1957 Detroit Memorial
Such Crust III Wins Detroit Memorial
Jack Schafer’s long unrewarded persistence finally paid off on June 22 when Fred Alter drove the bakery owner’s big, twin Allison-powered, Staudacher-built Such Crust III to an easy victory in the Detroit Memorial Race. By taking a convincing first in each of her three heats, Crust won for Schafer the Henry Ford Memorial Trophy.
With ten entrants ready for the event it was necessary to split the fleet into two sections to stay within the maximum starting field of six provided by the rules as a safety measure. Drawn for heat One, section A, were the eventual winner, Jim Thompson’s Canadian entry Miss Supertest II, driven by Art Asbury; Miss Wayne, driven by her owner Bud Saile; Joe Schoenith’s Gale V, piloted by Bill Cantrell and Wha Hoppen Too owned and driven by Marv Henrich.
The first event was delayed for 45 minutes while assorted gremlins were routed from Detroit’s intricate electromechanical starting clock. By this time the Detroit River course was disconcertingly lumpy as a result of a 15 m.p.h. quartering wind. Gale V led the fleet across the line in a strung-out start, followed by Crust, Wayne, Wha Hoppen, and Supertest, in that order. Alter made his move early and worked Such Crust into the lead before he reached the first turn. Two-thirds of the way through the first lap Gale V dropped out, her hull badly damaged by the rough water. For the remainder of the first two laps Alter continued to improve Crust's lead, with Miss Wayne in second, followed by Supertest and Wha Hoppen. Going into the back-stretch of the third lap, Asbury moved Supertest into second position and commenced to close the gap between her and Crust. On the first turn of the fourth go-around, while driving furiously only 200 yds. behind the leader,
Asbury was tossed into the river when Supertest spun out from under him.
A red smoke flare promptly appeared from a nearby patrol boat, signalling the stoppage of the race. Supertest continued to chug along, driverless, at a 10-mile pace. Asbury was rescued, unhurt. Unlimited hydro driver Jack Bartlow, a spectator for the day, managed to work his way to the runaway boat aboard a patrol craft, leaped into Supertest's cockpit and drove her back to the pits.
Half of the heat having been completed by the lead boat at the time of the stoppage, heat One, section A was declared a contest. First honors, of course, went to Such Crust III at an average speed of 82.636 m.p.h. Second and third were awarded respectively to Miss Wayne and Wha Hoppen Too.
Drawn for section B of the first heat were Chuck Thompson’s Short Circuit, with the owner at the wheel; Richochet, owned by Chuck Doran and driven by Bob Somerville; Lee Schoenith piloting his father’s Gale VI; What a Pickle, driven by Alex Ross and owned by Gordon and James Deneau; and Bob Schroeder in the cockpit of his own Wildroot Charlie.
Water conditions were much the same as during the first section. Wildroot Charlie had the best of it at the start, trailed, in order, by Gale VI, Short Circuit and Ricochet. What a Pickle did not start.
Lee Schoenith wheeled Gale into first spot quickly and led Wildroot Charlie bv 100 yds. going into the first turn. For two and three-quarter laps the fleet bucked and porpoised around the course with this sequence unchanged: Gale VI, Wildroot, Short Circuit, Ricochet. Then, on the second turn of the third circuit, Schoenith’s leader squashed to a halt. She had shed a prop blade which tore up shaft, struts and gear box.
Wildroot Charlie was in front by miles at the finish and was credited with an 83.236 average. Short Circuit took second and Ricochet third. Shortly after the conclusion of the heat it was announced that Short Circuit's hull had also become a victim of the bad water conditions and that she was out for the day.
Seven running boats were thus left for the second heat which would have compelled running it in two sections with a four/three split. Before the scheduled start a heavy shower forced a 30 minute postponement. Meanwhile owner Doran and driver Somerville withdrew Ricochet in the interests of providing a more thrilling combined second heat.
Again Schroeder steered Wildroot into position to be the first over the line in a late but bunched start. Such a situation was revolting to Alter who called on his pair of Allisons for what it took to overhaul Schroeder before reaching the first turn. For most of the length of the backstretch the water was dangerously rough — so much so in fact that Such Crust shed parts of her starboard sponson). Nevertheless she led at the end of the first lap followed, in order, by Wildroot, Supertest, Wha Hoppen Too and Wayne. What a Pickle did not start. Positions remained unchanged throughout the balance of the heat. Crust's winning average was 83.211 m.p.h.
With the finale still to come, Such Crust was top boat with 800 points, but Wildroot had a mere 100 less. Wayne had garnered 427, Wha Hoppen Too 394 and Supertest 225. With the two leaders in a position which could easily result in a point tie at the end of the third heat, the committee announced that such a tie would be broken by bestowing victory on the tied boat with the faster average speed for the three heats. Through the end of the second the average speeds stood: Such Crust — 82.923 and Wildroot — 82.088.
The third heat start offered a peak of excitement as Schroder in Wildroot Charlie again time things better than his competitors and roared off in the lead, closely followed by Asbury in Supertest. Such Crust was a not too good third third with Wha Hoppen and Wayne trailing.
Asbury took full advantage of the power superiority of his Rolls Griffon and passed Wildroot to emerge from the first turn as the leader. Meanwhile Crust was moving up rapidly and slipped in second place early on that first backstretch. All three were making the highest speeds of the day at this stage, but Such Crust was outpacing the others as Alter really poured it on. He drew almost abreast of Supertest at the start of the second turn, rode outside all the way through the turn, slid out of it and roared into the lead at the end of the first lap.
Alter had made his point most convincingly anyone and these relative positions were maintained to the finish: Crust, Supertest, Wildroot, Wayne and Wha Hoppen Too.
Such Crust’s speed for the final heat was 85.769, her average for the total 45 miles, 83,872.
Second in the final point standings and with it, the Hyner Memorial Trophy, went to Wildroot Charlie.
Mel Crook
— Motor Boating, August (??) 1957