1954 Buffalo Launch Club Regatta

Niagara River, Buffalo NY, August 14-15, 1954

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Launch Club Summaries

Results Sunday:

7 Litre Hydroplanes (National Championship)

First heat

So Long, Ray Fageol, Cuyahoga Falls, O.; Wildcatter, Burnett G. Bartley Jr., Columbus O.; Mercury, Oliver M Elam Jr., Ashland, Ky.; Gangway, B.G. Bartley Sr., Pittsburgh; Time, 4:03.5. average speed for 5-mile course, 73.92 miles per hour (Buffalo Launch Club course record).

Second heat

So Long, Wildcatter, Gangway; Black Gold, W. Gerald Bailey, Harrisburg, Pa.; 4:04.2. 73.71 mph.

Final Standing—Fageol, 800 points; Bartley Jr., 600; Bartley Sr., 394; Bailey, 296; Elam Jr., 225.

Class E Racing Runabouts (National Championship)

First heat

Bouncy Barby II, Ed Brown, Sacramento, Calif.; Roughneck, Bob Willis, Long Beach, Calif.; Go Devil, Bill Yaeger, Warren. Pa ; Tor-Gre, Ralph Barker, Niagara Falls: 4:44.6, 63.247 mph (BLC record) Ed Endres, BLC, disqualified in Dawn II.

Second heat

Roughneck, Rebel Angel, Sherm Critchfield, St. Petersburg. Fla.; Rockabye V. Russ Kirkpatrick. Clarksburg, W. Va.; Tor-Gre; 4 44.6. 63.247 mph.

Final standing—Willis, Critchfield, Brown, Kirkpatrick, Barker.

225 Cubic-Inch Hydros

First heat

My Sin II, Hank Vogel, Rochester; Miss Columbus, Chuck Hunter, Columbus. O; Cheetah, Chuck Irish, Hamilton, Ont., 4:21.9. 68 72.5 mph (BLC record).

Second heat

My Ambition IV, Bob Schroeder, North Tonawanda, My Sin II, Miss Columbus; 4:19.7, 69.311 (BLC record).

Final standing—Vogel, Hunter, Schroeder.

135 Hydros (Gasoline only)

First heat

Woofen, driven by Vogel, owner Norm Barry, Buffalo; Skippy, Don Johnston, Smith Falls, Ont.; Little Audrey, owned by Vogel; 4:51.6, 61.728 mph.

Second heat

Woofen, Little Audrey, Dragon, Bob Schroeder, owner, Sam Crooks, Madeira Beach, Fla.; 4:33.9, 65.741 (BLC record).

Final standing— Vogel-Barry, Vogel, Johnston, Schroeder, Crooks.

Unlimited Hydros

Chro-Mate, driven by Ron Musson, Akron, O., owned by Frank Hearn Jr., Toledo, O.; Mama’s Mink, Tommie Turner, Kenmore, owned by Joe Less, North Tonawanda; So Long, Fageol; Wildcatter, B.G. Bartley Jr.; 7:09.5, 75.44 mph for BLC 10-mile record.

Chance Race (Local)

Malfunction, Marlowe Pichel, Lewiston, N.Y.; Honey Bun, Carol M. (Fritzie) and Gwennie Rich, Williamsville, Betty Ann, Dr. August C. Schwender, Eggertsville; Boo Hoo Two, John T. Clark, Buffalo; Ray West, Williamsville; Worry Wart, Mike Eberle, Tonawanda; Oswegatchie, Al Preston, Buffalo; Buddy Joan, Frank Reichlin, Buffalo; Sandra Mae, Mel Rupp Jr., Grand Island; The Old Goat, Peggy Malican, Buffalo; Jango, John Gonctek, Buffalo.

* * *

Results Saturday:

Class D, E and F Service Runabouts (National Championships)

First heat, (actual finish):

Skip, Harry Bickford. Hampton. Va.; Nitrogen. Howard G. Hibbert, Miami. Fla.; Rockabye IV, Kirkpatrick;

Class D

Skip. 6;13.1, 48.251 mph (BLC record);

Class E

Rockabye IV, Miss You. Bill Engle. Washington. Pa.; Live Wires. George Klein, Buffalo; 6 26 6. 46 56 mph.

Class F

Nitrogen,Wendy II, Dr. Charles A. Pankow, Buffalo; Joyan II, Bill Oldfield, Buffalo; Miss Niagara. John Atkinson, Buffalo; 6:19 5, 47.43 mph (BLC record).

Second heat (actual finish)

Skip, Nitrogen, Baby Loon, Al Boyd, Tonawanda, owner George Trimper, Eggertsville; Wendy II, Joyan II Miss Niagara.

Class D

Skip, Baby Loon. 5 54.9, 50.753 mph (world and BLC record).

Class E

Miss You. Bob-An-I, Woody Rice, Wilmington. Del.: 7:01.6 52.694 (BLC record).

Class F

Nitrogen, Wendy II, Joyan II. 6:18.5, 47.569 mph (BLC record).

Final standing

D. Bickford, Boyd; E. Engle, Rice, Kirkpatrick; F. Hibbert, Dr. Pankow, Oldfield.

266 Hydros

First heat

Chro-Mate, Musson-Hearn Jr.; Water Bug, Sam Guarino. Detroit. Mama’s Mink, Turner-Less: 4:07.9, 72.639 mph (BLC record).

Second heat

Chro-Mate, Escapade II. driver Bob Schroeder, owner Dr. Paul LaTour. Montreal; 3:56.8. 76.013 mpn (BLC record).

Final standing — Musson, Schroeder, Guarino.

135 Hydros (methanol)

First heat

Allegro, driver Al Bingham, Buffalo, owner Ed Galley, Gardenville; Royal Rebel, Turner; Adios, George Kane, Allen Park. Mich.; Dragon, Hibbert: The Moaner, Lou Balas, Oak Park, Ill.; Little Audrey, Vogel. 4 39.8, 64 322 mph

Second heat

Chromium, Musson-Hearn Jr; Woofen, Vogel-Barry; Skippy, Johnston, 4:15. 70.588 mph (BLC record).

Third heat

Chromium. Allegro, Woofen. Little Audrey, Turner, Hibbert-Schroeder.

48 Hydros

First heat

Mad Atom, Bill Schicora, Kenmore; Why Willie, Bill Gillies. Detroit; Sleep Stealer. Primo Ardune. Detroit; 5 40 8. 52 817 mph (BLC record)

Second heat

Why Worry, Gordie Harper. Detroit; Rebel Angel, Critchfield; Sleep Stealer; Mad Atom. 5 28 8, 54.745 mph (BLC record).

Final standings — Schicora, Ardune, Harper, Gillies, Critchfield.

Canadian One-Design

First heat

My Tootsy, Pete Buichell, Perth, Ont; 5:36, 45.454 mph

Second heat

Shaker, Jim Greenhaugh, Toronto, 6:45.1, 44.444 mph.

— August 16, 1954