Thunderboat Regatta : Leader at a Loss for Qualifying Power

As the day wore on, so did the frustrations of Chip Hanauer and the crew of Miller American, the national unlimited hydroplane points leader.

Hanauer failed on five attempts to qualify for today’s final of the $125,000 Miller High Life Thunderboat Regatta. His boat did not reach the necessary 105 m.p.h. on a single lap of Mission Bay’s 2 1/2-mile course. The best time Hanauer could manage was 99.108 on his first and only completed lap. The rest of the day, the Miller American boat and crew seemed powerless.

“We’re not getting any power,” Hanauer said. “Right now, we don’t know what the problem is. We’re throwing darts right now.”

Miller American will have another chance to qualify between 9:30 and 10:30 this morning, but the time constraint will allow the boat one or, at the most, two chances. That means a late night for the Miller American crew.

“Everybody will work like hell tonight,” said Hanauer, winner of the last five Gold Cup races and national championships three of the last four years. “I don’t think I’m going to sleep too well tonight.”

If Miller American fails to qualify today, it will only be the second time in the team’s 10-year history that its boat was not at the starting line on race day. The other time Miller American missed a race final was in Syracuse last year, when its boat blew an engine and suffered severe damage to its hull.

“This is the absolute worse scenario,” Hanauer said. “(This race) couldn’t be any more important.”

Miller American has a 569-point lead over Miss Budweiser in the national points standings with the last race of the season next weekend at Las Vegas. Miller American (7,569 points) has won five of the seven points races on the circuit this year. Miss Budweiser (7,000 points) has won the other two.

If Miller American fails to qualify today, there appears little chance that Miss Budweiser will be challenged. A perfect day for Jim Kropfeld and Miss Budweiser would give the team 1,200 points (400 points for victories in each of two heats and the final).

“That would nail our coffin shut,” Hanauer said.

After several meetings Saturday, the crew thought its boat to be the victim of bad fuel. With only 35 minutes remaining to qualify, the crew dashed around the pits in an attempt to ready the boat for one more try at the course.

Hanauer got behind the wheel five minutes later, and the Miller American boat headed for the starting line. The crowd applauded as the familiar rooster tail of water stood up behind the boat, but the applause soon changed to groans as the boat lost power and was forced to return to the pits.

With five minutes left, the crew attempted a desperation drag racing-type start, which saw Hanauer revving the boat’s engine at takeoff, but once again the boat lost power and Hanauer was forced back to the pits.

Today’s heats start at noon with the final scheduled for 4 p.m.