Steretts join Pay 'n Pak hydro team

By Del Danielson
Reprinted from The Seattle Times, July 6, 1972

The Sterett family has joined the Pride of Pay 'n Pak unlimited-hydroplane team.

Bill Sterett, Sr., drove the boat in Tuesday's Indiana Governor's Cup regatta in Madison, Ind., when Bill Schumacher refused to "risk his life" on the debris-strewn Ohio River course. Schumacher said the course was too dangerous. After the race Schumacher announced he was "through with hydroplane racing for the year." Schumacher said he is “disillusioned with the sport and the executives who run it."

Dave Heerensperger, owner of the boat, said he was pleased with the driving job of Bill Sterett, Sr., and asked the 51-year-old Owensboro, Ky., resident to drive the rest of the year.

Prior commitments will keep the senior Sterett away from Sunday's President's Cup race in Washington, D. C.. but he will drive in the Tri-Cities' Atomic Cup and Seattle's Seafair event.

Bill Sterett, Jr., 25, who drove the Notre Dame last season, will be in the cockpit of the Pride this weekend on the Potomac River.

8 Hydros and Debris on Hand for President's Cup Race

By Parton Keese
Reprinted from The New York Times, July 6, 1971

WASHINGTON, June 5 — A Potomac River swollen with debris from recent heavy rains has added to the problems suffered by the sensitive sport of unlimited hydroplane racing on the eve of tomorrow's final heat of the President's Cup regatta.

Since a 30-foot, 7,000-pound shell-flat hydroplane powered by aeroplane engines putting out nearly 4,000 horsepower could disintegrate if it hit log at 200 miles an hour, it is easy to understand the quick ruling of officials here that called off the qualifying trials and allowed the fleet that competed in Miami two weeks ago to compete here automatically.

Miss Madison, the senior entry in the six-boat fleet with 13 years of service, posted the fastest average speed despite today's humidity and still water with a time of 100.991 miles an hour. The pilot, Jim McCormick, managed only 2½ second margin, however, as Pride of Pay 'n Pak nearly closed the gap in the final mile.

Miss Budweiser, the two-time national champion and this year's point leader, driven by Dean Chenoweth, captured the first heat, averaging 99.557 miles per hour. Atlas Van Lines II, the new hydro with colorful Bill Muncey at the helm, was a distant second.

Hallmark Homes was in third place and Notre Dame with a “did not finish” to her name are the other boats in the fleet. Both, however, could take the cup with consistent performances tomorrow.

“I see a different winner in each race this season. For the first time in a long time,” he said. “I don't think one boat is going to walk away with the marbles so easily. Every boat here has the ability to win.”

For one thing there are three brand new boats in the fleet and their potential is unknown. They include Miss Timex, Atlas Van Lines II and Country Boy. Then there is Pride of Pay 'n Pak, which is in her second year of campaigning but has a revised design and new Rolls Royce engines.

“Hallmark Homes is the former national champion boat. Miss Bardahl,” Newton continued, “so she is a definite contender, as well as last year's Gold Cup runner-up, Notre Dame. That leaves the 13-year-old Miss Madison, and she only finished second in Miami last month.

“So you can see, everybody's got a great chance to take most of the $20,000 purse and the President's Cup,” Newton added.

For the 50-year-old Newton, the President's Cup will be his 86th unlimited race his sixth season as the only unlimited hydro referee in the sport that he has been a part of since 1951. A sales engineer for Huck Manufacturing Company in Detroit, Newton spends June through September, however camped out along lake and river shores across the United States, sleeping much of the time in aeroplane seats, stretched out when there's no crowd and bunched up in ball when it is S.R.O.

Why does Newton, the father of six children, travel thou sands of miles, bake under blistering sun, make thorny decisions and put up with all of the tensions and frustrations associated with being a sports arbiter?

“I wouldn't trade places with any one,” he said. “This sport keeps me sharp, alert and fresh for my own business. It's the perfect escape. To say I love it, isn't strong enough,” said the former Michigan State football blocking back and infielder.

Fleet Should Double

The unlimiteds move to Owensboro, Ky., next week, to Detroit on June 27 before the American Power Boat Association Gold Cup race is held July 4 at Madison, Ind. From there, the thunderboats head west for five more race on the coast and in Texas.

“The fleet should double in number by the time we hit the Columbia River in Washington State,” remarked Phil Cole, the executive secretary of the Unlimited Racing Commission.

“But it's too bad the eastern half of our 10-regatta schedule has to be so meager. There are many boats ready and willing to compete, but not able to be cause of rising costs,” he explained.

“Money is the name of the game for unlimiteds but it is ironic that in a sport that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators at a single race, we have trouble convincing sponsors in other cities to par take of the thrilling spectacle that unlimited racing has be come.

“They just don't seem to want to shell out the $40,000 necessary to put on an unlimited hydroplane regatta, even when we tell them it's a sure money maker.

“It's getting to be a rough business, all right,” sighed Cole as he watched what looked like a couple of railroad ties floating down the two-and-a half-mile Potomac course.

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.

The Pay 'n Pak is coming back

Apr 19, 2017, TRI-CITIES, WA - On June 2nd, boat racing fans in the Tri-Cities will get a chance to see some of their favorite boats...whether it's the Miss Madison Homestreet Bank boat cruising on the water, or the Graham Trucking U-5.

The Pay 'n Pak hydroplane returns to the Tri-Cities in June.

But they'll also get a chance to see what was once a legendary boat, a boat that was certainly a fan favorite. Taking the boat racing community by storm in the 70s, this boat went on to win a world title in 1974 and a gold cup in '75, both coming in the Tri-Cities. But it wasn't just the wins that made this boat special.

''Coming out in 1973, it was unlike anything had ever seen before," said David Williams, Hydroplane & Boat Race Museum Director. "It was the first boat to be built out of honeycomb aluminum. It was the first boat to have a wing, and it was the first boat at that point to have a wild paint scheme as an all-white boat with the orange and black letters on it. So it's a pretty iconic boat.''

And now, 42 years later, the Pay 'n Pak is coming back. After years of rebuilding, the boat will make its first appearance at the testing session in the Tri-Cities.

''This boat has a significant history," Williams said. "Even though the team was based in Seattle, Pay 'n Pak was owned by Dave Heerensperger. Dave started out in eastern Washington with the Pay 'n Pak stores. He always sort of felt that the Tri-Cities was his home race course. So we're thrilled to bring the boat back here to run on what we all thought was its home race course.''

And for fans, it should be a thrill to see what was once a beloved boat back in the water.

''The super loud V-12, the Allison engines, it will be so fun," said Kathy Powell, Water Follies Director. "That will just bring back everybody's nostalgia and memories from the good old days when the boats were loud. It will be tons of fun.''

Miss Budweiser Wins Final Race

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 20, 1974 (AP)—Dean Chenoweth brought the unlimited hydroplane season to a close today by piloting Miss Budweiser to a narrow victory over the Pride of Pay 'n Pak in the Admiral's Cup race.

Chenoweth, of Tallahassee, Fla., took two of the three heats at average speeds above 100 miles per hour. George Henley of Seattle, who had previously clinched the national title with Pay 'n Pak, took the final heat.

Classic Pak Shot

By Bill Osborne
Reprinted from Facebook.com

Mickey Remund and the Pay 'n Pak. Photo by Bill Osborne

It never occurred to me that the new Pay 'n Pak would turn out to be one of the all-time great race boats. By 1973, I had been in multiple helicopters. Setting up a shot from a helicopter wasn't as easy as it sounds. With the door removed, a Jet Ranger or a Hughes 500 C maxed out at about 115 mph, so the challenge was to position the helicopter so the Pak would run underneath at just the right time.

One thing I learned quickly was how the water would turn almost black when looking down on a running boat. What no one knew was that I was suffered from motion sickness most of the time I flew, so I had to learn how to keep my eyes focused on the boat and not allow myself to let the movement affect my work.