John Walters and his Pay 'n Pak have turned in record times for the sharply turned course at Miami Marine Stadium in qualifying during the week. But he agrees Chenoweth and his Miss Budweiser should still be favored in the 11th annual Champion Spark Plug Regatta.
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| Walters and the Pay 'n Pak. |
In all, nine boats are entered in the thunderboats' first stop on the 10-race circuit. They will be competing for $75,000 in prize money.
For the first time, the new fan plan will be used Sunday. Competition will be divided into two flights with flight No. 1 including the fastest boats and No. 2 the slowest boats.
Each flight will run two heats at the end of which the top three boats from the fastest flight and the fastest boat from the slow flight will qualify for the final heat. The final will follow a consolation heat.
Walters said he had no idea he was setting a record when he averaged 124.48 mph for the 1⅔-mile course.
'"The speedometer only read 140, 145 mph on the straights and the boat went round the corners so easily that I thought I was only averaging about 112 or 115."
Chenoweth had set the old record last year. When he heard of Walters' time, he grinned and said, "He's going to have to do that in competition."
"There's a difference between doing it (in practice) and doing it in a race," he said.
He got no argument from Walters.
"I wouldn't feel comfortable if I had 20 mph on Miss Budweiser. They never give up and Dean has a lot of time in the cockpit," he said.
Sunday will mark the first race for the new Atlas Van Lines. The old Atlas was destroyed in the tragic accident last year in Mexico which took the life of Bill Muncey. It is owned by Muncey's wife, Fran.