1988 Budweiser Indiana Governor's Cup
Prevost didn't win race at Madison, but everyone's sure talking about him
By Jim Terhune, Staff Writer
MADISON, Ind. —- John Prevost had a bad day.
Prevost, driving the Circus Circus hydroplane in Sunday's Madison Regatta, was penalized for knocking another boat off the course, put himself out of the finals by horribly misjudging the start and was yelled at and called names by fellow drivers who felt they were victimized by his tactics.
Prevost disputed one of the calls against him, begged forgiveness for other errors and said the last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone.
But he couldn't convince Miss Budweiser driver Tom D'Eath or Competition Specialties driver Larry Lauterbach.
D'Eath and Prevost almost collided in turn one of the final heat Then D'Eath watched as Lauterbach's boat went up on its side and out of the race in a close-quarters tangle with Circus Circus in turn three of the same lap. That happened before D'Eath himself was penalized a lap for bearing out.
"Prevost almost runs into me and nobody called him for nothing," D'Eath said. "And he chopped Larry Lauterbach off to where he flipped the thing. Never even slapped his wrist I didn't put a drop on anybody and they throw me out.
"Larry has every right to be teed off. John Prevost doesn't belong in this sport. He's way over his head."
Although a rookie on the unlimited circuit, Prevost certainly has been around powerboats. He's 49, has white hair, is the 1985 national seven-litre (limited hydro division) driving champion and holds the world straightaway seven-litre record of 148 mph.
Lauterbach, 40, also a rookie in the unlimiteds, brings solid credentials (two national titles) from the seven-litre division. He and Prevost have met many times before.
"John Prevost has a reputation of causing a lot of problems over the years, even in the seven-litre class," Lauterbach said. "Rough driving and chopping people off. I tried to talk to him (after the wreck) and he just shrugged his shoulders and walked off."
Prevost looked sad-eyed and wore a sheepish grin as he exited the Circus Circus truck to talk.
"Larry's a very good friend of mine," he said. "We've been racing against each other 20 years.
"But I'd never do anything to harm or endanger anybody. I know I've said some things right after something happened, then forgotten it later. I hope that's the case this time."
The evolution of turbine technology has seemed to put everyone back on the ragged edge. At Madison, for the first time anywhere, the final heat was all turbines until Lauterbach's crash allowed the piston-fired Oh Boy! Oberto in the race.
The five turbines had qualified at a searing average lap speed of 139.974 mph. That meant those boats were whining 180-plus mph down the long Ohio River straightaways, then trying to hold their lanes through the tightest turns on the circuit.
Scott Pierce addressed those aspects after he drove Mr. Pringle's to victory when one of the boats in front of him lost power (Chip Hanauer in the Miller High Life) and another was penalized (Miss Bud).
Pierce defended Prevost although he, too, was sent sideways and out of the picture by Prevost in one of the heats. Prevost was penalized a lap for that one.
"I haven't raced against John much," Pierce said, "but he seems like a hell of a nice guy.
"I don't think he has done anything at all that he was aware of. He's in a very unenviable position of being a man of a lot of experience, but he's in a whole new deal. These aren't limiteds, they're very, very fast, and I think things are happening and he doesn't really realize what's happening.
"But I think John's a student of the sport and a fine man. I think he's going to go home, look at the tapes and evaluate what's going on. He'll get it. He just needs to do his homework."
(Reprinted from the Louisville Courier-Journal, July 5, 1988)