# Dean Chenoweth
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dean_Chenoweth
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dean_Chenoweth.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Chenoweth
> Source revision: 1342323792
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Short description|American hydroplane racing pilot}}
{{distinguish|Dean Chynoweth}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Dean Chenoweth
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Dean Chenoweth.jpg
| image_size = 175
| caption = Dean Chenoweth
| birth_name = Dean Alan Chenoweth
| birth_date = August 27, 1937[''Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014''. [Social Security Administration](/source/Social_Security_Administration).]
| birth_place = [Xenia, Ohio](/source/Xenia%2C_Ohio), U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1982|07|31|1937|8|27}}
| death_place = [Kennewick](/source/Kennewick%2C_Washington), [Washington](/source/Washington_(state))
| death_cause = Hydroplane racing accident
| resting_place = [Tallahassee, Florida](/source/Tallahassee%2C_Florida)
| resting_place_coordinates =
| monuments = Fountain in Lake Leon
| other_names =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| employer =
| agent =
| known_for = [Hydroplane racing](/source/Hydroplane_racing)
| style =
| spouse =
| partner =
| children =
| parents =
| relatives =
| awards =
}}
''' Dean Alan Chenoweth''' (August 27, 1937 – July 31, 1982) was an American [hydroplane racing](/source/hydroplane_racing) pilot. Known for piloting the famous ''[Miss Budweiser](/source/Miss_Budweiser)'' boat and the winner of four [American Power Boat Association](/source/American_Power_Boat_Association) [Gold Cups](/source/APBA_Gold_Cup), he was killed at age 44 in a racing accident on the [Columbia River](/source/Columbia_River).[{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bE9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1e4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6772%2C154979 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Boat crash kills Chenoweth |date=August 1, 1982 |page=C1}}][{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pqtfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rTIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5035%2C223407 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |agency=Associated Press |title=Tragic race day |date=August 1, 1982 |page=6D}}][{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=anERAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SOIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3964%2C227635 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=wire services |title=Hydroplane racer killed|date=August 1, 1982 |page=3E}}]
==Career==
Born in [Xenia, Ohio](/source/Xenia%2C_Ohio), and a long-time resident of [Tallahassee, Florida](/source/Tallahassee%2C_Florida),[{{cite magazine|last=Phinizy|first=Coles|date=August 24, 1981|title=Crash and Carry On|magazine=[Sports Illustrated](/source/Sports_Illustrated)|volume=55|issue=9|url=
https://www.si.com/vault/1981/08/24/825872/crash-and-carry-on-that-could-be-the-motto-of-dean-chenoweth-unlimited-hydroplane-champion-and-a-man-with-unlimited-courage|page=73}}] Chenoweth began his career in motorboat racing at the age of 12. At 15, he won three national championships, in Class A and Class B hydroplanes and Class A stock boats.[{{cite web|url=http://www.thunderboats.org/history/history0289.html |title=Dean Chenoweth |publisher=[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America](/source/Motorsports_Hall_of_Fame_of_America) via The Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum |accessdate=2012-09-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112233218/http://www.thunderboats.org/history/history0289.html |archivedate=2013-01-12 }}] and won the National High Point Championships four times.[{{cite web|url=http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=6823685|title=25 years ago: Hydroplane driver Dean Chenoweth died on the Columbia River|date=July 31, 2007|work=[KNDU](/source/KNDU)|accessdate=2012-09-10|archive-date=2007-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820082341/http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=6823685|url-status=dead}}] Chenoweth also set a record of twenty [heat race](/source/heat_race) wins in the first five events of the 1980 season.[{{cite journal|last=Leviton|first=Joyce|date=August 16, 1982|title=For U.S. Thunderboat Champ Dean Chenoweth, His Fourth Smashup Becomes His Last|journal=[People](/source/People_(magazine))|volume=18|issue=7|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20082891,00.html|accessdate=2012-09-10}}] Chenoweth survived a number of spectacular accidents, including a massive blowover on [Lake Washington](/source/Lake_Washington) at [Seattle](/source/Seattle) during a speed record attempt in October 1979.[{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N9gjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IAgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4610%2C4313641 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|title=Miss Bud driver hurt in crackup|date=October 24, 1979|page=C1}}][{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D6YSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6726%2C199625|work=The Bulletin|location=Bend, Oregon|title=He lived to tell about it |agency=(UPI photo)|date=October 24, 1979|page=14}}][{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qNRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N_kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4815%2C2600567|work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington|title=The Bud destroyed |agency=(AP photo)|date=October 24, 1979|page=25}}][{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RJImAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WQEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1086,1075021&dq=dean-chenoweth&hl=en|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124184246/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RJImAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WQEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1086,1075021&dq=dean-chenoweth&hl=en|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 24, 2013|title=Dean Chenoweth returns to the lake|last=Klinkenberg|first=Marty|date=May 14, 1981|work=[The Miami News](/source/The_Miami_News)|page=5B|accessdate=2012-09-10|location=Miami, F}}]
He was inducted into the [Motorsports Hall of Fame of America](/source/Motorsports_Hall_of_Fame_of_America) in 1991.[[http://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/dean-chenoweth.html Dean Chenoweth] at the [Motorsports Hall of Fame of America](/source/Motorsports_Hall_of_Fame_of_America)]
==Death==
While piloting ''Miss Budweiser'' in 1982, Chenoweth was killed on the [Columbia River](/source/Columbia_River) in [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)) on {{nowrap|July 31.[{{cite magazine|date=August 9, 1982|title=Going Over the Edge|magazine=Sports Illustrated|volume=57|issue=6|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1982/08/09/624679/going-over-the-edge|page=22}}]}} During Saturday morning qualifying for the next day's [Columbia Cup](/source/Columbia_Cup) at the [Tri-Cities](/source/Tri-Cities%2C_Washington), the boat was traveling at about {{convert|175|mph|round=5|abbr=on}} when it blew over and impacted inverted.[ He suffered massive head, neck, and chest injuries; when pulled from the water, he was unconscious and did not have a pulse. Chenoweth was taken to [Kennewick](/source/Kennewick%2C_Washington) General Hospital, and was pronounced dead 45 minutes after the accident.][
Less than ten months earlier, hydroplane racing legend [Bill Muncey](/source/Bill_Muncey) was killed during the last race of the 1981 season at [Acapulco](/source/Acapulco), [Mexico](/source/Mexico).][{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9IJfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sDAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5653%2C1801064 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |agency=Associated Press |title=Hydro pilot Bill Muncey killed in racing mishap |date=October 19, 1981|page=6D}}]
==Legacy==
Chenoweth's death led Little to develop a closed cockpit for the next ''Miss Budweiser'' boat, and the enclosure became standard for unlimited racers.