1987 Budweiser Indiana Governor's Cup
Reynolds critical after crash; Miss Bud declared winner
By Gary Schultz And Jim Terhune, Staff Writers
MADISON, Ind. — Cellular One hydroplane driver Steve Reynolds was listed in critical condition with evidence of head injuries last night in the wake of a catastrophic Indiana’s Governor’s Cup race in which Miss Budweiser was declared the winner.
Miss Bud had won her first two heats and was just beginning a serious battle with her two major challengers in Heat 3-A when disaster struck.
Cellular One, leading Miss Bud by about 40 yards as they came out of turn two, suddenly lifted into the air, pointed skyward, came down with the rear knifing into the water, flipped onto its back and then instantly back upright. The cowling covering the engine flew off and the left sponson ripped off as it hit.
Rescue boats quickly reached Reynolds, who was unconscious in the enclosed cockpit that was still intact. Medical personnel moved him out, stripped him to his undershorts and motored him to the shore and a waiting ambulance.
From there he was transported to King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison with owner Steve Woomer, crying hard and barely in control, following in a car. From King’s Daughters’, Reynolds was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
"There is evidence of injury to the brain," said Methodist spokesman David Richards. "He has been unconscious since he was brought in two hours ago and is listed in critical condition."
Dr. Richard Swanson, chief of the Unlimited Racing Commission medical team, said Reynolds also has a broken left arm.
The accident occurred as Reynolds, the 1985 Madison winner in Miss 7-Eleven, came blasting out of turn two with an increasing lead on Miss Bud and pilot Jim Kropfeld.
"I was going 165 or 170 miles an hour," said Kropfeld, "and I knew the boat was gone when it started to lift. There’s a valley there (a depression in the hills on the Kentucky side), and when the wind blows out of the south there are more air currents than elsewhere. But you can’t always surmise what happened. It could be a hundred things.
"I know that he almost came down in front of me. I veered inside and almost hit a patrol boat there."
Kropfeld and others had been jittery all weekend as they watched the Cellular One tilt from one sponson to the other and reveal daylight under the hull during qualifications and testing.
Reynolds, too, had said Saturday, when asked if he was satisfied with the boat, that it "wasn’t even close." But he also had tossed aside any questions of it being too loose on the Ohio.
"It did look a little scary to me," said Kropfeld. "I thought it was running a little light on the water. But it wasn’t my boat, and maybe that was the way it was supposed to run. I Just know that we’re designed to stay down a little more."
The Miller American, driven by Chip Hanauer, was the third turbine-powered hydro in a three-abreast race into the first turn of Heat 3-A. He was experiencing skid fin problems with his boat and was in danger of not making the expected final heat.
"On the way to the (first) corner I was inside of him (Reynolds)," Hanauer said. "He had speed on me and I was looking at his right sponson. It was way up in the air, and I thought he was going to blow over going into the corner. Then he went through the corner, and I had my own problems."
Miller American's skid fin, which keeps the boat on line in turns, had been replaced in a miracle 40-minute repair job by members of three crews after the original one had been ripped off. The new one didn’t hold. Hanauer straightened out and heeded for the Kentucky bank.
"I didn’t see it (the accident)," Hanauer said. "I was too busy trying to get the boat stopped before I went into the pleasure boats. But, again, he (Reynolds) looked really critical to me just going into the first corner. So much so that I can’t remember the last time I moved away from somebody because I didn’t like the way their boat was riding."
The race was halted instantly following the crash. Officials at first decided to run the remaining two elimination heats in reverse order, and then the final. Then they decided to have just a final. Then, 25 minutes before that was scheduled, the Coast Guard closed the river because of severe storm warnings.
That left Kropfeld and Miss Bud with victories in their first two heats, 800 points and the championship, winning approximately $30,000 out of a $121,000 purse. It was Miss Bud's third victory in as many races this season. Holset Miss Madison (Ron Snyder driving) and Thor Racing (Jerry Hopp) tied for second with 469 points.
Miss Bud now has 3,100 points heading into the fourth race this weekend, the Spirit of Detroit on the Detroit River. Risley’s Express is second with 1,919.
"This isn’t the way to win a boat race," Kropfeld said.
The aborted event initially had been delayed two hours by carelessness. Hanauer’s Miller American had been allowed to drift into a Coast Guard boat and become entangled in its anchor lines, which snapped. The first heat got under way at 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Louisville time).
Cellular One gave Miss Bud a strong run in the early portion of Heat 1-A before finishing second by 8.7 seconds. Both boats broke Hanauer’s race-day one-lap record of 130.3 mph, Kropfeld by seven seconds and Reynolds by two-tenths. Kropfeld also snapped Hanauer's 7-mile heat record by 3.1 seconds.
Cellular One then blew away the field in Heat 2-B as Hanauer’s Miller American apparently hit debris and sheared off the skid fin on the first turn of the third lap.
That started the final chain of events. When the boats drew for slots in the third heats, the Miller joined Miss Bud and Cellular One for 3-A, the first time the top three hydros would race together.
When the Miller was towed back to its dock, it had about 40 minutes to tear into the skid fin assembly and replace the piece. If it couldn’t, it would be out of the heat and its 400 points wouldn't be enough to get it into the final.
With help from crews from Mr. Pringle’s, including driver Scott Pierce, and Thor Racing, a new fin was in place with six minutes to spare. But it didn’t hold as Hanauer’s boat rounded the first turn.
"The first fin is on the bottom (of the river)," said Hanauer. "The bracket held onto the second one, but it kicked straight up."
Last week in Evansville, the Miller American, the defending Madison champion, caught fire before the final heat.
"This one’s the most forgettable yet," said Hanauer. "Not necessarily because of all our problems. I’ll feel a lot better when I hear the extent of Steve’s injuries."
Seconds after Hanauer’s dive for shore, Reynolds lost it.
Would the Budweiser have won if all this hadn’t happened?
| Indiana Governor's Cup Results HEAT 1-A: 1. Miss Budweiser, driven by Jim Kropfeld. averaged 129.286 mph for 7½ miles. 2. Cellular One, Steve Reynolds, 124.057; 3. Mr. Pringles, Scott Pierce, 110.113; 4. Holset Miss Madison, Ron Snyder, 98.668. HEAT 1-B: 1. Miller American, Chip Hanauer, 120.962; 2. Thor Racing, Jerry Hopp, 89.240; 3. [Pepsi] Americas Choice, Mitch Evans, 83.244. Did not finish — Risley's, Todd Yarling HEAT 2-A: 1. Miss Budweiser, 105 707; 2. Holset Miss Madison, 100.231; 1 [Pepsi] America's Choice, 88.804; 4. Thor Racing, 83.223. HEAT 2-B: 1. Cellular One. 121 089. 2. Risley's, 100.225: 1. Mr. Pringle's. 95 368. Did not finish — Miller American. (Two other elimination heats and the final heat ware cancelled because of severe weather warnings; race finish determined by points accumulated in first four heats) FINAL POINT STANDINGS: Miss Budweiser, 800: Cellular One, 700: Holset Miss Madison, 489; Thor Racing, 469; [Pepsi] America's Choice, 450: Mr. Pringle's, 450; Miller American, 400; Risley's, 300. Season points standings 1. Jim Kropfeld, Miss Budweiser, 3,100. 2. Todd Yarling, Risley's Audio Video, 1,919. 3. Ron Snyder, Holset Miss Madison, 1,846. 4. Steve Reynolds, Cellular One. 1,700 5. Mitch Evans, [Pepsi] America's Choice, 1,444. 6. Scott Pierce, Mr, Pringle's. 1,144. 7. Chip Hanauer. Miller American. 1,100. 8. Jerry Hopp, Thor Racing, 1,033. |
"That’d be hard to say," said Kropfeld. "Steve was getting closer each time."
Later, divers had collected the main body of the Cellular One and towed it to the pits. Crew chief Jim Lucero, the design master of many of the turbines running today, got in the water to check what was left and help move it to the trailer.
Is it repairable?
"No," said Lucero. "But at this point all we’re concerned about is Steve. Steve Woomer and I will sit down after we find out that Steve’s okay and decide what we’re going to do."
(Reprinted from the Louisville Courier Journal, July 6, 1987)