1956 Sahara Cup
Top Boats Gird for Sahara Cup Classic
By Dave Lewis
Las Vegas — The greatest collection of the fastest propeller-driven craft yet constructed by the^daredevils who defy death at speeds up to 190 miles per hour are tuned to perfection for the first annual “World Series” of powerboat racing today and Sunday on Lake Mead.
Over 100 boats from cracker boxes to the mighty Gold Cup powerplants will vie in 11 classes of competition in the Sahara Cup Regatta over a 2½-mile, course on nearby Lake Mead, largest man-made body of water in the world.
Feature attraction of the great regatta, of course, are the Gold Cup boats, mightiest propeller-driven power boats yet built. Eleven hydroplanes will vie for the Sahara Cup.
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Heading the list of these “thundering hydros” is Willard Rhodes’ Miss Thriftway from Seattle, winner of the famed Gold Cup and Presidents Cup regattas this year; Shanty I, owned by William Waggoner of Phoenix and winner of Seattle's Seafair classic and the Harmsworth International Trophy; industrialist Edgar Kaiser’s Hawaii Kai III, and the feared Miss Wayne, top Detroit entry, and the only boat In the race with two engines. It is powered by twin Allisons.
Others in the field include band leader Guy Lombardo's Tempo VII; George Simons's Miss U.S. I from Detroit; Bill Boeing's Miss Wahoo from Seattle; J. P. Murphys’ team of Muvalong and Breathless from Piedmont, and Maverick, Shanty I's “stablemate.”
Co-favorites on the eve of the Sahara Cup, designed to annually bring together the winners of the year's major regattas in “World Series” competition by the sponsoring Sahara Hotel, are Miss Thriftaway and Shanty I.
While Shanty I, driven by the famous jet pilot, Lt. Col. Russell Schleeh, is considered just about the fastest racing craft in the world, Miss Thriftway deserves equal favoritism off her decisive win in the Gold Cup.
The most feared boat in the race, though, is the twin-engined Miss Wayne, a last-minute entry. A win would give the Detroit boat the 1956 national championship.
Darkhorse in the race is the Hawaii Kai III, whose sister ship was still accelerating at 193 mph last March in Honolulu when the propeller sheared off and the driver, Kenny St. Oegger, was almost killed. Driver Jack Regas had the Hawaii Kai III up to 170 on Thursday and the boat was pronounced in perfect shape. The Gold Cup will be run in five 15 mile heats.
Championships in six of the limited inboard classes will be decided today, including that of the seven litre hydroplanes, Kaiser’s Restless, driven by Barney Navarro of Glendale, is the favorite over Miss DeSoto, holder of the world straightaway record. Rich Hallett of Downey will drive the Seven Grand in this class.
Several Long Beach drivers will be seeking titles today — Stan Brooks, Ted Evans, Bob Willis, Jim Hubbard, John Wallin, Tony Hill, in addition to Bill Schicora of Lakewood, Paul Terheggen of Lynwood, Ted Peterson of Norwalk, and Hallett and Lou Meyer, Jr., of Downey.
On Sunday, Dan. Campbel], Howard Smith, Ron Criswell and Bill Phelps of Long Beach will roar into action along with Max Stierli of Bellflower, Dick Christensen of San Pedro. Jack Patchett of Torrance, and Ken Wade of Garden Grove.
— October 13, 1956
Sahara Cup Race Opens
By Shav Glick
Las Vegas, Oct. 13 — Miss Thriftway, winner of the Gold Cup, today was established as the boat to beat in the first Sahara Cup Race today and tomorrow on nearby Lake Mead following a brilliant drill.
The Seattle boat, owned by Willard Rhodes and driven by Bill Muncey, had a lap of better than 100 miles an hour around the 2.5-mile course on Lake Mead yesterday to head the efforts of the Gold Cup boats in final practice sessions.
Ted Jones, head of Miss Thriftway’s crew and designer of many of the Gold Cuppers, said the boat was in top shape.
He predicted an average of 102 to 103 miles an hour would win the race. Miss Thriftway hit a top speed of more than 150 on the straightaway.
Bill Cantrell, one of the best-known figures in the speed world, arrived yesterday to pilot Guy Lombardo’s Tempo VII, the 1955 National champion. Cantrell had Tempo VII up to 145 miles an hour and reported the boat was performing well.
Shanty I, driven by Russell Schleeh, impressed shore observers with a fast workout to indicate W.T. Waggoner Jr.'s hydroplane will be a strong contender.
Action begins at 11:10 a.m. today, with Stan Irwin, of the sponsoring Hotel Sahara, predicting a week-end turnout of more than 50,000 for the first appearance of the Gold Cuppers on Lake Mead.
In addition to the 11 unlimited hydroplanes, nearly 100 limiteds will race in 10 events.
— October 13, 1956
Favor Shanty, Thriftway In Hydro Race
Las Vegas. Oct. 13. — Miss Thriftway and Shanty I have been established as co-favorites for the first running of the Sahara Cup race for unlimited hydroplanes, the world’s fastest racing boats, at nearby Lake Mead today and tomorrow.
Contention, however, runs deep with the likes of Gold Cup boats — Miss Wayne, Miss U.S. I, Hawaii Kai III, among the field of 12 contenders.
Practice runs this past week on the 2½-mile course indicate record speeds are possible. Hawaii Kai III, owned by Edgar F. Kaiser and driven by Jack Regas, has bettered 150 mph in trial runs. Regas declared the course and conditions perfect for the event.
Willard Rhodes’ Miss Thriftway deserves the choice role based on her record. She was the disputed, but decisive winner in the Gold Cup. With veteran Bill Muncey driving. Thrifty also captured the famed Presidents Cup.
Shanty I, owned by William Waggoner of Phoenix, is considered just about the fastest racing craft In the world. Shanty and Driver Lt. Russell Schleeh raced off with the rich Seattle Seafair and the Harmsworth International trophy.
Miss Wayne, top Detroit entry and currently No. 2 in the national point standings, was a welcome late entry. The Sahara Cup is worth 400 points and owner Bud Saile, Jr., is gunning for a major portion of those points.
Another Waggoner entry, Maverick, will be driven by Bill Stead of Reno. Maverick is a hydro designed and built by Ted Jones of Seattle, Wash. It was his personal craft with which he sought to break a world’s speed record. He sold it to Waggoner shortly before the Mile High regatta was staged at Lake Tahoe last Summer. It Is powered by a single Allison engine and was formerly named Rebel, Suh.
Others In the sterling field, lined up by the sponsoring Sahara Hotel, are Miss Wahoo, Muvalong, Breathless, Miss U.S. I, Tempo VII and Miss Seattle.
Extra Heats
The large field has made It necessary to stage two heats today, and the final three 30-mile runs on Sunday.
In addition, the two-day schedule includes 10 divisions of racing with limited hydroplanes. At least five national champions will be running in this group.
An added feature Monday will be the world speed assault by Kaiser’s Hawaii Kai III. Kaiser Is shooting for the mark of 178.794 mph. Possibly other boats, depending on performance over the weekend, will Join the Hawaii Kai III.
A large crowd gathered in Las Vegas today to watch the two-day event in which there are 90 boats entered in the limited class alone. Weather conditions early today were termed excellent for the races.
— October 13, 1956
Lake Mead Boat Races Open
Las Vegas, Nev., Oct. 13 (UP) — Willard Rhodes’ Miss Thriftway and W. T. Waggoner Jr.’s Shanty I were co-favorites today in the first running of the Sahara Cup on nearby Lake Mead.
The 2 boats headed a list of 11 of the fastest hydroplanes in the nation entered in the 2-day regatta, sponsored by the Hotel Sahara. The Gold Cup class was scheduled to run 2 heats today and 3 tomorrow.
Rounding out the regatta program were 100 limited hydroplanes that will race for at least 5 national championships in 10 divisions.
In a final spin yesterday. Miss Thriftway skimmed around the 2½-mile course on the man-made lake at an average of 100 miles an hour. Rhodes’ powerful hydroplane captured the Detroit Gold Cup and the Presidents Cup on the Potomac.
Waggoner’s Shanty I won the Seattle Seafair Regatta and the Harnsworth International Trophy.
Top competition for the favorites was expected from Edgar F. Kaiser's Hawaii Kai III which raced around the lake at 170 miles an hour during trials.
Other boats entered in the Gold Cup class were William Boeing Jr.’s Miss Wahoo; Roostertails. Inc., Miss Seattle; Phil Murphy’s Muvalong and Breathless; W. T. Waggoner’s Maverick; Guy Lombardo’s Tempo VII; George Simon’s Miss U.S. I, and B. Saile Jr.’s Miss Wayne.
In the limited hydroplane division, Kaiser’fs new boat. Restless, will be seeking a record in the 7 liter class.
Milton Prell, executive director of the race, said that enthusiasm for the Regatta was so great that it appeared assured of being held annually.
— October 13, 1956
Prop Trouble Hits Maverick At Vegas
By Frank Gianelli
Las Vegas, Nev.— What may be disaster struck one of Arizona’s three representatives in the Sahara Cup race warmups yesterday — a speedboat meet that has attracted nearly 100 craft, will run before some 25,000 spectators, and promises to become one of the top events of its type in the nation.
Maverick, one of the boats entered in the Gold Cup division by Bill Waggoner of Phoenix — although programs everywhere persist in calling him from Vernon, Tex., and he maintains he's going to get a proclamation from the governor proving, he’s an Arizonan - broke a propeller and sprung a propeller shaft in yesterday’s warmups.
Waggoner hurried arrangements last night to fly in new parts from Seattle, but it's doubtful repairs can be made in time for today's opening events.
Waggoner also has Shanty I in the unlimited hydroplane division. Marion Beaver, mayor of Parker and longtime champion of the hustling hydros, has Bizzie Beaver in the 136-cubic-inch hydroplane class.
Famed Shanty I is winner of the Lake Tahoe, Seattle Seafair and Harmsworth trophy regattas. But Waggoner had expected greater things from Maverick which has had a new engine installed and was performing beautifully — until yesterday’s mishap.
Driver Bill Stead said he had the boat wrapped up to only about 1000 rpms when the accident occurred. Earlier Waggoner, himself, took Shanty I out and had her roaring in 150 mph.
Shanty I — so named because that’s Waggoner’s pet name for his wife — hasn’t been the same since Detroit when she blew a supercharger and coughed out a mess of gears. Repairs made recently at Phoenix and Las Vegas haven’t restored the tremendous, faultless power she once had.
That’s why Waggoner felt Maverick would outperform her sister ship in races today and tomorrow, and in the straight speed runs Monday.
The boats have plenty of competition. Every top unlimited hydroplane in the nation is here to try for a chunk of the prize money put up by the Sahara Hotel.
Chief contenders will be Miss Thriftway, winner of the Gold Cup race at Detroit and Presidents Cup race at Washington, and Edgar Kaiser’s Hawaii Kai III, which has topped 170 mph. Kaiser has run into a mess of trouble in past regattas — including engines blown to smithereens, and hull trouble. The record is 178.497.
Other champions in the unlimited hydro event include the Breathless, Miss Seattle, Miss Wahoo, Muvalong, Tempo VII, Miss U.S. I, and Miss Wayne.
The potential for this regatta is tremendous. Lake Mead’s unrippled waters offer an ideal course — though the 2,500 altitude may affect carburetion to some degree. Test runs yesterday were designed to readjust snorting 2,500 horsepower engines to these conditions.
At the Sahara everybody suddenly is boat wacky. The dealers all wear yachting caps and attempt to induce a nautical attitude—as they take your money away. The bar girls and lobby blondes have the skipper hats tilted to jaunty angles—and grease-pantsed boat mechanics, owners. and hangers-on are everywhere to be seen.
Some optimists estimate up to 50,000 spectators will attend the regatta and they may be right. For the first time in the memory of veteran bell hops, the Cadillacs and Continentals have been displaced from their elite position by the inn’s doors and boats parked, instead.
Races today start at 11 a m. with the big hydros running two heats at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tomorrow the big boats run at 12:30, 1:40, and 3:30 p.m. There is no charge for the races — but it’s going to cost $1 per car to park along the Lake Mead race course.
— October 13, 1956