Detroit Gold Cup Weekend

**Honky Tonk** · July-09-14, 09:55 AM

http://www.h1unlimited.com/

**boater4life** · July-09-14, 12:42 PM

Does this block of the whole river? Was planning on heading to Grosse Isle on saturday but now I'm not sure if I can get by there.

**jt1** · July-09-14, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

http://www.h1unlimited.com/

It'll be a good test for MSP to prove that they are applying the laws equally to everyone. If history is any measure, there will be a lot of drunk, speeding hydroplane race fans waiting to get pulled over.

**Honky Tonk** · July-09-14, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by boater4life

Does this block of the whole river? Was planning on heading to Grosse Isle on saturday but now I'm not sure if I can get by there.

You can get by Belle Isle if you take the South strait. [[between Belle Isle and Canada) the North strait, where the races are, will be closed, 11, 12, & 13.

**Smirnoff** · July-09-14, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

http://www.h1unlimited.com/

Are you coming down to the races?

Attachment 23899

**Honky Tonk** · July-09-14, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

Are you coming down to the races?

Attachment 23899

I was planning on, @ least, watching for a bit, on Sunday.

**Smirnoff** · July-11-14, 08:43 AM

A Detroit shot from the July 4th Gold Cup in 1966:

Attachment 23927

The first showing of the automotive twin hemi-powered boat in Detroit [[Miss Chrysler Crew).

Trivia: Which boat won the Detroit Gold Cup in 1966?

**Honky Tonk** · July-11-14, 08:52 AM

Miro Slovak driving Tahoe Miss.

**tarkus** · July-11-14, 10:50 AM

**Detroitnerd** · July-11-14, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by jt1

It'll be a good test for MSP to prove that they are applying the laws equally to everyone. If history is any measure, there will be a lot of drunk, speeding hydroplane race fans waiting to get pulled over.

Good point. Do they identify residency in the arrest logs?

**Smirnoff** · July-12-14, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Miro Slovak driving Tahoe Miss.

HT great job - enjoy yourself at the race.....just don't drink too many Altes.

**milt721** · July-14-14, 09:59 AM

It was a good time. Check out this action from Gabriel Richard Park on Saturday. Action starts around 1:50. No injuries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqi1sjB4Zrs

**Honky Tonk** · July-14-14, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

HT great job - enjoy yourself at the race.....just don't drink too many Altes.

I like that Fassbier taste.

**Honky Tonk** · July-14-14, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by milt721

It was a good time. Check out this action from Gabriel Richard Park on Saturday. Action starts around 1:50. No injuries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqi1sjB4Zrs

Great video. I'm glad everyone was Ok.

**douglasm** · July-14-14, 02:47 PM

Free pepperoni for everyone! I was very happy to hear that Art Oberto, who has been sponsoring boats for a long time, finally got a Gold Cup, but I feel a little sorry for Steve David, one of racings good guys. Starting his unlimited career in 1988, he had driven the Oberto sponsored Miss Madison for 12 years, winning a number of national high points championships but never a Gold Cup. First year out of the cockpit [[Steve retired at the end of last season), the boat wins the cup.

**Smirnoff** · July-14-14, 07:40 PM

They would not let the replica Gale V run the in Gold Cup to fill-out the field in relation to the very small number of boats [[5) which ran on Sunday.....they were ready!

**Honky Tonk** · July-14-14, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

They would not let the replica Gale V run the in Gold Cup to fill-out the field in relation to the very small number of boats [[5) which ran on Sunday.....they were ready!

Why wouldn't they let her run?

**Smirnoff** · July-14-14, 08:22 PM

Politics about safety, insurance, old technology, did not run at the previous race, no canopy, etc.....it's a well-built boat incorporating some of the latest technology for strength.

It only ran exhibition laps as a filler between heats.

**Cliffy** · July-14-14, 09:36 PM

This thing used to be a major event in the 80's and 90's and now you don't even hear a peep. Even the local newscasts would broadcast live there and of course they would televise this event. Does anyone know what kind of attendance was there this weekend

**douglasm** · July-15-14, 06:57 AM

I wonder if the problem is that it's a stand alone event. It used to be a part of the Freedom Festival in the same way the Seafair Trophy Race in Seattle is tied to the Seafair Festival.

**EastsideAl** · July-15-14, 11:54 AM

Had a great time, as always. Loved watching the whole thing, from qualifying to the rather confusing final. Congratulations to the Oberto/Miss Madison team. I think they're still celebrating down in lil' Madison IN on finally winning the cup again after all these years [[last win was the fabled one in 1971).

Thank you Milt for posting the link to that video of the Qatar boat's blowover. That happened just out of our view and we weren't sure what went wrong. There's also an onboard camera view posted that is scary, but gives very little idea of what had actually occurred. This view makes it much more clear how bad it really was. Glad the driver was OK after such a frightening incident. One thing about the sport [[and motorsports everywhere) that has certainly improved greatly is safety.

But, unfortunately, that's one of the few things about this sport that have improved. The loss of the piston engines, and the fragility and cost of the turbines, really has damaged the sport. Yes, the turbine boats are quicker, and perhaps safer, but the excitement and the racing are clearly diminished. The fact that only 8 boats show up for the sport's biggest event - and only 6 of those in race-worthy condition - are evidence of a sport that sure seems to be dying. When you have 2 heats with only 2 boats each in them, and a final with 5 boats [[and only 2 of them truly competitive) there's not really much to hold spectator interest other than the sheer spectacle of the event [[which, although diminished, is still considerable). Seemingly gone forever though are the boats, races, and rivalries that once animated the sport. Events like the Detroit Gold Cup now seem to subsist as much on memory and tradition as on the actual competition.

And speaking of memories, one of the Detroit River's greatest moments, which I think many of us will remember:

Atlas/Hanauer vs. Bud/Chenowith in the 1982 Gold Cup final.

**Whaler** · July-15-14, 12:34 PM

Thanks Al...Now those were the days of the Gold Cup... Chip's Boat was flying out there!!!...Seeing all the people on the shore and on Belle Isle...There was nobody there this weekend we were at Gregory's and the count was way down!!!...Man back in the 60's the young people were everywhere... We use to have big gatherings...I saw very few this weekend!!!.. Such a shame for me it is one of my favorite weekends in Detroit!!!...Whaler