Heat 2-B Bill Cantrell led the field until Miss Smirnoff's supercharger "blew", yielding the lead to Notre Dame who came home first. Miss Budweiser was second, Miss Madison was third, Smirnoff did not finish, and Tahoe Miss was again unable to start.
Going into the Final Heat Miss Exide held a 100-point lead over the Notre Dame. Rather than risk everything, Brow drove to a conservative third place position in the heat, winning the race by 25 points over Notre Dame. Miss Bardahl took first place in the Final, Notre Dame was second, Miss Exide was third, Miss Madison came in fourth, Miss Budweiser scored a fifth, and Mariner Too was sixth. One other unlimited, not previously mentioned, watched the race from the pits, Bob Fendler's unqualified Miss San Diego.
(Reprinted from the Unlimited NewsJournal March 1984)