1987 Budweiser Las Vegas Silver Cup

Lake Mead, Nevada, September 27, 1987

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Hanauer leads hydroplaners

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Chip Hanauer, less than a week after winning the Gold Cup, drove Miller American at 134.253 m.p.h. to lead qualifiers Friday for the $161,000 Budweiser Las Vegas Silver Cup hydroplane race.

Hanauer, 33, of Seattle, posted the mark on his final run of the day and bettered the 133.80 posted earlier in the day by another Seattle boat, Cellular One driven by Larry Lauterbach.

In the competition of the world’s biggest and fastest racing boats, 11 of the 13 on hand bettered the 100 m.p.h. qualifying speed needed to advance into Sunday’s showdowns on Lake Mead.

With the 1987 Miss Budweiser badly damaged in a crash in the Gold Cup at San Diego last Sunday, defending national champion Jim Kropfeld qualified a substitute boat in 121.70, but was far from satisfied.

(Reprinted from Florida Today, September 26, 1987)