when the flag drops, the bull…. Stops!!!!!!!! |
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*IT'S
A BIG CAT ALRIGHT OWNER - driver Bert Braumann posed confidently in his boat Big Cat - and what a big cat it is, a 1200 h.p. super charged Chrysler, one of the many entries for the Griffith Cup at Lake Eppalock tomorrow. He is receiving a helping hand from Mrs. Joy Lewis, whose husband is owner - driver of Vulture, second in last year's Griffith Cup |
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*HELP
FOR THE BIG RACE MY GENIE received a lot of help from these three experienced powerboat fans. At left is Mrs. S. Jones, whose husband is owner of Stampede and defender of the Griffith Cup. Helping her are Mrs. R. Jenkin and Mrs. N. Kaye. The speedboat classic will be held at Lake Eppalock tomorrow. *Bendigo Advertiser - Saturday, April 10, 1971 |
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GDBC - GLENMAGGIE GOLD CUP 2003 GDBC - GLENMAGGIE GOLD CUP 2004 GDBC - AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2005 Summer Drag Boat Championships February 2005 Australian Drag Boat National Titles April 2005 Power Boat Racing Mulwala Water Ski Club Griffith Cup 2005 Test 'N Tune Australain Drag Boat Club October 2005 Thunder at the Glenmaggie Wier January 2006 |
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TOP |
**STAMPEDE A crack field was trampled by The “Glenmaggie Monster” at Lake Eppalock in the most exciting Cup on record which captured 16,000 paying customers! By Graeme Andrews |
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IN
A MEETING that beggars superlatives, the best boats from three
Australian States and from New Zealand lined up to contest the Cup that
has been the top trophy for speedboats for 60 years.
With good pre-race publicity and fine weather a crowd of 16,000 paid their dollar and filled the Derrinal Pool amphitheatre. Food stands and drink bars did a roaring trade as the crowd settled to watch a top supporting program. Attracting great interest in the support program was the new stock hydro Frantic Too driven by Ron Haylock. This little Ford powered screamer is the lead boat of a class of one design hydros which will use stock Ford mills and have identical hulls. The scheme, started in Victoria, provides for a fully finished boat to be afloat and racing for under $1000. Late in the afternoon the big ones finished their warm ups and the first elimination heat was started. Crack Kiwi boat Air New Zealand driven by the Mcgregor brothers of Auckland had put in the fastest time in trials the day before and much was expected of this immaculate hydro. With two other Kiwi boats ready for battle, the classic race was shaping up as one for the record books. Entries in heat one of the eliminations were Voodoo IV representing the New Brighton Speedboat Club of New Zealand and driven by Bill Stokes, Canberra SK Yogi Bear driven by the Pearson brothers, Aggressor, Australia’s biggest hydro driven by Dave Tenny and Les Scott, Ern Nunn’s new Wasp Two driven by Des Radburn of Sydney, Black Knight driven by Pat Hawthorn, South Australia’s Villain with Murray Langford, Jo Blo with Jack Bullen in the box seat and Tom Watts’ rugged-looking Exciter driven from a forward position. Aggressor suffered fuelling troubles at flag drop and the “Jolly Green Giant” was left ploughing along as the field blasted off. Watts, pouring on the pressure took Exciter to the lead from Radburn in Wasp Two. Radburn handling the new big Wasp gingerly was still feeling his way and content to let Watts take the running. Yogi Bear with the new 427 ci Chev running easily was sitting on the Wasp’s tail while Jack Bullen played it cagey in Jo Blo. Fuelling troubles over, Tenny began pouring on the coal in the mighty Aggressor. The big boat was blasting down the back straights and sliding around the corners in a curtain of spray. As she passed the tower each lap she was one boat further up. Langford
in Villain was having his own private battle with Bill Stoke’s Voodoo
but the Kiwi boat was more than 1500 rpm down on her practice time and
wasn’t going too well. Aggressor passed the screaming Wasp Two in
lap four and moved to second place as Exciter broke down. Frantic efforts in the pits area to clear the throng were futile and as people wandered past madly spinning props and moved back from blazing exhausts, officials yelled themselves hoarse trying to get some sense into the crowd. One unfortunate dog ran right into a fast-spinning prop. Heat two of the eliminations saw the defender taken on to the milling area by Bobby Saniga with Debbie Too from Victoria driven by Glyn Graham, Mystic Miss driven by Tom Watts, Vulture —John Lewis, Chevvy — Len Harris, Slipray — Em Baynton, Redline —Peter Wade, Cheeta — Les Ramsay, and Air New Zealand — John McGregor. Stampede leapt to the lead from the word GO! Trailing a 200 yard tail she swept past Air New Zealand, sidelined with a broken rod and led the field into the turn. Trevor Matthews, driving Assassin, stayed close to the thundering giant with Redline sitting close behind. Watts in the Miss seemed to be losing power and after a quick start was slipping back as the leaders took off. Cheeta, running well, led Vulture into the turns while Chevvie seemed content to keep her place. Stampede came over the line well ahead of Assassin with Redline taking third place from Cheeta. Debbie Too running in the middle of the field for the distance came home in fifth place with Chevvie and the ailing Vulture trailing the field. Draw for the final heat resulted in entrants being picked on the basis of their heat times. Aggressor took place one with Stampede, Wasp Two, Assassin, Redline, Jo Blo, Villain, Voodoo IV, Cheeta, Debbie Too, and History getting a start. Aggressor fuelled up once more at the start as Stampede leapt away. Wasp Two sat in close to the leader with Villain, Aggressor, Redline, Debbie Too, Jo Blo, Vulture standing in for sidelined Assassin, and Voodoo following. Clearing her lungs, Aggressor started her run. With Tenny concentrating on the wheel and Les Scott running lookout and adviser, the big boat closed the gap on the leaders. Running neck and neck for two laps the challenger always had the outside running and lost on the turns. A loose water hose stopped her run in lap five allowing Stampede to relax a little as Redline made her run. Wade in Redline had the advantage of surprise as he came within 50 feet of the big one. Saniga saw his danger and planted the foot in time to blast over the line at 120 or more mph followed less than 100 ft back by Redline. Wasp Two was third with Vulture, Villain, Cheeta and Jo Blo coming home in that order. Big upset of the day was the failure of the gregarious Kiwis to get a place. No one wanted them to win but there was plenty of goodwill for a place at least. The Victorian Speedboat Club’s running of the Griffith Cup was notable for various “firsts”. This was the first successful defence of the Cup by a Victorian boat, the first time that the two giant hydros had met, the first time that a team from the Shaky Isles had made the expensive trek to compete and the first time that a crowd of 16,000 had seen a speedboat meeting. It proved that a well run, properly promoted meeting can and will attract people to one of Australia’s most spectacular sports. |
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STAMPEDE
lifts a sponson as she heads for the finish and successful Cup defence. She unofficially lapped at 98 mph at one stage. |
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Dave
Tenny’s mighty AGGRESSORlooked Better than it has before and could be the boat to tackle Stampede in time. |
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TOP | ENTRIES:
Stampede
(defender), S. Jones and R. Saniga, Rolls Merlin 1600 ci, Vic. Vulture (runabout), John Lewis, 350 ci Chev, Vic. Jo Blo (runabout), Jack Bullen, 427 ci blown Chev, NSW. Black Knight (hydro), Pat Hawthorn, 361 ci blown Chrysler, Vic. Mystic Miss (hydro), Tom Watts, 327 ci Chev, Vic. Exciter II (hydro), Tom Watts, 441 ci blown Chrysler, Vic. Aggressor (hydro), Dave Tenny, 1600 ci blown Rolls Merlin, Vic. Yogi Bear (SK), Pearson Bros, 427 ci blown Chev, ACT. Voodoo IV (hydro), Bill Stokes, 307 ci Chev, NZ. Slipray (hydro), E. Baynton, 301 ci Chev, NZ. Air New Zealand (hydro), McGregor Bros, 364 ci Chev, NZ. Assassin (hydro), Trevor Matthews, 392 ci blown Chrysler, Vic. Villain (hydro), M. Langfard, 292 ci Chev, SA. Redline (hydro), P. Wade, 427 ci Chev, Vic. Wasp Two (hydre), D. Radburn, 330 ci Maserati, NSW. Cheeta (runabout), L. Ramsay, 299 ci Holden, Vic. Chevvy (runabout), L. Harris, 327 ci Chev, Vic. Debbie Too (skiff), G. Graham, 427 ci Ford, Vic. |
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THE
GRI FFITH CUP is the oldest perpetual trophy for motor sport in
Australia. The hand beaten silver cup is by today’s standards an ostentatious
piece of Victoriana but to power boatmen its value is far greater than the
$3000 plus that it is reputed to be worth today. In 1910, E. C. Griffith
created the Griffith Cup to encourage motor boat racing. Names such as the
legendary Anthony Hordern, Rymill Bros, McEvoy, Len Southward, Jock Appleton,
Arthur Baker, Em Nunn and Trevor Matthews are engraved upon it.
Last year Bob Saniga and Stan Jones drove their mighty Stampede through the spray to take the trophy and this year for the first time they successfully defended it. Previous Griffith Cup Winners
were: Kangaroo 1913, Nautilus 1915/16, By Graeme Andrews GRIFFITH
CUP PROGRAM |
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