About the 1962 Notre Dame
There was a time when hydroplane racing was a ‘gentleman’s sport’, when successful entrepreneurs invested their hard-earned wealth in something akin to a water-borne sport of kings. Industrialists like Dodge, Kaiser, Boeing and DuPont, were all prominent hydroplane owners. Another in this category was Herb Mendelson, a Detroit native whose family helped start General Motors. In the 1930’s and ‘40’s, Mendelson campaigned a series of hulls named after his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, winning the 1937 Gold Cup.
Shirley Mendelson McDonald inherited her father’s passion for hydroplanes, and in 1962 entered the sport with a new, personally financed Notre Dame. Designed and built by Les Staudacher, the Notre Dame failed to win in two years of competition. Following a testing fire, it was given a two-seat cockpit and retired to ‘pleasure boat’ status.
In 1967 Bernie Little bought the Shu Shu and turned her into the fifth Miss Budweiser after the fourth Miss Budweiser was destroyed in a horrific accident that killed Budweiser’s popular driver Bill Brow.
Rookie driver Mike Thomas was given the job of piloting the new Miss Budweiser. He proved himself up to the task by winning the British Columbia Cup in Kelowna, B.C., and capturing a second place finish in the Sacramento Cup in Sacramento, Calif. A new Miss Budweiser was ordered from Ed Karelsen for 1968, so the fifth Miss Budweiser was retired again. In 1970 she was sold to Bob Murphy, who campaigned her as the Burien Lady and later as Smyth the Smoother Mover. She ran under several different names before being put out to pasture (quite literally) at the end of the 1980 season.
1962 Notre Dame Restoration
HULL SPECS
| Driver | Warner Gardner |
| Owner | Shirley Mendelson McDonald |
| Designer | Les Staduacher |
| Builder | Les Staduacher |
| Year Built | 1962 |
| Length | 30 Feet |
| Beam | 12 Feet |
| Powerplant | V-12 Allison |