GEORGE (BUDDY) BYERS, Jr. piloted his prop-riding seven-litre speedster
to an unprecedented third International Grand Prix title to highlight ,the
16th annual Orange Bowl Regatta, Dec. 28 through Jan. 2, 1963.
The Columbus, Ohio auto dealer had won the crown previously in 1957
and 1960. Gunning his "Chrysler Queen" full bore, the 32-year-old
veteran driver ran and hid from his competition, the nearest being Miami's
Lew Koehler followed by Fuzzy Furlong of Coral Gables.
"'The regatta attracted the greatest assemblage of powerboats and drivers
ever, with every race providing exciting action," asserted Dan McNamara,
the event's director. "The weather was the best we have ever had." Representatives
from 38 states and Canada were in the fleet of 250 entries. One hour of
highlights of all the regatta's events was shown nation-wide via the ABC
network.
Byers covered the three laps of the 1.56-mile Orange Bowl course, in
a near-record three minutes, 45 and one fifth seconds. For his triumph
he was presented the $7,500 Baker Palladium Trophy.
Former National seven-litre champion, Ray Gassner of St. Petersburg
and Ron Musson, Gold Cup winner in 1961 and champion unlimited hydro pilot
from Seattle, couldn't make the finals due to engine troubles.
Photo above shows the early construction
progress on Miami's Marine Stadium,
site of many of the nation's top racing events. Seating Capacity is
6,566. |
Twenty-three records were set in the Six-Hour Endurance Race and 15
other marks fell in the Nine-Hour Endurance.
Charlie Dunn, 22-year-old Miami catamaran driver, gained an early lead
in the final heat in his Mercury-powerered Seacraft and fought off continuous
bids to take the gruelling Six-Hour event.
Dunn averaged 46.7 miles per hour, covering the 79 laps of the 3.5-mile
course. His co-driver was Richie Bayas.
J.M. Hart, Jr. of Greenville, Miss. wound up second followed by Gary
Rautine of Hialeah.
In the Nine-Hour, two happy but bone weary Californians, Mike Wallace
and Dick Freek of Anaheim, took top honors. For Wallace, a 21-year-old
college student, it was a repeat. However, the victory was not uneventful.
Fire broke out during a refueling stop at the end of the sixth hour.
The starter balked and Freek, a garage owner at home, jumped the solenoid
to get the big, 406-cubic inch Interceptor engine going. Sparks started
a gasoline blaze in the bilges. Firemen on the fueling barge speedily doused
the flames but when Freek got the engine started again and the boat underway
it was too late for him to go ashore. He had to ride on the fuel tank the
last three hours.
The Wallace-Freek combination piled up a record mileage total of 454.2
miles, averaging 49.8 miles per hour for the long voyage, eclipsing Wallace's
1961 mark.
Odell Lewis, a Sarasota boatman who ran the entire nine hours alone,
captured second place followed by fellow townsman Jim Wagner.
| Canada's Art Asbury streaks to a win in
the 266 hydro event with Miss Canadiana. |
Art Kastner of Hermosa Beach, Calif., backed his way to the top of the
266 cubic inch hydro event as the five over anxious and heavy footed drivers
in the final heat all were disqualified. He was declared the winner by
lap time comparisons in the prelims. Kastner gained the Sid Street Memorial
Trophy for his efforts and also was awarded the Bill Mansfield Trophy as
high point man in the regatta. Mike Thomas, Harvey Cedars, N.J. took second
with B.G. Bartley, Pittsburgh, third.
George (Jug) Kelly, Chicago, 1963 national high point champion in the
E racing runabouts, captured his specialty.
In the final day's Flying Kilometer Time Trials, numerous American
Powerboat Assn. and Union of International Motorboating records were bettered.
Fred Cooper of Fort Lauderdale set APBA and U.I.M. standards in the
outboard pleasure craft classes with a 60.870 mph clocking. Then Jeff Titus
got in the same boat, Snooper III, and set a Class 1 mark of 60.624.
Bruce Mason of LaGrange, Ill. boosted the "G" outboard pleasure boat
record to 59.893; Brooks Russell, Miami Shores, went 52.635 in E-500 and
Craig, Miami, 76.180 in another outboard group.
Several other records were eclipsed?
but the contestants failed to undergo checks with officials so the
marks did not count.
To the satisfaction of friend and foe, Fred (Pop) Wichers, 52-year-old
226 driver from Belle Chasse, La., hit 112. 711 mph to join the exclusive
Hundred Mile Per Hour Club, which has eluded him many times. However, he
fell far short of the class mark.
| Mike Wallace of Anaheim, Calif., took the
Nine-Hour Enduro in Rayson-Craft runabout. |
Thanks to Brent McLean for providing this
BOAT RACING 1964 YEARBOOK. |