Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 9, 1982
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| Pay 'N Pak goes airborne after running across the Executone, middle, which has just struck The Squire Shop, foreground, in an early head of yesterday's unlimited hydroplane race. |
Unlimited-hydroplane driver John Walters remained in serious condition this afternoon with multiple injuries suffered yesterday during a preliminary heat in the Sea Galley Emerald Cup on Lake Washington.
Chip Hanauer of Seattle drive the Atlas Van Lines to victory in the race, but the victory was marred by the accident that injured Walters, driver of the Pay 'N Pak.
Walters was pitched out of his craft in a collision with the Executone, which a split second earlier had lost control and struck The Squire Shop.
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| The Pay 'N Pak begins a complete side flip. Its driver, John Walters, was injured seriously. |
The 28-year-old Renton resident underwent surgery last night at Harborview Medical Center and was moved into an intensive-care ward. Walters had water in his lungs and was put on a ventilator when he could not breathe on his own.
Walters suffered three spinal fractures but no paralysis, a broken left leg, broken right elbow, a bruised lung, a concussion and injuries to the left eye.
George Johnson, driver of the Executone, had a leg laceration; the Squire driver, Tom D'Eath, was uninjured.
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| The Pay 'N Pak flips upside down, and its driver, John Walters, is thrown from the boat. |
The Executone sank to the bottom of Lake Washington.
The accident did not seem to dampen the spirits of the huge crowd that lined the race course to celebrate the event that traditionally signals the end of Seafair.
Hanauer and the Atlas were nearly flawless during victories in two preliminary "fast heats" and the winner-take-all final heat. He outdueled Ron Armstrong and the Miss Budweiser, which flipped last week in Pasco, killing Dean Chenoweth.
Frank Kenney Toyota-Volvo, driven by Ron Snyder, finished third yesterday. Miss Prodelco-Mr. Auto, driven by Steve Reynolds was fourth and Tempus, piloted by Jack Schafer Jr., was fifth.
"The boat was running a bit loose during testing and we were making adjustments all race long," said Hanauer, whose six unlimited wins makes him the winningest active driver.
That the Budweiser even made it to the pits yesterday morning was a minor miracle. The Bud crew worked around the clock to repair severe damage on the boat's left sponson and a whole in its rights sponson. Armstrong, who was hired Friday, qualified yesterday morning at 127.298 mph and was seeded into the fast heat.