1995 Detroit APBA Gold Cup
Race Summary
DETROIT -- Chip Hanauer and the Miss Budweiser, the Seattle-based tandem that seem intent on re-writing the entire unlimited hydroplane racing record book, today strode deeper into the APBA Gold Cup archives with a five- heat sweep of the sport's most prestigious event.
As a final-day throng generally estimated at 400,000 looked on in sun-drenched, slightly breezy weather along the Detroit River, Hanauer barely missed a beat as he handed Bud owner Bernie Little yet another victory in this classic. Both driver and boat owner, although not paired as a team until 1992, now have extended their individual Gold Cup win totals to an even ten apiece. Three of those -- including 1992 and 1993 -- have come in partnership.
Enroute to his second straight win of the young 1995 season and his 55th overall triumph in a driving career dating back to 1976, Hanauer easily won the six-boat, winner-take-all final heat with an average speed of 149.160 mph. His complete race average -- one lap shy of the regulation 52 1/2-mile distance because of a third-heat barrel roll by Mike Hanson's Miss Jasper Engines & Transmission -- was 149.653 for the 50 miles, easily breaking Mark Tate's year-old mark of 147.943 mph.
Hanson emerged uninjured from his mishap, which occurred while zooming up the backstretch at an estmated 180 mph. The bright green and yellow entry from Madison, IN, apparently got too much air under the right sponson, tilted over to its port side, and then cartwheeled end-over-end to land upside down, but afloat, in the water. The heat was stopped and declared official after four laps while driver Hanson slipped up out of the esape hatch in the bottom of his hull.
This was the first race that Jasper Engines & Transmissions, an Indiana engine remanufacturer, had sponsored the boat, the former Miss Madison from the Hoosier State. The hull did not sustain extensive damage and should be repaired in time for the unlimited hydros' next stop, June 16-18 in Kansas City, MO.
Tate, the defending Gold Cup champion, was never a factor in the final heat. He finished a well-beaten fourth place after temporarily losing power along the back straightawy as the field maneuvered inside the one-minute gun. This race is the only remaining event with a clock, not a flag, start.
MORE ON HEAT 4A: Mark Tate and the Smokin' Joe's, defending Gold Cup Champion, got into tight quarters along the Roostertail turn leading to the start and cracked his right sponson against the left sponson of Scott Pierce's D.O.C./Acuvue. The latter hooked sharply into the infield and made a delayed start as Hanauer and the Budweiser set off unbothered to record a 147.530 mph average for the five laps and 12 1/2 miles.
Pierce managed to finish fourth behind Mitch Evans in the Miss D.O.C. when Jerry Hopper, driving the Miss APBA, went dead in the water near the end of the heat. The referees, after studied consideration, decided that the Tate-Pierce bumping incident was a no-fault situation.
Hanauer is not only undefeated in this race, but for the entire 1995 unlimited hydroplane racing season. He won all three heats in the season opener at Phoenix, April 23.
All the laurels don't belong to Budweiser, though. Tate, in his Heat 3B victory today, averaged 152.120 mph for a 12 1/2-mile heat, eclipsing his own mark of 151.320 set when his boat was sponsored by Winston Eagle in 1993. That same year, Hanauer in the Budweiser averaged 152.318 for a 7 1/2-mile heat, a record he broke Saturday in Heat 1A with an average speed of 152.526 mph.
PIT PATTER - The precise finish of Heat 4A was somewhat obscured by the fact that the start-line buoy broke loose and began floating downstream during the fourth lap. It was recovered and returned to its position before reaching Lake Erie.
SATURDAY - Chip Hanauer, who this season is beginning to take aim on Bill Muncey's all-time record for most unlimited hydroplane racing victories, remained a picture of near-perfection in his bright red Miss Budweiser today on the Detroit River.
Shooting for career win number 55 and Gold Cup triumph number 10, Hanauer was airborne - momentarily - in both Heats 1A and 2A but came back down to blast away his competition in each race and move into Sunday's final three heats with a maximum 800 points.
Next is perennial challenger Mark Tate in the Smokin' Joe's - who doubles as defending champion of this race - with 700 points, followed by "Super Dave" Villwock and the PICO American Dream with 625. Villwock, who won three heats in last year's race here before failing to complete the final, was washed out momentarily in Heat 1A but recovered to finish third before breezing wire-to-wire in Heat 2B.
Tate cruised to an easy win in Heat 1B, but couldn't measure the Budweiser's top-end speed when they were matched in Heat 2A. In fact, Hanauer's two-heat average of 152.093 is on a pace to shatter Tate's year-old record Gold Cup race average of 147.943.
Steve David and the T-PLUS Engine Treatment find themselves tied for fourth place overall with Mark Evans in The Wellness Plan at 525.
Hanauer's fiery charger came unglued from the water line in each heat, once in the first turn and again in the second turn. But, each time he nursed the boat back onto a level plane. His crew had to accomplish some between-heats work, however, to repair some structural damage caused by the big bounce from the first heat.
[Summary written by J Michael Kenyon]
(Reprinted from UHRA.com)