1955 Presidents Cup

Potomac River, Washington DC, Sept. 17-18, 1955

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Miss Pepsi Takes Lead In President's Cup Race

Danny Foster Thrills Regatta Crowd With Record Run in Tempo VII

By Malcolm Lamborne, Jr.

Miss Pepsi, a veteran unlimited hydroplane brought out of retirement, late yesterday went into a point lead for the 24th running of the President's Cup Regatta before an estimated 20,000 spectators around Hains Point and aboard pleasure craft, anchored in the Potomac.

Chuck Thompson of Detroit, three-time winner of the prize, drove the big displacement craft to two first places, rolling up an impressive 800 points toward the final race today at 1:20 p.m. He averaged just under 99 miles an hour for the 15 miles.

In second place with 625 points is Lee Schoenith of Detroit, driver of Gale V which won this year’s Gold Cup Race. Bill Muncey, driving Miss Thriftway of Seattle, was in third place with 600.

Foster Breaks Records

Danny Poster, who earlier had set lap and heat records in Guy Lombardo’s Tempo VII in his first qualifying heat, started late in his second heat and wound up in fourth place.

Foster in his first qualifying run tore over the 3-mile course at an average speed of 100.709 miles an hour, breaking the record of 95.775 set a year ago by Bill Cantrell of Detroit. Foster was clocked at 103.647 on his fourth lap to rack up another record. The old one was 98.4 made last year by Cantrell.

Yesterday’s unusual arrangement of qualifying heats was necessitated by a new safety rule limiting a starting field for unlimited hydroplanes to six boats. It left very much up in the air who will be the eventual winner of the $30,000 President's Cup.

Six Boats in Final

That question will be settled early this afternoon when the top seeded six boats compete in the final heat. This will be followed by the running of the American Speedboat Championship for the Bill Rogers Memorial Trophy at 3:30 and 5:20 p.m. Only unlimiteds are eligible.

If Foster wins, he will join George Reis and Thompson as three-time winners of the cup. A victory for Miss Pepsi would place Thompson ahead of all other President’s. Cup drivers since the start of the event in 1926.

In between the four heats for the unlimiteds a small field of E racing runabouts competed. The winner of both heats was Bill Yeager of Warren, Pa.

Running true to form, the noisy, bouncing outboards produced some of the best racing of the day and new records for starting fields in a President's Cup Regatta.

An Edgewater. Md., outboarder threw away all chances of qualifying for the AU class when he barrelled his boat over at the lower turning mark to avoid hitting another driver, who had just been thrown from his boat.

The hard luck drivers were young Buddy Fleming, who has made an impressive racing record this season, and Herman Kopf of Baltimore, the son of a retired speedboat driver.

There were so many outboards — an estimated 175 all told — swamping the launching pits at the tip of the point, the program was 30 minutes late in starting. The big fields also required the running of additional qualifying heats, which made it that much more difficult for the committee to get back on schedule.

Regatta Summaries

President’s Cup

First Heat

First section: 1—Tempo VII: 2—Miss Thriftway: 3—Gale V: 4—Miss Cadillac: 5—Breathless. Speed: 100.709 m.p.h. (heat record).

Second section: 1—Miss Pepsi: 2— Miss United States: 3—Dora My Sweetie. (Gale IV did not finish). Speed: 95.643 m.p.h.

Second Heat

First section: 1—Miss Pepsi: 2—Gale IV: 3—Miss United States: 4—Dora My Sweetie. Speed: 99.189 m.p.h..

Second section: 1—Gale V: 2—Miss Thriftway: 3—Miss Cadillac: 4—Tempo VII. Speed: 97.017 m.p.h.

Total Points

1—Miss Pepsi, 800; 2—Gale V, 625; 3—Miss Thriftway. 600; 4—Tempo VII, 569; 5—Miss United States. 525; 6— Dora My Sweetie. 394; 7—Miss Cadillac. 394; Dora My Sweetie wins sixth place, and the chance to race again tomorrow, on better time); 8—Gale IV, 300; 9— Breathless. 127.

 

AU Outboard Runabouts

First elimination heat—1. Richard Rees, Pottstown, Pa.; 2. Ronnie Althouse, Mohorsville, Pa.; 3. Craig Dewald, Reading, Pa. Speed; 35.573 mph.

Second elimination heat—1. Bill Chilton, Seymour, Conn.; 2. Roger S. Hoffman. York, Pa.; 3. Richard Burger, Sidney, N.Y. Speed; 35.855 mph.

Third elimination heat—1. John Wehrle, Hackensack, N.J.; 2. Charles F. Hornickel, Springfield. Pa.; 3. Charles Linder, Havertown, Pa. Speed; 30.24 mph.

Final heat—1. Chilton, 2. Wherle, 3. Hoffman. Speed: 36.276 mph.

Points—Chilton. 800; Wehrle, 700: Rees, 569.

 

DU Outboard Runabouts

First elimination heat—1. Richard Holt, Dagsboro, Del.; 2. Edward W Murphy, Alexandria, Va.: 3. Richard Ellis, Falls Church, Va. Speed: 47.167 mph. |

Second elimination heat—1. Jack Holt, Fort Belvoir, Va.: 2. Howard Kiger, Winston-Salem, N. C.; 3. Brad Thomas, Pilot Mountain, N.C. Speed: 47.195 mph.

Final heat—1. Richard Holt: 2. Kiger; 3, Wes Duling, Wilmington.,Del.

Points—Richard Holt. 800; Kiger, 600:; Jack Holt, 405.

 

BU Outboard Runabouts

First elimination heat—1. Earl J. Updyke, Frenchtown. N.J.; 2. Richard Rees, Pottstown, Pa.: 3. Davey Mullen; Havertown. Pa. Speed: 41.436 mph.

Second elimination heat—1. George M Julius, York, Pa.: 2. John Wehrle, Hackensack, N.J.: 3. Warren Klawans, Annapolis, Md Speed: 41.152 mph.

Third elimination heat—1. Harold Kelly. Bergenfleld, N.J.; 2. Lou Winto, Baltimore; 3, Norman. V. Rand, Washington. Speed: 41.040 mph.

Final heat—1. Rees; 2. Kelly; 3. Julius. Speed: 41.115 mph.

Points—Rees, 700; Kelly, 700; Julius, 625. (Rees won on better time.)

 

Class A Hydroplanes

First elimination heat—1. John Wehrle, Hackensack, N.J.; 2. Jim Loomis, Hamden, Conn.; 3. Paul Peterson, Rumson. N.J. Speed: 37.761 mph. i

Second elimination heat—1, George Stillwell. Glenora. Pa.; 2. Nick Marchetto. Bristol Pa.: 3. Ted Thompson, Baltimore. Speed: :38.330 mph.

Final heat— 1. Wehrle; 2. Stillwell; 3, Marchetto. Speed: 38.961 mph.

Points—Wehrle, 800: Stillwell, 700; Marchetto, 525.

 

Class D Hydroplanes

First elimination heat—1. Mel Hughes, Norfolk, Va.; 2 D. H. Baker. Selbyville. Del.; Jim Loomis, Hamden, Conn. Speed: 47.695 mph.

Second elimination heat—1. Larry St. John, Sidney, N.Y.; 2, Harold F. O Conner Geneva. N.Y.; 3. Ray B. Miller Elizabethtown. Pa. Speed: 48.026 mph.

Final heat—1. St. John; 2. Baker; 3. O'Connor. Speed: 47.613 mph.

Points—St. John, 800; Baker, 600; O’Connor, 625.

 

Class B Outboard Hydroplanes

1st elimination heat: 1—Jim Loomis, Hamden, Conn.; 2—Butch Mort, Hampton 3—Hal Jack, Pittsburgh. Speed. 44.161 m.p h.

2d elimination heat: 1-—John Wehrle, Hackensack. N.J.; 2—Tommy Young. Wachapreague. Va. 3—George Anedel. Speed. 44.27 m.p.h.

3d elimination heat: 1—Harold Kelly, Bergenfleld, N.J.; 2—Sam Mason, Snow Hill, Mo.: 3—James C. Bailey, Tall Timbers, Md. Speed, 42.837 m.p.h.

Final heat: 1-Loomis, 2—Kelly, 3— Bailey. Speed. 44.423.

Points: Loomis, 800;- Kelly, 700; Mason, 469.

 

(E Racing Runabouts)

1st heat: 1—Bill Yeager,:Warren. Pa.; 2.—Walter Thomas,. Baltimore. Md.; 3.—Ralph Barker, Niagara Falls. N.Y. speed. 55.317 m.p.h.

2nd heat: 1—Yeager; 2—Thomas; 3—Barker. Speed, 54.282 m.p.h.

Points: Yeager. 800; Thomas, 600; Barker, 450.

--- Yachting