Joe and Lee Schoenith raced Unlimited hydroplanes from 1950 to 1975. Most of their boats were named GALE, sponsored by W.D. Gale, Inc., a Detroit-based electrical contracting firm, which the Schoeniths owned.
Their most famous boat was the first GALE V, designed by Les Staudacher, which was National High Point Champion in 1954 and 1955 and won the APBA Gold Cup in 1955 on Seattle's Lake Washington with Lee Schoenith driving.
The original GALE V was retired after 1955. A vastly inferior namesake took its place in 1956. The Schoeniths gave up on it after an unsuccessful season and a half. GALE V the second re-appeared a few years later as Leo Mucutza's YELLER JACKET and Jack Schafer's SUCH CRUST IV.
GALE V the third debuted in 1958. Patterned after the Gold Cup winner, it won a few secondary races in 1960 and 1961 with Bill Cantrell driving but was only sporadically competitive. It last raced in 1964.
The various GALE V drivers included Lee Schoenith, his younger brother Jerry Schoenith, Cantrell, Doc Terry, Roy Duby, Bud Saile, Bob Schroeder, and Rex Manchester.
The three GALE V hydroplanes each used a single-Allison set-up, while the two boats named GALE VI were twin-Allison-powered.
The first GALE VI, built in 1955, raced until 1958. Unlike most Detroit-based Unlimiteds, this one was designed by Seattleite Ted Jones. It managed to win the 1956 St. Clair, Michigan, race against mediocre opposition with Lee Schoenith driving. But it had trouble keeping up with the smaller, lighter single-engine boats of that era. Roy Duby drove it a few times but was likewise unable to achieve results.
A second GALE VI, designed by Staudacher, arrived in 1959. It was one of the biggest Unlimiteds of all time and measured 36 feet in length. It managed to lead a few laps of the 1959 Seattle Gold Cup with Fred Alter at the wheel but was otherwise a failure.
GALE VI the second (with driver Leo Mucutza) ran with a single Allison in 1960. But this idea was quickly abandoned. For 1961, it was equipped with a V-16 Packard marine engine and renamed GALE VII. But it was still a tailender and defied the efforts of drivers Bob Schroeder and Danny Foster.
GALE VII's last appearance was the 1963 Detroit Gold Cup where it sank during a test run.
The 1963 SEATTLE SEAFAIR PROGRAM summed up the boat's career in these words: "Four years, four drivers, and thousands of man hours have all so far failed to make GALE VII tick. She finishes last most of the time and the consensus is: 'She couldn't do it with two Allisons; she isn't going to do it with one Packard.'"
Fred Farley - H1 Unlimited Historian
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The community-owned MISS MADISON from Madison, Indiana, is the oldest
continuously active team in Unlimited hydroplane history. The city has had a
boat in competition every year from 1961 to 2009--a total of 49
seasons.
By comparison, the late Bernie Little’s MISS BUDWEISER team
started in 1963 and retired after 2004.
In 2009, the OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS
MADISON (U-1) achieved its second straight National High Point Championship with
Steve David driving. This entitles the MISS M to wear the coveted U-1 label
again in 2010.
*****
1961
In late 1960, industrialist
Sam DuPont donated his NITROGEN hydroplane, an Allison-powered craft, to the
City of Madison. The name was changed to MISS MADISON, Graham Heath of Madison
became the crew chief of an all-volunteer crew, and Marion Cooper of Louisville,
Kentucky, signed on as driver. The original MISS M took a fifth-place in its
first race, the 1961 Detroit Memorial Regatta, and, later in the season, won a
secondary race at the Seattle Seafair Regatta in Seattle,
Washington.
1962
A poverty budget and stock equipment not
withstanding, MISS MADISON did herself proud in her second season as 'The
Floating Chamber of Commerce' for the City of Madison. Pilot Cooper and crew
chief Heath took fourth-place in the Spirit Of Detroit Trophy and third in the
hometown Indiana Governor’s Cup.
1963
The first MISS MADISON
ended her career where it had begun—-at Detroit. During trials for the 1963 Gold
Cup Regatta, MISS M was completely destroyed and pilot Morlan Visel was
seriously injured. The former NITROGEN TOO debuted as the second MISS MADISON at
the 1963 Madison Regatta and took fifth-place with George 'Buddy' Byers as
driver.
1964
MISS MADISON had a big year in 1964 and gave an
extremely consistent performance. This allowed her to finish second in National
High Points behind Ron Musson and the MISS BARDAHL. Buddy Byers steered MISS M
to second-place in the Dixie Cup at Guntersville, Alabama, the Dakota Cup at New
Town, North Dakota, and the President's Cup at Washington,
D.C.
1965
After five years of trying, the MISS MADISON team
achieved its first major victory in 1965. Pilot Byers scored a come-from-behind
win over Warner Gardner and MARINER TOO in the Dixie Cup on Guntersville Lake.
Another highlight of 1965 was a second-place in the San Diego Cup on Mission
Bay.
1966
Jim McCormick of Owensboro, Kentucky, made his
Unlimited Class debut as driver of the community-owned entry in 1966, replacing
Buddy Byers. The MISS MADISON team had a mediocre year at best. Their highest
finishes were a third at the Tampa Suncoast Cup and a fourth at the Madison
Regatta.
1967
Following a reduced schedule of races in 1967
with Ed O’Halloran of Detroit, Michigan, as driver, MISS MADISON improved on its
1966 performance but was simply not the contender she had been under the
helmsmanship of Buddy Byers. The highest finish in 1967 was a second place in
the Suncoast Cup on Tampa Bay.
1968
The 1968 season was a great
year for boats like MISS BARDAHL, MISS EAGLE ELECTRIC, MISS U.S., MY GYPSY, and
MISS BUDWEISER…but not for MISS MADISON, which had one of her worst seasons
ever. In four races entered, the boat was simply not a factor and failed to
qualify for a single Final Heat.
1969
In 1969, the now
experienced Jim McCormick returned to the MISS MADISON cockpit. But even with
the change in drivers, the boat’s performance improved only slightly. A third at
the hometown Madison Regatta was the team’s highest finish. Indeed, the glory
days of 1964-65 seemed light years away.
1970
A highway
accident in Georgia while en route to the first race of the season in Tampa,
Florida, delayed MISS MADISON’s 1970 debut. Repaired and rebuilt by original
builder Les Staudacher, the boat showed a definite increase in speed. At year’s
end, MISS M was running the best of her long career. She was ripe for a
victory.
1971
Precious little can be said of the fabulous 1971
campaign that hasn’t already been. MISS MADISON and driver Jim McCormick
continued the favorable trend that began in late-1970 with back-to-back wins in
the Gold Cup at Madison and the Atomic Cup at the Tri-Cities, Washington. They
finished second to MISS BUDWEISER in National High
Points.
1972
A new boat (built by Gale Enterprises) and a new
driver (Charlie Dunn) headlined the MISS MADISON team in 1972. A championship
season was anticipated. But this was not to be. Dunn crashed during
qualification for the Gold Cup at Detroit. For the first time since 1961, there
was no MISS MADISON host boat at the Madison
Regatta.
1973
Following the mid-season resignation of Charlie
Dunn, Tom Sheehy became driver of MISS MADISON. The team had, for the first time
in its history, a commercial sponsor: Nestea Ice Tea. The boat’s performance in
competition was mediocre with the highest finish being a fifth at the
President’s Cup in Washington, D.C., with Dunn in the
cockpit.
1974
By 1974, it was pretty much conceded that the Ron
Jones, Sr.-designed PAY ‘n PAK and MISS BUDWEISER hulls were the state of the
art in Unlimited racing. Still, MISS MADISON would not be denied. With rookie
driver Milner Irvin—-a last-minute addition to the team--she was the best of the
rest and finished a respectable third in National High
Points.
1975
The MISS MADISON team, frankly, did not improve on
its 1974 performance in 1975. Occupying the cockpit this year was Jerry Bangs, a
trial lawyer by profession and a hydroplane racer by avocation. In ten races as
the U-6 pilot, Jerry nevertheless qualified for the all-important Final Heat six
times and placed fifth in National High Points.
1976
Ron Snyder
of Piqua, Ohio, became driver of MISS MADISON in 1976 and placed third in the
Indiana Governor’s Cup. This led to his being named Rookie of the Year by the
Unlimited Racing Commission. Ron is the only driver to pilot three different
MISS MADISON hulls in competition (between 1976 and
1988).
1977
Madisonian Jon Peddie became the first local
resident to pilot the community-owned MISS MADISON. A veteran auto racer and
body shop owner, Jon piloted MISS M to fourth-place in a field of 20 boats in
the 1977 National High Point Standings and was honored as Unlimited
Rookie-of-the Year.
1978
MISS MADISON the fourth arrived in
1978. This was the former National Champion PAY ‘n PAK of 1973, which had won so
many races with Rolls-Royce Merlin power. Refitted with an Allison engine, the
'new' MISS M finished second in the Gold Cup at Owensboro, Kentucky, with Jon
Peddie driving and second in the Tri-Cities Columbia Cup with Milner
Irvin.
1979
After a promising 1978, Madisonians were expecting a
lot from their boat in 1979. The season, however, proved a disappointment.
Mechanical difficulties defied the efforts of pilot Milner Irvin. Following a
sixth-place finish at the Gold Cup in Madison, the U-6 team withdrew from
competition to better prepare for 1980.
1980
The MISS MADISON
team rebounded with a solid 1980 season performance that effectively dimmed the
memory of 1979. Milner Irvin steered MISS M to fourth-place in a field of 23
boat in the National High Point Standings. With new sponsor DR. TOYOTA, the U-6
finished third in the UIM World Championship Race on Seattle’s Lake
Washington.
1981
One of MISS MADISON’s best seasons was the 1981
campaign. For the third time in its history, the team finished second in
National High Points. At the season finale in Acapulco, Mexico, driver Milner
Irvin risked his own life when he spun MISS MADISON at high speed to avoid
running over the fatally injured Bill Muncey, driver of ATLAS VAN
LINES.
1982
With the retirement of Milner Irvin, Tom Sheehy, the
1973 MISS MADISON driver, briefly returned to the U-6 cockpit in 1982 but was
replaced at Detroit by 1976 driver Ron Snyder. Ron took runner-up honors at the
Indiana Governor’s Cup in Madison and third at the two Washington state races in
the Tri-Cities and Seattle.
1983
By 1983, the old-style
rear-cockpit/forward-engine hulls were pretty much obsolete. Cabover hulls were
all the rage. But MISS MADISON—-the former 1973 PAY ‘n PAK—-still had one win
left in her. Ron Snyder drove her to an upset victory over ATLAS VAN LINES and
MISS BUDWEISER in the Missouri Governor’s Cup at Lake-of-the
Ozarks.
1984
The MISS MADISON team picked up an important new
sponsor in 1984, American Speedy Printing Centers. Unlike Rich Plan Food Service
and Frank Kenny Toyota/Volvo in 1983, this one was for the entire season. Ron
Snyder piloted the U-6 to second-place at Syracuse and Houston and third-place
at Miami.
1985
Ron Snyder took a year off from driving for the
MISS MADISON team in 1985. He was replaced by Andy Coker, a veteran 5-Litre
Class Inboard competitor. As the 12th MISS MADISON driver, Coker won
Unlimited Rookie-of-the-Year honors and finished second in the races at Miami
and Syracuse.
1986
The 1986 campaign proved a mixed blessing for
the MISS MADISON, sponsored this year by Holset Engineering, which provided
turbochargers for the Allison engines. The U-6 finished fourth in National High
Points, but driver Ron Snyder was injured at the race in Evansville, Indiana.
Jerry Hopp and Andy Coker filled in while Ron
recuperated.
1987
In her last full season of competition as the
fourth MISS MADISON, the 1978 MISS M took third in 1987 National High Points
with Ron Snyder driving. This included a third-place in the Indiana Governor’s
Cup. At the last race of the season in Las Vegas, the name was changed to HOLSET
MRS. MADISON in anticipation of a new boat in 1988.
1988
Three
different boats raced as HOLSET MISS MADISON (U-6) in 1988. The new Ron Jones,
Sr.-designed hull wasn’t ready to start the season. So the 1978 hull was
recalled from mothballs. The new hull debuted at the Tri-Cities but flipped at
San Diego. The third boat was a rental, borrowed from the Ed Cooper team, to
fulfill a sponsorship agreement.
1989
Mike Hanson, who had
replaced Ron Snyder for one race as MISS MADISON driver in 1988, became the
full-time pilot of MISS M in 1989. Hanson would retain that position for ten
years. He guided the U-6 to third-place in 1989 National High Points and
finished second behind MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS pilot Chip Hanauer in Driver
Points.
1990
The 1990 season would be the last for the MISS
MADISON team with Allison power. Turbine engines were clearly the future of the
sport. In its 30th and final year as a 'piston-packer', The U-6
placed sixth in National High Points and finished second in the races at the
Tri-Cities and Kansas City.
1991
Re-powered with a Lycoming jet
turbine engine, MISS MADISON became more competitive and was capable of heats in
the 130 mile an hour—-rather than the 120 mile an hour—-speed range. Sponsored
by Valvoline Motor Oil, the U-6 placed fifth in National High Points and
finished second in the Indiana Governor’s Cup.
1992
MISS
MADISON—-like an oft-married woman—-carried yet another name into competition in
1992: KELLOGG’S TONY THE TIGER. This was a continuation of a sponsorship
agreement that had its origin at a couple of West Coast races in 1991. Mike
Hanson guided the breakfast cereal team to fourth-place in National High
Points.
1993
The Kellogg’s-sponsored U-6 team won its first race
in ten years in 1993—-the Star Mart Cup at San Diego with Mike Hanson driving.
Moreover, the MISS MADISON scored more National High Points that year than any
other boat but was officially second to the MISS BUDWEISER team, which used two
different hulls during the season.
1994
Despite the success of
1993, the MISS MADISON found itself without a sponsor at the outset of 1994 and
had to miss the first few races of the season. Not wishing to see the demise of
a 33-year competitive tradition, POWERBALL Lottery stepped up to the plate and
sponsored the U-6 for the Madison Regatta, where it placed
fifth.
1995
MISS MADISON had two major sponsors in 1995: JASPER
ENGINES & TRANSMISSIONS in the East and DeWALT TOOLS in the West. The boat
blew over on the wind-swept Detroit River and suffered considerable damage.
Driver Mike Hanson escaped serious injury. But, in subsequent races, MISS M
wasn’t quite the same and failed to finish in the
top-three.
1996
With DeWALT TOOLS signing up for a full-season
sponsorship in 1996, the MISS MADISON team improved considerably in comparison
to 1995. With Mike Hanson driving, they finished fourth in National High Points
and finished in the top-three at four events. This included a second-place at
Kelowna, British Columbia.
1997
MISS MADISON’s perennial rival
MISS BUDWEISER was really on a roll in 1997. Indeed, Bernie Little’s 'Beer
Wagon' garnered most of the glory as it quite often did in those days. MISS M
nevertheless hung in there and made her presence felt. Mike Hanson qualified her
for—-and finished--the Final Heat at all nine of the races
entered.
1998
Bad financial times returned for the MISS MADISON
in 1998. Following the departure of DeWALT TOOLS as team sponsor, operating
funds were lacking. The team nevertheless entered the 1998 Madison Regatta. Mike
Hanson, in his final appearance as MISS MADISON driver, steered the craft to an
overall third-place in the Indiana Governor’s
Cup.
1999
Sponsorship was still lacking for the MISS MADISON in
1999, but the team nevertheless made it to a few more races than in 1998.
Hanover, Indiana resident Todd Yarling replaced Mike Hanson as U-6 pilot. Todd
flipped the boat in a race at Barrie, Ontario, but rebounded to take third-place
at Norfolk, Virginia.
2000
Charley Wiggins, a promising rookie,
started the 2000 season as MISS MADISON driver but retired after a couple of
injury accidents at Evansville and Detroit. Nate Brown finished the season.
Under the sponsorship of OH BOY! OBERTO, Brown placed third, fourth, and third
at the Tri-Cities, Seattle, and San Diego races.
2001
The big
news of 2001 was the hiring by Bob Hughes, President of Miss Madison, Inc., of
Steve David as driver for the OH BOY! OBERTO-sponsored U-6. Steve would go on to
become the most victorious MISS MADISON driver of them all. David’s first win
for the team was a triumph in the 2001 Indiana Governor’s Cup.
2002
The 1988 vintage MISS MADISON, now in its fifteenth
season, was starting to show its age in 2002. In its second full season with the
OH BOY! OBERTO sponsorship, the U-6 finished sixth in National High Points with
Steve David driving. Highlights included a third in the Columbia Cup and a
fourth in the Gold Cup.
2003
OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS MADISON
experienced mechanical difficulties throughout 2003. They did achieve a moral
victory at Seattle. The MISS BUDWEISER team came to MISS M’s rescue when she
suffered hull damage in a test run. Using the BUDWEISER shop, the OBERTO crew
worked feverishly to effect repairs and ended up taking third-place in the
Seattle race.
2004
Mike Hanson made a triumphant return to the
MISS MADISON team in 2004. Now retired as a driver, Mike made the transition to
crew chief with ease. Nicknamed 'The Boat Doctor', Hanson breathed new life into
the aging U-6, which finished third in National High Points and took
second-place at both the Gold Cup and the Columbia
Cup.
2005
Steve David scored his second victory as driver of the
OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS MADISON with a first-place at 'Thunder On The Ohio' in
Evansville, Indiana. At season’s end, MISS M was second in 2005 National High
Points and David was first in Driver Points. This was the first national title
in the 45-year history of the U-6 team.
2006
OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS
MADISON suffered hull damage at the first two races of the season at Evansville
and Madison but rebounded to take second-place at Valleyfield and Seattle and
third-place at Detroit, the Tri-Cities, and San Diego. And Steve David was once
again National High Point Driver. A new boat was now in the planning stages for
2007.
2007
The first new MISS MADISON since 1988 made its debut
in 2007, sponsored by OH BOY! OBERTO and co-designed by Dale VanWieringen, Ron
Jones, Jr., and Mike Hanson. An instant contender, the boat finished second in
National High Points. Driver Steve David scored back-to-back victories in the
Chevrolet Cup at Seattle and the Bill Muncey Cup at San
Diego.
2008
After 48 years, it finally happened! MISS MADISON
was National High Point Champion in the Unlimited Class! It was also a first
title for the sponsor, OH BOY! OBERTO. Driver Steve David started in 21 heats of
competition, finished first in 10 of them, was second eight times, third once,
fourth twice, and won the Tri-Cities Columbia
Cup.
2009
MISS MADISON and
sponsor OH BOY! OBERTO made it two National High Point Championships in a row in
2009. The team also won a second straight Tri-Cities Columbia Cup. Driver Steve
David flipped the boat in a preliminary heat at the season-concluding Oryx Cup
in Doha,Qatar, but rebounded to finish second in the finale and claim the
overall season title.
*****
Over the years, other community-owned
or sponsored boats have come and gone in the water sport of kings. But none of
those ever won a National Championship.
Only the MISS MADISON team has
demonstrated staying power. Their boats have aided many regattas by their
participation over the past 49 years and helped to fill out many fields when
racing needed boats in the pits. They are a credit to the sport and to the City
of Madison.
Representative owner Bob Hughes, sponsor Larry Oberto, team
manager Charlie Grooms, crew chief Mike Hanson, driver Steve David, and all of
the other MISS MADISON team members—-past and present--deserve praise for a job
well done.
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ABRA Unlimited Historian Fred Farley recounts the History of the UIM World Championship, which will be contested for the 18th time at the Oryx Cup in Doha, Qatar November 19-21.
All photos are from the collection of Ron Harsin
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San Diego's Mission Bay was the setting for the most recent installment of the UIM World Championship series. In terms of boat-to-boat action, the 2006 race produced some of the finest competition imaginable.
Photo finishes in preliminary Heats 1-B and 2-B bordered on the unbelievable.
Jimmy King, driving the Allison-powered COOPER MOTORSPORTS, edged out Jeff Bernard in the FORMULABOATS.COM entry by three feet at the finish of Heat 1-B. No, that's not a misprint. Three feet!
In Heat 2-B, Dave Villwock in MISS E-LAM PLUS, Mike Allen in FORMULABOATS.COM II, and Jean Theoret in MISS BEACON PLUMBING shared the same roostertail for 7.5 miles and finished .02 seconds apart with Villwock outrunning Allen by two feet.
The San Diego event happened to be the last race on the 2006 Unlimited hydroplane calendar. In addition to the World Championship, the National High Point Boat Championship and the National High Point Driver Championship were likewise up for grabs.
Five teams had a mathematical chance of winning the High Point Championship. Everybody was going all out. The preliminary heats seemed like Final Heats.
Five boats qualified at over 160 miles per hour on the 2.5-mile Mission Bay course with MISS E-LAM PLUS going fastest at 165.660.
The race format consisted of four sets of preliminary heats instead of the usual three. The preliminary heats were three laps each; the winner-take-all Final Heat was five. Eight preliminary heats were run and five different boats won them.
Six boats crossed the starting line virtually even in the Final Heat. Theoret and MISS BEACON PLUMBING used a 154.257 mile an hour first lap to lead the field and posted a winning average speed of 148.066 for the 12.5-mile distance.
King and COOPER MOTORSPORTS finished second to Theoret in the Final Heat at 146.650 and Steve David in OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS MADISON took third at 142.159.
FORMULABOATS.COM II driven by Allen took fourth and his teammate Bernard finished fifth in FORMULABOATS.COM I, followed by Ken Muscatel in SUPERIOR RACING. Villwock and MISS E-LAM PLUS failed to finish.
Three different teams celebrated victories following the Final Heat: MISS BEACON PLUMBING was the World Champion; FORMULABOATS.COM II was the National High Point Boat Champion; and OH BOY! OBERTO driver Steve David was the National High Point Driver Champion.
It was a great way to conclude the season.
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