July, 2000 An Unlimited Light Bayfair update... During a recent meeting with the owners of the Unlimited Lights, the questioned was raised about the status of the fleet's participation in this year's San Diego Bayfair race. After a quick call to Bayfair Race Director, Jim Kidrick, he made it clear that he is looking forward to the Lights returning to Mission Bay this year. A very strong west coast swing will continue this weekend in Seattle
during the August 4 - 6 Seafair race. The Bayfair race will take
place September 15 - 17. The UL-72 adds another sponsor! The UL-72 Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic has added a new sponsor! Long time Unlimited Light supporter, Graham Trucking, has joined the UL-72 team and we are excited to add them to a very distinguished group of sponosors. Graham Trucking is also sponsoring the Unlimited Lights in Tri-Cities and Seattle and continues as the primary sponsor for Jerry Hopp's UL-15. We offer our sincere thanks for Graham Trucking's continued support
of our class! Ever lost a boat? Well here's a story for you... This story comes to us from Bob Larimore, owner of the UL-23 Index Home Systems: "I received a call this morning from the Wyoming area. Larry was
driving in a rainstorm and looked in the mirrors to see.......nothing!
The trailer and boat were gone!! Frantically backtracking, it was
found, intact and unharmed, five miles back in the middle of the road with
a cop directing traffic around it. Somewhat bewildered, the officer
took Larry and Zak's word that it belonged on the back of the truck and
it was towed to a truck stop by a local wrecker. The hitch on the
truck had broken and the trailer had coasted and scraped to a stop without
hitting anything or being hit by anything. Repairs are underway and
the team should still be in the pits Thursday! Zak said it's "one
to tell the grandchildren about." Agreed. I am one thankful
person today. No damage and no one hurt. Wonderful!" WORX 96.7 FM in Madison, Indiana will have coverage of this weekends Budweiser Columbia Cup from Tri-Cities, Washington. Jim Hendrick with the Unlimited Radio Network will have reports on WORX Friday 7/28 and Saturday 7/29 at 5:00 PM EST. Sunday 7/30 reports with the URN will be at 1:30 PM EST, 4:30 PM EST, 5:36 PM EST, and the live championship can be heard at 6:00 PM EST with the URN. Jeff Ayler and Tim Torrance of WORX will start the WORX Hydro Show on Sunday 7/30 at 4:04 PM EST and last until the final heat completion. WORX Hydro Show guests in the studios on Sunday 7/30 will be local hydroplane pilots Wayne Dunlap, Jeff Knox, and Matt Sontag. You can find WORX 96.7 FM on the web at www.worxradio.com!
WORX is a member of the Unlimited Radio Network. To find additional
stations and archived URN race broadcasts, just click
here. We are happy to report that the Lights should see their best attended race this year! As we move into the west coast swing, the fleet is really coming together to put on a series of shows that fans won't want to miss! With all the sponsor announcements we have seen over the last week, we felt it would be good to run down the updated Tri-Cities roster. We are even more excited to announce that this roster isn't expected to shrink for the Seattle race! Here's the latest... UL-3 Miss Broadmoore RV ... Doug Brow
Other possible entrant: UL-136 Sanders Racing ... Wayne Howard The latest:
Team Pegasus welcomes Index Home as their new title sponsor!
Index Home Systems, Inc. is a wholesale distributor for residential networking, security and automation hardware. The company provides complete technological solutions for builders, homeowners and electricians. You can find Index Home on the web at www.indexhome.com! To learn more about the UL-23 Team Pegasus, just visit their
website. Jack Whitson, owner of the Lake Pateros
Motor Inn announced yesterday that
he will again sponsor Steve
Hook's UL-49 for the Tri-Cities and Seattle races. Jack sponsored
the UL-49 for the Tastin' n Racin' event earlier this season where they
captured a 4th place finish. The UL-110 Miss CompAir website looks back... The UL-110 Miss CompAir website has been
updated with quite a bit of new information. Tonight the site launched
two new photo galleries focusing on the
Madison and Lake Havasu races. They've also updated their
news page with race summaries from Detroit, Madison and Lake Havasu.
Randy, Carl and the entire UL-110 team will be with us in Tri-Cities, Seattle
and San Diego! An interview with new HYDRO-PROP president Gary Garbrecht New Hydros owner HYDRO-PROP, Inc. has been busy since announcing its acquisition last week in Detroit. HYDRO-PROP is a new company headed by chairman and long-time unlimited hydroplane team owner Bernie Little and veteran marine executive Gary Garbrecht. Garbrecht, who will serve as president, answered a few questions regarding the new company and his plans for unlimited racing. Just
click here to read the full interview. UL-21 announces a new sponsor! The UL-21 "Thunder Valley Racing Team" is proud to announce that they've obtained LizardTech as the title sponsor for the upcoming Unlimited Light hydroplane races at Tri-Cities, WA July 28-30 and Seattle, WA August 4-6. Nick Badaloto, who piloted the hull to a second place finish at Tastin' n Racin' earlier this season will again drive the UL-21. Find out all about LizardTech at their website, www.lizardtech.com. UL-83 Spirit of Rising Sun for sale In talking with Tony Stalder of the UL-83 Spirit of Rising
Sun, his equipment is for sale. Have no fear though, Tony is leaving
the sport. Quite the contrary! He wants to sell his equipment
and he's looking to build a new boat or buying a different setup.
Here are some of the specifics...
If you are interested or know someone who is, please contact
us and we can put you in touch with Tony. Teams are firming up plans for Tri-Cities... UL-38
Shield's Auto Glass
UL-20
Overtime
UL-17
Johnsonville Brats presents Ted's
Red Apple Markets
UL-102 McGregor Propulsion is heading west! Let's take one team out of the possible
entrants column and add them to the list of teams that will attend the
upcoming Columbia Cup! Cindy spoke with Scott McGregor, driver and
owner of the UL-102 McGregor Propulsion, earlier today and he has firmed
up plans to attend the Tri-Cities race. Outstanding
news as the field of ten confirmed teams grows to eleven! Full fleet of Unlimited Lights expected For Tri-Cities! The following teams have indicated that they will be participating in the upcoming Unlimited Light Columbia Cup hydroplane race at Tri-Cities, WA July 28-30 on the Columbia River: UL-3 Hogan Racing ... Doug Brow
Other possible entrants: UL-102 McGregor Propulsion ... Scott McGregor
From Charley Wiggins, driver of the U-6 Miss Madison and the UL-10 Earl's Performance Products "July 12, 2000 To My Family, The City of Madison, Fellow Racers, Fans and Friends: It is with sorrow that I tell you of my decision to hang up my helmet and driving gloves for the last time. In light of my recent accidents and the deaths of fellow motorsport drivers Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty, I have come to the conclusion that for the first time in my life my passion for life, family and other activities outweigh my passion for driving race boats. This sport, through its participants and fans have pushed me to great accomplishments, taught me life's lessons, sometimes tragic, and given me friendships that will last a lifetime. The City of Madison gave me a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of racing an unlimited hydroplane. For these things and to all those involved, I will be forever grateful. Now, it's time to say goodbye to the sport that I love so, so much. And may God bless you as I feel he has blessed me! Charley Wiggins" An update on the UL-136 Sanders Racing Team The UL-136 is due out of the paint shop tomorrow (7/12) then it is back
to the Ron Jones shop to put the hardware in. They hope to finish
the cockpit next week. This hull raced last year in San Diego and
has been totally rebuilt of this season. Work will continue into
the weekend and the team hopes to make the Tri-Cities race! Looking back on the Detroit final... Sunday on the Detroit River was far different than the three previous days of gorgeous, sunny weather and calm water. The teams arrived to the pits and encountered strong, gusty winds and whitecaps on the course. Race preparations started as normal, but would soon be put on hold waiting for the weather to break. In the early afternoon, a shower rolled through the area and the winds and water calmed. Not wasting any time, two unlimited heats were run and then it was time for the final of the Unlimited Lights. More preliminary heats had been scheduled, but were canceled due to the weather. Seven boats made their way onto the course: UL-10 Earl’s Performance Products, UL-15 Happy-Go-Lucky, UL-23 Bertolini Construction, UL-72 Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic, UL-102 McGregor Propulsion/Edward E Jones, UL-110 Miss CompAir, and UL-141 Authorized Cellular. As the boats came around for the start, Charley Wiggins in the Earl’s Performance Products and Randy Haas in the Miss CompAir had the inside lanes and Phil Bonocini, driving the Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic, was staying behind them and to the outside. Wiggins and Haas were early and had to let off the gas, while Bononcini was able to accelerate and hit the start right on the money. The Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic led through the first turn and continued to stretch out the lead. Wiggins and Haas staged an incredible battle side-by-side for the first two laps. However, the rough Detroit River cut the race short on the third lap when it launched Wiggins’ craft skyward. The boat landed hard on the side of its canopy and then flipped right-side-up. Wiggins climbed out immediately, but his day of racing was complete. The race was declared final and the Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic was ruled the winner. Haas in the Miss CompAir finished second – they’re first heat finish of the weekend. Some bad luck with seaweed plagued most of the teams, including the Haas’, throughout the Detroit race. Jerry Hopp, with a dying motor in the Happy-Go-Lucky, finished a "happy" third and Greg Grenier took the Authorized Cellular to fourth place after a penalty gained before the start. The teams of McGregor Propulsion/Edward E Jones and Bertolini Construction had engine woes of their own and were unable to finish the race. News and notes Scott McGregor’s UL-102 McGregor Propulsion/Edward E Jones team will rebuild their engine and hope to compete this weekend at Pontiac Lake. Tracy Haas was overheard telling Mike Osier, crew chief of the Miss CompAir, that "seaweed wasn’t on your race checklist, was it??!!!" Jerry Hopp’s team wanted to add a garbage disposal on their boat to grind up the seaweed and spit it out. Jerry didn’t encounter any seaweed when he "hopped" out of the UL-15 and into the U-6 Miss Madison to cover Charley’s other ride through the remainder of the day. Written by Cindy Moore
For full coverage from the Chrysler-Jeep
APBA Gold Cup, just click here. Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association Acquired By HYDRO-PROP, Inc (Detroit, MI.) - The American Power Boat Association (APBA) and the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association (UHRA) today announced the transfer of ownership of the UHRA from the APBA to HYDRO-PROP, Inc., a new company headed by chairman and long-time unlimited hydroplane team owner Bernie Little and veteran marine executive Gary Garbrecht. The transfer was approved by the UHRA board of directors at a meeting in Detroit yesterday. The UHRA is in Detroit this weekend for the annual Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold Cup, the premier event of the Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series. During the transition, Garbrecht and Mike Jones, president of the APBA, will run the day-to-day operations. Garbrecht, who led successful motorsports programs for Mercury Marine and Outboard Marine for many years and most recently created and owns the PROP Formula One Tour, will serve as president. Garbrecht, 57, currently resides in Winter Haven, Fla. "Unlimited hydroplane racing has great tradition and great fans," said Garbrecht. "All you have to do is look at the event in Detroit this weekend. The Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold Cup is a major sporting event with a major sponsor, major media coverage and major fan attendance. And we have the same success in Seattle and San Diego. We need to build on those successes. "We have a lot of ideas on how to do that and move this sport forward," continued Garbrecht. "I wouldn't be investing my time and my money if I didn't believe in my heart that this was a great opportunity. And I am sure that Bernie feels the same way." "We have a responsibility to the fans, race promoters, team owners and sponsors to do everything we can to move the sport forward," said Little. "I've been in boat racing a long time and I have known Gary Garbrecht a long time. I have full confidence that he will do a great job in moving this sport that I have come to love to a much higher level. Gary has my full support." One of the plans that HYDRO-PROP will initiate is combining unlimited hydroplane events with PROP Formula One Tour events beginning at the final race of the 2000 season in September in San Diego. Garbrecht plans to combine the two series at all of the 2001 events. "We are going to combine the biggest, fastest racing boats in the world (unlimited hydroplanes) with the most versatile, fastest accelerating and fastest turning boats in the world (PROP F1 boats) in order to give our fans more entertainment and value," added Garbrecht. "The ability to do this is just one of the values that HYDRO-PROP brings to unlimited hydroplane racing." The APBA is the sanctioning authority for powerboat racing in the United States. The UHRA is the arm of the APBA responsible for unlimited hydroplane races. Unlimited hydroplanes are nearly 30 feet long, are powered by Vietnam-era helicopter engines that produce 3,000 horsepower and attain a top speed of more than 200 mph. "The transfer of ownership of the UHRA to HYDRO-PROP is similar to the one we did earlier this year with the Offshore Racing Commission," said Mike Jones, president of the APBA. "We believe that it is in the best interest of unlimited boat racing to free the company up from an owner-managed series to a pure business. As a business, the tremendous capital investment that is required to run a national race series can be justified and made. I am tremendously optimistic about Gary Garbrecht's leadership and the future of unlimited racing." The already-scheduled UHRA events in Tri-Cities,
Wash. (July 28-30); Seattle (Aug. 4-6); and San Diego (Sept. 15-17) will
be run as planned. Budweiser joins the UL-72 team! This weekend in Detroit the UL-72 is sponsored by Bernie Little and
Coast Cutlery. With this sponsorship addition the team will be called
the Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic. The team's sponsons will be carry
the new BUD lettering (which will be changed on other Budweiser hulls in
the near future). Phil Bononcini let us know that the team is happy
to be part of Bernie Little's entry into ULRS sponsorship and look
they forward to great race weekend in Detroit. Chrysler-Jeep APBA Gold Cup coverage begins! Join us for a
full weekend of Unlimited and Unlimited Light coverage as we bring
you all the testing, qualifying and racing details. It's the Gold
Cup here in Detroit and the race weekend is underway! Hydroplanes.net adds page featuring the Unlimited Lights! Jack Lowe is a friend of the series and a friend of the webmaster for this site. Jack is responsible for the photos you enjoyed during our Lake Havasu coverage and even provided the short videos we featured during that event. Jack is following the series this season and chronicling his experiences on his website, Hydroplanes.net. We're mentioning his site here tonight because Jack has added a new
page featuring the Unlimited Lights! Just click
here to take a look. Johnsonville Sausage to Sponsor UL-17!
We extend a warm welcome to the 55 year old company known the world over for their famous Johnsonville Brats that will be available at the races. Look for the 40' barbecue grill which is billed as the "World's Largest Touring Grill" and enjoy some of this delicious product! You
can learn more about the UL-17 Johnsonville Sausage presents Ted's Red
Apple Markets on the team's internet
homepage. Three Madison Regatta photo galleries debut! Three websites are offering a look back on last weekend's 50th Anniversary
of the Madison Regatta! Here on ULRS, we unveil a
quick look back at the Unlimited Light teams that joined us for the
event. On Hydros, we add a
new Unlimited gallery. Finally, on the Madison Regatta website
we add a look back at
the awards ceremony and the parade. Just click on one and bounce
around. All the galleries are interlinked! Chrysler-Jeep APBA Gold Cup To Go World Wide Hydros and the Spirit of Detroit Thunderfest is teaming together with allwebsports.com and Earthlink to put the Chrylser Jeep APBA Gold Cup on the world-wide web on Saturday, July 8th and Sunday, July 9th. What is different about this webcast is the only live radio coverage is on WWJ-AM during the Sunday heats but allwebsports.com is going to use the Public Address system broadcast and couple it with a three-camera videocast to put together the first video/audio webcast of an entire unlimited hydroplane race program. Not only will the unlimited boats receive coverage, but so will the Authorized Cellular Unlimited Light race, the Big Boy Five-Liter North American Championship, the Sinbar's Inflatable Challenge, the Dave Czerwinski Memorial Grand Prix race, the Jersey Speed Skiffs and the Vintage boats. The Spirit of Detroit received verbal permission from Ken Black of WWJ to put the on air portion of the broadcast on the web and SODT volunteer Brian Reed worked closely with allwebsports.com to put the myriad of technical areas together to ensure quality video and audio webcast. Allwebsports.com is one of the worlds leading provider of video/audio LIVE "streaming" for all major sports and entertainment. Allwebsports simply marries the two technologies into a whole of sorts so that you get exactly what a full TV show would present plus everything else that TV cannot show and do. Sports partners include Hydros, Worldwide Soccer, Hockey, Baseball, Boxing, Tennis, Motorsports, Football, Golf, and much more. Allwebsports CEO/President Chris Collins has put together an impressive line-up of partners from the operational side to insure satisfaction when delivering this very difficult, but satisfying program to computers all over the world. World Stream E Productions of Bellevue, Washington and Eye Candy Productions of Seattle, Washington handle graphic and content related issues. The webcast will begin at approximately
10 an EDT both Saturday, June 8th and Sunday, June 9th. To join the
webcast, internet users can go to www.hydros.org,
www.ulrs.org,
www.thunderfest.com
or to www.allwebsports.com and
link from there. Click here for updates from June, 2000.
Questions, comments? E-mail the
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