Lake Mead Hydroplane Race Purse Increased by $11,000

The Budweiser Las Vegas Silver Cup Unlimited Hydroplane Race, launched last year, returns to Lake Mead this Fall with a purse increase of $11,000 to $161,000.

Dates of Sept. 25-27 have been announced by Herb McDonald, executive director of the co-sponsoring Las Vegas Events organization. McDonald said the boost in prize money makes it the richest event of the 1987 unlimited hydroplane racing series.

McDonald said that there will again be no admission charge. The schedule calls for qualifying on the 2 1/2-mile course from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 25-26. The finals are scheduled to begin Sept. 27 at 10 a.m.

The 1986 race decided the 1986 World Championship with Jim Kropfeld of Cincinnati winning with Miss Budweiser. The four days of racing attracted a crowd of 224,477 with 127,264 attending the final day’s wind-shortened events, according to Department of the Interior park rangers

Kropfeld survived an early collision in the choppy water and averaged 128.472 m.p.h. with his turbo-driven craft in the finals last year.

Runner-up Chip Hanauer of Seattle, Wash., the 1985 champion, finished second with Miller American at 118.818. Miss Madison finished third at 107.584.

Kropfeld’s victory in the 12 1/2-mile finals earned him the ’86 Championship by just 31 points over Hanauer, 8,500 to 8,468.