Wilson Qualifies Miss U.S. I as Fastest for Gold Cup
(Special to the Detroit News)

Gold Cup to Draw 15 Unlimiteds Wilson Qualifies Miss U.S. I Fastest for Gold Cup Gold Cup Racing Put Off til Next Year Muncey Takes Unlimited Crown Statistics

LAS VEGAS, Nev., Nov. 11. — Three months ago former Detroiter Don Wilson lay in a Seattle hospital, burned so badly in a hydroplane accident that he had to have skin grafts.

Although at the time he spoke of retiring for good from the hazardous sport of unlimited powerboat racing, the lure of speed and the thrill of competition proved too much.

The grinning redhead was behind the wheel of Detroiter George Simon’s Miss U.S. I yesterday when the big, red three-pointer roared around the three-mile course at Lake Mead to qualify for the Gold Cup race tomorrow and Sunday.

"It certainly felt good to get out there again," Wilson reported upon completing his run.

He accelerated Miss U.S. big Rolls engine sufficiently to turn in the fastest qualifying time to date. He averaged 114.647 miles an hour for the three laps, with a high of 116.10 on the final lap.

Wilson was at the wheel of this same boat in last summer’s Seafair Regatta at Seattle when the craft caught fire. He was hospitalized for more than a week.

Wilson, now of Palm Beach, spent three weeks in the hospital in September of 1959 after being thrown out of the cockpit of Miss U.S. in the President’s Cup Regatta at Washington. D. C.

Detroit now has two boats in competition for the cup, plus the Miss Supertest II, of Sarnia, Ont., which will defend the trophy in Detroit if she should win it. Lee Schoenith’s Gale V is the other qualifier.

They are among 12 boats qualified for the big race, being held here for the first time. Bob Larsen, of Seattle, qualified KOL-Roy yesterday with a speed of 104.56 m.p.h.

Ray Crawford, of El Monte, Calif., a veteran race car driver, just made the qualifying speed of 100 m.p.h. in $ Bill with a speed of 100:687 m.p.h. Other boats to qualify earlier were Miss Bardahl, Miss Thriftway, Miss Spokane, Wahoo, KOL-Roy I and Miss Seattle Too.

(Reprinted from the Detroit News, November 11, 1960)

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