Lou fageol hydroplane driver

Men such as bill muncey, stan sayres, ted jones, anchor jensen, lou fageol, les staudacher, danny foster, joe taggart and many more fan favorites battled for those coveted gold cups. Both lift tons of water high in the air and both will lift other hydroplanes out of the water as well. On the event, few outside brescia saw the sensational supersonic because it never reached rome fehlmann and co driver g vuille had a major accident that resulted in a devastating fire. Black and white negative of hydroplane owner driver lou fageol. Two fiat supersonics were also ordered by lou fageol, director of the twin coach company and a champion hydroplane racer. Feb 17, 2011 lou fageol, a unlimited hydroplane driver, bought the tooling for that engine and used it for his own fageol outboard engine. Lou fageol and a ridermechanic in his g class ventnor hull. From rowboats to roostertails a brief history of unlimited hydroplane racing 1986 by fred farley, apba unlimited historian. Many of the h1 unlimited hydroplane fleet call seattle home. Lou s father, frank, and his brothers built the fageol line of tractors, trucks, and automobiles. Seattles fred farley, american power boat association unlimited hydroplane historian since 1973, said if fageol wasnt the one who originated the flying start, he certainly was the one who popularized it. The emerald city has hosted the unlimited hydros every year since 1951. This surprised me since i had not heard of the fageol line, but i did hear of lou fageol and the hydroplane racing.

I guess a twinengine racing car was also good publicity for the bus company. Brown did not cross the finish line first and it was fivetime gold cup champ dave villwock who had apparently earned his sixth. Lou fageol, a unlimited hydroplane driver, bought the tooling for that engine and used it for his own fageol outboard engine. The fageol safety coach a breakthrough in bus design. That became the homelite outboard and then the fisherpierce bearcat 55 built into the late 60s. It was a chilling, spectacular maneuver that lou was able to work to perfection, farley said.

Chip hanauer has seven career victories at seattle. Fageol mentioned the name of the future unlimited class superstar, bill muncey, to stan sayres as a possible replacement. Death defying hydroplanes safety measures saving lives sun. In 1955 the late lou fageol, driving slomoshun v, took off from the water and soared 60 feet into the air.

Two of hydro racings great drivers, lou fageol and joe taggart, were severely injured this way and italys selva was killed. The lou fageol story hydroplane and raceboat museum. Two farmer built hydroplanes battling it out in 1964 intrude e16 roy wilson od hytailer e125 gene whipp driver lenny grennen owner. First seattle race was in 1951 and was won by lou fageol in the slomoshun v. All defied death in terrifying crashes in recent years. His early lap times of 102103 miles per hour were very much faster than he needed. Until two years ago, fageol himself was at the wheel of one of the best and fastest of the unlimiteds, and he was among the very best and fastest drivers of them all. There is a lot of info about lou s hydroplane racing career on the internet. Inboard racing, a wild ride by bob foley hotrod hotline. His initial experience was in driving relief for the injured bill cantrell in my sweetie.

Seafair hydros winner of everything but hearts originally published august 2, 2007 at 12. Having succeeded his father as president of the fageol twin coach company a firm that made twinengined buses lou. From time to time this site covers something besides openwheel auto racing history. Lou fageol had come all the way from kent, ohio to see the big boats do their stuff. Slomoshun v won both of them with lou fageol driving in the gold cup. Press photo race boat for sale hot toys for christmas 2018. The slomoshun v was owned by stan sayers and driven by lou fagel. Dave villwock is second, with ten, and bill muncey third, with eight. In 1909 the construction of lake washington boulevard along the. Fageol entered his two supersonics into the 1955 pebble beach concours, one of which was later bizarrely customised with. This was the start of a hydroplane tradition on seattles lake washington that. Lou fageol had come all the way from kent, ohio to see the big boats do their stuff, and with more reason than the average fan. Fageols twinengined porsches issue 228 excellence the. This was enough for stan sayres who selected fageol to drive the slomo in the harmsworth trophy when driverdesigner ted jones was injured.

Split apart, stolen, and misidentified, fageols sup. U37 slomoshun v hydroplane handmade racing boat model. Many fageol safety coaches were used to transport the visiting public from the train station to and from the lodge. At the end of 1953 there were six boats that had contender status. The boat did a complete 360degree flip and landed right side up, but with substantial damage. Having succeeded his father as president of the fageol twin coach company a firm that made twinengined buses lou fageol decided his company would. There were three or four other 3point hydros racing at that event, one of which is the subject of this post. Black and white negative film of owner driver lou fageol, standing on the stern deck of his boat, so long. Gold cup hydroplane race in detroit and brought the event to seattle in 1950. Original 12 arcade green fageol safety coach with driver model 3s. Painted lettering and graphics on the sides of the hydroplane show the name of the driver, danny foster, a pepsi cola bottle cap, and the crossed burgees of dossins of detroit and the dyc detroit yacht club. Gar wood, us hydroplane driver king of the used cars darel dieringer, us stock car racer krjr kenny roberts, jr.

In early 1939, lou fageol had a well known race bout builder ventnor build him a 3point hydro, to be named so long. Note that indicates driver was also owner of the winning boat. Black and white negative, taken during the 1950 gold cup races on the detroit river, of 225 cubic inch hydroplane barracuda at the dock at keans yacht harbor, with owner driver lou butler in the cockpit. The first west coast unlimited hydroplane race to count for apba national points was the 1951 gold cup on seattles lake washington. Needing a new product to bring to market in october of 1950 the firm introduced a new concept vehicle the fageol super freighter. Chapter one gives a brief overview of drivers, owners and designers of unlimited hydroplane racing in the middle of the 20th century. This biography encompasses the business careers of the four fageol pronounced fadjl brothers, rollie, frank, william and claud, an amazingly productive family of french, prussian and welsh descent who held over 125 us patents between them, many of which were influential in the development of early motor trucks and buses. Articles in subsequent seafair race programs tell us that five more deserving unlimited hydroplane personalities.

If the driver is baking, the dashboard is icecool, its twotone paint matching the plush trim. The former tops ii, slomoshun i was a ventnor 225 cubic inch class hydroplane that threw a connecting rod, burned, and sank in lake washington in 1941. In 1954 slomo v took the gold cup in a walkaway with lou fageol driving. Seafair cup winners through the years the seattle times. Roostertails and skidfin water are the most spectacular parts of hydroplane racing but present the most danger to other drivers on the course. Four of the 10 winningest drivers in unlimited hydroplane history bill muncey, chenoweth, ron musson and chuck thompson died in accidents. Nothing came of the suggestion as fageol returned in 1955 for what would prove to be his final appearance as a driver. As previously regaled this august during seafair weekend, the name fageol finally litup my collective radar, especially in deference to lou fageol, pilot of one of seattles most cherished hulls, the slo mo shuns.

There were a number of limited hydroplanes that were propriders prior to the slo mo iv being built. An alltime great among drivers reads into miss thriftways triumph a victory for solid power over soupedup, hot rod engines author. Sayers sold the damaged slomoshun v to a group of seattle businessmen who repaired the boat and raced it from 1956 to 1962 as miss seattle. Black and white negative of the horace dodge pits during the 1966 gold cup races. By fred farley unlimited hydroplane historian in the early hours of june 26. Having succeeded his father as president of the fageol twin coach company a firm that made twinengined buses lou fageol decided his company would design an indy car which, naturally, had two engines. The 100 mile per hour club is conducted by the gulf oil corporation. The fageol safety coach a breakthrough in bus design the. As gerr mentioned, fageol was a very successful hydroplane racer, winning the harmsworth trophy in 1950 and the apba gold cup in 1954 driving the slomoshun iv and v. Which i plan on visiting once again at our wonderful thunderboats hydroplane and raceboat museum in kent, wa this fall. A popular postwar winner was chuck thompson in the dossin brothers miss pepsi in. Fortunate indeed is the driver who survives this kinds of a ride. It was established in 1949 to recognize those who have driven a power boat 100 mph or better in apba sanctioned regattas on a course approved for records. The slo mo iv was not the first 3 pointer, although it is the best known.

Slomo drivers joe taggart and lou fageol, with owner stan sayres. After serving as the sports elder statesman for a number of years, lou fageol died in 1961. Lou fageol remembered hydroplane and raceboat museum. Budweiser driver dean chenoweth, miss bardahl driver billy schumacher, designerbuilder jim lucero, pay n. Fageol responded by winning the race handily while turning in the first 100 m.

The deck and sides of the hydroplane are painted white. Sayres, a car dealer, was the first to make seattle hot for hydros when, in 1950, he set a world record in his slomo iv by driving 160 mph in the straightaway. The porche race car was under the sponsorship of the twin coach company, raced in scca by lou fageol, son of one of the original fageol motors founders and noted gold cup unlimited hydroplane driver. Joel thorne, eddie sachs and bennett benny hill which brings the total of unlimited hydroplane drivers to successfully qualify for the indianapolis 500 to six drivers. This unique truck was a selfpropelled trailer minus the tractor with the driver s compartment located up front, and the engine mounted in the middle of the vehicle below the floor.

However, he allowed himself to become involved in a personal duel with driver roy duby of gale v for third place. Youngest driver on the 1965 unlimited circuit is jerry schoenith, piloting one of this seasons new boats, gales roostertail. Stan sayres bought the first rig to be named slomoshun in 1938 from jack pop cooper of st. The same goes for four or five other unlimited hydroplane drivers.

Seafair hydroplane race winners hydroplane and raceboat. Apba gold cup waves of controversy struck as nate brown won the apba gold cup, piloting the u10 miss detroit yacht club to victory july 18, 2004 on the detroit river. Dave villwock is second, with ten, and bill muncey third. Fortunately for the slomos, such crust iii and such crust v were retired, gale ii was sold to two inexperienced, underfinanced young men and the status of miss great lakes ii was uncertain. It represents the product of over 100 years of evolution in race boat design and incorporates the most powerful engines, most advanced construction techniques and the best safety systems available in boat racing today. Lou fageols radical eightcylinder machines on excellence, the magazine about. The great lou fageol, who gave up racing after his flip in slomo v last summer, put into words recently what many drivers have thought for a long time about these wickedly dangerous but. The paris universal exhibition of 1900 was the scene of the first successful power boat race of the 20th century. The first vehicle built was the sensational 1917 h. Jones, ted power boats 2003 inductees hall of fame. At this point, muncey could have finished last and won. Hydroplane racing league, salaberrydevalleyfield, quebec. The fageol 1950 tc cargoliner a trailer without a tractor. But for me miss thriftways recordsetting performance was more a.

Perhaps you have heard of lou fageol who piloted the slo mo iv hydroplane back in the 50s. They were, in fact, fast enough to cause disastrous engine failure. Pak owner dave heerensperger, and gale team leader and unlimited czar lee schoenith. Fageol miraculously escaped death but was hospitalized with broken ribs and spinal injuries which forced his retirement as a hydroplane driver. With fageol at the wheel, slomo became the first craft in history to average 100 miles per hour in a heat of. Fageol was seriously injured and never raced again. Lou fageol won the very first seattle race driving stan sayres slomoshun v. Muncey also won seattle a record four consecutive times 19771980. Lou fageol started his racing career in the mid thirties on the west coast, having been raised in the oakland area. Tail fins of the boats visible, from left to right, include the loaner, wayfarers club lady, miss budweiser, and miss dixi cola. May 11, 2010 they are names from the golden age of unlimited hydroplane racing.

The apba gold cup originally known simply as the gold cup, a speedboat race is an american hydroplane boat race, named for the american power boat association. In 1983 the late bob williams founded the unlimited hydroplane hall of fame and museum. They are names from the golden age of unlimited hydroplane racing. Dec 17, 2012 with the 1950s, the presidents cup regatta became one of the four traditional stops on the apba unlimited hydroplane tour, together with seattle washington, detroit michigan, and madison indiana. The subject of todays article is one of the famed hydroplane racers on display at the museum of speed which demonstrates the diversity of the museum in wilsonville oregon.

Seafair hydros winner of everything but hearts the. Seafair hydroplane race winners 1951 2016 year boat driver owner 1951 slomo shun v lou fageol stan sayres 1952 slomoshun iv stan dollar stan. Lou was now a permanent member of the seattlebased slomo team. A modern unlimited hydroplane is the worlds fastest racing boat, capable of speeds in excess of 200 mph. His wife, caryl, barred him from driving, so lou fageol simply hired other drivers, including mel hansen, who drove one of the six millerfords in the 1941 race but retired just a dozen or so laps in. Reprinted with permission from the unlimited newsjournal, may 1985, excerpted from hydroplane hall of fame. Later that summer, stan sayres selected lou to drive slomoshun iv in the harmsworth regatta at detroit when driverdesigner ted jones was injured. With the 1950s, the presidents cup regatta became one of the four traditional stops on the apba unlimited hydroplane tour, together with seattle washington, detroit michigan, and madison indiana. The first famous flip of a raceboat occurred on lake washington in 1955 with the sister ship of the slo mo iv, the slo mo v, with lou fageol driving. When owner sayres unveiled a new slomoshun v in 1951, fageol was named the driver.

Fageol supercar that was an unfortunate causality of world war i. Fageol twin coach special next up is a machine that took indys potential for publicity to extremes. Launching just a few days before the gold cup, the v was the first boat to qualify, with an average speed of 91. Boats like slomoshun, miss bardahl, miss budweiser and miss thriftway. She won the first unlimited hydroplane race held in seattle, the 1951 gold cup.

Drivers like lou fageol, mira slovak, bill schumacher. Next up is a machine that took indys potential for publicity to extremes. The first time that a 3point hydroplane won the event was in 1939 the year i was born. One of these answers includes a saying that isnt part of hydroplane lore a pickle fork, lycoming engine, cowling, beer garden b decktodeck racing, spooling, fuel restrictor valve, 127. Postwar the company focused on the impressive fageol safety coach and a line of fageol trucks. The racer is the famous u37 slomoshun v hydroplane race boat. By david greene associate unlimited hydroplane historian. Slomoshun v won both of them with lou fageol driving in the gold cup and ted jones in the seafair trophy. Gar wood, us hydroplane driver king of the used cars darel dieringer, us stock car racer krjr. Lego 6288796 frozen elsas magical ice palace brand new in box free shipping. A popular postwar winner was chuck thompson in the dossin brothers miss pepsi in 1950, 1951, and 1952.

Apr 30, 2003 the fageol fortune from father frank was founded on twinengined buses twin coach,so the fetish was in the genes. In 1950 lou fageol came to the fore as an outstanding driver. After the war, lou fageol returned to indy, first with the twinoffenhauser fourwheeldrive fageol twin coach special in 1946 dnf, lap 16. Lou fageol announced his retirement from competition after the 1954 gold cup.