Theo Rossi Proposed WC Race Back In 1938

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

The World Championship Race concept can be traced back to 1938. It was originally proposed by Count Theo Rossi, the head of the Italian vermouth industry and the owner/driver of ALAGI.

This was for the European 12-Litre Class, which was the equivalent of the American Power Boat Association's Gold Cup Class (732 cubic inches). The Gold Cup Class evolved into the Unlimited Class after World War II.

Rossi suggested a multi-race format. The World Champion would be determined on the basis of total points accumulated in four races. The first two would be run in Paris (France) and Venice (Italy). In America, the Gold Cup in Detroit and the President's Cup in Washington, D.C., would constitute the third and fourth in the series.

As things turned out, Rossi's boat was the only one to compete on both sides of the Atlantic. ALAGI, powered by an Isotta-Fraschini aircraft engine, won three of the four races and claimed the World Championship more or less by default.

Undaunted, Rossi proposed the same format for 1939--only with three races instead of four: Venice, Detroit, and Washington, D.C.

ALAGI won the Venice race but then was unable to compete in America. Due to the war crisis that was about to engulf Europe, Rossi couldn't obtain a visa to get out of Italy.

MY SIN, owned and driven by Guy Simmons, scored the most points at Detroit and Washington and was crowned World Champion for 1939.

When the World Championship was revived in the 1960s, the format would be for one race only, rather than three or four.

The Seattle Seafair committee offered for competition the "World's Championship Seafair Trophy," which was won by Ron Musson in the MISS BARDAHL. But the Seattle committee never bothered to request a sanction from the Union of International Motorboating. Whether or not the 1961 race should be counted as a legitimate "World Championship" event is a matter for individual interpretation.

A UIM sanction was obtained in 1965 for the race on Lake Tahoe at Stateline, Nevada. Here, too, the winner was Ron Musson in the MISS BARDAHL.

UIM-sanctioned races for Unlimiteds were run at Detroit in 1967-69, at Seattle in 1968-73-80, at Madison in 1972 and 2004, at the Tri-Cities (Washington) in 1974, at Acapulco (Mexico) in 1981, and at Houston (Texas) in 1982-83-84.

It was at the World Championship Race in Acapulco on Lagunna de Coyucca where Bill Muncey lost his life. The ATLAS VAN LINES "Blue Blaster" blew over and crashed while leading in the Final Heat. When that occurred, MISS MADISON driver Milner Irvin risked his own life by spinning out at high speed to avoid running over the fatally injured Muncey.

There is absolutely no precedent for running more heats for a World Championship Race than for any other non-Gold Cup race.

All of the World Championship Races run between 1961 and 1984 were scheduled for three heats and three heats only. (During those years, the Gold Cup races were usually scheduled for four heats.)

The 2004 Madison World Championship Race was scheduled for four heats--one less than the five heats run for the Gold Cup that year.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE WINNERS
1938 - ALAGI/Theo Rossi - Paris; Venice; Detroit; Washington, D.C.
1939 - MY SIN/Guy Simmons - Venice; Detroit; Washington, D.C.
*1961 - MISS BARDAHL/Ron Musson - Seattle
1965 - MISS BARDAHL/Ron Musson - Stateline (Nevada)
1967 - MISS CHRYSLER CREW/Bill Sterett, Sr. - Detroit
1968 - MISS U.S./Bill Muncey - Seattle
1969 - MISS U.S./Bill Muncey - Detroit
1972 - ATLAS VAN LINES/Bill Muncey - Madison
1973 - PAY 'n PAK/Mickey Remund - Seattle
1974 - PAY 'n PAK/George Henley - Tri-Cities
1980 - ATLAS VAN LINES/Bill Muncey - Seattle
1981 - MISS BUDWEISER/Dean Chenoweth - Acapulco
1982 - ATLAS VAN LINES/Chip Hanauer - Houston
1983 - MISS RENAULT/Milner Irvin - Houston
1984 - MISS TOSTI ASTI/Steve Reynolds - Houston
2004 - MISS BUDWEISER/Dave Villwock - Madison