1963 Diamond Cup
Miss Thriftway Takes Diamond Cup
It was a grueling two-day test of men and machinery which ended with Bill Muncey in Miss Thriftway retaining the Diamond Cup for Unlimited Hydros, Mira Slovak and the new Miss Exide both badly damaged and several other boats not able to pass the test.
Slovak, the flying Czech, went into the final heat as the only one who could beat Muncey. A real battle was in the making when Miss Exide became airborne, dipped on sponson into the water and disintegrated. It took twenty-seven stitches to close the lacerations on Mira’s face. He lost two teeth and suffered severe bruises on his legs and ankles. Doctors report there were no apparent fractures and that he was in satisfactory condition.
Ron Musson in Miss Bardahl was also a favorite but was knocked out of the competition by a faulty fuel pump and a burned out rod.
Miss Exide took heat 2-A neatly followed by Tempest, Tempo, $ Bill and Fascination. Miss Thriftway led Miss Bardahl, Tahoe Miss, and Notre Dame in Heat 2-B but Thrifty was the only one to finish.
After Exide’s demise in the final heat all Muncey had to do was finish the race to win so he coasted along to a fifth place behind Tempest, $ Bill, Tempo and Notre Dame.
The final scoreboard showed Miss Thriftway with 927 points, Tempest, 869; Miss Exide, 800; $ Bill, 769; Tempo, 675; Notre Dame, 659; Tahoe Miss, 300; Fascination I, 300; Fascination, 254; Eagle Electric, 225. No Points were scored by Miss Bardahl, Gale V, Mariner Too.
Muncey, with the Diamond Cup firmly in his grasp for the third straight year, and owner Willard Rhodes were elated by the win but perhaps more pleased to refute a newspaper story that Muncey was all washed up after his sixth place in the Gold Cup at Detroit.
Mira Slovak will recover but Miss Exide is damaged beyond repair. The other boats will be back in competition at the Seattle Seafair Race on August 11 which Sea will cover next month.
(Reprinted from Sea and Pacific Motor Boat, September 1963, p.21)