Evening star., 1950-09-17
Racer C|ocked
AT 79.434 MPH;
Sweetie I'd
Two Final Runs for
Presidents Trophy
Scheduled Today
By Malcolm Lomborne. Jr,

Scheduled Today
By Malcolm Lomborne, Jr.
Miss Pepsi. the biggest Gold Cup
racer in America, roared over the
Potomac River yesterday
before approximately Is, 1000 spec
tators for a d-breaking vic
tory in the opening heat of the
Presidents Cup Regatta. Races
resume at noon today.
The 35-foot long racer, driven
by two Allison airplane engines
developing staggering 5000
horsepower, was clocked at 79.434
miles an hour for the Is miles.
This set new Presidents Cup
heat record formerly held by Hor-
ace Dodge's My Sweetie, last
years winner.
On the straightaway, Miss Pepsi
was doing better than 100 miles
an hour.
The red, white and blue racer
was driven by Chuck Thompson
OF Detroit, with Elmer Pearsley
riding as mechanic. The elated
owners, Walter and Roy Rossin.
watched the triumph of their new
boat fro mthe reviewing stands
on the East Potomac Park sea-
wall.
Miss Pepsi at the finish was a
good mile and a quarter ahead
OF My Sweetie, driven for the
second year by Bill Cantrell. MY
Sweetie's record a year ago was
1881 miles an hour.
Takes Wrong Turn.
The winners showing was
heightened by the fact she got
OF in second place and then
dropped back to fifth when
Thompson mistook some buoys
up near the railroad bridge as
turning marks.
But at the end of the second lap,
Miss Pepsi overlook Jack Schafer's $
Such Crust of Detroit, driven
by Dan Foster. and gradually
widened her lead. It wasn't long
before Thompson was tapping
some of the slower racers in the
seven-boat starting field.
Such Crust. which won runner
up honors here last year, started
backfiiring and slowly dropped
back to final fifth position.
Such Crust II, another Gold
Cup boat in the Schafer racing
stable. placed third with Dan
Arena. an old hand at taking the
big racers over the Potomac, at
the controls.
After that came George Sarant's
Eta of Freeport, N. Y; Such
Crust I; J. Lee Schoenith's Gale
OF Detroit, the former Notre Dame
which has won the cup three
times, and Danny Murphy's Dee
Jay v of Philadelphia, driven by
Norman Lauterbach. Only Ernie
Chase's Pep VI of Baltimore failed
to make the starting line. She
stove a big hole in her side on
hitting wave just as the gun
went off.
Pep vi just managed to return
to the inboard pits at the Naval
Air Station. AS she started filling
with water. the boat went in four
wide circles off the station to keep
more water from pouring in while
naval personnel cleared the
launching ramp.
Finally the craft was driven
into the ramp, right under the
crane which quickly drew her
clear of the water.
Truman May Attend Today,
Nearly five hours of competition
is scheduled today. The second
heat for the feature Gold Cup
event is slated for 2::30 pm. and
the final at pm.
President Truman may join the
spectator fleet if business permits.
The many spectators along the
seawall, on the Virginia shore of
the Potomac and aboard several
hundred pleasure craft anchored
on National Airport witnessed
other thrills yesterday as six out
board drivers tipped over in the
choppy going earlier in the day.
Ironically. the wind let up as the
larger boats came on the scene
and by the days end racing con-
ditionS were ideal.
Dean Worcester of Silver Spring,
Md, was thrown clear of his boat
just after the start of the Glass
c outboard .hydroplane event.
Another contestant, who was not
identified, streaked over Worces-
ter and severely lacerated his
arm with his boats propeller.
(See REGATTA papo R-5l