1949 Percy Jones Memorial

Gull Lake, Battle Creek, Michigan, July 16-17, 1949

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Skip-A-Long Sets Mark In Regatta At Gull

Wins All Three Cup Race Heats

Such Crust Finishes Second In Total Points as 62,000 Persons Watch.

Winner Hits 86.157 MPH

By Wendell V Foltz

In winning the Percy Jones Cup race at Gull Lake Sunday afternoon, R. Stanley Dollar’s Skip-a-Long from San Francisco proved it will be one of the outstanding boats to represent America in the Harmsworth trophy races later this month.

Dollar piloted his streamlined aluminum-colored boat to first place in all three heats of the feature race of the afternoon, which was witnessed by a crowd of 62,000 persons as estimated by Lieut.-Comm. Robert Siemer of the local naval reserve.

Second Victory

It marked the second victory for the West Coast millionaire. He piloted Skip-a-Long to victory in the Detroit Memorial races over the Fourth of July weekend after finishing second to My Sweetie in the Gold Cup races July 2.

The huge crowd had plenty of thrills throughout the six hours of racing. Besides a new speed record for the two-and-one-half mile course being set by Skip-a-Long, there were three accidents to the speeding boats.

The California boat started off on its record-breaking spree in the opening heat of the afternoon when it roared over the sixth lap of the heat at an average of 85.324 miles per hour. This bettered the mark set over the five-mile course last year of 81.488 miles per hour by Guy Lombardo in Tempo VI. Lombardo didn’t compete in this year’s regatta.

Hits 86.157 Miles

The outstanding performance of the afternoon was made by Skip-a-Long in the final heat when Dollar scooted over the course in the third lap at an average speed of 86.157 miles per hour. This was a new record for a two-and-one-half mile course which was previously held by “Wild” Bill Cantrell in My Sweetie, set in the Gold Cup races at Detroit of 85.761 miles per hour.

Skip-a-Long also bettered the 15-mile heat record for unlimited class boats over a two-and-one half mile course with an average speed of 84.506 miles per hour. The previous record for this distance was set by Danny Arena in Such Crust of 77.866 miles per hour at Washington, D. C., in the President's Cup race last year.

The worst accident of the afternoon was the crackup of Miss Great Lakes on the southeast turn of the second lap in the second heat of the unlimited class race. The boat turned turtle and both Al Fallon, owner and driver, and his mechanic, Joe Rydzewski were injured.

Such Crust Second

In the final results of the Percy Jones race. Jack Schafer's Such Crust finished second while the Dossin brothers’ Miss Pepsi, of Detroit, ended up in third place.

Only in the opening race did Skip-a-Long have any serious challenge. Such Crust took over the lead at the start of the heat and held it until the fifth lap when Skip-a-Long gained greatly on the northwest turn and moved ahead on the front stretch.

That was the last serious bid Such Crust made for honors all afternoon as the boat developed carburetor trouble which never was corrected.

Pepsi Takes Lead

In the second heat. Miss Pepsi got off to the lead, followed by Such Crust, Miss Great Lakes and Skip-a-

Long in that order. On the back stretch Such Crust and Skip-a-Long took over the one-two positions and apparently were set to stage a battle.

After the accident, Skip-a-Long moved into the lead over the sputtering Such Crust and went on to win the heat by a half lap. Miss Pepsi finished third. Such Crust bent a propeller on the run to add more backwash to her speed.

The third race was all Skip-a-Long as Dollar went across the starting line in front and stayed there. Such Crust could scarcely maneuver around the course and Miss Pepsi couldn’t offer any opposition to the San Francisco entry. Miss Pepsi finished runnerup in the final heat while Such Crust was awarded third after being waved off the course going into her final lap.

How They Finished

A rundown of the total points gave Skip-a-Long 1,200 points for three first places, Such Crust 750 points for a second and two thirds and Miss Pepsi 600 points for two seconds. A boat is awarded 400 points for first, 300 for second, 225 points for third place and 169 points for fourth.

The “winningest” pilot of the day's races was Sid Street of Kansas City, Mo., who won two division events and was headed for a third title when his boat broke down in the final heat of the 225 cubic inch, division II event. He had previously won the first two heats in his Whiz.

Street copped the 225, division I event by taking all three heats in Z-Z-Zip and the 135 cubic inch event in Gee Whiz when he won all three heats in that class.

Indiana Man Wins

John Erickson of Columbus, Ind.. won the 225, division II event when he had a first, second and a third. Whiz’s failure in the final heat gave the Hoosier the crown.

Ollie Elam of Ashland. Ky., took first place in the 7-litre race by piloting his Mercury to firsts in all three heats.

The regatta was smoothly handled in spite of the accidents and Race Chairman Jack Elliott of Detroit and the rest of the committee are to be commended on the way the events were conducted. Until the second accident, all heats were run on schedule and after the mishap, when the course had to be cleared of debris, the program went along in good order.

The regatta was sponsored by the Western Michigan Regatta association, of which Schafer is commodore.

Most Successful

This year’s regatta was one of the most successful staged this season by the American Power Boat association. the sanctioning body of speed boat racing, this season. A total of 35 boats was on hand for the show, with 30 craft competing.

But major honors went to Dollar and his Skip-a-Long, including the huge Percy Jones race trophy which was presented to Dollar at the Percy Jones Annex by Brig.-Gen. Harry D. Offutt, commanding officer of the hospital.

The complete results of yesterday’s racing follow:

• Unlimited class—1st heat—won by Skip-a-Long driven by R. Stanley Dollar of San Francisco: 2nd—Such Crust driven by Danny Arena of Detroit: 3rd—Miss Great Lakes, driven by Al Fallon of Detroit. Speed—82.647 miles per hour.
• Unlimited class—2nd heat—won by Skip-a-Long: 2nd—Miss Pepsi, driven by Chuck Thompson of Detroit: 3rd—Such Crust. Speed—82.760 miles per hour.
• Unlimited class—3rd heat—won by Skip-a-Long; 2nd—Miss Pepsi: 3rd—Such Crust. Speed—84.506 miles per hour.
• 225 cu. in.. Division I—won by Z-Z-Zip. driven by Sid Street of Kansas City. Mo.; 2nd—Miss Motor City, driven by Bill Stroh of Detroit; 3rd—R-Buster. driven by Ai Wagner of Detroit. Speed—55.115 miles per hour.
• 225. Division I—2nd heat—won by Z-Z-Zip; 2nd—Miss Motor City; 3rd—R-Buster. Speed—52.798 miles per hour.
• 225. Division I—3rd heat—won by Z-Z-Zip; 2nd—Barracuda, driven by Lou Butler of Zanesville. O.: 3rd—Miss Motor City. Speed—70.702 miles per hour.
• 225 cu. in. Division II—1st heat—won by Whizz, driven by Sid Street of Kansas City. Mo.; 2nd—Hornet, driven by Marion Cooper of Louisville. Ky.; 3rd—Papoose, driven by John Erickson of Columbus, Ind. Speed—59.582 miles per hour.
• 225. Division II—2nd heat—won by Whizz: 2nd—Papoose; 3rd—Hornet. Speed —62.648 miles per hour.
• 225. Division II—3rd heat—won by Papoose; 2nd—Hornet. Only two boats finished. Speed—60.295 miles per hour.
• 135 cu. in.—1st heat—won by Gee Whiz, driven by Sid Street of Kansas City. Mo.: 2nd—So-Long Baby, driven by Ray Fageol of Kent. O. : 3rd—Skee-Do, driven by Johnny Cramer of Dayton. O. Speed— 61.528 miles per hour.
• 135 cu. in.—2nd heat won by Gee Whiz; 2nd—Skee-Do: 3rd—So-Long Baby. Speed— 60.116 miles per hour.
• 135 cu. in.—3rd heat—won by Gee Whiz; 2nd -Skee-Do: 3rd—So-Long Baby. Speed— 60.322 miles per hour.
• 7 Litre—1st heat—won by Mercury, driven by Ollie Elam of Ashland. Ky.; 2nd—Miss Motor City, driven by Bill Stroh of Detroit; 3rd—Blue Devil driven by Don Zeigler of Detroit. Speed—57.891 miles per hour.
• 7 Litre—2nd heat—won by Mercury; 2nd—Hornet, driven by Marion Cooper of Louisville. Ky.; 3rd—Miss Motor City. Speed—59.731 miles per hour.
• 7 Litre—3rd heat—won by Mercury; 2nd—Hornet: 3rd—Miss Motor City. Speed —59.743 miles per hour.

--- Battle Creek Enquirer, July 18, 1949