H1 Unlimited Awards 2023 Gold Cup to Seattle
The APBA Gold Cup, the oldest trophy in American motorsports and the most renowned boat race in the world, will return to Seattle this summer after a 38-year absence. The event, part of the H1 Unlimited Racing Series, will take place on Seattle’s Lake Washington Friday, August 4 through Sunday, August 6 and will feature competition among hydroplanes capable of speeds of about 200 mph—the world’s fastest race boats.
The Seattle race will be the 113th running of the APBA Gold Cup. The winner of the HomeStreet Bank Cup hydroplane race will also win the coveted Gold Cup trophy. It will be the first time the APBA Gold Cup has been held in Seattle since 1985.
“We are thrilled to award the APBA Gold Cup to Seattle,” said Tim Austin, the chairman of H1 Unlimited. “Seattle has a long tradition of Gold Cup racing and remains the home of most of the unlimited hydroplanes that compete in our racing circuit, which includes events across the nation. Bringing this prestigious race to Lake Washington after so many years away will spark new excitement into the annual race here and provide Seattle race fans with a tremendous show.”
The APBA Gold Cup first came to Seattle in 1951 after a local car dealer named Stan Sayres built a hydroplane named Slo-mo-shun IV, set a world straightaway speed record in June 1950, then went to Detroit later that summer and dominated that year’s Gold Cup race. That victory then brought the APBA Gold Cup to Seattle the following summer. Seattle sports fans were overflowing with pride because of the success of Sayres’s Slo-mo-shun IV and his newer boat, Slo-mo-shun V.
At a time before major-league sports had come to Seattle, hydroplane racing became the biggest sports event in the Pacific Northwest through the 1950s and 1960s. Crowds of 300,000 to 400,000 people gathered on the shore of Lake Washington each summer to watch the races. For kids growing up in the area at the time, their sports heroes were hydroplane drivers, and it was common to see young fans towing little wooden hydroplanes behind their bicycles.
Through the years, 14 APBA Gold Cup races have been held in Seattle. The race will be part of Seattle’s annual Seafair Festival, a multi-week celebration with events across the Puget Sound area that touch more than two million people.
Eric Corning, the president and CEO of Seafair, said they are excited for the return of the APBA Gold Cup to Seattle after so many years. “This event has a rich history in the Pacific Northwest, and we are proud to be a part of that tradition,” he said. “The Gold Cup is the premier event in hydroplane racing, and we are excited to showcase the world’s fastest race boats and top drivers on Lake Washington. We invite everyone to come out and experience the excitement of this iconic race and enjoy all that Seafair has to offer.”
Bill Cahill, the president of Beacon Plumbing in Seattle, will be a sponsor of the event. “As a company rooted in Seattle and committed to supporting our local community, we are excited to participate in this historical event and witness the world’s fastest race boats in action at Seafair 2023,” he said.
Tickets for the event are on sale at Seafair.org.
H1 Unlimited Awards 2023 Gold Cup to Seattle
The APBA Gold Cup, the oldest trophy in American motorsports and the most renowned boat race in the world, will return to Seattle this summer after a 38-year absence. The event, part of the H1 Unlimited Racing Series, will take place on Seattle’s Lake Washington Friday, August 4 through Sunday, August 6 and will feature competition among hydroplanes capable of speeds of about 200 mph—the world’s fastest race boats.
The Seattle race will be the 113th running of the APBA Gold Cup. The winner of the HomeStreet Bank Cup hydroplane race will also win the coveted Gold Cup trophy. It will be the first time the APBA Gold Cup has been held in Seattle since 1985.
“We are thrilled to award the APBA Gold Cup to Seattle,” said Tim Austin, the chairman of H1 Unlimited. “Seattle has a long tradition of Gold Cup racing and remains the home of most of the unlimited hydroplanes that compete in our racing circuit, which includes events across the nation. Bringing this prestigious race to Lake Washington after so many years away will spark new excitement into the annual race here and provide Seattle race fans with a tremendous show.”
The APBA Gold Cup first came to Seattle in 1951 after a local car dealer named Stan Sayres built a hydroplane named Slo-mo-shun IV, set a world straightaway speed record in June 1950, then went to Detroit later that summer and dominated that year’s Gold Cup race. That victory then brought the APBA Gold Cup to Seattle the following summer. Seattle sports fans were overflowing with pride because of the success of Sayres’s Slo-mo-shun IV and his newer boat, Slo-mo-shun V.
At a time before major-league sports had come to Seattle, hydroplane racing became the biggest sports event in the Pacific Northwest through the 1950s and 1960s. Crowds of 300,000 to 400,000 people gathered on the shore of Lake Washington each summer to watch the races. For kids growing up in the area at the time, their sports heroes were hydroplane drivers, and it was common to see young fans towing little wooden hydroplanes behind their bicycles.
Through the years, 14 APBA Gold Cup races have been held in Seattle. The race will be part of Seattle’s annual Seafair Festival, a multi-week celebration with events across the Puget Sound area that touch more than two million people.
Eric Corning, the president and CEO of Seafair, said they are excited for the return of the APBA Gold Cup to Seattle after so many years. “This event has a rich history in the Pacific Northwest, and we are proud to be a part of that tradition,” he said. “The Gold Cup is the premier event in hydroplane racing, and we are excited to showcase the world’s fastest race boats and top drivers on Lake Washington. We invite everyone to come out and experience the excitement of this iconic race and enjoy all that Seafair has to offer.”
Bill Cahill, the president of Beacon Plumbing in Seattle, will be a sponsor of the event. “As a company rooted in Seattle and committed to supporting our local community, we are excited to participate in this historical event and witness the world’s fastest race boats in action at Seafair 2023,” he said.
Tickets for the event are on sale at Seafair.org.