News from June, 2002! An update from
ULHRA Commissioner Patricia Darling KAMSACK: It is a week after arriving in this paradise and I am still enjoying the memories. Rushing around to get draws and speeds and finishes somehow precluded my relating the essence of this Canadian prairie town and the area around it. Driving up from Regina, Saskatchewan, we saw deer and bear, and learned there are elk and moose and many other kinds of wild life which we did not see first hand. Duck Mountain Provincial Park, with all its white birch trees, surrounds the pristine Madge Lake, where you can catch your limit in two hours! Of course we showed up with our thunderous machines and interrupted the quietude for a few days. But, by all accounts, the residents and visitors were enthralled and pleased. The bagpipe band and First Nation presentation must be a first for opening ceremonies of hydroplane races. I would be remiss without giving enormous credit to Jody Patten and Larry Zbeetnoff who produced the event. Mayor Pamela Nykolaisen was a tremendous supporter and Chief of Fire and Rescue, Jim Pollock, is to be congratulated on the excellent, and expert, team of firefighters, divers, rescue and medical personnel he put together for this event. Both Pamela and Jim have become new friends whom I look forward to seeing and working with over many years. - Patricia M. Darling, Commissioner By the end of Thunder at the Duck, race #2 on the 2002 Texaco M&M Deli Unlimited Light Hydroplane Series, The latest on the series from John Lynch, Voice of the Unlimited Lights For one, this year should be a spirited dual for Owner High Points between Joe Frauenheim and Jerry Hopp. The advantage in the driver's points chase goes to Phil Bononcini because he drives every heat in the Budweiser Pocket Mechanic UL72. Father & son, Jerry & Greg Hopp alternate driving duties so it'll be very difficult for Jerry to keep pace in the driver's standings, even with Greg missing some races due to his Unlimited Hydroplane duties with the U-100. Next, the Hopp's veteran Jamie Auld hull is as competitive as ever. At Issaquah WA, they ran their new supercharged powerplant and took 3 heat wins out of 4 tries. At Kamsack, they reverted to their tried & true non supercharged motor, and were just as competitive. In fact, the UL15 Freddie's Club, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Happy Go Lucky was able to "pull" the Budweiser Pocket Mechanic in the straights, but superior cornering made it "advantage, Mr. Bononcini" (for you fans of Wimbledon Tennis). So now, just 27 points separate the two hulls, with lots more racing to come. While those two are expected to battle it out for the points title, several other teams are showing "winning potential". If they can improve reliability, the UL38 Security Race Products presents Golden Nugget Casino of Dave Bender, and the UL3 "Bounty Hunter" with Doug Brow driving, have shown the speed to challenge. Remember, at Detroit last year Bender won all 3 events. Last year, as the saying goes, if it wasn't for their bad luck the UL3 would've had no luck at all. At Issaquah, again it was a problem in the engine well that prevented a possible race victory. The team's Nate Brown hull, with the GNH engine and a weight advantage, just needs to keep it running for a full weekend and they could wind up on the winner's podium. Then there's J.W. Myers and the UL23 "No Fear.Com". They've shown the speed. However engine gremlins have kept them on the beach as much as they've been on the water. If they can sort out "the bugs", Team Extreme could become "Extremely interesting" to watch. Two races in and we haven't even mentioned Randy Haas. The San Diego race winner in 2001 has been on the beach for the first two events after losing their sponsor of the past several seasons. But whenever the UL110 team competes they are a definite threat. We expect them to be racing hard at Valleyfield and Detroit the first two weekends of July. Somebody else with an outstanding hull that we haven't seen in two years. The Charlie Wiggins team from Gadsden AL with the ex Wildfire Ron Jones sr. hull.....the predecessor to the Budweiser Pocket Mechanic. Word is the Wiggins team may be in Valleyfield and Detroit with a new driver. If so, that's a competitive package that could shake up things tremendously in the UL standings. The Thunder Valley team sustained the unexpected departure of veteran driver Nick Badolato. As a result the UL21 Plateau Shell that finished third at Issaquah was left at home. But Kelly Stocklin, in the hunt for Rookie of the Year, and the crew of his UL40 combined with members of the UL21 crew. They worked to make the UL40 a competitive package, and with a top lap Sunday afternoon of better than 108 mph, this team made great strides. The UL40 team says their craft weighs in at about 400 lbs over the supercharged engine minimum of 2600 lbs. While that puts cornering at a disadvantage, the UL40 showed as much chute speed as any team at Kamsack. It's becoming demonstrative that former Grand Prix hulls, like the UL40, can be competitive under Unlimited Light supercharged engine rules. The GP boats are, in general, longer and heavier than UL's, and designed to race with 1400 hp engines, compared to the UL's 900 hp. But with the improvement shown by the UL40, it would appear to be a real competitive opportunity for current GP owners to get back to racing as a legal Unlimited Light, or find a buyer amongst current or future Unlimited Light teams. How about last year's Rookie of the Year? Well, the "X-man" Vince Xaudaro and his UL929 have had a tough start to the year. Following extensive repairs and improvements to the UL929, after sinking in the final event of 2001, Vince was unable to finish everything in time for Issaquah. However, he showed, and tried to be ready for the second day of the event, only to need just a few more minutes. At Kamsack, Vince still was trying to dial in his engine and tuning combination, and was frustrated at every turn. But, it all came together for an impressive 3rd place finish in the final. Then there's the story of the weekend. Newcomer Pingree Conflitti in the UL58 Union Dooz (formerly Rick Bridgeman's UL17 Miss Ted's Red Apple Market). The Detroit based team has a motorhome break down in Wisconsin at, of all places, a Red Apple Market!. Along comes "Vern". He sees the hydroplane on the trailer. A marine engine technician and a long time fan, he'd never been to a race. Vern goes and gets his own pickup truck, connects to the UL58 trailer, and hauls the entire team to Kamsack. Pretty impressive for someone who finagled time off from work (in no time!) and drove 18 hours to Kamsack. Never been there before. In fact, he said the closest he'd been to Kamsack Saskatchewan Canada was Tomahawk, Wisconsin! Not only did they get there in time to start & finish 3 heats and get "Ping" valuable seat time, they finished 4th in the five boat final. How about another big and pleasant surprise. Steve Hook and the UL19 Spirit of Coeur D' Alene. I'm speaking of the performance of the UL 19, not the physical size of the driver, by the way. This former Pocket Mechanic hull, which was acquired last year from Joe Frauenheim and Phil Bononcini, is running better than ever as an Unlimited Light. The ex U19 Unlimited Hydroplane team has become very competitive, as has driver Hook in his second UL campaign following an inactive 2001 season. In Saturday afternoon's Dash for Cash (won by Jerry Hopp) it took Phil Bononcini all 4 laps to edge his former hydroplane for second place, by about a boat length, It was Hook who'd led the Dash for the first 2 laps. What else? Well, you won't find a nicer community, or one that was more gracious than the folks of the Province of Saskatchewan and the Town of Kamsack. Led by Mayor Pamela A. Nykolaishen, the entire UL contingent was warmly welcomed. They enjoyed the racing and took advantage of the opportunities when the pits were opened to visitation, so they could view up close the workings of the UL teams. Duck Mountain Provincial Park and Madge Lake are true treasures. The UL "Family" can't wait to return for Thunder at the Duck II. The Mayor got in to the spirit of racing when she was given an assignment that's rare, if not totally foreign to hydroplane racing. Since the racing was done via "flag start", instead of the usual "clock start", prior to the beginning of the Dash for Cash and the Sunday Final, Mayor Nickolaishen delivered over the P.A. system the most famous words in motor racing......."Gentlemen, start your engines!" Finally, we return to the Thunder Valley team. Always there seems to be an interesting story or "sidebar" with that group. "Thunder at the Duck" was no exception. First, co-owner John O'Brien acquired the use of a Freightliner tractor to haul the UL40. Crew members shared the driving responsibilities from Issaquah WA to Kamsack. Well, "sharing" may be a bit of an exaggeration, as once he's behind the wheel, it's tough to move Spencer Tradup out. "Spence" likes being behind the wheel whether it's an over the road tractor, or other. Once the team arrived, he spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a loader-backhoe helping to place hydroplane trailers around the Logan Stevens Construction Crane. Meanwhile crewman Ken Eng realized that with the UL40 on a tilt trailer, there is a lot of unused vertical space under the hull. So he lashed his motorcycle to the trailer, and at the end of Thunder at the Duck, set off on a 1300 mile cruise back to Washington State. Fortunately for Ken, he picked a great time for a motorcycle cruise.....the weather was outstanding, except for the overnight showers in Saskatchewan on Monday morning. And lastly, there's the comfort of that Freightliner. Well the crew realized something was missing, but that was quickly solved. They created a center console for the tractor cab, using the supercharger from their spare engine they brought from the UL21. Now that's one powerful cup holder! On to Valleyfield & Detroit. Security Race Products joins the series! Commenting on the new sponsorship, ULHRA Commissioner Patricia Darling welcomed the company, "We are happy to represent this excellent company. Renton based, and owned by Al LaPointe, they have highest quality lines of equipment and clothing!" Since 1978, Al and Judy LaPointe have
been producing the finest safety equipment for all kinds of motorsports.
Always on the cutting edge of safety equipment development, Security Race
Products developed the first Capsule Lifejackets for race boats with cockpit
restraints and safety cells. Security is also
one of the primary suppliers of Kevlar Cut Suits for outboard racers, and this
year is proud to unveil its new line of revolutionary helmets--complete with
built-in air system. Additionally, their
embroidery and custom vinyl decals can make you look like a winner on and off
the race course! For all the details, products and ordering information on
our new series sponsor, visit them on the web at www.securityrace.com. Unlimited Light pilot Nick Badolato takes time away from racing... Dear Bo, Patty, and the ULHRA family, Sincerely, All the latest details on the Thunder at
the Duck! Earlier today, the series made a few announcements regarding race officials for the event. The Race Director will be Jody Patten and the Risk Manager is Larry Zbeetnoff. Bo Darling will serve as Referee on Friday with Chief Referee Rick Sandstrom arriving Friday night. Mark Allen, Bo Darling and Patricia Darling will be on site Wednesday night along with Diane and Wes Patton. Interested in learning more about Kamsack and the Duck
Mountain Provincial Park? We have links to the
area's tourism guide and additional information about Duck
Mountain Provincial Park. Make your plans to join the series in
Saskatchewan today! Photography of Alan Lagervall and
UL-15 Hopp Racing websites unveil photos! Recently, additional photos were also added to the Hopp Racing website (http://www.seanet.com/~hoppracing/). Just visit their 2002 Photos page for all the latest shots! Two great sites to keep bookmarked throughout the 2002 season! NoFear.com Offers Additional Discount To Unlimited Light Fans
Jeff Tillett, director of the company's web site is optimistic Myers and the unlimited light organization can broaden NoFear.com's reach to motorsports fans the company has not yet reached. "J.W. Myers showed what determination can do when faced with numerous obstacles and impressed the many fans who lined the beach at Washington State's Lake Sammamish park," Tillett said. He continued, "that is some of the craziest-loudest racing I have ever seen." NoFear.com said they will analyze sales after the race is broadcast July 7, Sun 4:00 PM on KIRO TV in Seattle and other regional broadcasts to determine the company's direction in boat racing. J.W. Myers invites all race boat fans to the NoFear.com web site to show their support for his NoFear.com's endorsement. "I hope the sales go through the roof. NoFear.com is the type of company our sport needs and I am sure this will be a long-lasting partnership," Myers said. Photo used above provided by Alan Lagervall The UL-72 Budweiser Pocket Mechanic is
on the road to Kamsack! Thunder Valley Racing unveils their
home on the web! Though currently located at more.at/thundervalleyracing, the site's webmaster plans to relocate the team to it's own domain soon. We'll let you know when they make the change. We welcome this great looking new site to the Unlimited Light
"on-line" fleet and hope you take a look, bookmark the page and visit
it often. Alan Lagervall reporting...
Are you a fan of Alan's photography? More photos will
soon be found on his website, www.seanet.com/~alagervall/.
He's also sent a few photos to the Hopp
Racing Team website. Finally, a set was also sent to Propeller
Magazine so you may see a few turn up there as well. J.W. Myers Brings his NoFear.com Attitude to the Lake
In the off-season, Myers’ purchased the team he once drove for and relocated the team to Bothell, Wash., a north Seattle suburb. Jeff Tillett, marketing manager for the NoFear.com site said, “J.W. Myer’s is an extreme athlete who races the snot out of his boat. He is young, aggressive and has the desire to win, all the characteristics we look for in our athletes. We are stoked that we are involved with such a young and successful boat driver. We look forward to introducing unlimited light racing fans to our No Fear product line. NoFear.com will offer hydroplane fans discounts on No Fear products purchased on the company’s web site. J.W. Myers, driver of the’ J.W. Myers’ NoFear.com Extreme Race Team’, began his racing career towing a wooden hydroplane behind his bike while his father and grandfather raced outboard hydroplanes on the weekends. By the age of 9, the third generation Myers retired his bike; towline and one foot long hydroplane for an outboard race boat that’s length was about triple his height. By 1999, J.W. Myers was awarded the Unlimited Lights rookie of the year. He has over 21 years of boat racing experience and many people have compared him to a young Chip Hanauer, a former world champion driver. In addition to his driving skills, J.W. Myers has crewed on many accomplished unlimited hydroplane teams. J.W. Myers and the Extreme Race Team plan on traveling the entire 2002-summer season.
No "Sophomore Jinx" expected here.
Not only repaired, the UL929 team has made several improvements to their hull, and lightened it in the process. With the 22 foot Karelson hull and a 468 c.i.d. GNH legal engine, they hope to take advantage of the GNH rules in Unlimited Lights competition, and plan to attend all events. Last year's blue paint scheme, reminiscent of his 5 liter hydroplane and seen on the UL website home page, has been replaced with a black and gold motif. For Vince Xaudaro, team goals include upgrading their performance from last year, and reliability. And a personal goal is to compete at the Tri Cities WA event. The home of the "Columbia Cup", Vince grew up in that area and attended the race for many years. He hopes to become the first Tri Cities born & raised driver to ever compete at that event at the end of July. This weekend, watch for the UL929 team as they open the 2002 campaign, their "sophomore" season, at the Tastin & Racin festival on Lake Sammamish in Issaquah WA. John Lynch Early schedule and events for Thunder at the Duck announced... June 15 June 21
- FRIDAY June 21 -
SATURDAY June 22 - SUNDAY The entire weekend sounds like an absolute blast and we hope
fans of the series can join us at Duck Mountain Provincial Park in Saskatchewan,
Canada later this month! As we mentioned earlier this month, the toll free phone number for the Thunder on the Duck race is (866)
805-5525 and that number is good
for all of North America. Order your tickets today! New Entiat photos!
Hopp Racing Team announces new sponsors! Where to stay at Valleyfield! "The best place to stay at Valleyfield is the Plaza
Hotel, although there are many hotels in that area. The Plaza is right
next to the pits (maybe a one or two minute walk) and for that reason it fills
up quick, as you can imagine! Their number is (450) 373-1990 and you can
see pictures of the hotel and where it is in relation to the race course at
Valleyfield's web site (in English and en Francais) www.regates.ca.
Just click on the information link
and head to midway through that page for lodging info. The Plaza is so
close a person can basically sit in the hotel room all weekend and view the
races, but why would anyone want to do that? Ha ha. You can also
call Valleyfield race headquarters for any information (450) 371-6144.
They are staffed full-time (a la Thunderfest) and anyone who picks up the phone
should be able to help you... they've been running that race for 63 years. Take a look at UL-58 Hard Hat Racing's
Union Dooz Detroit race to see return of
"Race for Taste" and the Automotive Gold Cup! While we are discussing Detroit, we cannot forget the Automotive Gold Cup. This year the cup race will be held at 5:15 PM on Friday. The race will feature the top five boats from last year, plus the Race Directors' choice of three will make up the field. Awards will be on the mainland immediately afterward. Past Automotive Gold Cup winners include: 1996 - PLEASURE SEEKERS, Jimmy King 2002 Unlimited Light program
update!
Great news for ROAR organizers as
Hydrofest receives break on park fees Good number to keep handy! A report from the Inboard Summer
Nationals "Inboard Summer Nationals were at Decatur last weekend and it was spectacular! Absolutely the best weekend of boat racing I have ever seen in my life (meaning, the greatest competition on the water I have ever seen). Also the weather was fabulous (sans Saturday morning when it was a little windy), great parties, and of course getting to see folks I haven't seen in seven months. There was one UL testing; Pingree Conflitti's Union Dooz. My favorite Decatur moment: the 5 Litre final, when a 20-year-old wooden boat owned and driven by Mike Allen (Bill Allen's son and SS and K driver as well) not only beat a field of composite giants but also broke the course record...the record Mike set in the same boat last year at Decatur!" Great to see Ping's boat got some early testing (and a 3rd place finish for the weekend!!). As you know from John Lynch's recent updates, the Union Dooz UL58, now owned by Detroiter Pingree Conflitti, was previously the UL17. Expect to see the UL58 in Detroit and at some select GNH races this year!
Click here for updates from May, 2002.
Questions, comments? E-mail the
site's webmaster. |
The Thunder at the Duck
(Kamsack,
Saskatchewan ... June 21, 22, 23) race is coming up quickly and much of the
fleet is getting prepared to cross the border to the north into Canada.
Recently there has been a lot of note comparison among the teams in terms of
boat transports and race preparations. This will be the inaugural Thunder
at the Duck and, what we hope is, the start of a long relationship between the
series and the race site.
NoFear.com who sponsored J.W Myers, driver of the UL-23 race team last weekend, is excited about the promotion possibilities Myers and his race team provides to the racing clothing company which specializes in race wear with an attitude.
“It’s cool that the
NoFear.com has come on board to sponsor me. The Extreme Racing team plans on impressing the hell out of them, sell some cloths on-line for them, excite the
NoFear.com fans and bring home a trophy,” a confident J.W. Myers said.
Vince Xaudaro and his Bellevue WA based UL929 team debuted, not in the Northwest, but at the prestigious Regattes de Valleyfield in Quebec, Canada. It was a lengthy 6 months effort for Vince and his team, with help from the UL72 Budweiser Pocket Mechanic team, in order to make the race at Valleyfield. During the Christmas break of 2000, Vince towed his then 5 liter hull to California and traded with former UL racer Chip Reiter. After several seasons as a 5 liter driver, and prior to that, outboards, Vince was now a UL team owner. The learning curve keeps progressing, and while the UL929 team didn't exactly set the world on fire at the outset, they grew and grew, capping their debut season with a season's best 3rd place finish at San Diego, and a competition lap of 106 mph. The next, and last weekend of the season was a letdown for the team at Chelan WA as the UL929 sank. Quick action by the rescue crews brought the hull to shore. It was there that Xaudaro noticed engine mount & strut damage that had occurred in that heat, so they look upon the "hole in the hull" as a blessing in disguise. 
Thanks
to Detroit's own Brian Reed, we can share a look at the Union Dooz brand new paint
job from Decatur this past holiday weekend! Take a look by visiting 
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