| Show Record Cracked Crocked By Grand Junction unction's s 5 Pete Peterson rs m. m r y ire l e 7 I l w a h i. i w. w T i tt 1 N I 1 f. f f k v rt rr t r r tn Persistent Pete Tete et Peterson Grand J Junction Junction Junc Junc- c- c tion hobby boater who in his fifth try at the Canyon Country River Marathon race trace Saturday broke all ll speed rec records With a time of 2 an average of at- at 00 L ii t J 77 miles per hour on the miles of filled debris-filled waters Petersons time topped topped topped top top- top top- ped last ast years year's record of 2 setT y Bob Welsh of Commerce City Colorado by over nine minutes T-I T ph photo to Many surprises were In the tb bag ag for tor the annual Canyon Country River Marathon this year ear Unpredicted was the th rise of the Green Creen and amt Colorado rivers whIch the waters with debris the three boaters who sped past at the confluence confluence con fluence of the two rivers i to ta survive an upset In the rap ids of Cataract Can Canyon n an ana and anda a n fantastic new speed recon record ret tet by Grand Junctions Junction's Pete Pet Peterson in spite of the de- de hris waters A total of 64 boats from fron Utah Colorado New Mexico California and Arizona wei we competing in the 14 classes of or the Marathon Peterson a n refinery operator operator operator oper oper- ator by trade boater by hobby set the fantastic record record record re re- re- re cord of 2 hours 46 minutes and 53 seconds an average of Df 77 miles per hour over the mile race course His Ills time surpassed the old record of set last year by Bob Dab Welch of Commerce City Colo by over 9 min utes ures California racer James T T. Galvin 24 from La Crescenta Crescen- Crescen ta tn Calif was one of three men tossed into the turbulent lent Jent Color Colorado do river rapids in Cataract Canyon Saturday morning after making a wrong turn at the confluence confluence- Also dumped in the river aler aIer aier aI- aI er missing the confluence turn were Lonnie Wheeler and Jay of Denver who were both thrown from their boat when they rode the first rapid All walked to points where rescue was tei ef- The racers failed to see seethe the on the banks and sped past into the rapids below Mr and Mrs Vern Merrett and George Simmons on an the flag boat tried vainly to signal the two boaters and Mrs Merrett Merritt Merr tt was later hospitalized from froma a leg injury she incurred as she ra raced ed along the bank waving the official flag officials said discussions discussions discussions dis dis- dis- dis were u underway with National Park Parl officials for more effective affective signals at the confluence of oJ the rivers Bob Welch was back de defend fend his title but ran jan Into motor problems before reaching reaching rea rea- rea- rea ching the confluence e and failed failed failed fail fail- ed to finish Saturdays Saturday's race Peterson was ahead of the the field even though many oJ of his competitors were professional racers His nearest competitor was Harlow Le Leavitt Leavitt Lea Lea- vitt and pilot co Jack lun- lun kitt in a pleasure class 3 2 craft who raar roared d under the checkered flag Hag at the time mark mam Leavitt and Salt Lake City boaters captured the coveted Tribune trophy for their then efforts an award presented annually to tto the pleasure boat with fastest time Their boat one that carried Robert B. B Fry and Roland McGowan to victory victory victory vic vic- vic vic- tory and the Trib trophy last year Predictions on shore were that no records would be broken broken broleen bro bro- ken leen this tills year because of the river conditions an assumption tion shattered when Peterson Peterson Peterson Peter Peter- son thundered past the finish fin finIsh fin fin- ish line for the new record He has entered the race for the past five years and twice captured second secand place this was his bis first win vinAs As a aware spare ware time hobby he and Arnold Feller of oJ Grand Junction Junc tion construct boats and modify mo mo- moI I dUy engines He lIe has been an avid supporter of the event since its Inauguration The only repeat winners this year were two powder powder- puff boaters Ruth Ann nn Whitehead and Jacque Jew Jew- kes cs The only girl all-girl crew in the race they have won the class 1 category with motors under 50 HP lIP for tor forthe forthe the past three years There Thero were tough breaks and hard knocks for boaters too Johnny Davis of Green River swamped his small craft just before the race began began be be- gan tan and had to ta drain It after his class took off oft He got a 20 minute late start then later la ter er capsized and sunk his Ms boat 20 miles down the Green Ralph Goodrich veteran racer ra raer ra er and national champ en en- countered a rough b break bieak eak when motor trouble 30 miles from the finish line pulled him ilm from the lead and temporarily temy temporarily tem tem- out of the race Helid He lie Ie did lid finish though with a 5 t 5 4 time in the unlimited singles class Richard Dempsey Dempey Demp Demp- ey sey sey of Farmington N N. M. M won von that class with the last cast time In the modified group lass flass 1 Schneider and Henry Schneider of ot Loveland Colo cob teamed for tor I a first place trophy In 5 5 Terry Spivey of Aztec Aztec Az Az- tec tee NM and Don Hibbs Farmington NM won mo mo- dined class 2 with the time of Modified class 3 was won by Dick Barry larry Denver Denver Den Den- ver and Bob Baldwin Commerce Com Corn merce City Colo In 5 i The Green River victors were Robert Scott and Chad Manning who took the pleaSUre pleasure plea plea- sure class 2 trophy with 4 4 1012 and W W. M. M Mobley won second In Pleasure class Pleasure class 6 went to Robert V V. V and Mark Henderson of ot Salt Lake City Local racer George ot of Moab loab took the 2nd place modified class 2 trophy |
