Three-boat crash mars Hanauer's victory

By Glenn Nelson
Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 9, 1982

Executone driver George Johnson climbs out of the cockpit of his sinking boat, which had just been struck by the Pay 'n Pak (left) during an early heat in yesterday's Emerald Cup on Lake Washington. Pak driver John Walters was seriously injured. Johnson suffered a leg laceration.

Chip Hanauer of Seattle won the Sea Galley Emerald Cup yesterday, but he had been in a somber mood earlier in the day.

He had taken the Atlas Van Lines for a flighty test run just prior to the regatta and was concerned over rough water conditions on Lake Washington.

Prior to his wild ride in the Atlas, Hanauer witnessed Ron Armstrong's first run in the recently repaired Miss Budweiser, which had been damaged in Dean Chenoweth's fatal blowover-type flip last week in Pasco.

Armstrong provoked gasps of horror from the crowd amassed on the Lake Washington shores when the Bud several times went airborne.

"He scared me really bad," a pale Hanauer said at the time. "I hope Ron just takes it really, really safe. The whole course is really rough. I hit a low roller that knocked the wind out of me. When we get to the final heat, the water will be like an ocean.

"I'm very disappointed about the way we handed out there. This is the roughest I've ever seen it here. But everybody will be all right as long as everybody keeps their heads about themselves."

Well, everybody kept their heads for about one hour. Then, Heat 1B began.

Near the end of the front straightaway, Executone, on the outside lane, hit a bad spot that had plagued the unlimiteds throughout qualifying this week. Executone swerved to the left and went up on its right sponson.

The Squire Shop was heading broadside into Executone but driver Tom D'Eath decelerated and turned sharply to the left. Executone settled, but, according to driver George Johnson, its motor continued running and the boat again spun to the left, into the infield. D'Eath once again turned sharply to the left but was unable to avoid a collision.

Trailing the field, Pay 'n Pak zoomed into the wreckage, swerved left, and ran up onto the Executone, ripping apart the boat's rear cowling. The Pak went airborne, made a complete revolution and crashed onto the back of the Executone. As the Pak slammed right-side up onto the water surface, driver John Walters was pitched out of the cockpit, suffering serious injuries.

Walters, 28,  was listed in serious condition this morning at Harborview Medical Center.

The Renton resident had been placed on a ventilator after he was no longer able to breathe on his own and it was discovered he had water in his lungs. A CAT-scan X-ray was taken to check for head injuries and Walters underwent surgery late last night. He has switched to an intensive-care unit.

Walters suffered three spinal fractures but no paralysis, a broken left leg, a broken right elbow, a bruised lung, a concussion and injuries to his left eye. Johnson emerged with a leg laceration and D'Eath escaped uninjured.

Executone immediately sank to the bottom of Lake Washington.

A livid D'Eath blamed Johnson for the mishap.

"The guy should have a sponson up his butt," D'Eath said. "In this sport, we take four boats out of the top flight into the final. Fourth is what you should be racing for, not first. It's a long way 'til 4:10 (the scheduled start of the final heat). I was just trying to stay out of trouble. I couldn't believe my eyes when (Johnson) went sideways and into my lane.

"I know the water doesn't look bad from here but we've had problems with that spot all week. It shouldn't take a book to fall on somebody's head to find that out. A driver should always be looking for bad spots.

"I saw the bottom of the Executone and went into survival plan, cranking hard to the left and decelerating. The boat landed right-side up and instead of regrouping, accelerated like it'd like to continue racing. It went sideways again and sent us into another collision course with me. taking an altogether different evasive action. I was left between the devil and the deep blue sea. Boats were coming up on my left and there was this one on my right. I went left again because these boats don't turn right. Executone was going backwards but still under power and blasted into my side."

Johnson, the Executone's rookie driver, said he knew he was a slower boat and took every safety precaution possible.

"I was where I wanted to be, on the outside," he said. "I was a slower boat than these guys and wasn't on the inside. There were five other boats out there and they were going comparable speeds. The Squire was starting to back down because he was early at the start. I thought I was out of everybody's way but the boat dug in and went to the left.

"I went up and over the windshield but held onto the steering wheel and stayed in the cockpit. When the boat comes up, I'm sure the staff of the wheel will be broken to prove this. The engine was still running and I think I remember reaching reaching down and shutting off the master switch."

Hanauer was in front of the accident but said, "I was George (Johnson) at the five-minute mark and it looked like his boat was out of shape. It seems to me he wasn't listening to what his boat was telling him."

It was ironic that the Pak would be involved in such an accident. According to Pak crew member Tom Bailey, the team's pre-race strategy was to stay away from all the other boats at the start.

"Our game plan was to stay away from the spray of the water and work our way through the pack in an organized fashion." Bailey said. "It was only the first heat and winning the first heat doesn't win the race.

"We didn't want to go out front like we did at Pasco just to get sawed off by the Atlas."

The Pak suffered rips through out its hull and a hole near the right side of the cockpit. The craft reportedly is through for the season. Owner Dave Heerensperger is already in the process of building a new boat.

Squire crew chief Jerry Zuvich thought the damage to his boat could be repaired. The left sponson, which had been rebuilt after damage sustained in Bill Muncey's fatal accident in the former Atlas hull at Acapulco, was destroyed. The frame of the air tunnel was severely damaged and the rear transom ripped up by Executone's propeller.

"It's similar to what happened to the Budweiser," Zuvich said. "You often loose integrity repairing the sponson like that - it depends on how much you want to dive into the repair."

The Atlas had cornered impeccably after several aerodynamic changes, leading to commanding wins in two preliminary heats and in the winner-take-all final. But the victory, of course, was overshadowed by Walter's injuries.

"It would have been more fun it he were out there racing," Hanauer said.

Miss Budweiser finished a surprising second, but even showing up yesterday was a miraculous achievement. The Bud crew worked around the clock to repair the boat's damaged sponsons and set the fiberglass deck just Saturday.

Ron Armstrong, who was hired Friday as Chenoweth's successor, qualified the Bud at 127.298 mph and was seeded in the fast heats.

Despite the Bud's solid performance, owner Bernie Little was not satisfied.

"I don't know what to do," he said. "We have some problems. When I race, I want to race! We were starting to take off at 135. I don't like telling my driver to go 140 in the straights when we have been going 170-180 all season."

Nothing New in Miami

By Bob Greenhow
Reprinted from the Unlimited NewsJournal, June 1982

For the third year in a row Miss Budweiser and Dean Chenoweth took top honors at the season opener in Miami, Florida. The victory, on June 6, was Chenoweth's fourth at the Champion Spark Plug Regatta.

John Walters pilots the Pay 'n Pak around the course in Miami.

Seven boats came to the pits to open the '82 campaign. Testing did not commence until Friday afternoon, due partially to the short-lived [hurricane] Alberto. Bud was first out and promptly romped around the course at 122 plus — just fast enough to show the others that this team means business. But several hours later out came John Walters in Pay ‘n Pak. Surprise! Pak’s best was 124.48.

On Saturday morning Chenoweth was back out. He turned a quick one — 126.050, then cut the course and returned to the pits. By mid-day Walters had matched the mark. Both Pak and Bud tested during the afternoon, but neither made any more record attempts.

Meanwhile the rest of the field was also busy. George Johnson did a great deal of running in Executone, finally qualifying at better than 105 mph. The very same speed achieved by Tom Sheehy in Miss Madison which is sponsored by Rich Plan Food Service.

Atlas Van Lines was probably the most observed boat at Miami. The boat arrived in town still untested. She ran briefly on Friday, then Chip Hanauer qualified her on Saturday in the 112 range. On race day morning man and machine pounded out laps of 123 plus and 125 even. At those speeds the boat appeared light with a veering front end.

Captran Resorts, despite persistent engine problems slipped around the course at a bit over 92 mph. Fred Giese, son of the crew chief, was making his debut at the wheel.

Bob Miller was not able to test the Miss Rock until Sunday. Twice on Saturday the black boat refused to start.

Several laps were turned the next morning, the best at 92 plus, and Miller was in the race. But his problems were not over. After spinning in the lower turn, Miller hit a sandbar while returning to the pits. The boat was refloated, undamaged. Bob must have suffered some embarrassment.

With all seven boats qualified, the top five were slated to run in the first two heats. Then the consolation heat (scored at half-point value) would feature Captran Resorts and Miss Rock along with the two lowest point-earners out of the top five. The top two from the consolation would join the top three in the final.

Early during race week Miami was in the midst of a wet spell. However, starting with Friday some improvement was noted each day. But the ever-present cumulus clouds were just that when action was taking place. Heat one found Miss Budweiser returning to the pits at about two minutes before clock zero with a broken rod. Miss Madison and Executone could not be started. Pay ‘n Pak defeated Atlas Van Lines by a half a lap and averaged 117.995 in the process-a new record by nine and one-half miles. Sheehy was assessed a $100 fine for trying to start his boat during the heat.

Heat two was another duet. This time the participants were Budweiser and Executone. They started and finished in the above order. The others could not start at all: Atlas due to prime system woes and Pay ‘n Pak because of hull damage. Madison was unable to fire up. The winner's average was 105.448.

So Miss Madison and Executone filled out the field for the consolation heat. After leading at the start, Captran Resorts slowed down and was passed by Executone. George Johnson cruised to an easy win at a slow 75.308. Miss Rock, after starting third, eventually took over second after Captran died on the fourth backstretch. Earlier Miller had hooked on the upper turn. Miss Madison again failed to start.

Hopes were high for a Pak-Bud showdown in the finale. Not so. Pak developed engine trouble and stopped after going through the Atlas roostertail. She later re-started and and made it across the starting line, but went dead again shortly afterwards. Meanwhile Bud and Atlas made a fast legal start with the U-1 owning the inside and the lead. Chenoweth stayed in front to the finish, averaging 109.656. Hanauer, Johnson and Miller followed in that order.

The victory was number 12 in 15 race day efforts for the Miss Budweiser. But there remained the challenge of the Pay ‘n Pak and eventually the Atlas Van Lines.

You know... it just could be an interesting year.

Dazzling Look Alikes

Reprinted from Overdrive, January 1982

Pay 'n Pak's Kenworth K100 Aerodyne hauler.

Trucks come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They can carry almost anything. It is simply a matter of matching a truck to a particular load.

Needless to say, truck transportation is not as uncomplicated as it sounds. Problems do arise.

As a case in point, what type of truck would you use to shuttle a renowned hydroplane racer? The answer, according to Pay 'n Pak, a Pacific Northwest consumer goods chain, is to take a top of the line truck and refashion it especially for the function.

Pay 'n Pak owns a turbine-powered hydroplane which competes on the unlimited hydroplane racing circuit. The "thunderboat," another name for hydroplane, recently won three straight national championships.

Pay 'n Pak chose a K100 Aerodyne VIT to haul its hydroplane. The truck, a custom rig, is color coordinated to match the dramatic appearance of the company's racer.

The Kenworth sports a 197-inch wheelbase with modifications in the rear of the chassis to accommodate an 18-foot dromedary box. The box, a complete on-the-road workshop has been designed to carry extra engines, tools, compressor, generator and assorted electrical equipment needed to keep the hydroplane performing.

There are other special features that make the truck a true standout. For example, the Kenworth has two extra fuel tanks, with a combined 300-gallon capacity, used to carry fuel for the racer. The air cleaner, a 65-tube stack panel, is mounted out of sight behind the cab, along with the horizontal exhaust stack, thus enhancing the truck's aerodynamic appearance.

Pay 'n Pak's truck, which has a combined gross vehicle weight of 83,000 pounds, is powered by a Detroit Diesel Allison 6V92TA that delivers 335 horsepower at 2100 rpm. It is coupled with a Fuller RTO-9509A transmission and single Ross power steering.

The front axle is a Rockwell with a 10,000-pound capacity. The rear axle, also a Rockwell, is rated at 23,000 pounds. The truck has a Kenworth Airglide 100 suspension.

The interior of the Kenworth is just outstanding, with such appointments as upholstered walls and headliner, Air Rider seats, AM/FM stereo, 40-channel CB, climate control and refrigerator

1st Turbine Victory Celebration

In 1982 at 'Thunder In The Park' on Seneca Lake H1 Unlimited Hydroplane race at Romulus, New York, John Walters (r-l) accepts the trophy at Sampson State Park with crew chief Jim Lucero, turbine engineer Stan Hanauer and crewman Gary Walters. The was a first. First time a non-internal combustion-powered hydroplane scored a victory etching John Walters name boldly in the hydroplane record book.

Pak won't be back—Heerensperger says 'I quit'

By Glenn Nelson
Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 11, 1982

Unlimited-hydroplane racing received another jolt yesterday when Pay 'n Pak owner Dave Heerensperger announced he was pulling out of racing.

Driver John Walters sits dejectedly on the hull of the Pay 'n Pak after the boat went dead in the water during testing before crashing in Sunday's Emerald Cup on Lake Washington. Yesterday, Pak owner Dave Heerensperger decided to retire from unlimited racing.

Heerensperger's decision came two days after his driver, John Walters, was injured in a three-boat crash during an early heat in the Sea Galley Emerald Cup on Lake Washington.

Walters was seriously injured when the Pak ran over Executone, which had gone out of control and struck The Squire Shop.

The 28-year-old Pak driver's condition is serious but has steadily improved, doctors at Harborview Medical Center said yesterday. Walters will remain on a ventilator until doctors can determine the extents of injuries to a lung.

Walters suffered a fractured right elbow, broken left knee, three broken bones in the cheek, all of which were set in surgery at Harborview Sunday night. He also had compression fractures of three vertebrae, but no paralysis.

"It was just the accident," said Heerensperger, explaining his decision. "It was an uncontrollable thing but the bad publicity and with John hurt and the boat wrecked ... and we'd lost Dean Chenoweth one weekend and one week later, I almost lost my own driver. When Muhammad Ali hits you in the face one or two times, you don't need the third. I'd had enough.

"If I hadn't won any national titles or any Gold Cups, that would be one thing. but I've done everything in this sport. I don't need anymore. Whenever you leave a sport that's been so good to you, sure you might have some regrets.

But I left in 1975, I left because we had just on three national championships. After winning the '75 title, (Pak driver) George Henley said, 'We've done everything. I think I want to get out.' I agreed. I sat on the beach for five years and it didn't bother me. I came back with the turbine to help the sport.

"The upside of racing is winning races. The downside is that I almost lost a driver and a friend. When I see the accident and get a queasy feeling in my stomach, it's time to get out."

With 25 victories spanning the period from 1968 to 1975 and 1980 to the present season, Heerensperger is the fifth winningest owner in the sport's history.

He captured national championships in 1973, '74, an '75 and Gold Cups in '74 and '75. Heerensperger won four races in Seattle and four in Pasco. The Pay 'n Pak Corp. sponsorship is fourth in career wins.

Heerensperger is chairman of the board of Pay 'n Pak, a Kent-based chain of plumbing and electrical stores. He had been one of the top innovators in the sport, credited with introducing stabilizer tail-fins, rear-mounted engines, trimaran hulls and the turbine power plant.

Heerensperger said he was also disturbed by the current trend of blowover-type accidents that claimed the lives of Chenoweth and Bill Muncey, two close friends.

"After what happened to Dean, I thought we should all meet in the winter and do something about safety," said Heerensperger. "Maybe shorten the courses, limit manifolds and maybe the sport would be called 'semi-limited." Something has to be done to make it safer. The sport has got to do some serious governing. It can't go on like it has. I think the sport itself will die if it does.

"I hope the sport can keep going. I'm sure it will, but without us. But this is a resilient bunch. Someone will step in and the sport will be back where it was."

According to Pak crew chief Jim Lucero, Heerensperger had hinted at the decision Sunday night.

"At the time, it was maybe yes, maybe no," Lucero said. "He probably didn't make the decision just because of the accident — though it was the biggest factor. Boat racing is an expensive thing to do. I don't think expenses was the major issue, however.

"I can understand the decision. We had two major accidents in the past two years. And there was nothing we could do about Sunday's. I felt we had reached the point where we were running better and safer than we had ever run.

"The Pay 'n Pak people feel real responsibility to Arlene (Walter's wife) and his two kids (Katrina and Marciva). I think they don't want to go through that again."

"We put together the best and safest equipment we could," Heerensperger said. "The accident wasn't related to going too fast or flying. It was an unfortunate accident — who knows what happened? If you noticed, John was behind everybody — exactly where we told him to be. We felt we could stay behind and that it would be no problem to pick off the rest one at a time, finished second because the Budweiser couldn't outrun us, and give a good show. If water conditions improved, which I understand they did, then give it a shot in the final."

Lucero, the all-time winningest crew chief in unlimited history with 45 victories, said he would continue in his advisory position with the Atlas Van Lines, which he designed and built.

"I have a commitment with them and I'll stick to it," he said. "But as for what I'll do on a full-time basis, I think I'll sit back and see what develops. Meanwhile, I'll do whatever I can to help the other teams — especially from the aspect of safety,

Heerensperger had left unlimited racing before. After campaigning Miss Eagle Electric, Pride of Pay 'n Pak and Pay 'n Pak 'Lil Buzzard for eight years, he sold his three boats and equipment in 1975 to Muncey. Racing under the Atlas sponsorship, Muncey won the national title in 1976.

The 45-year-old Pak owner returned to the sport in 1980 with the turbine-powered hydro that crashed at Seattle on Sunday.

In the boat's first race at Pasco that year, Walters flipped in spectacular fashion during a pre-race test lap. He was hospitalized for two weeks with a fractured hip socket and sprains to his left shoulder, elbow and knee.

Lucero and the Pak crew last year completed a new Pay 'n Pak hull that was the prototype for this year's version of the successful Atlas Van Lines. Heerensperger said he will sell all his equipment but has not yet talked to anyone about the sale.

It has been speculated that Squire Shop owner bob Steil is interested in the boat, but Steil could not be reached for comment.

Two drivers have died under Heerensperger's employ. Col. Warner Gardner died in the Miss Eagle Electric at the 1968 Gold Cup in Detroit. Tommy Fults was killed during testing in Pay 'n Pak's 'Lil Buzzard four days before a 1970 race in San Diego.

"I had a real low feeling then," said Heerensperger. "But those were different type accidents. I didn't feel they had to do with anything safety wise with the sport. With the colonel, it was driver error."

Pay 'n Pak Corp. was founded in Longview in 1953 by Stan Thurman. Heerensperger got into the business under Thurman when he established a chain of stores known as Eagle Electric in Spokane. Heerensperger and Thurman merged their operations with John M. Headley's Seattle-based Buzzard Electric in 1969 under the Pay 'n Pak name.

Hydro folk to draught beer-firm sponsor?

By Glenn Nelson
Reprinted from The Seattle Times, October 13, 1982

It may be Miller Time for the unlimited-hydroplane circuit.

Budweiser and Miller Brewing Co., at lager-heads over the beer market for some time, have embodied their competition in the spirit(s) of athletic endeavor.

Last night, the St. Louis Cardinals, owned by Bud chairman Auggie Busch, and the Brewers, who play in Milwaukee, home of the Miller corporation offices, opened baseball's World Series.

Next year, the two may take their stout rivalry to the waters.

Pay 'n Pak crew chief Jim Lucero made two trips to Milwaukee last summer to propose an unlimited-hydroplane sponsorship the the Miller people.

According to sources in both the boating and beer caps, Miller would not have allowed Lucero to travel all the way to Milwaukee if there was no interest in what he had to say.

Lucero has been actively recruiting new ownership for Pak president Dave Heerensperger's two hulls (one which has not tested competitive waters), his arsenal of turbine engines, assorted equipment and out-of-work crew.

Heerensperger retired from hydro racing shortly after an accident involving his driver, John Walters, in the Aug. 8 Seattle regatta.

Heerensperger said he has not been approached by Miller, but has received feelers from others not associated with Miller.

"Jim Lucero" has been talking to some people, but it's not his equipment to sell," he said. "They have to talk to me. It's my equipment."

The sponsorship would take a big gulp of of Miller's corporate coffers. The value of the Pak equipment has been estimated to be in the $500,000 to $1 million range.

What appears to be holding up the venture is the lack of an outside owner who would buy the boat with Miller's backing.

The development at least had Bernie Little, owner of the Miss Budweiser, foaming over the possibilities.

"If another beer company got into the sport, it would be a great challenge," he said. "I'm all for it. Let's go!"

Miller's entry into unlimited racing would shake up an already brewing rivalry with Budweiser. Miller High Lift sponsored an offshore race this year and Lowenbrau, a Miller subsidiary, has sponsored an offshore boat. Budweiser has been involved in offshore boat racing for some years, though its boats have not gone head-to-head with Lowenbrau's.

Pak driver progressing in recovery from crash

Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 31, 1982

John Walters is "showing significant progress" in recovering from injuries suffered Aug. 8 when the unlimited hydroplane he was driving crashed on Lake Washington, a Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman said yesterday.

Walters, 28, of Renton, was injured during the Emerald Cup race when his boat, the Pay 'n Pak, and two other hydros, the Executone and the Squire Shop. collided during an early heat. No other driver was seriously injured.

Walters is in satisfactory condition, following the expected course of recovery "for someone who suffered severe frontal lobe contusions (head injuries)," said Lita Edwards, the spokeswoman.

The injuries initially caused "confusion, an inability to communicate effectively and for which recovery is usually slow but expected," she said.

"Most of the time now, Walters is alert and converses with his family and hospital staff," she said.

He is in a body cast for his broken back, but not paralysis has been detected, she said. he also suffered a broken arm and leg.

Walters will probably stay at Harborview for sever more weeks, she said.

Two days after the accident, David J. Heerensperger, Pay 'n Pak board chairman, announced the retail firm was dropping its unlimited hydroplane sponsorship immediately. In 1980, Walters was hospitalized for two weeks after an accident in a race at Pasco.

Heerensperger said, "Although it is a very exciting sport, after two accidents involving Pay 'n Pak in the last three years, I do not want to continue."

Walters, Pak in first hydro win

June 15, 1982, GENEVA, N.Y. — John Walters piloted the Pay 'n Pak to his first ever unlimited hydroplane victory in yesterday's weather-delayed Thunder in the Park regatta at Sampson State Park in update New York.

The second-year driver from Renton, Wash., averaged 120.887 miles-per-hour over the five-lap, 10-mile final heat. The victory was also the first ever for the turbine-powered Pay 'n Pak.

Miss Madison, driven by Tom Sheehy, was the only other boat to finish the winner-take-all final. its average speed was 88.106.

The race was originally scheduled for Sunday, but 25-mph winds and choppy waters caused a post-ponement to yesterday.

"We tweaked the engine up (for the final heat)," explained Pay 'n Pak crew chief Jim Lucero. "I don't think anyone ever worked harder for his first win. John just drove the heck out of the boat."

Walters gunned the Pak over the starting line and in initial turn in first place. The Atlas Van Lines, which Chip Hanauer had maneuvered into the inside lane, was washed down by the roostertail of Miss Budweiser, driven by Dean Chenoweth. The Atlas' cowing and left wing support were knocked loose and Hanauer retired to the pits after one lap. The Bud was penalized one lap for the incident.

Halfway through the first lap, the favored Miss Budweiser pulled even and overtook the Pay 'n Pak in the second turn. At the beginning of the second lap, as the Bud's engine began to pop and smoke, Walters regained the lead for good. Not realizing the Budweiser had blew an engine, and had been earlier penalized, Walters pushed the Pak to 124.783 mph in the third lap, the fastest of the day.

"I kinda suspected he (Chenoweth) was having some problems when I went by on the front straight," Walters explained. "I got it up a little in the corner (when racing side by side with the Bud). It (the turbine engine) was making good power all day long."

Challengers ready for 1982 unlimited hydroplane season

MIAMI, Fla., June 5, 1982 (UPI) - The 1982 unlimited hydroplane racing season opens Sunday and defending champion Dean Chenoweth may get a strong challenge.

John Walters and his Pay 'n Pak have turned in record times for the sharply turned course at Miami Marine Stadium in qualifying during the week. But he agrees Chenoweth and his Miss Budweiser should still be favored in the 11th annual Champion Spark Plug Regatta.

Walters and the Pay 'n Pak.

In all, nine boats are entered in the thunderboats' first stop on the 10-race circuit. They will be competing for $75,000 in prize money.

For the first time, the new fan plan will be used Sunday. Competition will be divided into two flights with flight No. 1 including the fastest boats and No. 2 the slowest boats.

Each flight will run two heats at the end of which the top three boats from the fastest flight and the fastest boat from the slow flight will qualify for the final heat. The final will follow a consolation heat.

Walters said he had no idea he was setting a record when he averaged 124.48 mph for the 1⅔-mile course.

'"The speedometer only read 140, 145 mph on the straights and the boat went round the corners so easily that I thought I was only averaging about 112 or 115."

Chenoweth had set the old record last year. When he heard of Walters' time, he grinned and said, "He's going to have to do that in competition."

"There's a difference between doing it (in practice) and doing it in a race," he said.

He got no argument from Walters.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable if I had 20 mph on Miss Budweiser. They never give up and Dean has a lot of time in the cockpit," he said.

Sunday will mark the first race for the new Atlas Van Lines. The old Atlas was destroyed in the tragic accident last year in Mexico which took the life of Bill Muncey. It is owned by Muncey's wife, Fran.

Costly gash in boat bags Pay 'n Pak Cup chances

By Tommy George, Free Press Sports Writer
Reprinted from Detroit Free Press, June 28, 1982

John Walters with his turbine-powered hydro Pay 'n Pak had high hopes of claiming his first Gold Cup Sunday. He had good reason to be optimistic. After all, Walters had driven Pay 'n Pak to an impressive victory earlier this month on Lake Seneca in New York, beating a field that included the queen of unlimited hydroplanes, Miss Budweiser.

John Walters with his turbine-powered hydro Pay 'n Pak.

But Walters didn't get a shot at the coveted trophy Sunday. He was out of the race before it began. During an early qualifying heat, his orange, black and white boat, designed by Pay 'n Pak crew chief Jim Lucero, was damaged when the rough waters of the Detroit River course and a hard turn combined to open a two-foot hole in the front of the left sponson. "I was on my first turn just before the start when I saw that damage was done," Walters said. "I came down hard on the nose; I thought I could finish, but I knew that every lap it would get worse and worse."

He did finish the five-lap heat, placing second behind eventual Gold Cup winner Chip Hanauer and his Atlas Van Lines boat. Walters' average speed was 115.669 m.p.h.; his fastest lap was 121.649 m.p.h. But the damage was too severe to be repaired in time for the next heat. Walters and Pay 'n Pak had to withdraw.

"When you try to do a hurry-up repair job for this kind of course and race, you're asking for trouble," Walters said. He said his crew will take about six weeks to repair the boat and "make other modifications, including repair work on some engines."

Sunday, he had to watch the race from an unfamiliar and uncomfortable place; the river bank. "I knew that if we got through the preliminaries without boat damage, we'd be very competitive," Walters said. "There's no way to tell now, but I feel comfortable saying we'd have been competitive. Everybody on the crew has worked extremely hard to get where we are now. It's frustrating. This basically eliminates us from any chance at the national championship. Realizing that kind of shocks you."

Pay 'n Pak driver remains in serious condition

By Glenn Nelson

Photos by Greg Gilbert
Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 9, 1982

Pay 'N Pak goes airborne after running across the Executone, middle, which has just struck
The Squire Shop, foreground, in an early head of yesterday's unlimited hydroplane race.

Unlimited-hydroplane driver John Walters remained in serious condition this afternoon with multiple injuries suffered yesterday during a preliminary heat in the Sea Galley Emerald Cup on Lake Washington.

Chip Hanauer of Seattle drive the Atlas Van Lines to victory in the race, but the victory was marred by the accident that injured Walters, driver of the Pay 'N Pak.

Walters was pitched out of his craft in a collision with the Executone, which a split second earlier had lost control and struck The Squire Shop.

The Pay 'N Pak begins a complete side flip. Its driver, John Walters, was injured seriously.

The 28-year-old Renton resident underwent surgery last night at Harborview Medical Center and was moved into an intensive-care ward. Walters had water in his lungs and was put on a ventilator when he could not breathe on his own.

Walters suffered three spinal fractures but no paralysis, a broken left leg, broken right elbow, a bruised lung, a concussion and injuries to the left eye.

George Johnson, driver of the Executone, had a leg laceration; the Squire driver, Tom D'Eath, was uninjured.

The Pay 'N Pak flips upside down, and its driver, John Walters, is thrown from the boat.

The Executone sank to the bottom of Lake Washington.

The accident did not seem to dampen the spirits of the huge crowd that lined the race course to celebrate the event that traditionally signals the end of Seafair.

Hanauer and the Atlas were nearly flawless during victories in two preliminary "fast heats" and the winner-take-all final heat. He outdueled Ron Armstrong and the Miss Budweiser, which flipped last week in Pasco, killing Dean Chenoweth.

Frank Kenney Toyota-Volvo, driven by Ron Snyder, finished third yesterday. Miss Prodelco-Mr. Auto, driven by Steve Reynolds was fourth and Tempus, piloted by Jack Schafer Jr., was fifth.

"The boat was running a bit loose during testing and we were making adjustments all race long," said Hanauer, whose six unlimited wins makes him the winningest active driver.

That the Budweiser even made it to the pits yesterday morning was a minor miracle. The Bud crew worked around the clock to repair severe damage on the boat's left sponson and a whole in its rights sponson. Armstrong, who was hired Friday, qualified yesterday morning at 127.298 mph and was seeded into the fast heat.

Heerensperger, Pay 'n Pak, Out of Racing

By Tom Green, UPI Sports Writer, August 10, 1982

SEATTLE -- Dave Heerensperger, owner of the Pay 'N Pak unlimited hydroplane and one of the key figures in the sport, announced he was pulling out of racing Tuesday just two days after his driver was critically injured.

Heerensperger's decision casts further doubt on the future of the hydroplane racing, which has been plagued by the deaths of its two best-known drivers in less than a year.

Pay 'N Pak driver John Walters nearly became the third hydro-racing fatality in 10 months when his boat was involved in a three-boat, high-speed collision in the Emerald Cup race on Lake Washington Sunday.

He suffered a fractured elbow, broken leg, compression fracture of three vertebrae, concussion, collapsed and bruised lung and facial injuries around his left eye.

"The feeling I had in my stomach when I saw the accident, I felt that I had enough," said Heerensperger. "I hope the fans of the Pay 'N Pak and the public understand."

Three boats -- the Pay 'N Pak, Squire Shop and Executone -- were too severely damaged to continue racing, with the Executone sinking to the bottom of the lake.

Heerensperger, who was one of the best-heeled and most enthusiastic owners in hydroplane racing, cited the danger inherent in the sport for his decision to withdraw. The powerful boats, which barely touch the water when running full tilt, travel at speeds approaching 200 mph.

The Pay 'N Pak also was involved in a spectacular flip during a qualifying run on the Columbia River in 1980.

"Although it is a very exciting sport, after two accidents involving Pay 'N Pak in the last three years I just do not want to continue," said Heerensperger. "I am sure that my feelings will be understood by the public and by those connected with boat racing."

Walters' accident occurred only eight days after the death of veteran driver Dean Chenoweth in the Miss Budweiser on the Columbia River. Chenoweth was killed July 31 while attempting to qualify his boat for the Columbia Cup race near Pasco, Wash.

Last October, the most successful and charismatic driver in the history of the sport, Bill Muncey, was killed during a race in Acapulco, Mexico.

Hydroplane driving has always been dangerous, but the recent series of accidents constitutes the worst period the sport has faced since 1966 when three drivers were killed in one race and a fourth died later in the season.

Heerensperger, 45, is chairman of the board of Pay 'N Pak, a Kent, Wash.-based chain of plumbing and electrical discount stores. He had been one of the top innovators in the sport, being credited with introducing stabilizer tailfins, rear mounted engines, trimaran hulls and, most recently, a turbine-powered engine.

For more than 30 years, an unlimited hydroplane race on Lake Washington has been a fixture of Seattle's annual Seafair summer festival. Many of the owners and drivers, like Heerensperger, are based in the Seattle area. Seattle and Detroit have been the historic centers of the sport.

But in the aftermath of the accident in Sunday's Emerald Cup, one Seattle newspaper questioned the city's continued involvement in the dangerous sport.

In an editorial, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said the hydroplane race is not only a life-threatening endeavor, but one that costs the city a lot financially -- up to $80,000 to stage this year.

"There is something unseemly about the expenditure of public funds on what is essentially a commercial event -- involving boats garishly decorated with the names of corporate sponsors -- that carries a risk to the lives and limbs of its participants," the newspaper said.

Turbine Hulls and Configurations

1980 Pay 'N Pak

This is the original Pay 'N Pak turbine unlimited hydroplane. It blew over during qualifying in Tri-Cities, Washington and was done for the year.

1981 Pay 'N Pak

During the winter, Jim Lucero redesign the front of the boat to have adjustable canards to help hold the boat down. The team ran the front wings at some times, but mostly the boat ran without them.

To add a bit more to the story, the canard arrangement was found to be more of a problem than running without it.  What was discovered was that due to the short distance between the rear of the canard and the bull nose, it actually increased the generated lift at the front of the boat. 

As explained by driver John Walter, "We tried this in an effort to give a little more control of the boat ride. As you can see, they are very close to the leading edge of the hull. So close in fact they acted more like a fence or air dam. They disturbed the air flow to the point it was more difficult to control and in some cases had the opposite effect. We removed them and found that just removing that much surface area made the boat better than using the wings."

The following year, Jim Lucero built the new Atlas Van Lines using a larger spacing between the rear of the fixed canard and bull nose.  It was not only found to work, it set the pattern used on almost all new boats until the mid 90's.

1982 Pay 'N Pak

After running on saltwater race courses they found that the front intakes caused problems with water ingestion. So during the winter they redesigned the front cowling intakes and added a top intake with head rest.

The same hull ran all three years. A second hull was built in the 1982 and was planned to be run in 1983. However, in 1982 at Seattle, the original hull suffered a devastating accident. The accident severely injured driver John Walters and owner Dave Heerensperger suffered a heart attack due to the accident. After that, the team went up for sale and was bought mid season 1983 by Steve Woomer. In 1984 the new hull was run as the Tosti Asti.

1982 Unlimited Hydroplane Season Review

The 1982 Unlimited Hydroplane season in review, which includes the 1982 Seafair SeaGalley Emerald Cup Seattle race where the Pay 'N Pak turbine hydroplane, driven by John Walters, crashed with the Executone.

Pay ‘n Pak wins Seneca hydro race

By Martin Toombs, Seneca Falls Bureau
Reprinted from The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y., Tuesday, June 15, 1982.

ROMULUS – The turbine-powered Pay ‘N Pak, driven by John Walters, won the first ever unlimited hydroplane race in the Northeast Monday on Seneca Lake.

Walters led five other boats at the start line and survived a challenge from Miss Budweiser to win.

Stan Hanauer (second from left), Jim Lucero (center), and John Walters (second from right)
celebrate their victory at Seneca Lake. Photo by Bill Osborne.

The race, Thunder in the Park, was run in perfect conditions before about half the 10,000 people who had been at Sampson State Park Sunday. Rough water had postponed the event.

The first lap determined the outcome of the final, which included six of the seven boats at the race.

The boats entered the water five minutes before the starting gun. It was Walters who hit the start line first, followed closely by Dean Chenoweth in Miss Budweiser and Chip Hanauer in Miss Atlas Van Lines.

Walters led into the first turn, with Pay ‘N Pak on the outside, Miss Atlas Van Lines the inside and Miss Budweiser in between.

As the boats roared into the turn, the rooster tail of water they threw up prevented the crowd from seeing all but the leader.

Behind the shield of water was determined the race’s outcome. Hanauer later said Chenoweth left him only five feet in which to pass his 15-foot wide boat traveling more than 100 mph.

He said he was forced to pull back and was hit by the rooster tails from the other boats. The force of the water tore at the cover on his engine and tore away a section of the rear wing. Disabled, he completed the lap and made his way to the pits, losing the engine covering on the way.

Officials gave Chenoweth a lap penalty.

Not knowing about the penalty, Chenoweth chased Walters across the back straightaway. Walters got the boat too high in the water, and had to ease off the throttle, letting Budweiser in front. At the same time, a system in Budweiser failed and the engine began losing oil.

On the front straight, Budweiser continue to hold the lead, but the turbine fired down the straight, the more than 6,500 pound boat dancing on the surface of the water.

A lap later, a slowing Budweiser pulled out. Miss Rock pulled out with engine problems, followed quickly by The Squire Shop.

A crew which had run the turbine boat all last year without a victory, and failed to complete this season’s opener, gave Walters an enthusiastic welcome when he reached the dock.

Hanauer got out of his boat, saw a piece of his engine cover sink several feet offshore, and then went to talk to Bernie Little, Miss Budweiser owner.

“He didn’t give me five feet” to make the turn, Hanauer said of Chenoweth.

“I’m alright,” he said, “just angry.”

J. Lee Schoenith, referee, told him they “penalized him (Chenoweth) a lap, it’s all we could do,” adding his regret Hanauer was knocked out of the race.

Chenoweth, who said he had never been penalized before, explained Walters of Pay ‘N Pak “came in on me. I just didn’t have a place to go.”

Walters “left a boat lane, and I just too the boat lane he left,” he said.

After receiving his trophy, Walters said it was his “strategy to try to get to the first turn first,” and it worked.

Someone from the crowd hollered “What’s Pay ‘N Pak?” Walters answered “the fastest boat in the world,” before telling them about the western chain of home improvement stores.

Then he took the public address microphone and said, “We’re really sorry we weren't able to go on and race yesterday. But I’m really thankful you came back and saw us today.”

“We’ll be back next year, without a doubt.”

Tom Sheehy aboard Miss Madison placed second, a crowd favorite after the community-owned boat had suffered a series of mechanical problem during the weekend.

Showing his oil-splattered helmet, Sheehy said the boat wasn't really ready for an all-out effort. So he “decided to keep my nose clean, stay out of trouble and see what happened.”

When he started to see the other boats drop out, he said he knew is approach would pay off.

Pay ‘N Pak turned the fastest lap of the day, 124.783 mph en route to its victory, averaging 120.887 over the course. Miss Madison averaged 88.106 mph.

The seventh boat, Miss KYYX driven by Brenda Jones, failed to start its head, and did not qualify for the finals. Robert Miller aboard Miss Rock was injured in his heat when a rooster tail hit his boat, breaking his windshield. The piece of plexiglass hit him in the face, causing him to lose two teeth and drop out of the heat.

With no windshield but with a full helmet, he went back out for the finals.

Pay 'n Pak Unlimited Hydroplane First Turbine Victory!

John Walters makes history at Seneca Lake, New York, becoming the first driver to win an unlimited hydroplane race using turbine power!

After two near-fatal crashes, why return to racing?

Reprinted from The Day, October 6, 1982

Lately, it seems that half the stories I’ve written about powerboat racers should have been handled by a medical writer – grim tales of injury and death that make for depressing reading, especially when they are about people you know and like.

That’s why I was disturbed recently to hear John Walters, upon leaving the hospital, say that he hadn’t given up the idea of getting back into the cockpit of Pay ‘N Pak, the unlimited hydroplane that nearly killed him six weeks ago.

If you lined up 20 men, Walters, 28, would be one of the last you would select as a top practitioner of possibly the world’s most dangerous sport. He’s slender and not very tall, and his back mustache seems designed to make him look older.

Walters is quietly confident and not given to bragging about what he does, which is guiding two tons of hydroplane on the ragged edge of disaster, taking turns at 120 miles an hour and going down straight-aways at nearly 200.

He has stepped over the edge twice.

The first time was three summers ago, when, in the glow of seemingly perfect initial runs, he took an untested, radical turbine boat out for a run that was expected to blow everyone else away. The boat did a double back flip at 170 mph.

The second time was August 8 in Seattle, when another boat spun out in front of him and he turned over after colliding.

“I don’t know for sure what I’m doing to do,” Walters said when asked about his future. “I’ll have to wait until I’m healed before I’ll know if I can drive the boat again, but the doctors say it will be six months to a year before I can even drive a car.”

Away from the boat, his life centers on wife Arlene and their two daughters, Katrina, 11, and Maciva, 9. They live in Renton, Wash., in the heard of unlimited country and only a short distance from the test waters where 99 percent of the new unlimited boats and drivers get their baptism.

Walters said that Arlene “knew from the time we were married, when I was still building unlimiteds, that I wanted to drive them. She knows what the risks are and she accepts them . . . no, I guess I have to admit that she’s not terribly pleased with the idea of me driving again.”

After thinking for a moment, Walters added, “I don’t know if I’ll want to drive again. I’ll have to see how I feel when the time comes. I’ve been extremely lucky twice. Right now, I’m not sure what I want.”

John Walters is lucky that even without driving, he can still be intimately involved with the sport he loves so much. Walters’ first connection with the unlimiteds was in designing and building the boats. When he started to drive them, he turned his mechanically inclined mind toward learning all he could about the boat’s jet turbine engine.

All forms of motor sport are familiar with the gentleman driver, the guy who doesn’t know where the engine is but can make the machine go like a bat out of hell. That’s not Walters’ style.

“As a driver, it was to my advantage to be able to come back and talk to the guys working on the motor and say this is what I think it’s doing and why it’s doing it,” Walters said.

Crew Chief Jim Lucero, the man who designed many of the competitive boats on the circuit, pays Walters the ultimate mechanic’s compliment by saying he is “a darned good wrench.”

It has been a tough couple of years for unlimited hydroplane racing. Since November 1981, the sport has seen Bill Muncey and Dean Chenoweth, probably the two best drivers who ever lived, killed in accidents. The wreck that hospitalized Walters also smashed two other boats, although their drivers escaped without serious injury.

A number of drivers, owners and others connected with the sport are casting worried eyes at Chip Hanauer, the 27-year-old pilot of Atlas Van Lines. Hanauer is a bright, vibrant and articulate driver who is one of the most competitive human beings ever to strap himself into a boat seat.

He has a new boat and is virtually guaranteed the 1982 national unlimited title, but he shows no inclination to play it safe.

Knowledgeable observers say Hanauer is so competitive that, in the words of one friend and fellow driver, “He doesn’t seem to even think about the danger. It’s like he has a switch in his head that he turns off when it comes to his own safety. On land, he’s very smart. It’s hard to believe he’s the same guy when he gets in the boat. I guess he’s trying to prove something, that he really is the best.”

Walters left the hospital in a body cast after his most recent crash, and he worries more about walking normally than when he will be able to drive again. And even if the body heals to the point that he doesn’t look any different than before, there is no guarantee that he’ll still have the almost superhuman reflexes and high-speed judgment that mark top drivers in every form of motor sport.

John Walters has nothing to prove to anyone – not to his pears, not to the fans who line the riverbanks and lakeshores by the hundreds of thousands, certainly not to himself.

Walters First On the Waters

Reprinted from the Syracuse Post-Standard, June 15, 1982

ROMULUS (AP) - John Walters scored his first-ever unlimited hydroplane race victory Monday when he piloted his Pay 'N Pak boat to victory in the $75,000 Thunder in the Park race at Sampson State Park here.

The 28-year-old, second-year driver from Renton, Wash., won $135,000 after completing the five lap, 10-mile race at an average speed of 120.887 mph. The victory was the first ever for a turbine-powered unlimited hydroplane.

The Pay 'N Pak (left) in a deck-to-deck battle with Miss Budweiser.

Only two boats in the six-boat final finished the race. Miss Madison, sponsored by Rich Plan Food Service of Utica, and driven by Tom Sheehy of Miami, finished second at an average speed of 86.106 mph.

Walters took the early lead in the final and fought off a last-second challenge from the Dean Chenoweth-piloted Miss Budweiser before gliding to the victory.

Chenoweth, of Tallahassee, Fla., finished fourth. He received a one-lap penalty for cutting off another boat before blowing his engine after  completing four laps.

Earlier in the day, Chenoweth defeated Walters in a five-lap heat at an average speed of 116.732 mph.

In the final, The Squire Shop, piloted by Tom D'Eath of Fair Havern, Mich., finished third.

Atlas Van Lines and driver Chip Hanauer of Seattle finished fifth, while Miss Rock, skippered, by Bob Miller of Everett, Wash., placed sixth.

Miss KYYX, driven by Brenda Jones of Seattle, was disqualified in the heat for insufficient speed and placed seventh overall.

Whisper in the Park

By Bill Osborne

Reprinted from the Unlimited NewsJournal, June 1982

The first and possibly the only "Thunder in the Park" unlimited race took place on Seneca Lake, New York on June 14. Several factors caused this to be a less than perfect event. First of all, the lake, which is 42 miles long, has no protection. So when the wind comes up, from the south, which it does with a certain amount of regularity, it gets rough, real rough. Although the pits are ideal and the parking and viewing are good, the population base is weak. Rochester and Syracuse are the major cities from which the race could draw upon, unfortunately these cities are at least an hour's drive to the site. Put all these together and only 5,000 people showed up for the Sunday race. (About half that many people were on hand for the Monday event)

The action started on Friday with all boats running except KYYX, Miss Budweiser qualified at 130+ and Pay 'n Pak ran 131+ on a 2½,-mile course. The Squire Shop ran but was kiting a lot. Also making appearances were Miss Madison/Rich Plan Food Service, Miss Rock and Atlas Van Lines which seems to improve every time out. The boat gets through the corners with relative ease and accelerates quickly. It does want to fly a bit so Chip isn't about to use all of the boat's potential yet. When he is about to do so, look out.

Saturday and Sunday were windy, rough and rainy, only Bob Miller in Miss Rock took a spin in the rough water on Sunday. Two-thirds of a lap were all Miller needed to realize he didn't want to be out there. In the interest of safety the committee shortened the course to two miles but it was still not acceptable. Finally, the race was postponed until Monday.

Monday morning was clear and the wind was almost non-existent. Everyone took advantage of the conditions to test. The highlight was an impressive lap of 136 by the Pay 'n Pak on the two-mile layout. Miss KYYX made its first appearance to run but never made it up on a plane.

Heat one saw the Miss Budweiser grab a quick lead as Dean made a great start in lane 1, Bud lead wire to wire at an average speed of 116.732. Pay 'n Pak was second all the way at 115.348. On lap five Walters made a last run at the Bud, turning in the fastest lap of the heat at 119.8. Atlas ran third all the way at 109.323 with The Squire Shop fourth at 103.l52. Miss Madison made it five heats in a row; failing to start, driver Sheehy took the blame for flooding the engine and remarked "Well, I never have this problem on the jets, the flight engineer always starts the plane!"

The second first heat was eliminated to save time so the repechage heat pitting the last two from heat one against Miss Rock and Miss KYYX. Sheehy broke his string by starting and joined Squire, Miss Rock with KYYX unable to reach planing speed again.

The first turn provided some real drama as Miss Rock tried to hold lane one inside The Squire Shop. Bob said "I didn't want to chop Miss Madison so I went a little wider ... couldn't hold that lane and went through Deans wake, I missed the back of his boat by only three feet! As a result Bob suffered some broken teeth and a cut jaw and some other facial bruises.

Madison took the lead and Squire stayed beside Sheehy all the way, barely winning at a speed of 92.569. Squire Shop took second with Miss Rock picking up a DNF and KYYX pulling off the course after failing to reach a plane.

The final featured more dicing and fighting than usual. Bud, AVL, Pak and Squire kept circling in the first turn. After they tired of that spot they moved up the backstretch where Bud, Pak and Atlas again circled with Chip finally grabbing lane I with Bud, Squire and Pak alongside with the Miss Madison trailing.

Pay 'n Pak reached the turn first and had more than 3 lengths so John moved over into lane 2, Chenoweth took lane 1, washing down the Atlas. Bud was penalized one lap for an illegal lane change.

Fans on the beach didn't know of the penalty so the race looked really close as the Pak took a lead until Budweiser caught him about three-eighths of the way up the backstretch. Bud suddenly popped and blew a lot of white smoke. Somehow Dean kept going side by side with the Pak for almost three laps. Pay 'n Pak's third lap of 124.783 was the fastest of the day and put some distance between the two. Meanwhile Atlas returned to the pits. The damage involved a lost cowling and skin damage to the left vertical support. Bud went dead after 4½ laps. The cause was a failure in the ADI system. Next boat to stop was the Squire (broken water line) after completing 4 laps. At the end only the Pay 'n Pak at a speed of 120.887 and Madison at 88.106 were still running.

The victory was the first ever by a Turbine powered unlimited and crew chief Jim Lucero's 45th. John Walters showed off his humorous side when he was asked to draw a name of a winner in a drawing he said "Says here the winner is Bubba Smith!" (An in joke for those of us who pay attention to commercials on TV) The win and the duel between the Pak and the Bud made the trip worthwhile. If nothing else comes from Thunder in the Park it will be a good trivia question as to when a turbine finally won its first race. The answer will be a "Whisper in the Park" on June 15, 1982.