DAYTON, Ohio — (Special) — Seattle's Billy Schumacher had a grand view of the final heat of the Hydroglobe race yesterday, but the price of admission was rather costly.
While Schumacher stood aboard his powerless boat and watched, George Henley of Eatonville, Wash., drove the Pay 'n Pak to its second straight Hydroglobe victory.
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| The Weisfield's (left) duels the Pay 'n Pak (right) during the final heat of yesterday's Hydroglobe race in Dayton, Ohio. The battle was shorted lived, as the Weisfleld's would soon break a propeller shaft and withdraw from the race. |
Henley's winning ride in the last heat turned into little more than an around-the-lake cruise after the Weisfield's, driven by Schumacher, dropped out in the first lap with a broken propeller shaft.
Schumacher steered into the infield and watched as the Pay 'n Pak easily defeated the second-place finisher, Miss U.S., driven by Tom D'Eath.
Pay 'n Pak and Weisfield's each had scored a pair of decisive wins in preliminary heats as Henley set a course record for one lap of racing and Schumacher set another for a five-lap heat.
That setup the final-heat showdown: Pay 'n Pak, defending national champion, vs. Weisfield's, the 1975 point leader, for the $16,600 first place prize.
Henley had the Pak a boat length in front of the Weisfield's heading out of Turn No. 3 of the first lap when Schumacher suddenly dropped out.
"I'm sorry Billy blew an engine," Henley said shortly after the race, at that time unaware of the Weisfield's difficulty, "because I think we could have really had some fun out there.
"Our boat's running well now; I'd say a little better than last year."
Henley drove the Pay 'n Pak to seven victories in 11 unlimited races in 1974, but the Seattle-based boat encountered difficulties on this year's tour until Henley steered it back into the win column earlier this month at Madison, Ind.
The 39-year-old Henley pushed the Pak to its record lap of 107.463 miles an hour in Heat 1B yesterday, bettering his year-old race-day mark of 106.195 m.p.h for a tight, two-mile Hydroglobe course.
Schumacher, this season's only other double winner among the thunderboat drivers, set his heat record of 102.246 m.p.h. while easily winning 2B.
Henley's 1,200-point performance here moved the Pay 'n Pak into third place in the national point standings, ahead of another Seattle-based boat, Miss Budweiser.
The Pak, which trailed first-place Weisfield's by 1,524 points a week ago, cut the difference to 1,124 points with its final-heat win here. Lincoln Thrift, eliminated from a final-heat spot when Milner Irvin was unable to get his engine started for Heat 2C, remains in second place in the standings but is only 162 points ahead of the Pay 'n Pak.
The points totals are: Weisfield's 5,563; Lincoln Thrift 4,601, and Pay 'n Pak 4,439.
The crews started heading west today. Their next meeting will be July 27, at the Gold Cup race in Tri-Cities, Wash. The Seattle Seafair race will follow, on August 3.