1954 Buffalo Launch Club Regatta
Rivals Help Speedboat Aces Set 1 World, 9 Course Marks
By Bob Feeney
National Class E. Racing Runabout Winner
Winner of 48-cubic-inch Hydroplane Event
A world mark and nine course records—four of them broken twice—were set over the weekend in the Buffalo Launch Club’s Al Endres Memorial Regatta before more than 75,000 persons jammed in spectator boats and along both banks of the east branch of the Niagara River.
But the main theme seemed to be not records but “love thy rival.” Drivers and mechanics seemed to do all they could to help rivals win in behind the-scenes, pre-race consultations.
For instance, Ray Fageol, 22-year-old son of Lou Fageol of Gold Cup boat-racing fame. Sunday rocketed his 20-foot hydroplane, So Long, to a 5-mile course mark of 73.92 miles an hour to win the national 7-litre championship. Lou Fageol is president of the Twin Coach Co. which has a division at Cheektowaga.
Crew Helps Rival
But between heals, the Fageols, who hail from Cuyahoga Falls, O., lent their corps of mechanics from Twin Coach’s Kent, O., plant to the Burnett G. Bartley father-and-son team from Pittsburgh in an effort to straighten out the grease-clogged carburetor on the Bartley's big Wildcatter, which holds the world 7-litre record of 77 453 miles an hour.
That was after Ray Fageol and So Long had shattered the Wildcatter's BLC course record of 68 545 in the first heat. The Bartleys feverishly switched carburetors on the ’Catter and her sister hydro, Gangway.
Still, young Ray Fageol, with his father watching from the tower atop the finishing judges stand, roared on to win the second heat and the 7-litre crown, dethroning Ollie Elam Jr., and his Mercury from Ashland, Ky.. which finished fifth.
Bickford Sets World Record
It went like that all through the regatta's 30 heats of racing. About the only drivers who didn’t seem to need help were Harry Bickford, a 35-year-old aircraft metalsmith from Hampton, Va., and Ronnie Musson, 27-year-old electrical appliance salesman from Akron, O
Bickford set the world mark Saturday, bouncing his 16 foot flame-red Skip to the national Class D service runabout championship. With Jim Lindell, 36, as his riding mechanic. Bickford set a 5-mile BLC course record of 48.251 miles an hour in the first heat. As if that wasn't enough, he roared twice around the 5-mile oval course off Grand Island in the second heat at 50.733. Each time. Bickford's Skip soundly trounced Nitrogen, driven to the Class F crown in the three-in-one service runabout race. The Class E service title went to Rockabye IV, driven by Russ Kirkpatrick of Clarksburg. W. Va.
Musson Wins Open Title
Musson, driving for Frank Hearn Jr. of Toledo, O., Saturday won the 135-cubic inch hydro open title in Chromium and the 266 hydro crown in Chro-Mate Sunday, he drove Chro-Mate in the unlimited hydro 10-mile event to defeat the best boats in the regatta, including the Fageols’ So Long, in course record speed of 75.044 miles an hour.
In the 135 heats, Musson and Chromium twice set course marks, winning the second heat at 70.588 miles an hour, then coming back an hour later to roar through the final heat at 71.599.
In 266 hydro competition, Musson drove Chro-Mate to a course record of 72.639 in the first heat, then bettered this in the second heat with 76.013.
What might have been another world record Sunday was taken from 53 year old Ed Endres of the Buffalo Launch Club. The Grand Island veteran, who came out of retirement to defend the national Class E racing runabout won last year by his son, the late Al Endres for whom the regatta was named, was disqualified in the first heat.
Too Quick on the Trigger
That was because he sent his Dawn II—a former California boat named Cream Puff—across the starting line two boat lengths ahead of the starting gun.
Endres didn't know it and drove the Dawn II like a man possessed to finish 15 lengths ahead of Ed Brown's Bouncy Barby II from Sacramento. Calif. Then Referee Bob Schelling of Ft. Erie. Ont., told Endres, "Ed, I have to disqualify you."
Endres, his dream of keeping his late son’s title on Grand Island shattered, passed up the second heat. Today, Endres said he was selling Dawn II to Ruth M. Keisser, 37 year old Grand Island waitress from 398 Dearborn St., Buffalo, with Al Boyd of Tonawanda as driver. “I paid $4500 for Dawn II to try to keep Al's title." Endres said. “But I'm selling her for $2500. I'm through racing . . "
More Course Records
With Endres disqualified, Brown was credited with a course record of 63.247 in that first heat. Then Brown’s Bouncy Barby II “conked out" in the second heat, won by Bob Willis and his Roughneck from Long Island, Calif., at 62.457. With his second in the first heat, this gave Willis the national E racing runabout title.
Bob Schroeder of North Tonawanda and Bill Schicora of Kenmore also set course records. Schroeder rocketed his My Ambition IV to victory in the second heat of the 225 hydro class at 69.311. Schicora, who won the 48-hydro title Saturday, set a mark of 52.817 in the first heat.
A Buffalo-owned 135-hydro, the Woofen, entered by Norm Barry of 4 Schreck Ave., set a course record of 65.741. "Woofen" was driven to victory in both heats of Sunday's gas-only race by Hank Vogel of Rochester.
Trimper Next President
Sunday's Chance Race for local drivers was won by Marlowe Pichel, 26, of Lewiston, N.Y. driving his homemade 18 foot pleasure-boat, Malfunction. Second were last year's winners, Carol (Fritzie) and Gwennie Rich and their Honey Bun from Williamsville.
George J. Trimper, Buffalo Launch Club commodore from 43 Long Leat Drive, Eggertsville. Sunday night was selected to be nominated for the presidency of the American Powerboat Association, which controls speedboat racing in the U.S. The Nominating Committee is headed by Merlyn M. Culver of Dayton, O., present APBA president, and Donald L. Guerin of Rochester, APBA stock-outboard secretary.
--- August 16, 1954