1984 Budweiser Syracuse Regatta
Squire Shop Wins Hydro Event
LIVERPOOL (AP) - Mickey Remund, in his second race after a seven-year hiatus, piloted The Squire Shop boat to victory in the $100,000 Unlimited Hydroplane Regatta on Onondaga Lake Sunday.
Remund, of Seattle, drove the five laps at an average of 114.976 mph to outlast Ron Snyder in the American Speedy Printing entry. Snyder, of Piqua, Ohio, averaged 108.52 mph around the 2½-mile course.
After winning, Remund said, “I simply tried to stay out front —it’s a great Father’s Day present.”
Miss Tosti Asti, the only turbine-powered boat in the race, dueled for first place with Remund on the second lap, but withdrew after four laps because of a 14-inch hole in the right side of the boat. Crews said the hole may have been caused when the craft hit a buoy in the rough water.
Miss Tosti Asti, driven by Steve Reynolds of Seattle, won both of its qualifying heats Sunday, while the two other qualifying heats went to American Speedy Printing and The Squire Shop.
Reynolds’ boat qualified with the fastest speed on the first day of trials Friday at 139.578 mph. Competing boat crews with conventional engines doubted the turbine-powered Miss Tosti Asti could stand up to race conditions.
The final race climaxed a day of competition dominated by the threat of rain and foot-and-a-half waves on the central New York lake. The final race, originally scheduled for 4:10, was moved up an hour, and then postponed three times before finally beginning at 5:15 p.m.
The final delay was not weather-related but occurred when the Miss Velocity entry, driven by Scott Pierce of Edmonds, Wash., would not start and the Miss Renault boat, the alternate for the race, tried to get into the water at the last minute.
Miss Renault’s regular driver, Milner Irvin of Coral Gables, Fla., had left for the day. Jim Kropfeld of Cincinnati, Ohio, regular driver of Miss Budweiser, hopped into Miss Renault and entered the course 10 seconds late. The race was temporarily halted, and Miss Renault was disqualified for entering the race late.
Miss Budweiser, last year’s national runner-up, was scratched from the race Saturday after its driveshaft twisted through the hull when a propeller blade broke at 175 mph.
George Johnson of Seattle, driving Miss Executone, had a consistent day of racing Sunday, finishing second in both of his qualifying heats and third in the final.
Todd Yarling of Hanover, Ind., driving the Chet’s Music entry, finished fourth in the final, with Miss Tosti Asti placing fifth.
Miss Budweiser won the first stop on the circuit at Miami earlier this month. The next stop is Evansville, Ind., with preliminary racing scheduled June 30.
American Speedy Printing is the unofficial leader on the unlimited hydroplane circuit after races in Miami and on Onondaga Lake with 1,825 points, followed by The Squire Shop, 1,769; Chet’s Music, 1,444; Miss Budweiser, 1,200; Miss Executone, 825; Miss Tosti Asti, 800; Miss Velocity, 450, and Miss Renault, 300.
(Reprinted from the Associated Press)