ED COOPER, SR., REMEMBERED

By Fred Farley  -  ABRA Unlimited Historian

Ed Cooper, Sr., who co-owned the U-3 Racing Team with his son, Ed Cooper, Jr., passed away on December 13, 2005, at King's Daughters' Hospital in Madison, Indiana. He was 86.

In a category dominated by Lycoming turbine engines, the father-and-son team was unique. They used the time-honored Allison V-12 piston power plant, originally intended for use in World War II fighter planes.

The Coopers started their racing careers in the 1960s as crew members for the community-owned MISS MADISON. In 2002, the U-3 team became the first to turn a lap at over 160 miles per hour with an internal combustion engine.

U-3 Team victories include:

(1) 1989 - Tri-Cities, WA (Columbia Cup); driver-Mitch Evans (2) 2003 - Evansville, IN (Thunder On The Ohio); driver-Mitch Evans (3) 2003 - Detroit, MI (APBA Gold Cup); driver-Mitch Evans (4) 2003 - San Diego, CA (Bill Muncey Cup); driver-Mitch Evans

The elder Mr. Cooper served on the board of directors of Madison Regatta, Inc., in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, he and Ed, Jr., helped on the crew of MISS KENTUCKIANA PAVING, owned by Graham Heath and Bill Cantrell of Madison.

In 1985, the father and son pooled their resources and started their own team. They purchased Chuck Hickling's former TEMPUS, which they debuted in 1986. They built new boats in 1988, 1997, and 2002.

The Cooper team's supreme achievement has to be the 2003 Gold Cup at Detroit. They were the first piston-powered winners in twenty years of APBA racing's Crown Jewel.

Running under the sponsorship of FOX HILLS CHRYSLER-JEEP/SUN COATINGS, the U-3 and driver Mitch Evans defeated the defending Gold Cup champions Dave Villwock and MISS BUDWEISER in the Final Heat, 144.152 miles per hour to 141.488.

Ed Cooper, Sr., was a great friend and admirer of the late Bill "Pappy" Cantrell who, together with Graham Heath, taught the Coopers everything they knew about the Allison engine.

In an interview with this writer, Ed, Sr., revealed his greatest thrill in racing. That was the time when he tested the former TEMPUS hull on the Ohio River: "I always admired 'Pappy' Cantrell and wanted to be like him. That time when I drove the boat, I felt like I really was 'Pappy' Cantrell."

On-board air tank inspections: what the crew needs to know.

By Ed Burke, Owner Of Aqua Ventures Dive Center In Hudson NH

With all ULHRA drivers having on-board air safety systems, the question arises: "When was the tank last serviced?"
 

Your air tanks need periodic refill and inspections to be safe for use. Have you ever gone to a refill station only to be told by the technician, "I can't legally fill it; your tank needs a 'Hydro' or a 'Visual' "? Even if you promise to have it done after the race, you'll be told, "Sorry."

How can I tell if my tank needs inspecting? The race crew must look at the stampings around the top of the air cylinder; and a sticker on the exterior indicating the last date of a visual tank inspection.

Tank manufacturers like Luxfer or Catalina stamp identifying information such as type of material (3AA, indicating aluminum alloy). Next is a serial number, usually prefaced by a letter. The letter may indicate cubic foot capacity. 3000 indicates the maximum safe fill pressure in pounds per square inch. Some tanks also have S12, S19 or S30, indicating capacity. Last is a Hydrostatic Test date-the most recent pressure test-beginning with a two-digit number (the test month). This is followed by a symbol or test agent D.O.T. number and the year of the last test. For example, 04 C7 05 indicates testing in April of 2005, by testing agent C7. D.O.T. requires that high pressure vessels be retested 5 years from this stamped date. Once it is retested it is stamped with a new test date, indicating it passed the pressure test and is good for another 5 years.

William High, president and founder of Professional Scuba Inspectors (PSI) of Seattle, WA, recognized the need for a uniform standard for annual visual inspection for high pressure compressed air vessels in the early 1980s. Mr. High, associated with N.O.A.A., authored the inspection criteria based on his experience of investigating pressure vessel failures. If a high pressure vessel were to fail when filled to rated capacity of 3000 psi, the energy released is close to 1.3 million pounds of kinetic energy. If you think it's hard to find boat pieces after a wreck, one would need a strainer to gather the splinters after such an air tank failure on a race boat. In the mid-1990s, a surprising number of older air tanks began to fail-some during inspection; others exploding during storage or transporting, causing serious damage. PSI has set the inspection standards nationwide for annual tank visuals, and all professional dive centers abide by them.

Visual inspections must be done at least once a year to assure that other defects or dangers do not exist. Most tank failures and injuries are due to factors normally found during the visual inspection process. Some of these defects are cracks in tank walls or threads, corrosion and pitting, the wrong valve, heat damage, the wrong burst disk, etc. Out of concern for your safety, we thoroughly inspect each tank in several areas before applying an Evidence of Inspection Sticker or Visual Tank Inspection sticker. This sticker is our assurance-and yours-that a professional inspection has been performed.

 

All tanks are inspected both inside and outside for any evidence of damage or abuse. This inspection can take up to 30 minutes for each tank. The process requires specialized tools and gauges to insure that minimum standards are met. All boots, bands, and mesh coverings are removed, as well as all old inspection stickers. This allows a thorough check to be made for corrosion, pitting, bulges and paint or heat damage.

The interior is checked for moisture, dust, corrosion, flakes or other particles. The tank interior is also checked for discoloration, scale, pitting, cracks and other defects. Tank threads and the interior crown are checked for shape, folds in the metal, cracks, or corrosion, etc. The O-ring seating surface is checked for proper seat and sealing of the valve. As an additional safety measure, reputable SCUBA shops have purchased an electronic thread testing device, Visual Plus, to find what the naked eye misses. A properly trained PSI Visual Tank inspector uses the Visual Plus eddy current test or equivalent non-destructive testing equipment.
 

If the cylinder passes inspection, it will be certified for use by the inspector for ONE year from the stickered date. Cylinders that are not inspected and not certified should not be used. Cylinders that fail the inspection should be removed from service.

Upon passing the annual visual tank inspection, the appropriate date sticker is affixed to the exterior of the tank. All air refill station operators will verify that your on-board air tank is within Hydro test (5 years) and visual (annual) dates before filling it.

Air tanks should be stored during the off-season in a cool dry location with at least 500 psi of air. A month before race season, check the tank's Hydro and Visual dates. If it needs retesting, have it done at a local SCUBA center. Usually a Hydro is sent to a test facility, but some larger facilities have in-house Hydro test capability. A Hydro may take up to a week to send out and return and generally costs from $20 to $40. This price at a Scuba center usually includes the Hydro, Visual and refill. Visuals may take 30 minutes and cost $10 to $18. Give yourself time to have it done early in the pre-race season. Don't expect to get a Hydro done same day while on the road. It won't happen.

Ed Burke is a NAUI Course Director and PADI Master Instructor, and holds a U.S.C.G. 100 ton Masters License. Ed was certified as a tank inspector in 1990. He and five other certified tank inspectors collectively inspect over 1500 SCUBA tanks per year at his facility. Mr. Burke, associated with the APBA Regions 1, 2 and 3 Rescue Team, along with his staff instructors, have taught and certified numerous Fire, Police and EMS dive teams throughout the Northeast.

For further information:
 

Professional Scuba Inspectors, 16932 Woodinville-Redmond Rd., Woodinville, WA 98072;

425-398-4300; www.PSIcylinders.com or e-mail psicylinders@msn.com

Aqua Ventures Dive Center, 20 Lowell Road, Hudson, NH 03051;
603-598-5100; visit www.Aqua-Ventures.net or e-mail captn_kahuna@yahoo.com

Thunder and 'LIGHTS' needs your photos. 

With the growth trend continuing at "Thunder and 'LIGHTS'", the official publication of ULHRA, Inc., the need for photos and photographers is expanding as well. Our 2005 edition was 25% larger than in 2004, and was distributed on newsstands as well as race sites. 2006 promises an even larger publication, with the production run doubled to 20,000 copies and newsstand exposure in all ULHRA race markets. So we're going to need more photos. All sorts of photos will be used; fans, crews, crowds, equipment, action, anything that portrays the experience of a day at a ULHRA race. 

Digital submissions can be emailed directly to Photo-Editor, Mark Sharley at mcsharley@wamail.net. Those with more images than will readily email, and those shooting film, should email Mark for mailing instructions.