Kansas City 1996

Kansas City 1996

KANSAS CITY HYDROFAIR, Kansas City

Beautiful Smithville Lake, just north of the Kansas City city limits, was for the second year in a row site of another Unlimited Light match-up. Despite a short entry list of a half-dozen, the boats and drivers of the ULRS put on a slam-bang set of no less than four preliminary heats and a championship final. In an epic display of domination, Mark Weber won two of the prelimins and the final, while Miss Acutus team owner Bob Larimore got the boat home first in the other two prelims.

This is not to say that the racing was of the runaway variety. Dennis Macy and The Menace chased Larimore right to the wire in both their confrontations, while Joe Tate had the Miss Toledo practically in Mark Weber's propwash when they zoomed across, almost five abreast, in Heat 2. Phil Bononcini was a narrow loser to Mark in Heat 3. The other competitor here was John Grigg Jr., whose Wanna Bee Racing enjoyed an up-and-down day, starting only one heat and finishing fourth. Results of the championship final:

1. Mark Weber, Miss Acutus, St. Clair Shores MI; 2. Dennis Macy, The Menace, Garden City MI; 3. Randy Haas, Miss Leroi, Toledo OH; 4. Phil Bononcini, Pocket Mechanic, Redmond WA; DNS--Joe Tate, Miss Toledo, Detroit MI; John Grigg Jr., Wanna Bee Racing, New Haven MI. Winner's Average Speed--97.774 mph.