Pay 'n Pak Wins Seafair Race

Reprinted from Propeller magazine, September 1975.

Continuing to state one of the greatest comebacks in thunderboat annals, defending national champion Pay 'n Pak, driven by George Henley of Eatonville, Wash., won the Seattle Seafair Unlimited hydroplane race on Aug. 3 for its forth consecutive 1975 victory. Seemingly out of contention early in the season, the famed Pak took on new life with the return of Henley who retired at the end of the '74 circuit.

Pay 'n Pak, driven by George Henley, wins in Seattle.

The 39-year-old marine propulsion manufacturer drove the Rolls Royce powered craft to a record seven wins in 11 starts last year and added four more this season to make Dave Heerensperger's Pay 'n Pak the second most successful Unlimited hydro in history. In three years the Pak has won 15 races to eclipse the 14 wins by Bill Muncey in Willard Rhodes' Miss Thriftway which was also campaigned as Miss Century 21 and it is just one shy of the 16 conquests of Guy Lombardo's Tempo VI.

The Seattle Seafair victory, Pay 'n Pak's third straight on Lake Washington, was not an easy one for Henley who had to overcome the record-setting Miss U.S. and take on the Bill Schumacher chauffeured Weisfield's in the final heat. The thread from the Detroit-based Miss U.S. with Tom D'Eath driving to a new course record of 120.000 for a 2½ mi. lap in competition, dissolved when the hull ran into a double dose of problems. George Simon's turbo-charged Allison powered hull first suffered a broken prop, then ironically, caught fire for the second straight year in Seattle during Heat 1B.

Weisfield's, winner of Heat 1B, also captured the final heat, but trailed the victorious Pak in total race points, 1100 to 1025.  Schumacher also established a new course mark of 109.330 mph for a 37½ mile race on a 2½ mi. course.

The Pak's only other major threat, Bob Fendler's Lincoln Thrift which one Heat 2A, was knocked out of contention when roostertail spray from another boat shattered the windshield and flying debris struck driver Milner Irvin of Miami Fla. Despite the accident, Irvin managed to restart the boat's turbo-charged Allison engine and finish the race in third position. Irvin was taken to Providence Medical Center where official regatta physician, Dr. William Merrill, said that Irvin's condition was not serious. Irvin set a 12½ mi. course heat record of 113.151 mph.

Veteran Bill Muncey of San Diego, Calif. was forth in Lee Schoenith's Atlas Van Lines despite being unable to finish his first heat. Bob Miller of Seattle drive Jerry Kalen's Miss Vernors to fifth place overall.

Pay 'n Pak won't be ready for Madison

By Gary Schultz, Courier-Journal Staff Writer

July 1, 1980 — Pay 'n Pak is coming back — but not at Madison, Ind., on Sunday.

That was the word yesterday from the Seattle-based team that had hoped to run the revolutionary unlimited hydroplane in the Gold Cup race.

"There's no way we can make it," said Monte Leen, a spokesman for the chain of do-it-yourself stores that sponsor the boat. "The basic hull is ready to go, but there are some other things that aren't right yet."

Leen said the Pak crew didn't want to enter a race until the boat had been thoroughly tested.

"We didn't want to throw everything together just to make the Gold Cup," he said. "We want to be ready to be competitive. As it is, we're a week to 10 days from putting the boat in the water for the first time."

Pay 'n Pak dominated the sport from 1973-75 before owner Dave Heerensperger retired from racing in 1976.

During its heyday, the boat was powered by the conventional unlimited hydroplane setup — a vintage World War II aircraft engine. The new Pak will be powered by a turbine engine similar to those used in helicopters during the Vietnam War.

With Pay 'n Pak on the sidelines, probably until the Tri-Cities (Wash.) race on July 27, Madison Regatta officials are expecting eight to nine boats for the $65,000 Gold Cup competition.

The regatta received an unexpected boost yesterday when another new boat, the Aronow-Halter Special, joined the lineup of challengers to heavily favored Miss Budweiser.

Not since the mid-1960s, when Bill Sterrett of Owensboro, Ky., campaigned Miss Chrysler Crew, has an automotive-engine powered boat competed on he unlimited hydroplane circuit.

The Aronow-Halter Special will be propelled by twin 850-horsepower turbo-charged Cosworths, the engines that have become the leading force in Indianapolis 500 racing. Earl Bentz will drive the boat.

Miss Busweiser, driven by Dean Chenoweth, has won all three 1980 races and 11 consecutive heats. The boat has 4,400 points and comfortably leads Circus Circus (2,138), driven by Steve Reynolds, in the national championship standings. Atlas Van Lines (1,975), with Bill Muncey driving, is third.