WASHINGTON, D.C — (Special) — For the second week in a row, the worth of unlimited hydroplane racing's "fan plan" has been increased.
George Henley, driving the Pay 'n Pak, yesterday won the President's Cup by placing third in the final heat.
A week ago, in the season-opening Champion Regatta in Miami, the Budweiser took regatta honors with a second in the final.
Yesterday's go was more of a parade than a race, with Henley piling up 800 points in preliminary heats to establish a near unsurmountable lead over his hottest rivals — Bill Muncey in the Atlas Van Lines and Howie Benns in the Bud.
Henley needed only a third in the final heat to win his first unlimited race. And that's exactly what he did. The Eatonville, Wash., driver quickly settled into third behind Benns and Muncey and did not force the issue throughout the five-lap heat.
Henley scored 1,025 points. Muncey finished second with 900 and Leif Borgersen in the turbine-powered U-95 took third with 827. Despite the final-heat win, Benns with forth with 800 points. A supercharger failure in Heat 2B stalled the beer wagon and Benns watched Henley scoot to an easy 400-point win in the prelim.
For years, hydro fans have been complaining about the sport's scoring system whereby a boat can accumulate points during early heats and then "coast" in the final.
Two years ago, Seattle took the hind and initiated a fan-plan format which gives the overall win to the winner of the final heat. This year, Detroit, Tri-Cities and Seattle will use the fan plan.
But Miami, Washington, D.C., and other cities haven't come around yet and fans along the Potomac yesterday were "treated" to the dullest race in years.
Borgersen got the U-95 its first-ever heat win with an average of 90.289 miles an hour in Heat 2A. The U-95 was in contention with 700 points going into the final, but the new craft was not running with the hot dogs when they are on the course at the same time. Borgersen gathered his points against second-line competition.
It was the third President's Cup win for Dave Heerensperger, owner of the Seattle-based Pay 'n Pak. Bill Sterett, Jr. won here with the Pride of Pay 'n Pak in 1972 and the late Col. Warner Gardner took the 1968 Potomac race with the Eagle Electric.
The win puts Pay 'n Pak atop the national points standings with 1,825. Miss Budweiser is right there with 1,800, followed by U-95 with 1,596 and Atlas Van Lines and Miss Madison with 1,125 each.
Tom Sheehy, Miami, quit as the driver of the Miss Cott's Beverages (former Notre Dame) after yesterday's race. Roger D'Each of Hialeah, Fla., is expected to be Sheehy's replacement.