Hydros Up-Close 1965 Notre Dame

[@markrocovich830]

Shirley Mendelson McDonald had just taken over the operation of the Notre Dame racing team, and then the next year had to deal with the death of her driver Rex Manchester on the Potomac River..3 years later, after the death of Colonel Warner Gardner on the Detroit River in the Miss Eagle Electric, both Shirley and Dave Heerensperger dissolved their racing teams..

[@haroldtwilson]

One of the illustrious names of racing, the Notre Dames were famous back in the 1930s when my father in Miss Canada III beat Notre Dame with its screaming Duesenberg engine in the 1939 Presidents Cup in Washington. The Notre Dames were always a class act and top runners.

[@westsideflyer7559]

The second series of Notre Dame boats run by Shirley McDonald always had first class equipment but did not have the success she had hoped for.

[@markrocovich830]

The only APBA Hall of Famers missing from the leader board were Ron Musson, Bill Sterett, Dean Chenoweth, and Billy Schumacher..Sadly, the only one to survive the Allison/Rolls Royce powered Era was Schumacher, as the other 3 drivers died in racing mishaps...

[@westsideflyer7559]

Bill Sterett, Sr. was not killed in a hydroplane. Bill Sterett, Jr. was killed testing a 7-liter boat .

[@markrocovich830]

Most of the boats in this event were based out of Detroit Michigan, with Budweiser being based out of Tampa Florida..Jerry Schoenith owned 3 boats, Walter Kade and George Simon owned 2, and Bill Harrah owned the hull that bore his casino's name...

[@westsideflyer7559]

Shirley McDonald ran her boat out of Seattle shops. Miss Exide was a Seattle boat.