Fults' Dream Ends in Death

September 17, 1970. San Diego, Calif. - (AP) - Speedboat driver Tommy "Tucker" Fults said the Mission Bay course here was his favorite and had told crewman and opponents, "This is my year in the Gold Cup."

Tommy Fults and the 'Lil Buzzard at the 1970 Atomic Cup.

Fults' dream ended Wednesday when he was tossed out of his unlimited hydroplane and killed in a freak accident only moments after the course was opened for practice runs.

First on the water in his sleek, Pay 'N Pak 'Lil Buzzard, Fults, 29, of Seattle, Wash., was fatally injured when his boat buried its right sponson under a wake while in  a sweeping turn, pitched violently and threw him out.

His heart was still beating when he arrived at Scripps Memorial Hospital but doctors said he was clinically dead from the instant of the crash with a severed spinal cord.

"An accident like that wouldn't happen again in 20 years," Fults' teammate Ron Larsen said. "When the wake he hit he was, not moving fast enough to either clear or put his life support system into use. That couldn't happen again."

His death, however, resulting in a life-saving drama.

Late Wednesday, with the consent of the racer's wife, Susan, Fults' kidneys were transplanted to a man and a women at Scripps Hospital.

The Ron Larsen Story

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

Ron Larsen graduated to the Unlimited ranks in 1970 with Bob Fendler's ATLAS VAN LINES (U-29). The boat was powered by a pair of Keith Black V-8 Chrysler hemis. And since Larsen was Black's shop foreman, the assignment was a "natural."

Ron Larsen in 1970.

The U-29 assignment didn't last long--only a couple of races. The boat never finished a heat. Fendler abandoned the Chryslers and went with a single V-12 Allison. Ron was then hired to take over the wheel of another hemi-powered craft in mid-season 1970. This was Dave Heerensperger's PRIDE OF PAY 'n PAK (U-25).

The U-25 showed some bursts of speed but couldn't quite keep up with the Allisons and the Rolls-Royce Merlins that dominated the Unlimited Class in those days. Ron's best finish was a fifth-place in the 1970 Horace E. Dodge Cup at Detroit

Over the next few years, Larsen drove for several teams: MISS TIMEX (U-8) in 1971, NOTRE DAME (U-7) in 1973 and MISS TECHNICOLOR (U-76) in 1974. He finished fifth in the 1971 Tri-Cities Atomic Cup with U- 8, fifth in the 1973 APBA Gold Cup at the Tri-Cities with U-7, and third in the 1974 Desert Thunderboat Classic at Phoenix with U-76.

In all fairness, the MISS TIMEX was a bad-riding boat from Day-One (as PARCO'S O-RING MISS) and had defied the efforts of her previous driver (Billy Schumacher). The NOTRE DAME/MISS TECHNICOLOR hull was likewise plagued with poor handling characteristics and had a disappointing career--no matter who was driving her.

Ron Larsen drove Limited inboards before, during, and after his Unlimited experience. An injury suffered in a Limited race prevented him from accepting an Unlimited assignment in 1972.

Pak Wins Emerald Cup

August 15, 1971 — Billy Schumacher piloted Pride of Pay 'N Pak around Dexter Lake's 2½-mile unlimited course to sweep all three heats and win the Oregon Emerald Cup, 1,200 points toward the national unlimited title and the lion's share of a $15,000 purse. It was Oregon's first unlimited event and was sponsored by the Eugene Jaycees.

Jim Lucero, Pride of Pay 'N Pak crew chief, congratulated Billy Schumacher, driver, after Schumacher piloted the Seattle hydroplane to victory in the Emerald Cup Regatta yesterday on Dexter Reservoir, near Eugene. Dave Heerensperger, owner (wearing Pride of Pay 'N Pak shirt), watched at the bottom.

Pride of Pay 'N Pak moved into third place nationally behind Miss Budweiser (Dean Chenoweth) and Miss Madison (Jim McCormick), but he had a long way to go. As the season waned, Miss Bud had 6,996 points; Miss Madison, 6,313; Pride of Pay 'N Pak, 6,017, and Atlas Van Lines, Bill Muncey, 5,595.

Schumacher toured the Dexter course at 109 m.p.h. in the final heat but was under his qualifying mark of 112 m.p.h. set the day before. He announced then that he intended to win the Dexter races, where his only real competition was McCormick, who drove the community-owned 13-year-old Miss Madison for three second places and 900 points. Schumacher ruled in heats 1A and 2A and Chenoweth and Muncey took heats 1B and 2B, respectively. Bill Muncey was fined $200 for violation of an APBA rule concerning unsportsmanlike conduct after an argument with referee Bill Newton.

Henley sets 2 world records as Pak nears national crown

San Diego, September 23, 1974 - (AP) - Pay 'N Pak, piloted by the national point leader, George Henley of Eatonville, set two world records and roared to her sixth victory of the hydroplane season in the San Diego Unlimited Regatta yesterday.

Henley set a heat record of 114,942 miles an hour in his run fix times around the 2-1/2 mile course and a 45-regatta record of 110.859 m.p.h. for the three-heat race.

Miss Budweiser, driven by Dean Chenoweth, former two-time national champ was only 100 points behind Henley going into the final heat, but ran into engine trouble and had to settle for second place in the race on San Diego's Mission Bay.

Henley scored 1200 points during three heats to win the regatta. Chenoweth had 925 while Mickey Remund finished third in Lincoln Thrift at 600.

Henley gathered another 1200 points towards the 1974 unlimited hydroplane championship. He has 10,327 points. Miss Budweiser is far behind in second with 8,736.

Chenoweth had only been at the wheel of Miss Bud 48 hours after being flown in from a year's retirement after Miss Bud's driver broke a leg.

Atlas Van Lines, driven by Bill Muncey of San Diego was fourth at 569. Sunny Jim of Seattle, driven by Tom Martin, was fifth with 525 points.

Sterett drives 'Pak' to victory

Washington, DC, July 10, 1972 - (Special) - Bill Sterett, Jr., earned himself a permanent ride in the Pride of Pay 'N Pak yesterday scooting away from Bill Muncey on the final lap of the final heat to win the President's Cup unlimited-hydroplane race.

Sterett, a substitute driver for his father, Bill, Sr. in the Seattle-based Pride, scored a 1,200-point sweep and stopped Muncey's 1972 string at four straight victories.

Sterett and Muncey were tied with 800 points apiece going into the final heat on the muddy and wind-chopped Potomac River.

The two drivers battled side by side for five laps. Coming out of the first turn on lap six, the boats ran into traffic - Bob Gilliam in the Pizza Pete was just starting lap five. Sterett swung wide in the Pride and zipped pass Gilliam with no trouble. Muncey was caught behind Gilliam and had to let off and move around the Pete. The lapse allowed Sterett to open a three-second lead he carried to the finish line.

"There's no doubt who my driver is from now on," Dave Heerensperger, owner of the Pride, said. Heerensperger earlier had indicated that Bill Sterett, Sr., would drive in West Coast races.

The unlimiteds are en route to Pasco for the Tri-Cities' Atomic Cup July 23.

Muncey, driver of the Atlas Van Lines, was the odds-on favorite going into the seven-boat race after winning the Miami, Owensboro, Detroit (Gold Cup) and Madison regattas.

The Atlas still leads the national points chase with 5,800. The Pride has 4,925. The Budweiser, which placed third here yesterday, is third with 3,379. Gilliam's Pizza Pete ranks fourth with 3,016.