The APBA Gold Cup (originally known simply as the Gold Cup, a speedboat race) is an American hydroplane boat race, named for the American Power Boat Association. It is now run as part of the H1 Unlimited season. First run in 1904, it is the oldest trophy in motorsports.
Starting in 1904, the Gold Cup consist of three heats, and starting in 1918 the heat distance was 30 statute miles. In 1963 the number of heats was increased to four, but the total distance was reduced to 60 statute miles. In 1976, the Unlimited Racing Commission adopted a winner-take-all format for all its races including the APBA Gold Cup. In 1981 the total number of heats was reduced to three with the total distance being reduced to 45 statute miles. Since 1983 the Gold Cup has been competed at various total distances ranging from 36 statute miles to 52.5 statute miles.
The drivers with the most Gold Cup victories are Chip Hanauer, and Dave Villwock with 11 victories. Bill Muncey is second with eight.
List of Gold Cup winners YearDriverBoatRace Location1904Carl C. RiotteStandardNew York1904Willis Sharpe KilmerVingt et Un IINew York1905Jonathan WainwrightChipChippewa Bay, NY1906Jonathan Wainwright (2)Chip IIChippewa Bay, NY1907Jonathan Wainwright (3)Chip IIChippewa Bay, NY1908E.J. SchroederDixie IIChippewa Bay, NY1909E.J. Schroeder (2)Dixie IIAlexandria Bay, NY1910Frederick K. Burnham Dixie IIIAlexandria Bay, NY1911J.H. HaydenMIT IIAlexandria Bay, NY1912A. Graham MilesP.D.Q. IIAlexandria Bay, NY1913Casimir S. MankowskiAnkle DeepAlexandria Bay, NY1914Robert Edgren & Jim Blackton, JrBaby Speeddemon IILake George, NY1915Jack Beebe and John "Freckles" Milot Miss DetroitNew York1916Bernard SmithMiss MinneapolisDetroit, MI1917Gar WoodMiss Detroit IIDetroit, MI1918Gar Wood (2)Miss Detroit IIIDetroit, MI1919Gar Wood (3)Miss Detroit IIIDetroit, MI1920Gar Wood (4)Miss Detroit IVDetroit, MI1921Gar Wood (5)Miss AmericaDetroit, MI1922Jesse G. VincentPackard ChriscraftDetroit, MI1923Caleb BraggPackard ChriscraftDetroit, MI1924Caleb Bragg (2)Baby BootleggerDetroit, MI1925Caleb Bragg (3)Baby BootleggerPort Washington, NY1926George H. TownsendGreenwich FolleyPort Washington, NY1927George H. Townsend (2)Greenwich FolleyNew York1928N/ANo ContestN/A1929Richard. F. HoytI M P IIRed Bank, NJ1930Victor William KliesrathHotsy TotsyRed Bank, NJ1931Victor William Kliesrath (2)Hotsy TotsyMontauk, NY1932Bill HornDelphine IVMontauk, NY1933George ReisEl LagartoDetroit, MI1934George Reis (2)El LagartoLake George, NY1935George Reis (3)El LagartoLake George, NY1936Kaye DonImpshiLake George, NY1937Clell PerryNotre DameDetroit, MI1938Theo RossiAlagiDetroit, MI1939Zalmon Guy Simmons, Jr.G-13 My SinDetroit, MI1940Sidney AllenG-4 Hotsy Totsy IIINorthport, NY1941Zalmon Guy Simmons, Jr. (2)G-13 My SinRed Bank, NJ1942N/ANo Contests- World War IIN/A1943N/ANo Contests- World War IIN/A1944N/ANo Contests- World War IIN/A1945N/ANo Contests- World War IIN/A1946Guy LombardoG-13 Tempo VIDetroit, MI1947Danny FosterG-99 Miss Peps VJamaica Bay, NY1948Danny Foster (2)G-4 Miss Great LakesDetroit, MI1949Bill CantrellU-3 My SweetieDetroit, MI1950Ted JonesU-27 Slo-Mo-Shun IVDetroit, MI1951Lou FageolU-37 Slo-Mo Shun VSeattle, WA1952Stan DollarU-27 Slo-Mo-Shun IVSeattle, WA1953Joe TaggartU-27 Slo-Mo-Shun IVSeattle, WA1954Lou Fageol (2)U-37 Slo-Mo-Shun VSeattle, WA1955Lee SchoenithU-55 Gale VSeattle, WA1956Bill MunceyU-60 Miss ThriftwayDetroit, MI1957Bill Muncey (2)U-60 Miss ThriftwaySeattle, WA1958Jack RegasU-8 Hawaii Kai IIISeattle, WA1959Bill SteadU-00 MaverickSeattle, WA1960N/A (Note 1)No Contest- High WindsLas Vegas, NV1961Bill Muncey (3)U-60 Miss Century 21 Thriftway StoresReno, NV1962Bill Muncey (4)U-60 Miss Century 21 Thriftway StoresSeattle, WA1963Ron MussonU-40 Miss BardahlDetroit, MI1964Ron Musson (2)U-40 Miss BardahlDetroit, MI1965Ron Musson (3)U-40 Miss BardahlSeattle, WA1966Miro SlovakU-3 Tahoe MissDetroit, MI1967Bill SchumacherU-40 Miss BardahlSeattle, WA1968Bill Schumacher (2)U-1 Miss BardahlDetroit, MI1969Bill SterretU-12 Miss BudweiserSan Diego, CA1970Dean ChenowethU-12 Miss BudweiserSan Diego, CA1971Jim McCormickU-6 Miss MadisonMadison, IN1972Bill Muncey (5)U-71 Atlas Van LinesDetroit, MI1973Dean Chenoweth (2)U-12 Miss BudweiserTri-Cities, WA1974George HenleyU-1 Pay'n PakSeattle, WA1975George Henley (2)U-1 Pay'n PakTri-Cities, WA1976Tom D'EathU-2 Miss U.S.Detroit, MI1977Bill Muncey (6)U-1 Atlas Van LinesTri-Cities, WA1978Bill Muncey (7)U-00 Atlas Van LinesOwensboro, KY1979Bill Muncey (8)U-1 Atlas Van LinesMadison, IN1980Dean Chenoweth (3)U-12 Miss BudweiserMadison, IN1981Dean Chenoweth (4)U-1 Miss BudweiserSeattle, WA1982Chip HanauerU-00 Atlas Van LinesDetroit, MI1983Chip Hanauer (2)U-1 Atlas Van LinesEvansville, IN1984Chip Hanauer (3)U-1 Atlas Van LinesTri-Cities, WA1985Chip Hanauer (4)U-00 Miller AmericanSeattle, WA1986Chip Hanauer (5)U-1 Miller AmericanDetroit, MI1987Chip Hanauer (6)U-00 Miller AmericanSan Diego, CA1988Chip Hanauer (7)U-00 Circus CircusEvansville, IN1989Tom D'Eath (2)U-1 Miss BudweiserSan Diego, CA1990Tom D'Eath (3)U-1 Miss BudweiserDetroit, MI1991Mark TateU-10 Winston EagleDetroit, MI1992Chip Hanauer (8)U-1 Miss BudweiserDetroit, MI1993Chip Hanauer (9)U-1 Miss BudweiserDetroit, MI1994Mark Tate (2)U-10 Smokin' Joe'sDetroit, MI1995Chip Hanauer (10)U-1 Miss BudweiserDetroit, MI1996Dave VillwockU-100 Pico American DreamDetroit, MI1997Dave Villwock (2)U-12 Miss BudweiserDetroit, MI1998Dave Villwock (3)U-1 Miss BudweiserDetroit, MI1999Chip Hanauer (11)U-100 Miss PicoDetroit, MI2000Dave Villwock (4)U-1 Miss BudweiserDetroit, MI2001Michael HansonU-9 Jones Racing (Tubby's Subs)Detroit, MI2002Dave Villwock (5)U-1 Miss BudweiserDetroit, MI2003Mitch EvansU-3 Miss Fox HillsDetroit, MI2004Nate BrownU-10 Miss DYCDetroit, MI2005Terry TroxellU-13 Miss Al Deeby DodgeDetroit, MI2006Jean TheoretU-37 Miss Beacon PlumbingDetroit, MI2007Dave Villwock (6)U-16 Miss E-Lam PlusDetroit, MI2008N/A (Note 2)No Contest- High WindsDetroit, MI2009Dave Villwock (7)U-16 Miss E-Lam PlusDetroit, MI2010Dave Villwock (8)U-96 Spirit of QatarDetroit, MI2011Dave Villwock (9)U-96 Spirit of QatarDetroit, MI2012Dave Villwock (10)U-1 Spirit of Qatar 96Detroit, MI2013Kip BrownU-95 Spirit of QatarDetroit, MI2014Jimmy ShaneU-6 Oberto Beef JerkyDetroit, MI2015Jimmy Shane (2)U-1 Oberto Beef JerkyTri-Cities, WA2016J. Michael KellyU-5 Graham TruckingDetroit, MI2017Jimmy Shane (3)U-1 Miss Homestreet BankDetroit, MI2018Andrew TateU-9 Delta/RealtracDetroit, MI2019Jimmy Shane (4)U-6 Miss Homestreet BankMadison, IN2020N/ANo season (pandemic)Madison, IN2021Jimmy Shane (5)U-1 Goodman Real Estate Presents Miss HomestreetMadison, IN 2022Corey PeabodyU-9 Lynx HealthcareGuntersville, AL 2023 J. Michael Kelly (2)U-8 Beacon ElectricSeattle, WA 2024Corey Peabody (2)U-9 Beacon PlumbingSan Diego, CA 2025Dave Villwock (11)U-27 Miss ApolloTri-Cities, WA2026Jimmy Shane (6)U-27 Miss ApolloMadison, IN Source:
Notes:
1960: Heat 1A completed. Second half of first heat was abandoned when Gale V crashed in Heat 1B. By rule, two heats were required to be completed for an official meeting for series championship purposes. Round abandoned and cancelled by APBA because of high winds.
2008: Heats 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B completed. Round abandoned after crash in Heat 3A and high winds, declared No Contest by APBA. American Boat Racing Association (now H1 Unlimited) declared the round official, counting all heat races and qualifying results for series championship purposes since nine boats started the first heat race. With two fully completed heats, U-5 FormulaBoats.com (Jeff Bernard, driver) declared round winner with 850 points (fifth in qualifying, first in heat 1B, and first in heat 2B) for National Boat Championship purposes.
References
External links American Power Boat Association website H1 Unlimited website Unlimited NewsJournal website