Memories of the 1975 Season

By John Woodward
Reprinted from Facebook, April 10, 2019

Today, our throwback goes back to a pivotal time during the 1975 season, the first two races on the western circuit, Tri-Cities and Seattle. Not having instant news or the Internet like we do now, I had no idea what was at stake when the boats were en route to the 1975 Gold Cup in the Tri-Cities.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer, Monday August 4th, 1975. 

I was a nerdy 16-year old who occasionally watched the Sunday evening news on TV or saw a clip in the newspaper here and there but nothing I heard or saw indicated the battle that was forthcoming.

I was not aware that the U-74 Weisfield’s driven by Billy Schumacher held a sizable lead of 2,335 points over the Pay 'n Pak after the first three races and was pretty much picked to win the national championship. I also had no clue that Jim McCormick was hired to drive the Pay 'n Pak and was then replaced after just two races.

But when I heard that George Henley was back in the seat, I knew that it was not good for the rest of the field. After Schumacher won in Owensboro, the advantage started to shift. Heading into the Tri-Cities, the points race between the Weisfield’s and the Pak had been cut in half thanks to Henley and the surging Pay 'n Pak team.

I remember being riveted to my transistor radio as I listened to Jim Hendricks call the race live from the Tri-Cities.

Surprisingly, the other player in the middle of that points race was one of my personal favorites, the turbo-charged, Allison powered U-55 Lincoln Thrift driven by Milner Irvin. If it had not been for a loose distributor wire in heat 2B, the Lincoln Thrift could have easily swept all three heats and quite possibly the Gold Cup.

The other surprise was the Bud's quick exit when the hull suffered structural damage and sank in heat 1B. By virtue of the Weisfield’s misfortunes and the Pak's good fortune, by days end the Pak had taken the lead in the points race over the Weisfield’s and the Gold Cup belonged to George Henley for the second straight year.

The next day, the newspaper made reference to several infractions called on Billy Schumacher by head referee Bill Newton. Even though it appeared that the war of words had been cleared up, it was apparent that tension still existed as the fleet headed west.

The 1975 Seafair trophy race in Seattle a week later would be billed as a “destruction derby.” Before heat 1A had even started, the U-6 Hamm’s Bear bumped the Pak causing significant damage to the hull’s left side.

In a bizarre set of circumstances, every boat except for the Atlas jumped the gun. It was pretty much hand Bill Muncey the win. Ironically, it was not meant to be. All the other boats DNF’d except for the busted up Pay 'n Pak. Muncey’s huge lead quickly evaporated as the U-71 Atlas Van Lines (7) ran out of gas nearing the end.

The damaged Pak passed the Atlas and limped across the line for the unbelievable win and 400 points. And that was only the first heat! In 1B, the Miss U.S. nailed the start and was way out in front when the boat suddenly slowed to a stop with a lost prop as the culprit. Schumacher claimed the victory along with the much needed 400 points.

Heat 2A would be the game changer for the Weisfield’s as the crafty Milner Irvin in the U-55 Lincoln Thrift grabbed the inside lane and held off Schumacher for several thrilling deck to deck laps until the Thrift pulled away as the Weisfield’s engine soured with a burnt piston. Billy only got 225 points as the Atlas snuck by to grab the extremely critical 300 second place points.

In 2B, the Miss U.S. caught fire for the second year in a row. Not as bad as Sand Point the year before but bad enough to end their day.

Those points lost earlier by the Weisfield’s now weighed heavy in the Pak’s favor. Thanks to the “fan plan”, Henley could place 2nd in the final and still win the Seafair Trophy.

The start of the final heat only added to the carnage and controversy surrounding Muncey and his driving style as the slower Atlas Van Lines chopped the Lincoln Thrift off going through the first turn causing injury to Irvin and damage to the hull. Karma came quickly calling when Muncey’s bold and brazen move would not be enough to overtake the dynamic duo as Schumacher and Henley would leave the Atlas far behind in their roostertail mist.

The race was exciting for several laps, but Henley, knowing what was at stake eventually yielded the race to Schumacher and settled for second place which was enough to claim the trophy making it Pay 'n Pak’s fourth straight win.

These two action packed events proved to be a major factor in deciding the 1975 National Champion.

The final race in San Diego was the exclamation point for the Weisfield’s up and down season, finishing in a distant 7th place as smiling George Henley and the mighty Winged Wonder took home the 1975 “Weisfield’s Trophy race” (Bill Muncey Cup) along with the Pay 'n Pak’s third straight National Championship.

Billy Schumacher did end up with something as he won the drivers title based on points. It would be many years before I realized how important these two crazy races were, both of which were soaked in driver/referee controversy.

It sure was a great time to be a kid in Seattle, or in Madison or Detroit or wherever the pied piper caravan of fire breathing thunderboats lead you!

Until next time, see you at the races.

Henley, Pak 'boys' do it again

By Chuck Ashmun
Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 4, 1975

George Henley wrapped up the Seafair Trophy by driving the patched-up Pay 'n Pak to a
second-place finish in the final heat of unlimited-hydroplane racing yesterday on Lake Washington.
Weisfield's, piloted by Billy Schumacher, took the final heat, but the Pak increased its national point
lead by picking up 1,100 points during the afternoon.

Ho hum . . . just another race.

The Seafair Trophy Race had two fires, two accidents, a rhubarb, many mechanical casualties, a near drowning, and . . .

George Henley and Pay 'n Pak won.

If all of that seems familiar, it's because there have been controversies, collisions, infernos and conk-out hydroplanes before.

And Henley, Mr. Nice Guy on the roostertail roster, also was the winner of last year's hydro happening here.

"The boys did their work," Henley said. "That's why we won today. That's why we've been winning."

Yesterday, however, it took more than an oil change by Henley's "boys," the Pay 'n Pak crew put the bandaged Pak on top of the pack in a accident filled regatta.

"It'll take two weeks of work to repair the back end," said Dave Heerensperger, Pak owner, as he surveyed the damaged boat.

"We just patched it up, as well as the sponson, before heats."

Heerensperger, whose hydros have won three straight Seattle races and four of the past five here, was asked: "Do you own this water?"

"I can't walk on it," he replied.

Henley won with handicaps. The Eatonville driver crossed the starting line early, with his boat already damaged, in the first heat race of the day.

And he finished the final heat with the engine leaking oil.

In addition to collecting his fourth consecutive triumph, Henley put the Pak farther ahead of the Weisfield's in their season-long struggle for the national championship.

Pay 'n Pak picked up 1,100 points yesterday, while Weisfield's, which finished second, collected 1,025. The Pak's point total, with two races remaining, is 6,964. Weisfield's has 6,813.

The attrition rate much have been embarrassing to race sponsors. Nine boat — the smallest field since 1954 — started. Five finished.

After two heats of racing, only three boats had scored a point. And nine crews found the whole day point-less because of mechanical malfunctions.

Drivers were so eager to get going they took to the water about 2½ hours early — that is, five unqualified  throttle pushers attempted to qualify before the scheduled noon start, violating Seafair's contract with the city by doing so.

All that resulted from that impropriety was that Tom Kaufman, owner-driver of Mr. Fabricator, suffered shoulder and arm burns when his craft caught fire near the start-finish line.

The qualifiers also were too eager to get started. As they swarmed into the north turn, vying for position in the opening heat, Pay 'n Pak and Hamm's Beer collided, causing the damage which kept Henley's crew busy.

Still eager, four drivers crossed the starting line prematurely, leaving Bill Muncey, in Atlas Van Lines, as the only legal starter.

But Muncey's thirsty engine couldn't tolerate such a gift. He ran out of fuel nearing the finish line of the final lap, even though his crew had pumped 100 gallons into the boat which usually carries 80.

Muncey got the black flag, since his boat was creating a wake. Henley, penalized a lap for jumping the gun, scooted around the course a sixth time to take the checkered flag.

The next fire broke out on the Miss U.S. — the second time in as many years George Simon's boat had burned here.

This time, the firefighters got there quicker, but not before the cockpit was destroyed. The driver, Tom D'Eath, blown out of the cockpit by the explosion, was rescued from the water, unhurt.

That blaze delayed the start of Heat 2B, the only heat in which fans got excited about a two-boat duel.

Mickey Remund, Miss Budweiser's pilot, caught up with the Pak in the second lap and engaged in a brief battle before pulling up lame with a broken propeller

Except for that skirmish, and a brief Lincoln Thrift-Weisfield's exchange in Heat 2A, the racing was confined to fans dashing towards their cars after the regatta.

How many were there? Probably no more than one-fourth of the pre-race prediction of 200,000.

The other accident, which led to the controversy, came in the last heat.

Lincoln Thrift, which could have won the regatta by winning the final dash, got washed down as Milner Irvin fought for survival in a south-turn lane-changing incident.

The water blew off Irvin's windshield and face guard, injuring the driver and knocking the Thrift out of contention. But no foul was called.

Weisfield's won the final heat. Pay 'n Pak was second, but Henley had enough points accumulated to take the trophy.

Few fans seemed upset with the outcome — even though the winner of the last heat did not win the race.

It has happened before — at three other regattas this season.

And this was just one more race.