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| Mickey Remund and the Pay 'n Pak had a substantial lead in the final heat of the APBA Gold Cup until a broken propeller ended his run. Photo by Lee Stickler. |
Going into the Gold Cup Race, Dean Chenoweth had one vivid memory of the unlimited hydroplane course on the Columbia River at Tri-Cities in South-Central Washington.
In 1970 the driver of Miss Budweiser was pitched violently from the cockpit and the boat sank. Luckily, Chenoweth escaped with minor injuries.
Chenoweth has another happier impression of the Richland-Pasco-Kennewick area after Gold Cup '73. He piloted the Bud to victory in powerboat racing's premier event by outlasting a Seattle-based Pay 'n Pak in the final heat. It was Chenoweth’s second Gold Cup win, his third victory on the circuit this season.
In the final heat, the Pak had a substantial lead after running the first lap in record time. But a blade of the Pak's prop broke, the boat bounced crazily a couple of times and settled to a stop. Patrol boats had to rescue the hydro from sinking just as Miss Budweiser hit the finish line.
Going into the final heat, Pak driver Mickey Remund had a perfect 1200 points while Budweiser and Atlas Van Lines each had 1100.
Bill Muncey's Atlas ended up second after making an unsuccessful charge at the Budweiser midway in the final heat while surprising Fred Alter drove Pizza Pete — the former Gale's Roostertail to third. The Pak was fourth and Notre Dame, fifth.
If you don't think the unlimiteds are going faster, consider the records set on the 2½-mile Columbia River course: In addition to the Pak's single-lap mark of 119.691 mph, Budweiser boosted the 15-mile speed mark for one heat to 111.386 mph.
Bud's 60-mi. speed average was a record 105.354 mph, almost five miles faster than the 1970 standard set by Notre Dame. Both the lap and 60-mile performances are the fastest in unlimited history.