By Craig Smith
Reprinted from The Seattle Times, May 26, 1980
John Walters says he is the driver of the new turbine-powered Pay 'n Pak unlimited hydroplane.
And yesterday, in a limited hydroplane, he showed that he knows his way around a race course.
Walters, 27, won both heats of the 280-cubic-inch competition in the 33rd annual Green Lake Regatta.
Walters, who is helping build the new Pay 'n Pak, replied "yes" when asked if Dave Heerensperger, Pak owner, has told him he will be behind the wheel of the new pak when it debuts lat next month.
Heerensperger has declined o make an official announcement.
Yesterday's Green Lake Regatta was unusual in two respects: no records and no flips.
Several races were run in a mist and some in light rain, factors that reduced the crowds and speeds.
"This is not a day for records," said one driver.
There was some good driving, though. Tom D'Eath of Detroit, who won the 1976 Gold Cup in Miss U.S., easily won both 7-liter heats in Don Ryan's Lauterbach Special, the Bellingham boat he drove to a national high-points Grand Prix title last year. His fastest on the 1⅔-mile course was 102.041 miles an hour, best time of the day.
D'Eath, 36, also has been driving mini-Indianapolis cars and has aspirations of racing in the Indy 500 next year. He also would like to be back in an unlimited.
"I'd like to keep driving unlimiteds, but there aren't may boats around," he said. "All of the boats are on the West Coast and the West Coast guys gobble up the seats."
One of the best duals of the afternoon was in the speedy SK class, where Dr. David Bosacco of Wallingford, Pa., nipped George Nordling of Portland in both heats. The surgeon's fastest heat was 98.664 m.p.h.
Dr. Bosacco began racing two years ago, but could not provide any explanation for his decision.
"You ask all these people why they do it and you don't get an explanation that makes any sense," he said, surveying the pits.
