News from January 2004 UL-6 BCS Racing Enterprises
Unlimited Light Hydroplane Team launches website Former National and World Champion Recovers from By-Pass Surgery (Among Rick's many insurance clients is the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association. It was with his direct involvement, in 2003, that the ULHRA became its own sanctioning body.) On January 12, 2004, Rick Felsen, former American Power Boat Association, Super Boat Racing and Offshore Professional Tour National and World Champion, underwent surgery that included six coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG). He is at home in North Hills, New York recovering from the surgery and is expected to return to full working status in six to eight weeks. There will be no interruption of insurance services at any of Felsen’s insurance companies including his powerboat race insurance firm. Felsen is a partner in Felsen Associates, Inc., a commercial insurance firm based in Great Neck, New York. He is also the owner of Hawk Race Consultants – a full-service insurance firm that specializes in all divisions of marine motorsports from kneel down race craft to the impressive offshore and unlimited lights hydroplane racing series. Felsen is a 20-year veteran throttleman of offshore racing and a former board member of the various sanctioning bodies of the sport. “I want to thank everyone for their kind words, cards and emails,” said Felsen from his home in North Hills, New York. “The racing community has always been there to support its comrades in need. I am proud to say that I am a member of the racing fraternity. I want to assure everyone that while I am weak I feel better everyday and that I will be back in professional racing as a team owner, insurance specialist and race promoter, before the first event of 2004.” “I want to pay special thanks to the entire staff at St. Francis Hospital – The Heart Center and to The Interventional Heart Group and Dr. Pappas & Associates [both in Roslyn, New York],” Felsen said. “Dr. Damus was the man who completed the ‘re-rigging’ of my heart.” Felsen retired from offshore racing as a racer in November of 2003 to devote his business time and acumen to race boat, race site and racing series insurance. He has also expanded his operations to include the promotion of professional marine motorsport races and special events. As the exclusive insurance agent for powerboat racing for K & K Insurance, Hawk Race Consultants insures a majority of the race teams, race sites and sanctioning bodies in the United States and Canadian. As the owner of the High Risk Race Team, named in the 1980’s for Felsen’s efforts to bring awareness to the need for funding and research to fight juvenile diabetes, Felsen has been one of the most visible and recognized personalities in offshore racing for the past three decades. He has been afflicted with diabetes for more than 50-years and was a juvenile diabetic from the age of five. Doctors determined that Felsen’s diabetes contributed greatly to his heart condition and the need for by-pass surgery. “My doctors have assured me of a full and speedy recovery,” said Felsen. “I will be back to work full time in six to eight weeks.” The CABG that Felsen underwent is a surgical treatment for coronary artery disease, a chronic disease in which there is a hardening and narrowing (atherosclerosis) of the coronary arteries. The CABG is the most commonly performed surgery in the United States and around the world. According to the American Heart Association, more than 519,000 CABGs were performed in 2000. Hawk Race Consultants and Felsen Associates, Inc. office hours remain 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. For any insurance or business situation requiring Rick’s
personal attention, he can be reached through the offices at (516) 466-9760.
By Bob Mortenson EVERETT -- The crankshaft jutting almost defiantly out of a trash bin in one corner of Tom Eckenberg's shop had seen better days. "We blew up our engine in San Diego, those are the remnants of it right in there," Eckenberg said with a soft laugh as he went about performing maintenance checks on his unlimited light hydroplane on Saturday. Eckenberg, from Everett, is the owner of the UL-19 racing team, which competes on the increasingly popular Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA) circuit. UL-19's current boat, with a hull constructed in 1985, has been through a lot over the years. Even though the craft is now up for sale, Eckenberg is not about to let it slip into disrepair as his racing team spends a busy offseason preparing for the transition to a new boat. (Click
here to visit the rest of the story via the Everett Herald website!) UL-5 San
Diego Thunderboats presents Freedom Racing photo update
Unlimited Lights go international in 2004 Sure the UL series has been racing in Canada for several years at the spectacular Regates De Valleyfield. And the series appeared in Kelowna BC and Kamsack Saskatchewan as well. And with Canadians Mike McClellan and Jody Patton in recent years, there has been two country involvement. But in 2004, Unlimited Light team ownership goes south of the border with the debut of the Corona sponsored two boat team of Carlos Arturo Buitron. Senor Buitron has built a tremendous business enterprise in Mexico, and he's been a lifelong boat racing aficionado. He's been racing "tunnel" outboards for years in his home country. In fact he owns more than 25 tunnel hulls. So, making a "splash" in boat racing is nothing new to Buitron, and he's entering the ULHRA series no less impressively. When people look to start in boat racing, they look eagerly toward their first boat. With Carlos Arturo Buitron, multiply that by a factor of 5. Yes, Buitron already owns 5 UL hydroplanes, and has announced plans to race 2. And his first race is still a few months away! Why so many? Marketing and race preparation. With two hulls fulltime on the UL circuit in the U.S. and Canada, but his business interests thousands of miles away, Buitron will have 2 of his hulls on permanent display duty for his sponsors in Mexico. A fifth hull will be in race-ready shape in Mexico for Carlos to train, and to train other Mexican drivers. If you're keeping a scorecard, and with the Buitron team that's a good idea, he has purchased the former UL929 Karelson hull from Vince Xaudaro, the UL21 Balcer hull from Thunder Valley Racing, the GP 44 Staudacher hull from Denys Charette (a former Grand Prix hydroplane) the UL23 Balcer hull from Bob Larimore, and he'll be taking delivery later this month of the entire UL110 program (Jamie Auld hull) from Carl Haas. An experienced and successful "tunnel hull" pilot, Buitron knows there will be a "learning curve" converting to the hydroplane style of race boat. And he's planned accordingly. He'll have a talented UL veteran driver as "coach". It's not yet confirmed, but Buitron is hopeful that J.W. Myers, former pilot of the UL23, will be that talented UL veteran. Buitron says Myers, who was an Unlimited hydroplane rookie for Fred Leland in 2003, may have an opportunity to race on that circuit again in 2004. Late last fall, Myers traveled to Mexico to help Buitron test the newly acquired UL23, which was purchased from Ohio's Bob Larimore, and last campaigned by Myers in 2002. If Myers is able to return to the UL23 cockpit, it'll be a chance for him to demonstrate the improvements he built into the UL23 in the winter of 2003, but without sponsorship was unable to race in the summer of 2003. Buitron was just released from a Mexican hospital after undergoing surgery to remove a pair of tumors from his neck. While in some pain, Buitron says he's doing well and expects a full recovery. As a result of the surgery and after-care, Buitron may not be able to race all of the UL events in 2004. But he says the UL101 Miss Corona and the UL23 Miss Victoria (a brand produced and distributed only in Mexico) will be on the full UL circuit. If he's not behind the wheel of the UL101, another up and coming Mexican racer will be at the controls, all the while being tutored by the experienced UL veteran in the UL23. Here's a man who truly enjoys what he does. He's a very successful businessman, who's holdings include a large Corona distributorship, and the aforementioned "fleet" of racing boats. In business and in life, he's a winner. Don't expect anything less in his Unlimited Lights career. It's often said in Unlimited Lights racing that this is "one big happy family". It's true. Only change now is, with the addition of Carlos Arturo Buitron, the family's just as happy.........and a lot bigger! John Lynch Boats continue to sell! ULHRA "For Sale" page works... Updating the For Sale section of our site, there have been some great off season boat sales taking place. First up, Denys Charette's GP/UL-44 Staudacher hull has sold. For those of you curios which hull this is, simply click here to take a closer look. Also, our good friend Bob Larimore has sold the display version of the former UL-23 Team Pegasus. Within the For Sale area, we've updated to the UL-58 Sharepoint Portal Server 2003 listing clarifying a few things. Also, we've added new photos to the items John Hogan for sale. If you have your eye on a boat on our For
Sale page, make that call and put in your offer right away. We would
love to see you join the fastest growing series in boat racing and existing
hulls are being snapped up at a lightning fast pace. New teams are forming
for 2004! Could you be next? Click here for updates from December, 2003
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