In 1950 and 1951 I was employed by Collins Radio Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa as a draftsman. I worked with Russ Markert (sp), a mechanical engineer, who owned the Apache III Ventnor. I don’t recall if it was a Division 1 or 2 boat but I believe it had a six cylinder Continental with a two carb manifold. I never saw the boat run. I do not know when he purchased it and I don’t believe he ever raced it. After I left Collins and returned to Minnesota in late July1951 he had me place an ad in the Minneapolis paper to sell the boat. It didn’t get sold at that time and eventually I lost contact with Russ so I do not know what ever happened to him or the Ventnor. 

Apache III Photo marked October 1947     Apache III Photo marked September 1949 Running on the Cedar River @ Cedar Rapids?

Understandably the intervening 55 years has nearly erased all but the most significant happenings of that day. Therefore, I can only relate snippets as they are brought to mind by the 20 or so photos I have.

Of course the races were held on the Mississippi River which separates Iowa from Wisconsin and Illinois. From the photos it appears the weather was partly cloudy and the wind was moderate, blowing from the North, or left to right in the photos which is down stream.

One of the note worthy events of the day was the 135 class Eight Ball A-7 became air-borne on the back stretch and collided with the A-162. For some reason I believe the A-162 belonged to a Sid Street of Kansas City, Missouri.

In one of the first heats the A-162 had led the first lap and was well ahead going up the back stretch, which was against the wind, on the second lap. The A-7 started to close and near the far turn it passed the A-162 on the outside. Suddenly the A-7 lifted clear of the water and appeared to be 6 or 8 feet above the A-162. The A-7 rolled 90 degrees to the right and came down near the starboard side of the A-162. The A-7 tumbled and the A-162 continued on for a few hundred feet. The A-162 then slowed and turned around and headed back to the A-7. We could see the A-7 driver hanging on to the bow. Other boats were nearing the A-7 by that time. When the driver of the A-162 realized his boat was severely damaged he hit the throttle, got it back on plane and headed for the beach at the launching area. The wife and I were standing only a few steps from where the driver ran the A-162 aground. 

The following photos tell it all. The first photo is a dejected Sid Street just after he climbed out of his wounded A-162. As we watched him coming to the beach it was apparent he was trying very hard to run the boat aground to spare the engine a dunking. 

The damage to the A-162 is obvious and extensive.  The damage to the A-7’s right sponson is also apparent. But just what part of the A-7 hit the A-162 is not clear.
 
 

A very dejected Sid Street   Not a pretty sight       A-7 Eight Ball IV     A-7 Eight Ball IV being towed in.   A-7 Eight Ball IV Note the Texas license plate  B class Runabout The Bumble Bee 51-B was getting ready to race but after he cast off and headed for the course  he turned for the beach but she sank before she could be run aground. Looking southeast across the Mississippi River and into Illinois.   Bad   Heading home to Des Moines, Iowa.  E class Runabout Hell's Angel       Looks like E-18 is a V-drive boat    F class Hydroplane Tops VII   F-198   Lenny Darling’s Flying D from Cedar Rapids, Iowa   I don't recall the circumstances surrounding the fire.   I recall there wasn’t a lot of boats in any one class and smaller boats often raced in the larger classes.  Also an unlimited boat made an appearance. It bellowed around the course a few times. In fact, I believe it raced the field a couple of times but would pull off before the end of the heat. The wife believes it had just come from a Gold Cup event or was on its way to one. The boat was launched elsewhere and it never came in close enough to take a photo with my inexpensive cameras.        A Coast Guard Buoy Tender is on its parade lap.  I believe this was before the races started and the Tender continued up river towards Dubuque.   © Howard J. Thompson