Rex Manchester Remembered

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

It is most unfortunate that the circumstances surrounding the death of Rex Manchester seem to be better known than the details of his exemplary life.

Rex raced Unlimited hydroplanes from 1960 to 1966. He was one of three drivers--together with Ron Musson and Don Wilson--who lost their lives in two separate accidents at the President's Cup Regatta in Washington, D.C., on June 19, 1966.

Manchester in the NOTRE DAME and Wilson in the MISS BUDWEISER collided on the first lap of the Final Heat at Washington with fatal consequences.

The race for the President's Cup was declared a contest on the basis of points scored in the preliminary heats. The ironic winner was one Arlo Rexford Manchester who, in life, had never been able to win an Unlimited race. He was 39 years old.

As a teenager, Manchester had served with distinction in World War II as a U.S. Marine.

In a letter of condolence to Evelyn Bardahl Manchester, Rex's widow, President Lyndon B. Johnson mentioned that Rex had been decorated for valor during the battle of Iwo Jima. This was news to Evelyn. Rex, not a man to boast or to draw attention to himself, had never revealed this particular chapter in his life.

Manchester, Wilson, and Musson (of MISS BARDAHL) were professional athletes, loved and admired by thousands of fans. They were role models for a generation of youngsters.

Rex began his career racing outboards in Alaska. After relocating to the state of Washington, he began making quite a name for himself in the local 266 and 280 Cubic Inch inboard classes.

In 1960, Manchester was named driver of the community-sponsored MISS SPOKANE Unlimited hydroplane, which had previously been piloted by the likes of Dallas Sartz, Norm Evans, and Chuck Hickling.

MISS SPOKANE was a Ted Jones-designed hull, a duplicate of Jones's highly successful MISS WAHOO and SHANTY I.

Although a smooth-riding craft, MISS SPOKANE had one glaring handicap: a lack of funds. The "community-sponsored" label was a misnomer. In Manchester's words, "The crew supports the boat and the wives support the crew."

Rex qualified as an Unlimited driver at Chelan, Washington, in 1960. Mechanical difficulties plagued the team at the first few races. But at the 1960 Seattle Seafair Regatta, Manchester clearly demonstrated that he had "The Right Stuff." He came heartbreakingly close to scoring a victory.

Rex had a clear lead over Bill Muncey and MISS THRIFTWAY in the Final Heat and was the apparent race winner. Unfortunately for Manchester, an accident to another boat caused a stoppage with MISS SPOKANE just seconds away from the checkered flag.

The heat had to be re-run with Muncey winning it decisively and Manchester finishing a distant second.

Rex drove MISS SPOKANE for two years. Other notable finishes included a third-place at the 1960 Reno Regatta and a second-place at the 1961 Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) Diamond Cup.

The association with MISS SPOKANE ended at the 1961 Reno Gold Cup on Pyramid Lake. While leading in Heat Two, Manchester flipped the boat upside down. Rex, fortunately, was not seriously injured. He later likened the experience to "being trapped inside a washing machine."

Over the next several years, Manchester made a few starts with $ BILL, MISS EAGLE ELECTRIC, and GALE V. The best of these was a second-place finish in the 1962 Harrah's Tahoe Regatta with $ BILL. At those races where he didn't have a ride, Rex often served as Drivers' Representative or as a course judge.

Manchester's career shifted into high gear when he was hired in mid-season 1964 to replace Bill Muncey in the cockpit of Shirley Mendelson McDonald's NOTRE DAME. Rex had substituted for Bill at Coeur d'Alene when Muncey was ill. A few weeks later, Bill reached an impasse with crew chief Bud Meldrum at Madison, Indiana, and was fired.

NOTRE DAME was the "dream ride" that Rex Manchester had been waiting for. Designed by Les Staudacher, it was a decent-riding boat although not as smooth-riding as MISS SPOKANE. Mrs. McDonald was one of the wealthiest women in America with a fortune conservatively estimated at $97 million. Clearly, money was no obstacle for this "top of the line" racing team.

The 1965 Unlimited hydroplane season is remembered as one of the more successful campaigns in Thunderboat history. With 23 active boats and nine scheduled races, it was a very competitive year.

Manchester had a frustrating year despite finishing second to Ron Musson and MISS BARDAHL in National High Points. In six years as an Unlimited driver--and a year and a half as NOTRE DAME pilot--Rex had never won a race. He finished second at Coeur d'Alene and Seattle, then third at Detroit and Madison. But he always gave MISS BARDAHL a good battle.

Ron and Rex were personal friends. Their families often fished and cruised together in the San Juans on their pleasure craft. Their wives were also friends.

At the Lake Tahoe World Championship Regatta, Manchester had the misfortune of being rammed from behind by Roy Duby in MISS U.S. 5. The NOTRE DAME's tailfin was knocked off. The bow of Duby's boat missed Rex's head by inches. NOTRE DAME managed to continue in the race but finished a disappointing sixth.

Manchester and NOTRE DAME almost won the 1965 Gold Cup on Lake Washington. Rex and the "Shamrock Lady" had a clear lead over defending champion Musson and MISS BARDAHL in the Final Heat and appeared to be on their way to the bank. But then MISS EXIDE caught fire. Driver Bill Brow was unable to contain the blaze and had to jump overboard. The heat was stopped and had to be re-run.

MISS BARDAHL made a better start in the re-run than NOTRE DAME and went on to claim the victory, 110.655 miles per hour to 107.612. It was another triumph for Ron and another disappointment for Rex, who ironically was Oe Bardahl's son-in-law by virtue of his marriage to Ole's daughter.

It was almost a replay of the 1960 Seattle Seafair scenario. Both times, Manchester had done everything that he was supposed to do out on the race course and had victory in sight when an unrelated accident--a fire on another boat--forced a stoppage of the Final Heat and spoiled the storybook ending.

Heading into the 1966 campaign, the NOTRE DAME team had to be rated high. MISS BARDAHL's chances were uncertain. Gone was the old reliable "Green Dragon" that had served Musson so well for so many years. In its place was a new experimental hull with a cabover configuration that had yet to prove itself in competition.

The season-opening Suncoast Cup on Tampa Bay emerged as something of a destruction derby.The victorious MISS U.S. with Bill Muncey as driver suffered severe hull and sponson damage and had to cancel plans for the following weekend's President's Cup. The Chuck Thompson-chauffeured SMIRNOFF, likewise, had to withdraw from the Potomac River meet due to hull damage.

After three heats of racing, MISS U.S. and NOTRE DAME were tied with 1100 points apiece, based upon two firsts and one second-place finish. Manchester finished ahead of Muncey in the Final Heat of 15 miles, but MISS U.S. won the Suncoast Cup on the basis of a faster total elapsed time for the 45 miles. It was career win number twenty for Bill and another frustrating defeat for Rex.

Upon arrival in Washington, D.C., NOTRE DAME was the odds-on favorite. After having been so close so often, in the recent past, Rex Manchester was certainly overdue for a win.

With two of his toughest competitors, MISS U.S. and SMIRNOFF, temporarily off the circuit, most observers confidently predicted that come Sunday, Manchester and NOTRE DAME would take the President's Cup trophy home.