1965 Season Summary
Statistics
| 1. | June 27 | Dixie Cup | Guntersville, Ala. |
| 2. | July 11 | Diamond Cup | Coeur d'Alene, Id. |
| 3. | July 18 | Dakota Cup | New Town, N.Dakota |
| 4. | August 8 | APBA Gold Cup | Seattle, Wash. |
| 5. | August 15 | Utah Cup | Ogden, Utah |
| 6. | August 29 | Spirit Of Detroit Trophy | Detroit, Michigan |
| August 29 | Horace E. Dodge Memorial | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 7. | September 5 | Indiana Governor's Cup | Madison, Indiana |
| 8. | September 25 | U.I.M. World Championship | Stateline, Nevada |
| September 25 | Ponderosa Trophy Race | Stateline, Nevada | |
| September 25 | South Shore Trophy Race | Stateline, Nevada | |
| 9. | October 3 | San Diego Cup | San Diego, Calif. |
| Winner | Crew Chief | Designer | Builder | Engine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/27 | Miss Madison (2) | Graham Heath | Les Staudacher | Les Staudacher | Allison |
| 7/11 | Miss Exide (2) | George McKernan | Ted Jones | Les Staudacher | Rolls Merlin |
| 7/18 | No Contest | ||||
| 8/8 | Miss Bardahl (3) | Led Vanden Berg | Ted Jones | Ted Jones | Rolls Merlin |
| 8/15 | Miss Bardahl (3) | Led Vanden Berg | Ted Jones | Ted Jones | Rolls Merlin |
| 8/29 | Tahoe Miss (3) | Everett Adams | Les Staudacher | Les Staudacher | Allison |
| 9/5 | Tahoe Miss (3) | Everett Adams | Les Staudacher | Les Staudacher | Allison |
| 9/25 | Miss Bardahl (3) | Led Vanden Berg | Ted Jones | Ted Jones | Rolls Merlin |
| 10/3 | Miss Bardahl (3) | Led Vanden Berg | Ted Jones | Ted Jones | Rolls Merlin |
| Built | Boat High Points | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | (1962) | Miss Bardahl (3) | 7777 |
| 2. | (1964) | Notre Dame (5) | 6364 |
| 3. | (1960) | Miss Madison (2) | 5595 |
| 4. | (1964) | Tahoe Miss (3) | 5069 |
| 5. | (1964) | Miss Smirnoff | 4142 |
| 6. | (1956) | Miss Exide (2) | 3571 |
| 7. | (1963) | Miss Budweiser (2) | 3565 |
| 8. | (1962) | Such Crust IV (3) | 3342 |
| 9. | (1964) | Miss U.S. 5 (2) | 2934 |
| 10. | (1961) | Savair's Mist | 2652 |
| 11. | (1960) | Savair's Probe | 2415 |
| 12. | (1964) | Mariner Too | 2261 |
| 13. | (1965) | Gale's Roostertail | 1966 |
| 14. | (1957) | Miss San Diego | 1217 |
| 15. | (1965) | Blue Chip (2) | 1090 |
| 16. | (1962) | $ Bill (2) | 1069 |
| 17. | (1951) | Berryessa Belle | 695 |
| 18. | (1958) | Miss Lapeer | 394 |
| 19. | (1960) | Tri-City Sun | 338 |
| 20. | (1962) | Shu-Shu | DNQ |
| 21. | (1956) | Miss Sacramento | DNQ |
| 22. | (1964) | Miss Liberty | DNQ |
| 23. | (1965) | Tomyann | DNQ |
| Driver High Points | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ron Musson | 7777 |
| 2. | Rex Manchester | 6364 |
| 3. | Buddy Byers | 5595 |
| 4. | Chuck Thompson | 5069 |
| 5. | Bill Brow | 3571 |
| 6. | Chuck Hickling | 3565 |
| 7. | Red Loomis | 3370 |
| 8. | Roy Duby | 2934 |
| 9. | Bill Cantrell | 2642 |
| 10. | Fred Alter | 2578 |
| 11. | Warner Gardner | 2486 |
| 12. | Walt Kade | 2219 |
| 13. | Jerry Schoenith | 1966 |
| 14. | Danny Foster | 1500 |
| 15. | Bob Fendler | 1217 |
| 16. | Rex Bixby | 1069 |
| 17. | Bob Miller | 695 |
| 18. | Ed O'Halloran | 563 |
| 19. | Bob Gilliam | 338 |
| 20. | Bill Muncey | 300 |
| 21. | Norm Evans | 169 |
1965
Seattle got the Gold Cup for 1965 even though not making the highest bid. The Queen City at $50,150 was only $850 behind Detroit. However due consideration for having the winning boat the previous year had been pegged at 5% of the bid of that entry's yacht club.
Thus $2500 was added to Seattle's bid which gave her the Gold Cup.
In previous years Seattle was down $11,000 in 1963 and $8500 in 1964 thus losing the race even though the winning Miss Bardahl represented the Seattle Yacht Club.
A new high point rule was inaugurated for a driving championship as well as the boat championship. All points earned at a regatta would be credited toward the championship. Thus a 1200 point first place finish would count more than a 1100 point first place. In previous seasons each of the above performances would merit 400 high points.
The Bardahl team had a new radical design that they planned to use in 1965. It was a low profile cabover by Ron Jones - the son of nonpareil designer Ted Jones who had left the sport after the 1963 season.
The new boat was designed to do what a Ted Jones' design had never done - turn efficiently. A limited Tiger Too was the prototype for the new Bardahl. Ironically Tiger Too had set a straightaway record, but never a world course record.
Tahoe Miss also had a different set up in the form of a turbocharged Allison which was projected to raise engine horsepower by 300 horses. Miss Smirnoff had had her hull modified over the winter as had Miss U.S. 5. Except on the smoothest of courses, the U.S. 5 was a rough rider, but Ron Jones modifications were said to improve the hull for 1965. Nevertheless U.S. driver Don Wilson since 1959 declined to pilot:’the George Simon entry for 1965.
It appeared that Wilson had guessed wrong when the U.S. under crew chief Roy Duby posted the quickest heat and lap to apparently win the Dixie Cup at Guntersville although losing out due to jumping the gun in the final heat. This gave the win to the conservatively powered Miss Madison.
Mariner Too won two preliminary heats at impressive speeds before having engine trouble in the final. Tahoe Miss's new engine set up did not work well. Smirnoff showed some potential in challenging Notre Dame in heat 2-B, but Notre Dame was still having trouble with the likes of Miss Madison.
The new Miss Bardahl's gearbox did not arrive in time and thus the old Gold Cup and National High Point champion Miss Bardahl would represent the Seattle oil additive firm once again. The old warhorse had nitrous oxide just like the Miss Exide in 1964, but could not take a first in the Diamond Cup until the final heat when the Miss Exide did not have to place No. 1 to win the regatta.
Miss Exide had been rebuilt over the winter and was not as prepared as she might have been to defend her 1964 Diamond Cup title. However she bested Miss Bardahl twice in the preliminaries and Notre Dame once for the overall triumph.
Tahoe Miss which was running her conventional set up after experimenting with a turbo charger at Guntersville did not complete a lap. Miss Smirnoff again showed potential by running in front of Notre Dame in heat 2-B after coming from fifth to first in the rough water heat 1-A to defeat Mariner Too.
Mariner Too was not in contention at Coeur D'Alene. Notre Dame was in the chase, but couldn't get around the important boats when she had to.
However Notre Dame almost won the Gold Cup at Seattle. After losing to Miss Bardahl in heat 1-B, she came back to take heat 2-A when Miss Exide had a sick engine. Another win came in heat 3-A which the Shirley McDonald entry took after running behind Miss Smirnoff for part of'the heat. This gave Notre Dame 1100 points which tied her with Miss Bardahl approaching the final heat.
Although the Miss Exide was the fastest of the fleet on race day with a heat of 112.172 m.p.h. and a lap of 113.218 m.p.h. she was down 131 points to the leaders having experienced engine trouble in heat 2-A. During qualifying she had turned three laps at 120.356 m.p.h. breaking Maverick's 1958 record at 119.956 while turning an all time world lap record at 120.536 m.p.h. Tahoe Miss with her turbocharger was at best a second place boat.
Not surprisingly Miss Exide got off first in the final heat with Notre Dame second and Miss Bardahl third. When Miss Exide burst into flames on the first backstretch, Notre Dame was in a position to win with Miss Bardahl behind her. Through lap 2 Notre Dame kept this position until flares stopped the heat due to the Exide fire.
At the time Bardahl was closing in, but Notre Dame (111 m.p.h. best lap) might have held off Miss Bardahl (112 m.p.h. lap that day) for three more laps to win the Gold Cup.
Given a second chance as Bill Muncey in 1960, Bardahl driver Ron Musson did not waste any time and beat Manchester in Notre Dame as did Muncey by 13 seconds to win the heat and the Gold Cup. Bardahl's path was made easier by Mariner Too losing speed for the balance of the day after turning a lap of 112 in heat 1-A. Miss U.S. 5 was changed after her near win at Guntersville and ran back in the pack. Miss Smirnoff continued to run at least 5 m.p.h. slower than in 1964.
Moving on to a new race at Ogden, Utah Miss Bardahl and Notre Dame were to meet again. Tahoe Miss would try to get into first place with her turbocharger.
Again Notre Dame could not run with the Miss Bardahl and Tahoe Miss could barely run at all, so Ole Bardahl won another regatta. Miss Smirnoff took two preliminary heats, but was back in the pack during the crucial final heat.
Tahoe Miss went back to a conventional set up for the Spirit of Detroit Regatta and won all three heats to break Miss Bardahl's two race winning streak. Tahoe Miss defeated Notre Dame in heat 1-C, Miss Bardahl in 2-B, and both in the final to win in driver Chuck Thompson's home town. Miss U.S. 5 had been modified by Les Staudacher and won heat 2-C over Notre Dame, but otherwise was unimpressive. Neither Mariner Too nor Miss Smirnoff could meet the qualifying minimum in the rough water, but were given a free pass into the race.
Tahoe Miss stayed with her conventional set up and won again at Madison, Indiana. She was tied with Miss Bardahl at 800 points before the final heat setting up a win or else situation. Tahoe tried to get the inside from Miss Bardahl at the start, but was forced into the infield and had to cross the U-40's wake before the initial turn of the heat. Nevertheless she was a close second and probably would have won the heat but for Bardahl driver Ron Musson's adjudged indiscretion. Musson claimed Thompson tried an inside the course start and should have been disqualified.
Notre Dame had a second place race. Miss Smirnoff still wild hit a wake and pitched her driver Bill Cantrell out going high off the water. This necessitated Cantrell being replaced by Danny Foster for the final two races of the season.
Mariner Too was replaced by Miss Lapeer for the Madison Regatta. Mariner was still a rough rider and the Lapeer was a heavier copy of Shanty I, Miss Wahoo and the first Miss Thriftway and figured to be more stable than the U-99. In 1964 owner Jim Herrington had a crew, but in 1965 it was just driver Warner Gardner and whoever he could pick up around the circuit. Gardner was not an engine builder at that time and ran out of good powerplants. This was Miss Lapeer's problem at Madison as it had been Mariner's after the Gold Cup.
For the U.I.M. World Championship on Lake Tahoe Mariner Too was back in the line up. The World Championship would be run as in 1961 with competitive qualifying to determine who would run against each other all day long. The fast flight was made up of Miss Bardahl, Tahoe Miss, Miss U.S. 5 with a world record qualifying lap of 120.940 m.p.h., a rebuilt Miss Exide, Notre Dame and Miss Madison. Mariner Too and Miss Smirnoff opted out of the fast flight due to their manifest riding problems.
Miss Bardahl again knowing the secret of carburetion at high altitude won the first two heats to have an overwhelming advantage going into the final heat. She placed second in this heat to win the World Championship.
During the course of the contest, Tahoe Miss apparently found this secret too being able to match the Bardahl's best heat at 104 m.p.h. in the last heat for the fast flight boats. Her task was made easier since Bardahl did not have to win the final heat.as indicated above.
Miss U.S. 5 in spite of her qualifying lap was about 4 m.p.h. off the pace as was the Miss Exide. She ran over the back of Notre Dame in one heat similar to an incident in Seattle involving Miss Lapeer and Bill Muncey took over the boat for the final race at San Diego. Surprisingly Miss Smirnoff which won the secondary race ran laps in the U.S.-Exide range. Notre Dame with a clipped tail had an undistinguished race.
Miss Bardahl although missing the first event of the season had clinched the National High Point Championship before the last race at San Diego. In addition since this was presumably the final race for the third Bardahl of 1962, the team was going to let it all hang out.
The result was a devastating three heat sweep with Miss Bardahl setting world records for competition lap and race. The U-40’s heat record was 116.079 exceeding heir own 113.900 in Dakota last year. The 45 mile race record was even more impressive beating the former mark by 5 m.p.h. at 115.057. Further Miss Bardahl*s best lap at 117.136 just off the world record led the field by 4 m.p.h. Needless to say there was nobody else really in the race.
At their 1964 best Miss Exide 117.6, Tahoe Miss 117.3 and Smirnoff 116.1 could presumably run with the Miss Bardahl. But when you compare 5 lap heat speeds the. above three were not even close. 45 mile race speed comparisons were even more discouraging for the rest of the fleet.
[Statistics from Greene, V.2]