RALPHS UNLIMITED HYDROPLANE THUNDER TOUR '99
presented by LAS VEGAS

BUDWEISER THUNDERFEST
Lake Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia CANADA
August 13, 14 and 15, 1999

Webmaster's note:
Our Canadian fans are outstanding. Not only were they patient throughout the lengthy delay but their fantastic attitude and spirit made this a very enjoyable event. It is my hope that next year the weather will cooperate so that the UHRA will be able to give Kelowna the race they deserve.

UNLIMITED LIGHT FINAL:
U# Driver, Sponsor, Speed, Points
UL16 Bo Schide, ALAMO, 102.877, 969
UL10 Charley Wiggins, Earl's Performance Products, 101.272, 1000
UL110 Randy Haas, Miss CompAir, 100.526, 850
UL72 Phil Bononcini, Apex Laser/Pocket Mechanic, 95.425, 794
UL38 Dave Bender, Milestones Restaurant/Shields Auto Glass, 94.522, 427
UL3 Doug Brow, Miss Vnode.com, 93.946, 695
UL15 Mike McClellan, ProfessorBee.com, 76.581, 465

Pit Notes:
High winds are interfering with today's racing. The rain that occasionally plagued Friday and Saturday has subsided. The course spent significant time on an indefinite hold.

SATURDAY - UL HEATS 1 AND 2:

UL HEATS 1, 2, 3, 4:
Phil Bononcini , in the UL72 Apex Laser presents Pocket Mechanic, won Heat 1 by several boat lengths.  Dave Bender, in the UL38 Milestones Restaurants,  was second and Doug Brow brought the UL3 Miss Vnode.com in third.

Heat 2 saw UL110 Miss CompAir driver Randy Haas win a tight race against Doug Brow in the UL3 Miss Vnode.com. Attrition enabled local celebrity and 1998 UL rookie of the year Mike McClellan to finish third in the UL15 ProfessorBee.com. McClellan's hydro has been running poorly all weekend but it ran better than the UL16 and UL72 which failed to finish the Heat.

A first place finish by UL series points leader Bo Schide could have translated into a  400 point windfall over challenger Charley Wiggins. Wiggins broke a camshaft and did not make the start of heat 1. Schide ran in second place for  most of lap one.  He led the second lap before electrical gremlins forced his boat to a halt.

Heat 3 featured a head to head dual between series leaders Bo Schide and Charley Wiggins. Wiggins had lane two at the start and  led lap one.  Schide and Randy Haas were close behind in lanes three and one respectively. On the backstretch of  lap number two Schide, in the ALAMO, passed Wiggins on the outside.  Charging through turn two  Schide hit some rough water and  missed the exit pin. This forced Wiggins and Haas inside the course markers. After all three boats circled to pick up the missed pin, Wiggins emerged the leader and Schide received a one minute penalty.

"It was going to be a good race. Apparently ALAMO didn't pick up that exit pin on the second turn down here." said Wiggins. "They cut the course and cut us off in the process.  I was able to see the course but all I could do was to go through his spray because I had Randy (Haas) on the inside of me. We came out of the turn with the lead and the ALAMO had a one minute penalty."

Wiggins went on to win the heat. Haas was assessed a one minute penalty for an earlier infraction and finished third. Doug Brow took advantage of penalty on Haas and finish second.

Wiggins and Schide hooked up again in Heat 4. This time the race was free of infractions and the duo really put on a great race. Throughout the Heat the two boats appeared to run as one. Schide took command of the Heat on lap two, running on the ragged edge down the frontstretch.

"We had a five cent wire break on us in the first Heat. In the second Heat we had driver brain fade. I got lost on the course after I took a pretty hard hit," Schide said. "We regrouped, it's pretty treacherous out there but we new we had to get  some points. I just pushed the boat as hard as I could and still bring it back in one piece. That was a big win today."
 

UL FINAL HEAT LINEUP:
UL3
UL10
UL15
UL16
UL38
UL72
UL110

Morning Report:
Unlimited Light heats 1A and 1B are scheduled for 12:30 pm and 1:15 pm.

UL Fan Plan:
Terry Troxel and the UL23 were forced to withdraw from today's competition due to mechanical difficulties. The seven remaining teams have opted to run four, 5 boat heats. Each team will race 4 times except Dave Bender's UL38.  Bender's team will only compete in two preliminary heats and the final. All seven boats are eligible for the final.

FRIDAY:

In Unlimited Lights action, Miss CompAir driver Randy Haas leads the pack in qualifying for today. His time was 110.483 mph. He was the winner of the Unlimited Light Seafair race last weekend. 

Unlimited Lights Qualifying results for Friday

UL110 CompAir, Randy Haas, 110.493 mph
UL16 Alamo, Bo Schide, 110.299 mph
UL10 Earl's Performance, Charley Wiggins, 110.218 mph
UL72 Pocket Mechanic, Phil Bononcini, 107.598 mph
UL23 Supercuts presents Apex Laser, Terry Troxell, 102.733 mph
UL15 ProfessorBee.com, Mike McLellan, 61.6 mph
UL3 Miss VNode.com, Doug Brow, DNF
UL38 Milestone's Restaurant/Shield's Auto Glass, Dave Bender, DNQs

THE BUDWEISER THUNDERFEST AT KELOWNA
Lake Okanagan, Kelowna, B.C.
August 13, 14 and 15

The Unlimited Lights point race is on the line. Bo Schide and Charley Wiggins are battling for the ULRS series title.

How To Get There: From Seattle, take I-5 north to the Canadian border, crossing either at Sumas or Blaine, then head east on Highway 1 to Hope. Proceed onto the Coquihalla Highway to Merritt, then follow exit signs to Kelowna

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

Friday:
9:00 am  - Gates open to the public 
10:00am to 12:00pm - Unilimited Testing (no qualifying)
12:00 pm to 12:30 pm - High Output Water Ski Show 
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm  - Unlimited Qualifying (Round 1) 
1:30 pm to 2:00 pm - Jet Ski Demonstration
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm - Unlimited Qualifying (Round 2)
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Unlimited Light Testing
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Jet Ski Demonstration 

Saturday:
9:00 am - Gates open to the public 
9:00 am to 9:45 am - Unlimited Testing & Practice 
9:45 am to 10:15 am - Unlimited Light Driver's Meeting
9:45 am to 10:30 am - Tunnel Boat Testing & Practice 
10:30 am to 11:15 am - Unlimited Light Testing & Practice 
11:15 am to 11:30 am - Jet Ski Demonstration 
11:30 am to 12:30 pm - Unlimited Qualifying Session (Round 3) 
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm - Unlimited Driver's Autograph Session 
12:30 pm  - Unlimited Light Heat 1A
1:00 pm - High Output Water Ski Show 
1:15 pm - Unlimited Light Heat 1B 
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - Unlimited Qualifying Session (Round  4)
2:00 pm to 3:00 - Unlimited Light Driver's Autograph Session
2:30 pm - Tunnel Boat Heat 1 
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Unlimited Qualifying Session (Round 5) 
4:00 pm - Unlimited Light Heat 2A
4:30 pm - Tunnel Boat Heat 2 
4:45 pm - Unlimited Light Heat 2B 
5:00 pm - Unlimited Driver's Meeting (Hospitality Barge)

Sunday:
9:00 am - Gates open to the public 
9:00 am to 10:15 am - Unlimited Testing & Practice 
10:15 am to 10:30 am - Opening Ceremonies 
10:30 am - Unlimited Heat 1A
11:00 am - Unlimited Heat 1B 
11:30 am - Cantel AT&T Tunnel Boat Final 
12:00 pm - Unlimited Heat 2A 
12:30 pm - Unlimited Heat 2B 
1:00 pm - Canada Cup Unlimited Light Final 
1:30 pm - Unlimited Heat 3A 
2:00 pm - Unlimited Heat 3B 
2:30 pm - Unlimited Provisional Heat 
3:15 pm - Budweiser Thunderfest Unlimited Championship Final Heat 
4:00 pm - Awards Ceremony 

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Copyright © 2003 Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association
Republished in an edited form from Hydros.  Used with permission.