June, 2000 The UL-33 draws a crowd in Madison! Denny Jackson had the UL-33 on display
outside Hinkles Sandwich Shop from mid afternoon until the sun set for
the day. Hinkles Sandwich Shop rests on the main street of Madison
and the UL-33 at one point had such a crowd around it, traffic had
to give up a lane and merge to the left. WORX's Jeff Ayler, APBA
Unlimited Historian Fred Farley and others joined Denny during the display.
It was a good time to swap stories and Denny's father even stopped by for
a time to take a look at his son's ride. Here are a few photos from
the event...
RC-Hydros.com owned by Andy Kunz announced today the co-sponsorship of Jerry/Greg Hopp's UL-15 for the Detroit Automotive Gold Cup Invitational and the Unlimited Light race at Detroit, Michigan July 6th through the 9th. Andy is a long time supporter of the ULRS and is well-known in the R/C racing world. This is his first venture into the Unlimited Lights and we look forward to seeing Andy continue his new partnership with the Unlimited Lights. WELCOME ABOARD ANDY! The UL-15 will be taken to Detroit by "Uncle"
Al Thoreson, former co-owner of the piston powered U-7. Al is looking forward
to seeing all his old friends that he has made there over the 30 some years
that he was associated with Unlimited Hydroplanes. The UL-72 Pocket Mechanic will not make the Madison race. Talking with Phil Bononcini, the UL-72's two race winning streak will come to an end this weekend. Phil will be unable to attend the event. Phil Bononcini, writing from his home in Washington state, "It's true. I made a commitment to be the all star coach for our local little league. Until we have been defeated, twice, I'll be out of racing. The only race I can for sure make it to is Detroit because there is a three day gap in the tournament. Is that amazing or what? I've only had the word officially since the 15th of June that I was selected to be the coach so my plans were in flux. Now that I have been selected for this honor I'll be a full time coach until we're knocked out or we win the Little League World Series." Phil will be missed during this weekend's Madison Regatta 50th Anniversary
Celebration!
WORX 96.7 FM in Madison, Indiana will have complete coverage of this weekends Belterra Resort & Casino Indiana Governor's Cup from the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana featuring Unlimited Hydroplane and Unlimited Light Hydroplane racing action. On Saturday July 1 and Sunday July 2 WORX will provide all the testing, qualifying, and racing action. The "Wild" Bill Cantrell Memorial race course will open at 9:00 AM EST each morning. The WORX 96.7 FM race coverage team this year will include Race Announcer Jeff Ayler, Color Analyst Scott Davidson, Pit Reporters Tim Torrance and Trevor Harless. The rest of the WORX staff includes Station Manager Bill Potter, Traffic Manager Janice Potter, On AIr Staff Associates LaDawn Turner, Barb Daugherty, Dan Dattilo, Caryl Schwaller, and Ben Potter. Sales Associates Crystal Hall, Libby Richards, and Chris Tandy. WORX's web address is www.worxradio.com
As WORX broadcasts their radio signal over the internet for all to enjoy,
there's no doubt that, as Jeff Ayler put it, "Ya Gotta a Regatta with WORX
96.7 FM" After a promising transition to the Unlimiteds, Charley Wiggins has a setback... In his second heat of competition, the escape hatch on the U-6 Miss Madison experienced a fluke incident. Part of the hatch broke, possibly due to floating debris, allowing water and pieces of the hatch to shoot into the cockpit at around 150 mph. Charley suffered a knee injury and is fairly bruised from the force of the impact. We are happy to report that he was released from the hospital this morning.
Our thoughts are with you Charley and we hope you are feeling better soon! As we reported earlier, the Unlimited Lights were well represented during the Madison Regatta Media kickoff. Now you can take a look for yourself as we feature photos from the event! Just our way to start up the excitement for this weekend's upcoming
race. UL-23 Team Pegasus secures associate sponsor for Madison During last week's Madison Regatta Media Party, Steinhardt Heating and Air agreed to join the team as an associate sponsor for the Madison race, July 1-2, 2000. The ULRS would like to thank Tony and his group for their support of Bob Larimore's team! For more information on Steinhardt Heating and Air, please visit www.steinhardtent.com.
For more information on Team Pegasus, click here. Hopp Racing looks back on the first two races of the season! On Greg and Jerry Hopp's UL-15 Hopp Racing site, you will find almost everything there is to know about the Unlimited Light side of the Hopp Racing team. While Greg is out racing with the Unlimiteds behind the wheel of the Fred Leland's U-100 Znetix, the Hopp family continues their proud tradition of racing with the Unlimited Lights. Currently their news page is featuring a quick look back on the first few races of our season from the viewpoint of the UL-15. It's a good look back on Lake Havasu, Lake Sammamish and Lake Issaquah (aka Tastin' n Racin'). Also worth noting, Jerry and Greg Hopp will be sponsored by Bill and
"Happy" Rands for this year's Detroit race! Results from day one of the Evansville Thunder Festival available... Unlimited Light driver Charley Wiggins took to the water in Evansville today and made the transition to driving an Unlimited look easy. His first lap in the U-6, Charley turned a 132.419 and never looked back maintaining speeds in the 140's throughout the day. For a full summary of today's action, be sure to visit Hydros.
You can also find quite a bit of play-by-play detail on Hydrofest.
Finally, on the U-6 Miss Madison
website, they've launched a gallery featuring Charley's first time
out. UL-9 Droullard Motorsports unveils the team's history! What do Mark Evans, Fred Leland and Nate Brown have to do with the history of the UL-9 Droullard Motorsports team? Just visit the team's newly redesigned history section for all the details. It's four pages deep and contains over thirty photos! Droullard Motorsports
was formed in 1992 and has an interesting story to share. Now, through
their website, you can see how Paul Droullard and his team raced their
way through much of the last eight years. The UL-9 team will unveil
their new Unlimited Light hull next season. The UL-110 Miss CompAir launches a new website! Randy Haas, Carl Haas and the entire UL-110
team have a new home on the internet! We would like to take this
opportunity to invite you to visit the new UL-110 Miss CompAir website.
You can find it at www.ulrs.org/ul110.htm.
We are all quite pleased to unveil the new site. It will serve as
a resource for all the latest news, photos and information on team. Expect
regular updates as this new site continues to take shape and grow. Madison Regatta media event is a success! The Unlimited Lights were well represented last night in Madison, Indiana as the Madison Regatta celebrated their official media kick-off! Tony Stalder was the first on the scene with his UL-83 Spirit of Rising Sun. Tony chairs the GNH class, but he has made the modifications so that his UL/GNH-83 can run with either class. Tony will be joining us during the Madison Regatta and hopes to make this year's Automotive Gold Cup in Detroit. He was with us in the beginning and it is good to see him, his hull and his team with us this season. Mike Wiener had his UL-2 Country Boy on display as well. Mike's team hails from Cincinnati, Ohio and we learned that his new hull is almost ready. We are really hoping to see Mike with us at a few upcoming events. Mike McCormick was also in attendance talking with local media and showing off a nice set of photos of his UL-4. It's going to be an impressive hull once they put the finishing touches on it! UL-110 Miss CompAir's Randy and Tracy Haas joined the afternoon's festivities as well. The two made the trip down from Toledo, Ohio to share in the party. One thing we can certainly say, you can't share an afternoon with Randy without being glad he was there. His stories from the Havasu race were not to be missed. I wish I could do them justice here on the site. You just have to hear him tell the tale... Charley Wiggins was also there as the new pilot of the U-6 Miss Madison. He's going to be a great spokesman for the U-6, his own UL-10 and the UHRA. He was asked to speak during the event and he made the U-6 fans glad they came. For a nice summary of the entire event, be sure to visit the Madison
Regatta website. A full press release detailing the event along
with a great set of photos just debuted. Look for our own photos
from the event to debut tomorrow! Charley Wiggins set to be interviewed on WORX 96.7... Miss Madison and Earl's Performance Products pilot Charley Wiggins will
be in the studios of WORX this morning (6/20/00). Wiggins is in town
for the Madison Regatta Media Party, but between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM (Madison
time), he will be in the studios of WORX for an interview during the stations
morning show. You can listen live by visiting www.worxradio.com.
Just push the "click to listen" button to join the show! The UL-24 Union Pride team is working its way back toward the series! This evening (6/19/00) I had a chance to talk with David Kancianich for the first time. David Kancianich and David Bartholomen co-owned the Tacoma, Washington based team which ran with us last season as the Emerald Queen Casino, but may be better known as the Union Pride. While talking with David he explained that he's looking to return to racing very soon and that his heart is with the Lights. He laughed and explained that he had this very site on his computer when I called. David may bring back last year's UL-24 hull, but he also has his eye on a couple other boats so the jury is still out. He still has the motors and equipment from last season. In fact, we may see him on the water before the end of this year if everything falls into place. He's also interested in competing in next year's nationals in Renton, Washington and was in attendance to see this year's Tastin' n Racin' event on Lake Sammamish. What has he been up to while he's been away from the Lights? David has been restoring a vintage 7-liter. He's working to bring back the H-25 Annie Dodge. Those of you who know your hydro history may recall that this was a 7-liter that Bill Muncey raced. David went on to explain that Ron Jones is said to have loved this hull so much that it served as a springboard to get him more interested in boat design. David wants to complete the restoration so that the hull can be shown at future vintage and classic boating events. We look forward to seeing David's team back on the water with the Unlimited
Lights and the UHRA! The latest on the Indiana races... Evansville and Madison Evansville - As we reported
earlier, City Engineers and Mr. Mike Duckworth, Operations Supervisor
for City Works, condemned the area of the pits normally occupied by the
Lights. As a result, we are unable to attend this year's Evansville
Thunder Festival. We do want to wish the Unlimited fleet our
best as they entertain fans during this year's race. To follow all
the Unlimited action throughout the upcoming race weekend, here are a few
links to watch...
Madison - The 50th anniversary of
the Madison Regatta is shaping
up to be a major event. This Tuesday the regatta will host it's official
media kickoff as representatives of the press, the teams and the UHRA meet
for an entertaining evening that will serve to preview the upcoming festivities.
For those of you who want an early look at this year's race schedule, here's
a quick look.
The full Madison
2000 Program Book goes on sale on June 24th. We are two races into the season and we have heard from several new teams looking to build or buy an Unlimited Light hull to join the fleet. Over the next few days, we are going to share what we've learned following the Lake Havasu and Lake Sammamish races. Tonight we'll begin this new series with Tom Eckenberg. Tom used to be one of Fred Leland's engine builders with the PICO team. Tom spent a fair amount of time talking with Commissioner Patricia Darling in Issaquah and he's now looking to buy an Unlimited Light. Talking with Tom by e-mail, he plans to keep us updated on his progress and we'll keep you posted right here through the site. Watch for more on who's joining the fleet over the next few days! Steve Hook's UL-49 adds a sponsor for Detroit! RC-Hydros.com will join the Unlimited Lights as a partial sponsor for Steve Hook's UL-49 Hook Racing team during this year's Detroit race. Andy Kunz is a name many who've followed the ULRS website should know well. Andy is a real fan of the Lights and has based several radio controlled model designs on boats from our fleet. Andy is a frequent contributor on the powerboat list and is the person behind RC-Hydros.com. Andy told us he's excited about playing a part in helping the Hook Racing team make this year's Automotive Gold Cup. Andy describes his contribution as a "small guy effort". Well it's just this kind of effort that makes a big difference when a team makes the trip across the country to put a boat on the water. We offer him our thanks. Steve Hook's Pateros, WA based team joined the Unlimited Light fleet this year for the first time and raced on both Lake Havasu and Lake Sammamish. Steve's team has been sponsored by Forney Insurance Group Inc., Selman & Associates Realty, Positive Sign Company and most recently Lake Pateros Motor Inn. Be sure to visit www.rc-hydros.com
and let Andy know how much his help is appreciated! You can also
learn more about the UL-49 Hook Racing Team on their team
webpage. Steve's team has been a great addition to the ULRS fleet
this season!
Seattle, Washington (June 15, 2000) Russ Wicks, Dr. Ken Muscatel, Roger Newton and the entire U-25 Miss Freei team has just broken World Water Speed Record! Subject to ratification by the APBA and the UIM, the new World Water Speed Record will be 205.494. Northbound, Russ set a speed of 207.254. Southbound he came in at 203.735. The Unlimited Lights Racing Series sends a hearty congratulations to
everyone associated with the record breaking run. This monumental
event makes an extremely positive statement to the speed, and safety, of
hydroplane racing. We also thank Freei.com
for their sponsorship and support in accomplishing this major goal.
Get your first 60 days for only $1. Earthlink
will also waive the $25 set-up fee (that's a total savings of $64)!
You can either call Earthlink at (800) 395-8425 (be sure to mention
Registration Number 400047807) or just
click here!
Seattle, Washington (June 14, 2000) - High winds Wednesday postponed Russ Wicks attempt for the World Water Speed Record for a propeller-driven boat in the Miss Freei unlimited hydroplane. The winds caused white caps on Lake Washington, preventing safe conditions for the attempt. Wicks and the Miss Freei will attempt to break the longest-standing major speed record in history, tomorrow, Thursday, June 15 from 7:00 a.m. to noon at Sand Point. “It is ironic that on Flag Day the winds prevented us from making an assault on Roy Duby’s 200 mph record,” Wicks said. After a long delay Wednesday, both Wicks and team owner Dr. Ken Muscatel drove a recreational boat on Lake Washington then returned to confer with American Power Boat Association (APBA) officials about the conditions of the water. It is just too rough for the team to make an honest attempt at breaking the record today. “We need to make two runs on the one-mile straight course within a 20-minute period and it doesn’t appear that mother nature is cooperating,” Wicks said. The two runs in different directions are then averaged together for the official record speed. Wicks added, “during the last week of testing we reached speeds over 200 mph and the boat is handling the best in two years so I am confident that with good weather on Thursday these fans will see a piece of motorsports history.” The current one-mile World Water Speed Record for a propeller-driven boat has not been broken in nearly four decades. The current world record of 200.419 miles per hour was set in 1962 by Roy Duby in the Miss U.S., at Lake Guntersville, Alabama. Miss Freei is a regulation propeller-driven
unlimited hydroplane featuring a jet-fueled Lycoming L-7C turbine engine
(out of a military Chinook helicopter), producing 3,000 horsepower at 10,000
revolutions per minute (rpm). The boat is 28 feet in length, weighs 6,600
pounds and features a safety canopy from an F-16 fighter jet. At speed,
Miss Freei throws over a ton of water into the air, creating a 200-foot
“rooster tail” shooting up to 40 feet high. Don't miss the Unlimited Lights on
Be sure to set those VCR's as Tastin' n Racin' debuts on Speedvision tomorrow night! The show will be repeated throughout the month, but I say pop the popcorn and settle in for a fun look back on a great weekend of racing action. Checking Speedvision's
program guide and the
Tastin'
n Racin' website, the show will premiere at 10:00 PM EST and 7:00 PM
PST. Check local listing for the time in your area. Not to
be missed... Bob Larimore, owner of the UL-23 Team Pegasus, gets behind the wheel! During last weekend's New Martinsville
(West Virginia) GNH race, Bob Larimore returned to piloting the UL-23 Team
Pegasus. The UL-23 even took the win in the final! Future plans
include a bit of testing for him during Madison and some heats later in
the season, possibly Detroit. Visit the UL-23
Team Pegasus website where Bob describes the weekend in his own words.
Just look in the "what's new" section for the full update!
For Immediate Release
(Seattle, WA) - The Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association (UHRA) announced today that EarthLink will be the "Official Internet Service Provider" of the UHRA. "We are extremely excited about the addition of EarthLink to the UHRA," said Bo Darling, chief operating officer, UHRA. "This relationship reinforces our commitment to locating new sponsorships and allows the UHRA to be affiliated with the new economy of the Internet as we take Unlimited hydroplane racing into the twenty-first century." EarthLink is one of the world's leading Internet service providers, bringing the magic of the Internet to more than 4.2 million individuals and businesses every day. Headquartered in Atlanta, EarthLink provides a full range of innovative access, hosting, and e-commerce solutions to thousands of communities internationally from more than 5,000 points of presence. EarthLink is committed to doing an exceptional job of pleasing its customers, shareholders, and the community by following the company's Core Values and Beliefs. Information about EarthLink and EarthLink Sprint services is available by calling (800) 395-8425 and through EarthLink's website at www.earthlink.net. It's your Internet (tm) Glenn Andersen, Field Marketing Manager of EarthLink said, "EarthLink is very pleased to be involved with the UHRA and believe this relationship will be beneficial for both parties. We are looking forward to a great race season." The Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series
continues June 23-25, at the Budweiser Thunder on the Ohio, Evansville,
Indiana. UL-38 B&B Racing has been busy, but they are still with us! Talking with Gene Bender by e-mail... "Just a note to update you relative to B & B current activities and plans. At this point Dave has managed to stabilize his activities a bit and we are making some progress with preparation for racing. Dave and Clay worked on the boat over the Memorial Day Weekend. Bud [Gilbert] is working on our motors. With a bit of luck we should make Madison and subsequent races with equipment preparation." We look forward to seeing Gene Bender, Dave Bender and the entire UL-38
B&B Racing team back on the water with the series! The Madison Regatta Store is open for business! E-commerce has come to the Madison Regatta
as the Madison Regatta Store opens for business on the web. Through
the new store you can purchase t-shirts, hats, mugs, polo shirts, lapel
pins, wristbands, pit passes and more. Visit www.madisonregatta.com
for all the details. Looking for a miniature version of the UL-72 Pocket Mechanic? On the UL-72
Pocket Mechanic site, they're pointing fans to an individual who makes
models of the UL-72. One of the models is pictured with Phil Bononcini.
The site contains all the details on how to get one of your own.
Click here to
take a look...
ST. LOUIS (June 2, 2000) – As sponsor of Miss Budweiser for nearly four decades, Budweiser has become synonymous with hydroplane racing. Today, the association was strengthened as the “King of Beers” was named title sponsor of the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association’s (UHRA) “Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series.” "Budweiser has been one of our most committed sponsors for years, and it is with great pleasure that I announce the world’s No. 1 beer as title sponsor of the Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series,” said Bo Darling, chief executive officer, UHRA. "Budweiser’s sponsorship gives our series instant name recognition with sponsors, media and fans, and will help grow the sport for years to come." In addition to its title sponsorship of the Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series and Miss Budweiser, the brand is the “Official Beer of the UHRA,” title sponsor of the Budweiser Thunder on the Ohio (Evansville, Ind.) and Budweiser Columbia Cup (Tri-Cities, Wash.), and a presenting sponsor of the Empire Power Systems Mojave Unlimited Hydrofest (Lake Havasu City, Ariz.). “Hydroplane racing has been an important component of the Bud Racing program for decades,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president of corporate media and sports marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Title sponsorship of the Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series is an outstanding addition to our sports marketing portfolio, and with our continued support of the UHRA, we look forward to bringing the sport to new fans around the country.” As part of Budweiser’s sponsorship, the brand receives two 30-second commercials – along with opening and closing billboards – on espn2’s race telecasts, the series logo will appear on each team’s boat and on drivers’ race suits, and the Series champion will be awarded the Budweiser Cup. espn2’s first Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series telecast is a tape-delayed presentation of the Lake Havasu City event. It airs this Sunday, June 4 at 4 p.m. (ET). First launched in 1963, the Miss Budweiser team owned by Bernie Little has a total of 125 race wins, including 12 APBA Gold Cup victories and 19 world titles to its credit. Miss Budweiser has won the season-ending championship a record 13 times in the past 16 years. Bill Sterett began the proud Miss Budweiser championship tradition with a title in 1969, followed by Dean Chenoweth who captured championships in 1970 and 1971. Driver Mickey Remund led Budweiser to a championship in 1977, and Chenoweth again won two in a row in 1980 and 1981. In 1987 Jim Kropfeld guided Miss Budweiser to her second consecutive championship, and third title in four years. The following year, Kropfeld was succeeded by Tom D’Eath, who took Miss Budweiser to consecutive titles in 1988 and 1989. Scott Pierce added another championship in 1991, followed by Miss Budweiser driver Chip Hanauer’s string of four consecutive championships from 1992 through 1995. Dave Villwock took over the wheel of the Miss Budweiser in 1997, and has captured the last three UHRA championships for the “King of Beers,” Little’s 17th, 18th and 19th titles. Budweiser, the world’s best-selling beer,
is brewed by Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Click here for updates from May, 2000.
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The
World Water Speed Record has been broken!
