March 2002

Ray West returns to boat racing!
We are pleased to announce that a northwest ex-boat racer turned car racer is coming back to boat racing and joining the fleet!  Ray West is having Dale VanWierington build him an unlimited light boat for racing this summer.   Dale was the builder of the ELAM boat last spring and has many years of boat building experience.  Ray hopes to debut the boat at Valleyfield and will race the rest of the circuit.   The smell of spring in Seattle/Tacoma is epoxy curing at THREE different boat shops.

- ULRHA President, Joe Frauenheim
 

Propeller offering great coverage on and off the web!
If you are an APBA member, you should have recently received the March 2002 issue of Propeller magazine.  Each month we're thrilled with the coverage the series receives in the publication.  Even with that said, the March issue was a real stand out!  

On page 11, you will find an article titled "Lights shine in Seattle".  It's a great bit of banquet/Seattle meeting coverage written by ULHRA Commissioner Patricia Darling.  What makes the piece a true stand out story is the sheer number of photos presented along with the text.  The magazine has published thirteen photos on one page and has our thanks.

If you don't get the magazine, you can still enjoy the text of the article on-line by clicking here and visiting the on-line Propeller hosted on the APBA website.

As a side note, many of the great photos used in the story were taken by Tracy Morgan who has our thanks!
 

John Myers Racing - The Best of Old and New for 2002
ORANGE, CA. (March 25, 2002) - The 2002 Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association ushers in a new era this season with the birth of a brand new team, John Myers Racing.  JW Myers, ULHRA Rookie of the Year for 1999 has announced plans to lease the entire racing team inventory of Bob Larimore's Team Pegasus Unlimited Light (UL) racing operation for the upcoming season.

"This represents a dream come true for me," says Myers. "We made some great initial strides in improving this hull into more of a contender during 2001, and we know we are very close to turning the corner and giving the other Lights a real run for their money in 2002. The boat is ready to go, and we have an exciting new engine program that should give us an additional edge for this season."

Myers has retained the services of Phil Stock of Orange, CA, a veteran powerboat racing engine builder whose efforts includes engine work for many flatbottom racing legends, and NHRA Top Fuel Funny car team of Bob Bode. "Phil brings us the depth and experience that puts us ahead of the curve in many respects. John Myers Racing is thrilled to have our new association with Phil Stock," Myers noted.

"I'm grateful that Bob Larimore was willing to lease the equipment to us this season, but even more grateful that he's given us this opportunity to go race," Myers says.  "We plan on making him very proud this year."

John Myers Racing will be headquartered in Orange, CA. They currently have plans to tour the entire ULHRA circuit in 2002, in addition to the Kilometer trials in April to raise the UL straightaway record.

Sponsorship opportunities still exist for the upcoming racing season. For information, contact John Myers Racing at 714 470-1630.
 

Another new UL team!
Another new unlimited light team has plans to join the fleet.  Recently, Rick and Shawn Bridgman sold last year's Miss Ted's Red Apple Markets hull to Pingree Conflitti out of Detroit.  Ping is planning to run both as a GNH and UL with his new hull!

Commenting on the new team, Pingree said, "The new Union Dooz UL 58 and Hard Hat Racing Team, in the spirit of brotherhood for the skilled building tradesmen and their families, welcome the challenge and excitement of a fun and eventful summer at the races."

We officially welcome this new team to the 2002 fleet!
 

Get your 2002 registration forms on-line!
Owner/Driver Team Registration Form - Word Version | PDF Version
Crew Member Team Registration Form - Word Version | PDF Version
 

A few words on the early races of the 2002 season...
As Spring approaches we have a lot of activity in the west coast boat shops and planning at the race sites.   The Tastin' and Racin' event at Lake Sammamish, Washington has become the standard for event racing and promises to be bigger and better this year.     The new race this season will be two weeks later on June 22, 23 at Kamsack, Saskatchewan Canada.  The race will be held at the Provincial Park called THE DUCK.  Hence the name THUNDER ON THE DUCK!
 - ULHRA President, Joe Frauenheim
 

Another new team joins the fleet in 2002!
Joe and Jackie Turner have purchased Steve Hook's UL-49.  In an e-mail to the site, they let us know that they are currently obtaining engines and working hard to prepare the boat for Tastin' n Racin'.  The owner's name for the team?  Turner Racing Enterprises!  Joe Turner will serve as driver for the new UL team.

"We are very excited to be a part of a professional series after racing limiteds for 16 years in Region 10."  
         - Joe and Jackie Turner\

Click here for updates from February, 2002.