 |
|
|
|
|
|
Miss Tool Crib Question |
|
|
By Fred Farley - ABRA Unlimited Historian |
|
|
QUESTION: Fred, do you have any history on an Unlimited named MISS TOOL CRIB? When I was a kid in the 1960s, I remember it sitting at the Rainer Beach Marina (in Seattle) for many years. -Danny Elliott ANSWER: MISS TOOL CRIB (U-5) was the former MISS U.S. II (U-20), originally owned by George Simon of Detroit. Designed and built by Les Staudacher, MISS U.S. II finished first in Heat 2-A of the 1956 Seafair Trophy Race in Seattle (before conking out in the finale) and won the 1956 Silver Cup in Detroit, piloted by Don Wilson. But the boat was a wild rider. And after a poor showing in the Detroit Gold Cup, Donnie wanted no part of it. So Doc Terry replaced him as driver. Simon hired Henry Lauterbach to try to straighten the boat out. Lauterbach installed some of his trademark drop-sponsons, but even that didn't help. MISS U.S. II became MISS TOOL CRIB in 1960 and was owned by a Seattle company that had previously campaigned a Limited hydroplane. Del Fanning, a Northwest auto racer, was named driver. The boat failed to qualify at Chelan, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, but managed to finish ninth in the Seafair race. MISS TOOL CRIB made one more appearance in competition. She participated in the 1961 Seafair Queen's Trophy, which was the lower third a a three-race triple bill on Lake Washington. The Queen's race was for the slowest group of qualifiers. With a youthful Billy Schumacher driving (in only his second Unlimited race), the U-5 took second in a three-boat field. After 1961, no one else stepped up up to the plate to try to make a contender out of MISS TOOL CRIB. The boat ended its days in obscurity. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
