Latest News

News from November, 2002!

Interesting quotes from around the series...
Speaking in reference to this photo, Thunder Valley Racing's own John O'Brien shared the following explanation... "That's Paul Droullard raising his hand during a boat count question to signify that he will have his boat at Tastin' N Racin' 2003." Paul has been working hard over the last few years to finish building his new UL-9 Droullard Racing entry and has been hoping each year to finish in time for the season. Problems and complications have delayed this up and coming racer, but he feel's certain he's in the home stretch. Joking Paul, O'Brien continued, "We have heard that he will be ready for the first race of the season for the past two years. Now we have formal proof. (I took the picture myself)."

Who took home the awards at this year's banquet?

2002 High Point Series Champion
UL72 Budweiser Pocket Mechanic. Joe Frauenheim-Phil Bononcini

2002 High Point Driver Champion
Phil Bononcini UL72

Second Place Driver
Dave Bender UL38 Security Race Products Presents Golden Nugget Casino

Second Place Team

UL15 Hopp Racing Mike's Hard Lemonade, Freddie's Club Casino of
Renton, Happy Go Lucky

The UL38 & UL15 swapped 2nd & 3rd Place in the Driver & Team standings
so both were awarded their respective 2nd place awards.

Fourth Place Team
UL19 Spirit of Coeur D' Alene. John Tietz, Tom Eckenberg

Fifth Place Team
UL40 Thunder Valley Inc. John O'Brien J.C. Courtright

2002 Inspirational Award
Pingree Conflitti UL58 Union Dooz

2002 Inspired Team Award
UL5 Team Freedom, Kevin Ayelsworth Kevin Braun

2002 Outstanding Race Site
Tri Cities Water Follies, Tri Cities WA. Emily Janikowski

2002 Official of the Year
Ed Nelson

2002 ULHRA Support Award
Al Lapointe, Security Race Products

2002 Series Sponsor M&M Deli/Texaco
Matt & Marie Randich

2002 Outstanding Team Sponsor
Mike's Hard Lemonade

2002 Race Site Sponsor of the Year Graham Trucking, Rob Graham

Congratulations to all our 2002 award recipients!

A few scenes from the Unlimited Light Meetings...

Our thanks are offered to Paul Droullard for sending in the photos!

The Droullard Motorsports team returns to the web!
Formerly partnering with the series website, the UL-9 Droullard Motorsports made it's initial home on the web as one of the early teams with a site. The team's website traced the new hull's development and the site itself continued to grow as the boat took shape. It eventually outgrew it's humble beginnings and moved to it's own web domain. That move was just finished. You can now find the team at www.droullardmarketing.com.

Talking with Paul Droullard, he let us know that the team will be updating the site over the next couple few weeks so give it a bookmark and check back! The team has a new home, a new web design team and we are pleased to welcome them back to the web.

Early word from the Awards Banquet...
"I thought it was a wonderful day and evening....and I just didn't want it to end!!! The gathering was a wonderfully attended event. The speakers were all well received, the meetings went well and our evening auction was a real success! Lots of dancing to our live band. What a great time! Many thanks to all who came to the events, and supported the ULHRA all season as well."

Happy Thanksgiving,
Patricia Darling, ULHRA Commissioner

Look for additional details and photos from the 2002 banquet coming soon to ULHRA.org!

The UL-17 enjoys a bit of extra room (and a returning sponsor)!
Rick and Shaw Bridgeman's UL-17 Miss Ted's Red Apple Markets team is pleased to announce their new 3900 square foot shop. It's nice to have new room to play with! Also, the team has also announced that they will be sponsored by Ted's Red Apple Markets again in 2003! Photos of the new shop are on the way soon!

ULHRA Fall Business Meeting and Awards Banquet - November 23, 2002

BEST WESTERN Executive Inn, 200 Taylor Ave N
Seattle, Wa. 98109, 206-448-9444
1 800 351 9444

Schedule of events:

BUSINESS MEETING
8:30-1030 AM open board meeting
ULHRA President Joe Frauenheim, presiding
10:30-11:00 Break
11:00-11:30 R&D of Safety in Equipment by Al LaPointe
11:30-12:00 Radio Communication Improvements
12:00-1:00 Lunch (no host)
1:00-1:30 Off track Insurance Coverage
1:30-2:00 Legal Aspects of Boat Ownership by John O'Brien
2:00-2:45 Speed Secrets by Dixon Smith
note: time provided for questions after each speaker
3:00 Closing

CELEBRATING THE LIGHTS
6:00 PM Ballroom opens for cocktails (no host bar)
7:00 Dinner Buffet
7:30 For the Good of the Cause—with Auctioneer NICK
7:45 2002 Awards Ceremony, Voice of the Lights—John Lynch
8:30-10:30 Music for your listening and dancing pleasure by the Goodtime SuperChargers
$50.00 per person RSVP 49jmiller@msn.com

Skyway Park Bowl Hydro Swap Meet!
Planning to be in the Seattle area this weekend? This Saturday, November 16th, 2002, from 1 pm to 4 pm, there will be a Swap Meet of unlimited hydroplane memorabilia at the Skyway Park Bowl, 11819 Renton Ave. South. (Room #1 upstairs). Buy-sell-trade hydro collectibles! Admission is FREE for buyers/browsers. No walk-in dealers, please - all of the table space is spoken for. We hope to see you there.

Kendall Motor Oil joins Hopp Racing!
Hopp Racing recently announced that Kendall Motor Oil has joined the team as a new sponsor! We would like to take this opportunity to join the team in welcoming Kendall Motor Oil to the Unlimited Light racing family!

Kendall Motor Oil is one of the country's leading quality automotive lubricant brands with a strong reputation for superior products to highlight its rich racing history. To learn more about Kendall and their new generation GT-1 motor oil visit them on the web at www.kendallmotoroil.com. For all the latest on the Hopp Racing Team, visit them on the web at www.seanet.com/~hoppracing.

Checking in with the UL-58 Union Dooz - Hard Hat Racing Team
"Just wanted to let everyone know that Ping earned Rookie of the Year with the Marine Prop Riders, our local racing club here in Michigan. Our banquet was last Saturday, 11/2. Our team is very excited about his new title, and we wanted to share it with our UL friends. We miss everyone a great deal. We're not sure yet about making the 11/23 meeting, but are considering it. Have a wonderful holiday season."

- Regards from Dawn and Ping - UL 58 Union Dooz - Hard Hat Racing Team.

As seen in the pages of Propeller Magazine
San Diego race closes out an exciting 2002 season for the Unlimited Lights!
By Chuck and Cindy Moore

San Diego, California, a world-class event in the world of powerboat racing, has produced a mixed set of winners in its history with the Unlimited Lights. Two years ago, as the 2000 Season closed, it was Dick Sanders and the Sanders Racing Team with Wayne Howard at the wheel surprising many (including owner Dick Sanders) taking the top spot. In 2001, having been denied the win in 2000 by a single penalty, Carl and Randy Hass’ UL-110 returned to take the victory! In previous years Bo Schide, George Stratton and Mark Weber would each take top honors on the course. The late George Stratton is the only driver to win twice in the Unlimited Lights on the San Diego course. That mix of winners and strong racing tradition would hold true once again during the 2002 race weekend.

Jerry Hopp and the UL-15 Mike's Hard Lemonade/Freddie's Club/Happy-Go-Lucky team ended the season on a high note in San Diego taking the checked flag for the 2002 race. The team, having struggled early in the year, would emerge as a dominate force in the series as the season came to a close. It was truly a turn that driver/owner Jerry Hopp didn’t see coming. At the end of the Tri-Cities race weekend, Jerry Hopp had done it all, enjoying a long history in both Unlimited and Unlimited Light racing. At that time, he only had one regret… he had never won an unlimited or unlimited light race event. He expressed concern that he might go down as one of those racing legends that never tasted the top spot during his career. Little did he know that this would all change just one week later. Following Tri-Cities, only three races remained on the 2002 schedule. The Hopp Racing Team would win all three of those races. Jerry Hopp, would enjoy top honors piloting two of those races. A great story to close out the year.

Another great story is the runaway success enjoyed by Joe Frauenheim, Phil Bononcini and the UL-72 Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic team. San Diego wasn’t kind to the UL-72, but the team was able to enjoy their National Point Championship victory, which they secured prior to the San Diego race. While in San Diego, driver Phil Bononcini was able to nail down the Driver’s Championship. This marked the second year the team has taken both point races. The Hopp Racing Team would trail the 72 in the team standings and driver Dave Bender would threaten, but not catch Bononcini for the driver’s championship as the season closed.

Ten teams would complete in San Diego this year. In the final Cal Phipps would place second in the Frazee Paint sponsored Wiggins Racing entry. Third place would go to Doug Brow in the UL-37 Little Store of Friday Harbor. Vince Xaudaro (UL-929 Contour Aerospace) and Steve Hook (UL-19 TeamChampman.net) would round out the top five.

For all the latest on the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Series, be sure to visit us on the web at www.ulhra.org (aka www.unlimitedlights.org) throughout the winter. We’ll keep you updated through the off-season on the latest Unlimited Light news and the early word on the 2003 season.

Catching up with the Larimores!
We recently had a chance to talk with Bob Larimore of TeamPegasus Racing. As you know, JW Myers leased the UL-23 for the 2002 season allowing Bob and Rita to step away from the action and the series they've been with since it's start in 1994. What have they been up to since that time? Well, recently they hopped a plane for Las Vegas to spend some time in Bob Bode's NHRA pits racing funny cars. Curious how Bode is doing? Click here for a recent press release!

Fun fact: Did you know you Bob's team took both the National High Point Driver and Team Championships in the series first full year of series racing? The team would return to claim the National High Point Champion Team title the very next year.

We wish Bob, Rita and Zak our best and look forward to seeing them in 2003!

Click here for updates from October, 2002.