Photos from Classic Weekend, Pier 66 (07.25.08)   Because of the quantity of photos taken at Classic Weekend and our website space constraints, these are very small, low resolution photos. To order reprints or to have the high resolution photo emailed to you, copy the thumbnail photo you are interested in and email:  Alycimo.photography@gmail.com           Travel in Style and Luxury (06-25-08)   Soon the ULHRA fleet will be heading toward Chamberlain-Oacoma, South Dakota.  Here the Shockwave Racing Team from Olympia WA  displays their newly acquired transporter that race fans will be seeing along Interstate 90 on the way to and from South Dakota in the month of July.  Note that the team has signage created on the transporter to promote the next ULHRA race which is the Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge, presented by River City Racin’ in Chamberlain-Oacoma SD, July 12 & 13. That is race #1 of The Gauntlet, followed by the Anderson Radio Broadcasting Radio Waves Regatta on Flathead Lake in Polson MT, July 19 & 20, the Graham Trucking Thunder Cup at Tri Cities WA, July 25, 27 & 27, and on to the Graham Trucking Cup at Seafair in Seattle, August 1, 2 & 3 and concluding with Silverdale Thunder at Silverdale WA, August 9 & 10.         Venture Bank takes on the G-17   Shockwave Racing is pleased to announce VENTURE BANK as a 2008 associate sponsor,  Venture Bank has sponsored us for Seafair since 2005.  We are looking forward to continuing our relationship throughout the season with Venture Bank who has many branches throughout the Pacific Northwest.       Losing a racer is always heart wrenching.     The fact that Scott Kalitta was an NHRA drag racer, not a hydroplane racer, makes it no less difficult on the hydroplane racing fraternity.  Scott was a RACER.  Losing a fellow racer in a racing accident is a loss for the sport of motor racing, whether on land or water.   I met Scott Kalitta, talked with and interviewed him a couple of times when I was doing radio broadcasts on the NHRA circuit in 1989 & 1990.  I didn’t know him well but learned from watching him and listening to others that he was highly respected and well liked in the drag racing fraternity. Over the years he became very successful, winning Top Fuel Championships in 1994 and 1995. He will certainly be missed.  Our condolences to the entire Kalitta racing family and a salute to that multi-car team for a very special tribute at the starting line at Englishtown NJ when the team members gathered in the lane where Scott was scheduled to race against Robert Hight from the John Force Racing Team.  It had to be just as difficult for Hight who’s teammate and close friend Eric Medlen was killed in a testing accident just over a year ago and team owner John Force nearly was killed in a racing accident last fall. Hight and his team honored the memory of Scott Kalitta by taking a very slow pass, basically at idle speed in their first round run at Englishtown;  Very classy, indeed.   The Funny Car teams in NHRA are going through a difficult time right now with two fatalities and nearly a third in just over a year’s time. They will persevere and progress because they are racers and racers learn from tragedy and improve as a result. Here in ULHRA we’re fortunate that so far there has never been a fatal accident in our series.  In the turbine class there has been just one fatality since 1982; all credit going to a variety of safety innovations over the past 26 years from the likes of Ron Jones Sr. the Miss Budweiser team, and many others.  Adding safety improvements developed in other forms of motor sport such as the HANS (Head And Neck restraint System) also have contributed to the safety record in this series.   I was there in San Diego when Unlimited rookie George Stratton, a former driver in the Unlimited Lights class, lost his life in a crash that remains the only fatality in Unlimited or Unlimited Light racing since 1982.  I was there in San Diego when Kevin Aylesworth nearly lost his life in an Unlimited Light and I was there in Tri Cities WA when Rick Bridgeman nearly lost his life.  In those two ULHRA crashes the safety systems did what they were supposed to do.  The near fatalities were a result of areas that needed updating that hadn’t been known previously but were subsequently corrected.  Kevin later went to the Unlimited ranks and Rick remains a team owner, now in the Thunderboats (G) series. Hydroplane racing is safer today as a result of those accidents but it’s still racing and it’ll always have an element of danger.   Just last month at ULHRA’s Desert Thunder II in Richland WA there was a serious two-boat accident that did not result in major injury, not only because of safety innovations but also because both drivers followed safety directives.  Two years earlier, then rookie driver J. Craig Fletcher’s hydroplane had gone dead in the water at Silverdale WA.  After the heat was concluded, the Chief Referee (that weekend the C.R. was R.W. Dick Lynch) admonished Fletcher to stay in the cockpit while the heat was under the green flag as a matter of safety. Long time race fans recall from the open cockpit, no seat belts era that it was commonplace for drivers to get on the deck of a boat that had stopped during competition so other drivers would see their disabled craft; no more.  Last month Fletcher did exactly what Lynch instructed two years earlier and escaped without injury when Vince Xaudaro’s UL-929 hydroplane went out of control, collided with Fletcher’s UL-13, and went over the enclosed cockpit.  Both drivers are fine, both boats are being repaired, and both teams will race again this season.   Race drivers choose to do what they do, and every racer I’ve ever known has always said basically the same thing.  “If it’s my time, then it’s my time and if my time is up I want the sport to continue doing what I love to do; keep racing.”  That’s what the NHRA racing “family” did to honor the late Scott Kalitta over the weekend. They raced; certainly with heavy hearts, but they raced.    A commentary by,   John Lynch P.R. Director and “Voice” of ULHRA Racing         Countdown to Chamberlain-Oacoma III     Decisions, decisions.   Which one to race?  In NASCAR that’s a weekly occurrence.  Top teams in that organization's #1 series may have as many as 15 or more cars in their “fleet” from which to choose for a given race site, and they ultimately select two and take them to the race based on the course they’ll be competing; one as primary and one as back-up.  In hydroplane racing tradition has been much simpler.  With one boat per team in nearly all cases there was no choice to be made on which boat to take to a given race course……just decide what “set-up” to use based on the course size and configuration.     Taking a bit of a different path, and one that was certainly more successful as well as more expensive, was the late Bernie Little.  He owned the famed Miss Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Team. For many of his championship seasons, Mr. Little would have his team bring two boats to a race site, test both, and then decide before the first heat which one to race that weekend. In ULHRA there now is one team following a similar path.  While the financial resources of this ULHRA team in no way equates to what Mr. Little and his sponsors were able to provide for their team there is one similarity. The boats are painted red.   Heading to Chamberlain-Oacoma SD for the first Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge presented by River City Racin’ on July 12th & 13th is the dual boat team of Muncey Racing.  With owner Debi Muncey and driver Wil Muncey, this couple and their team members have carved out a two boat racing team with a minimum amount of cash and a maximum amount of sweat, grit, and determination. Formerly the UL-83 (for the year they were married) the team is now the UL-00.  Why?  The number is partially a tribute to Wil's father, Bill Muncey, who originated the idea.  Much to the chagrin of Bernie Little, Bill Muncey registered his own hydroplane as the U-00. With the number 00 he was always listed first in the numerical sequence of hydroplane racing teams. Likewise, in many publications and news stories the UL-00 team is listed first in the roster of teams at a given event by publications that go “by the numbers”.   Most racing fans know one thing about Wil Muncey. He’s the son of hydroplane racing legend Bill Muncey.  What most people don’t know about Wil is that not only did he learn about race driving from his famous father, more importantly he learned about marketing and promotion of marine motor sports as well. Bill Muncey was a master at securing publicity and promotional value for his racing efforts and the sponsors and teams he drove for or owned.  Wil and Debi share the late Bill Muncey’s passion for this sport of hydroplane racing. In the early 80’s Debi purchased a low budget Unlimited racing team (formerly the Miss Valu-Mart) from Bill Wurster and was introduced to Wil Muncey as a possible driver candidate. The rest as they say is history. They went on to campaign various unlimited teams in the 80’s. They also produced and promoted 15 of their own motorsport events in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia and created a series for piston powered “Z Boats”.  They also published Boatracing Magazine, an internationally distributed bi-monthly newsstand publication covering all forms of power boat racing for ten years. In the 90’s they left racing entirely, only to come back ten years later when the sport began to appeal to them again.  With the formation of ULHRA, Inc in 2001 followed by the creation of the “Lighter than LIGHTS” series in 2003, Wil & Debi were re-energized for the sport.  They tiptoed back into the sport, campaigning their E-83 program in the LTL program in 2003 and 2004 and 2005.  By then Wil’s desire to race was reignited as well.   In 2005 Pat Roach was the owner of the UL-136 La Cucaracha IV out of San Diego that raced occasionally.  Two years earlier Pat had contacted the ULHRA offices about wanting to race at his hometown event on Mission Bay but he needed a driver.  Here was an opportunity to “graduate” a driver from the Lighter than LIGHTS series into Unlimited Lights and that’s exactly what occurred.  Young Brian Perkins was recommended and he made his UL debut at San Diego.  It was not only a successful debut, Brian now drives the UL-40 King & Bunny’s for Chuck Dow’s Thunder Valley Racing Team and will also pilot the U-50 US Navy turbine hydroplane.  Brian was the first of what has now become 13 “graduations” from the LTL program to the Unlimited Lights.  Graduation #12 occurred in 2007.  You might have heard of her; Brian’s sister Kayleigh Perkins.      So in 2005 Pat Roach made another call to the ULHRA offices with the same request.  This time the nomination was for Wil Muncey out of the LTL series and again the match was successful. In fact Wil was named 2005 Unlimited Light Rookie of the Year.  Then at the end of the 2005 season Wil & Debi made a life-altering decision. They each ended successful individual careers and formed Muncey Marketing; making motor sports marketing their fulltime endeavor at an age when most people are starting to take a look at their future retirement options.  What assurances did they have for success?  None; they had no contracts, no committed income, zilch.  What they did have was a vision of what they could accomplish on their own and the self confidence to make it work.    Over the course of the last three years that vision has become clearer and clearer.  Have you noticed the ULHRA schedule lately?  The series has added Richland WA, Phoenix AZ, Chamberlain-Oacoma SD and Polson MT plus an exhibition at Pickwick Landing TN. Race sites have been solidified in Port Angeles WA and Silverdale WA.  Muncey Marketing has been a key component in all of this growth, along with the development of race and team sponsorships and marketing/display opportunities and the expansion of advertisers in ULHRA’s annual publication, “Thunder & LIGHTS” Magazine. Plus the CAP (Contingency Awards Program) was created by Muncey Marketing and that has brought many automotive aftermarket manufacturers and other companies to hydroplane racing in a program that provides significant benefits to ULHRA racing teams.  After all, while ULHRA races boats, it’s the automotive industry that manufactures the horsepower for these 160 mph racing craft.   It wasn’t easy.  In fact it was exceedingly challenging.  Going several months without “closing a sale” in the beginning can really eat at the resolve of salespeople.  The Munceys made it work, though, and gradually things picked up.  Debi, however, was in a quandary.  She knew her husband was a talented racer and wanted him to have an opportunity to race with the Unlimited Lights teams.  She contacted a number of teams about creating an opportunity for Wil to drive for but found no takers.  Why? Simple.  The vast majority to UL teams in 2005 and today are operated by owner-drivers.  Owners who drive really like to race…….that’s why they became owners, so they could race.  So with no takers for her husband’s driving ability she followed the lead of those other teams and became an owner.  Several would-be purchasers had contacted Pat Roach attempting to buy the UL-136 but he was determined not to sell, sometimes even getting angry at the suggestion. When Debi told Roach she wanted to buy the boat for Wil as a Fathers Day gift, Roach replied, “That’s sweet. I want you to have it.” Debi and Wil were in their truck heading for San Diego to finalize the sale within hours of the call and shortly before the start of the 2006 racing season they purchased the UL-136 from Pat Roach, renumbered it the UL-83, and set off as Unlimited Light team owners.    In the winter of 2006-2007 the Munceys worked on expanding their team, and others.  They knew there were five UL caliber hulls in Mexico.  One was acquired by Paul Becker and races today as the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic. The other four were all purchased by Wil & Debi.  The first two were acquired and led to a series of articles penned by Debi that are on this website and in the 2007 edition of “Thunder & LIGHTS” Magazine called “Wil & Joe’s Excellent Adventure”. It chronicles how Wil Muncey and “Smokin Joe” Souza (now the driver of the UL-39 Rouly Inc. “Pressure’s ON” All American Technical Team) went to Laredo TX and brought back two hulls in a very challenging trip.  Those two hulls will be in Chamberlain-Oacoma.  They are the second UL-00, dubbed the “Big Red Boat” (vs. the Muncey’s original ex UL-83 now dubbed the lil’ red boat) and the current UL-929 of Vince Xaudaro and Jim & Karon Wilmot.  Later in the spring of 2007 another less adventurous trip to Laredo was made to acquire the remaining two hulls and they are now the UL-39 of Texan Bob Scribner and the final hull was purchased by the aforementioned Pat Roach in San Diego.    Despite the increased cost of traveling to ULHRA races due to gasoline and diesel prices, the Munceys are committed to taking both of their red boats to South Dakota, and then to Montana and to Tri Cities WA. Wil Muncey explains “it is a step by step process that always takes a lot of attention to detail” to develop a boat for Unlimited Lights racing.  The “big red boat” was built by Detroit’s Steve Balcer about ten years ago and was a quick runner that in its last season of racing, 2002, J.W. Myers drove to a second place finish at Olympia WA and a 113+ mph qualifying speed at San Diego.  Wil Muncey knows he has a boat capable of running with the leaders but it’ll take time.  Last summer he drove the “lil red boat” at Chamberlain in an exhibition event and says “Chamberlain should be a big boat course. On a two boat team you should have a boat set up for a large course and a small one. We are using the 2008 season to get the big boat dialed in. If things aren't ready for competition at Chamberlain-Oacoma we can use the smaller hull”.  That “smaller hull” is no slouch, either.  With increased horsepower in 2007 and 2008 the “lil red boat” has demonstrated higher speeds, but those higher speeds have come at a reduction in reliability as well, something the two month break between races at Richland WA and Chamberlain-Oacoma SD is being used to address.  Still, Muncey sits in 4th place in the Unlimited Lights standings, the highest point yet for this team. With season-long sponsorship from Phoenix-based Trafficade Safety Sales the Munceys are committed to make each and every race on the circuit.  What will determine which boat the team will race in South Dakota?  In one word Wil Muncey says “reliability”.    You can see the two boat Muncey-Trafficade Racing Team run “The Gauntlet”…..the five races in five weeks schedule for Unlimited Lights teams beginning at Chamberlain-Oacoma SD on July 12th & 13th, followed by Polson MT on July 19th & 20th, Tri Cities WA on July 25, 26 & 27, then Seattle on August 1st, 2nd & 3rd, and concluding in Silverdale WA on August 9 & 10. All ULHRA races can be seen live on this website through ULHRA’s video webcast.  Check the home page of this website for details each race weekend.   John Lynch P.R. Director and “Voice” of ULHRA Racing.       It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood               Seattle, Washington is the hydroplane capital of the world and birthplace of the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association. When the sun is out in Seattle, it is quite possible there may be no more beautiful place in the world. This last weekend was just such a weekend in Seattle when the blue skies, majestic mountains, and glistening water all competed for center stage in nature’s production that is spring in Seattle.  The trees have unfolded their green leaves, flowers are in bloom and everywhere you look its hydros, hydros, hydros.           Under the shadow of Seattle’s famous Space Needle you could find locals and tourists alike gathered around the Perkins family’s 4 cylinder Lighter-than-LIGHT hydroplane. Walk a few more steps and go inside in the Pacific Science Center where busloads of children were visiting the Speed Exhibit. One of the main features of the Speed Exhibit included the UL72 Boat Electric hydroplane and guest speaker Miss Kayleigh Perkins. Earlier in the week, Perkins did her part to help bolster attendance with a live interview on the ABC affiliate KOMO-TV news talking about the new Pacific Science Center exhibit featuring hydroplanes, NASCAR, and all kinds of things that go fast.             Just half a mile away down toward the waterfront at the Bell Harbor Plaza, the Port of Seattle was conducting its annual Classic Weekend featuring classic yachts, classic cars, and you guessed it – hydroplanes. The G13 Tempo-Jet Chevrolet and driver Dick Lynch greeted visitors at the entrance. Just inside on the plaza was Paul Becker and his UL14 Critical Logic talking to fans and would-be fans about hydroplane racing. A little further down the courtyard you could find driver Wil Muncey helping a steady stream of kids and their parents to sit in the cockpit of Trafficade Racing’s UL-00 and the team of UL-11 ROXY 94.5 FM presents Power Punch doing the same while driver Michal Flaherty signed autographs and handed out copies of Thunder & LIGHTS Magazine. In the background, a 14 story tall cruise ship had stopped to let visitors out for a day of sightseeing downtown. Most spoke English; some did not, but all seemed to carry a camera and many were eager for their turn to sit in the cockpit of the high speed racing craft. A gentleman from England started making plans to return to Seattle and see these boats race at Seafair. Timea Szoradi, an immigrant from Hungary, beamed from the cockpit of the UL11 and proclaimed to owner Darren Bartels that this was the best day of her life. The Port of Seattle’s Marketing Assistant Megan Deinas estimated attendance over the course of the Fathers Day weekend was an all time record high in their twelve years of holding Classic Weekend.           Back at the Seattle Center, a visitor admiring the bright red UL72 Boat Electric informed owner Joe Frauenheim, “That’s strange, there’s one just like this over at Pier 66.”  Frauenheim replied, “Of course.  It’s hydro season!” Photos shown here are just a small sample. Approximately 350 thumbnail photos of our visitors whose pictures were taken in hydroplane cockpits will be posted on the ULHRA website in a few days with instructions on how to get reprints. Please check back soon.           Next stop for the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association is Chamberlain-Oacoma, South Dakota where a full field of Unlimited Lights and G Class hydros will compete on the Missouri River at Pepsi Racing’s Power Cup Challenge July 12-13. For more information on this race and the balance of the ULHRA schedule, visit www.ulhra.org, and click on schedules.           Countdown to Chamberlain-Oacoma II     Thunderboats (G) will be heading to Chamberlain-Oacoma South Dakota next month, in what is expected to be the largest single race turnout for this series. They’ll all be gunning for R.W. Dick Lynch in the G-13 Jet Chevrolet.com Tempo, current leader in the Thunderboat points standings.  After two races Lynch and the uniquely painted G-13 leads the way with 1700 points, followed by David Warren in the G-329 Block Head Machine presents My Town Motors with 1200.  In third is Dustin Echols in the G-17 Shockwave Racing presents Checker Auto Parts.  All of those teams will be at the Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge, July 12th & 13th in addition to a fleet of 12 or more Unlimited Lights.   Joining the fray for their first Thunderboat race of the season will be the G-10 Wiggins Service & Supply Co. driven by Detroit’s Cal Phipps.  The Alabama based team of Milton & Charley Wiggins ran extremely well at the Pickwick Landing TN exhibition in May and the impressive G-10 with paint by driver Cal Phipps should be a very strong challenger.   Marty Wolfe in the Johnson-Wolfe G-93 will return to Thunderboat racing at South Dakota.  This entry had been inactive for a dozen years till it was purchased in the offseason by Dennis Johnson, owner of Trafficade Signs and Safety Equipment. It’s a quick Jamie Auld hull, similar to the UL-15 of Hopp Racing and the UL-14 of Paul Becker. The G-93 displayed impressive performance from its first launch at Phoenix AZ.  Wolfe’s engine shed a rod through the engine block and the bottom of the hull in its second heat at Phoenix but repairs have been made.  Expect Wolfe to be battling for the lead throughout the Chamberlain-Oacoma race weekend.   Thunderboats is a class for boats larger than Unlimited Lights (25’ – 28’) with bigger, more powerful engines.  There are two categories of engines. Boats that weigh at least 2800 pounds, such as the G-17and G-93 run the G-468 engine package.  Boats that weigh at least 3600 pounds such as the G-10, G-13 and G-329 run the G-575 engine package. Rules were established for both engine packages to provide equivalent power to weigh ratios. Details of both engines are on this website under RULES for the NACCS, the North American Challenge Cup Series.   With a full field of Thunderboats and a dozen Unlimited Lights, racing fans at Chamberlain-Oacoma will see at least 6 heats of exciting, big block, big hydroplane racing on Saturday (7-12) and again on Sunday (7-13) for the inaugural River City Racin’ Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge.     John Lynch P.R. Director and “Voice” of ULHRA Racing.     UL-15 and Hopp Racing go to School (06-16-08) On 6/30  Cascade, WA   The first group of pictures are from Hopp Racing's display at Cascade View Elementary school in Snohomish. Jerry drives 33 kids to and from the school every day. Jerry and the Principal Lyla Meyer thought it would be fun the bring the boat to the school and make an educational "Field Trip" out of it. So Jerry in driver suit and Scott Baker brought the boat there for the classes to look at. Over all Scott passed out 600 hero cards to the students. K through 6th grade. Jerry explained the boat statistics and showed the kids the safety gear worn by the driver and inside the cockpit.     On 6/31 Edmonds, WA   The second group of pictures are the UL-15 Graham Trucking GT/Happy Go Lucky/PumpTech was on display at the Edmonds Waterfront Festival Saturday May 31. Hundreds of people were there enjoying the weekend festivities. Jerry signed Hero Cards and had toys and ULHRA programs for distribution. Jerry got to ride in a Twin Engine Blown Powercat, jumping ferryboat waves at 120mph on Puget sound. What a thrill. Greg's son Saxon is pictured under the tent.

THE GREG HOPP STORY

By Fred Farley  -  ULHRA Unlimited Light Historian

Many a son has followed in a famous father's footsteps in hydroplane competition. Greg Hopp, son of racing veteran Jerry Hopp, is one of these.

Greg started his boat racing career at age 9 when he placed second in APBA Region 10 High Points for J-Stock outboard hydros. He went on to serve as a crew member on his Dad's THOR RACING Unlimited hydroplane. At age 30, he qualified as an Unlimited driver at the 1998 Tri-Cities Columbia Cup with Fred Leland's UNITED FURNITURE WAREHOUSE.

According to Greg, "My Dad's influence was--and still is--very intense. Everything I know about boats, I learned from him. I couldn't have had a better mentor."

In 1999, his first full season, Greg Hopp became the first rookie in Unlimited history to earn more than 10,000 points during the season. He finished third at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, with MISS COMMERCIAL SEALANT
and placed second at both Seattle and Kelowna, British Columbia, with MISS PICO. Hopp was the obvious choice for Unlimited Rookie of the Year in 1999.

With the retirement of Chip Hanauer from the Leland Unlimited team after 1999, Greg became Leland's primary driver, a position he has occupied ever since.

Greg is one of the few competitors to divide his time between the Unlimited and the Unlimited Light categories. Often, on the same weekend, he would drive Leland's turbine-powered U-100 and also his father's automotive-powered UL-15.

Greg and his Dad were an active part of the Unlimited Light Racing Series (ULRS) from the very beginning--since 1995 to be exact. When not competing on the Unlimited hydroplane circuit, the Hopps raced an obsolete Ron Jones,
Sr.-designed hull on the ULRS tour. But they had never won a race.

In 2000, the Hopp Racing Team made it into five UL Final Heats and finished third in Unlimited Light High Points. With Greg driving, the 27-year-old UL-15 finished fourth at Issaquah. With Jerry behind the wheel, they took third at Detroit, fourth at the Tri-Cities, sixth at Seattle, and second at San Diego.

There is a tide in the affairs of boat racing. And the Hopp family's tide was about to come in. The former ALAMO, a three-time National Champion in Unlimited Light racing, was available for sale. Formerly owned by Ned Allen and designed by Jamie Auld, THE ALAMO had won twelve out of twenty-seven races between 1997 and 1999 with Bo Schide as driver and was the all-time winningest UL.

The Hopps, at long last, had a competitive rig that was the equal of anything else out there.

The 2001 ULRS season kicked off at the Tastin' N Racin' Regatta on Lake Sammamish, near Issaquah, Washington. Jerry and Greg's team had FREDDIE'S CLUB Casino for a sponsor.

At the start of the Final Heat on Lake Sammamish, Greg Hopp had lane-one with FREDDIE'S CLUB and Phil Bononcini occupied lane-two with BUDWEISER/POCKET MECHANIC (UL-72). Greg and Phil battled head-to-head for the first few laps before Bononcini cut inside the third buoy of turn-two, forcing FREDDIE'S CLUB to go with him. BUDWEISER/POCKET MECHANIC was penalized one minute for this infraction.

FREDDIE'S CLUB went on to win the Final Heat--and the race--at an average of 102.014, followed by Dave Bender in SECURITY RACE PRODUCTS (UL-38), which did 96.463.

The father-and-son team appeared in five UL Final Heats during 2001. Between  them, they finished first, second, third, second, and third.

That same season, over in the Unlimited Class, Greg impressed mightily with a strong second-place finish in the Indiana Governor's Cup at Madison with ZNETIX (U-100). For five heart-pounding laps in the Final Heat, Hopp made first-place Steve David and OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS MADISON (U-6) work for it every inch of the way to the checkered flag.

In the years ahead, the Hopp Racing Team would do frequent battle with the UL-72 team, co-owned by Bononcini and Joe Frauenheim. The UL-72 was a state-of-the-art marvel from the drawing board of Ron Jones, Sr., and always a strong competitor.

 Ironically, Greg Hopp had been a one-race replacement for Bononcini in the cockpit of the UL-72 in 1999 when Greg drove it to a third-place finish at "Thunder On The Ohio" in Evansville, Indiana.

The UL-72, sponsored by BUDWEISER/POCKET MECHANIC, would win the National High Point Championship three years running in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The Hopps finished third in 2000 with their older UL-15 and finished second in 2001 and 2002 with the former ALAMO hull.

Sponsored by MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE, the Hopps won three races in 2002, while BUDWEISER/POCKET MECHANIC won four. Jerry was the winning driver at Seattle and San Diego, while Greg claimed the victory at Olympia, Washington, in addition to setting a world kilometer straightaway record of 161.980 miles per hour for Unlimited Light hydroplanes at Lincoln City, Oregon.

The National Points race was tight in 2002. BUDWEISER/POCKET MECHANIC finished with 7729 points; MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE accumulated 7420.

The tables would be turned in 2003. The Hopps would win their first of four consecutive Team Championships.

Co-sponsored by MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE and HAPPY GO LUCKY, the UL-15 triumphed in four out of the six High Points races in 2003. These included the season-opener in June at Lake Sammamish. Later, the Hopps took first-place at Olympia, Port Angeles, and San Diego.

At Lake Sammamish, Jerry and Greg alternated throughout the weekend. Jerry took second-place in Heats 1-B and 3-A, while Greg finished first in Heat 2-B and the winner-take-all Final Heat.

Six boats answered the starting gun for the Final, which developed into a real dog fight. UL-15, UL-38, and UL-51 battled for first, second, and third; while UL-14, UL-40, and UL-19 fought for fourth, fifth, and sixth.

When the checkered flag dropped, Greg grabbed the glory with UL-15. Dave Bender was second with UL-38. Then came George Woods in UL-51, Paul Becker in UL-14, and Kelly Stocklin in UL-40.

This was the start of the most successful campaign in the history of Hopp Racing up until that time, although Greg would be out of the cockpit for most of it. This was on account of an injury accident at Madison, Indiana, driving Fred Leland's U-100 Unlimited hydroplane. Father Jerry then had to do all of the driving for the rest of the season.

MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-15) finished 2003 with 7517 points, compared to 6850 for GRAHAM TRUCKING/RED ROCKET (UL-72). This entitled the UL-15 to carry the cherished UL-1 designation as defending National Champion. It had taken nine years, but the Hopp Racing Team finally ruled the roost in the Unlimited Light Racing Series.

Another National Championship season followed in 2004. For the second year in a row, the winner was not determined until the last day of the season.

In the course of the eight-race 2004 campaign, three teams claimed victories. The UL-1, co-driven by Jerry and Greg Hopp, had four; the UL-72 with George Woods had three; and the UL-5 with Kevin Aylesworth had one.

The UL-1 took first-place at Evansville, Olympia, and Port Angeles with Greg driving and at Seattle with Jerry in the cockpit.

The Hopps clinched their second straight season championship at Port Angeles, Washington, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Greg's first-place finish in preliminary Heat 2-B guaranteed the High Points title for the father-and-son team and their primary sponsor, MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE.

At the outset of 2005, Greg faced the most formidable challenge of his racing career.

For two years, he and his father had co-driven to the National High Point Championship. In so doing, the father-and-son team established a standard of excellence that would be difficult to surpass with twelve UL race victories between 2001 and 2004.

This year, 2005, would be different. Greg would have to go it alone in the UL-1 cockpit. Jerry's recent twin knee replacement surgery would preclude the elder Hopp from driving for at least the first couple of months of the season.

According to Greg, "I never had any doubts about the boat. The crew worked long and hard to give me a top-of-the-line piece of equipment. It was up to me to do justice to their labors. I knew it wouldn't be easy. In addition to driving the Unlimited Light, I also had the responsibility of an Unlimited ride [with Leland's U-100]."

"We knew Greg had it in him, "Jerry Hopp insisted. "We had won two straight national titles for the team in 2003 and 2004. But because both of us drove, somebody else always won the High Point Driver title. We wanted that for Greg--even though, by mid-season, I was medically cleared to drive and could have stepped in as relief driver if necessary."

For the record, father Jerry did take the UL-1's wheel during the Provisional Heat (which carried no points) at Seattle--and finished in his familiar first-place--to allow Greg to concentrate on an upcoming Unlimited heat with the U-100.

The competition was keen--right down to the last race of the season at Port Angeles. But Greg Hopp would not be denied. The UL-1's third straight High Point Championship against formidable odds is one of the great sports stories.

Greg and MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY concluded the 2005 campaign with 8794 accumulated points, just 83 points ahead of Michael Flaherty and MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72) with 8711 points. It was the closest finish in Unlimited Lights history, deciding both the ULHRA Team and Driver titles for 2005.

This marked the third time in as many years that the Championship had been decided at Port Angeles. And this time it went all the way to the Final Heat!

Flaherty knew it would take a virtual perfect weekend to unseat the defending National Champion UL-1. And that's what he and MISS BOAT ELECTRIC did with victories in all four heats and 1600 points.

The only flaw for the UL-72 team was not running a strong qualifying lap, earning only 7 points for seventh-place during qualification, while Hopp earned 40 points as the top qualifier. That made a gap of 383 points between Greg and Michael heading into Heat One.

Both Hopp and Flaherty won their respective sections of the first heat and the gap remained at 383 points.

Greg then finished second to Michael in each of the next three heats with Flaherty gaining 100 points on Hopp in each one of them. But that wasn't enough for the UL-72 to overtake the UL-1 and claim the overall season title.

Hopp had a mission, which was to finish no worse than third in the Final Heat. And his strategy worked.

It is interesting to note that the UL-72 outscored the UL-1 by 40 points on the race course in 2005. However, the UL-1 outscored the UL-72 by 123 points in season qualifying.

Flaherty averaged 75.408 miles per hour for the Final Heat in the ocean-like chop of the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Hopp checked in at 74.547. Flaherty thus won the battle but lost the war.

With five race wins during the season and the High Point Driver title on the shelf, Greg Hopp stood at the very top of the racing world at the conclusion of 2005.

"It wasn't my victory; it was a team victory," Greg insisted. "The crew made it possible. I'm just the visual embodiment of their work. Anything that I've done on the race course is a direct tribute to the magic that the crew does on the boat. I couldn't do it without these guys."

And just to prove that his 2005 performance was anything but a fluke, Greg went on to win a second UL driving title--and three more race victories--in 2006 as well with MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY.

It was an uphill struggle in 2006. The Hopps campaigned two different boats at one time or another: the veteran Jamie Auld hull and the newly acquired Ron Jones, Jr., hull, co-owned by Bob Schellhase, which had formerly raced as Paul Droullard's AMERICAN EAGLE.

Greg experienced difficulty in the first two races of the 2006 season at Issaquah and Valleyfield. But after overcoming two days of mechanical gremlins at Detroit, Greg Hopp came through when the chips were down on the Detroit River.

MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1) dominated the Final Heat of the O.J. Mulford Silver Cup, outrunning second-place Ken Brodie II in BRODIE MOTOR SPORTS (UL-555).
 
The O.J. Mulford Silver Cup is the oldest and most prestigious Unlimited Light trophy, first contested in 1946. The original winner was Lou Fageol, owner/driver of the Gold Cup Class SO-LONG, JR., powered by a 404 cubic inch Fageol bus engine. SO-LONG, JR. is the forerunner of all Unlimited Light and Grand Prix Class hydroplanes competing today.

Greg also won at the Tri-Cities and San Diego in 2006.

Following lengthy delays due to high winds and a couple of accidents at the Tri-Cities, Hopp grabbed the inside lane before the start and led from wire-to-wire over Flaherty and the UL-72. Hopp averaged 109.664 to Flaherty's 107.139 over the 3-lap/5-mile Final Heat distance. Moreover, Greg was the top qualifier that weekend with a speed of better than 119 miles per hour.

Hopp had a miserable day at the Silverdale, Washington, race when MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY threw a propeller blade while leading on lap #1 and failed to finish the Final Heat. This reduced Hopp's lead over Flaherty to a mere 104 points with two races remaining on the 2006 ULRS tour.

Greg rebounded, however, from his Silverdale misfortune and was back in first-place a month later on San Diego's Mission Bay where Hopp had a perfect weekend. He established a new UL speed record in qualifying at 126.528 miles per hour and then proceeded to win all three of his heats.

With the National Championship on the line, the traditional season-ender at Port Angeles saw the two top-ranked teams--the UL-1 and the UL-72--jump the gun in the Final Heat.

Both Greg Hopp and Michael Flaherty were fractions of a second too early for the start. The resulting one-minute penalties added to their times relegated them to fifth and sixth respectively at Port Angeles, while victory went to rookie Ryan Mallow in MZ. ZIPFIZZ.

The Hopp Racing Team finished 2006 with 9186 National High Points. This compared to 8125 for MISS BOAT ELECTRIC. This was Greg Hopp's second straight driving title and Hopp Racing's fourth consecutive team title.

The 2007 campaign was a mixed blessing. Greg and the UL-1 finished second to their perennial rival--the UL-72 team--in the 2007 National High Points chase. Due to a scheduling conflict with an Unlimited race, Greg had to miss the Valleyfield [Quebec] Regatta.

At San Diego, following an injury in a non-racing mishap, Greg had to relinquish the cockpit to father Jerry who went on to win the race.

Greg also had to bow out of the season-concluding Port Angeles event when, during qualification with the FESTOOL SUPPLY NORTHWEST - GRAHAM TRUCKING G.T. - HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1), he flipped after crossing a roller going into turn-one. Hopp was uninjured but his mount was through for the day.

The season wasn't a complete washout by any means. Greg added three wins to his career victory total and won more races than any other driver in 2007.

Driving the Jamie Auld back-up hull at a new race location in Richland, Wahington, Greg and the HAPPY GO LUCKY raced from the outside lane in the Final Heat to outrun Vince "The X-Man" Xaudaro in the XAUDARO RACING (UL-929) to the checkered flag, 95.866 miles per hour to 91.393.

This was the first race under the new UL rule that required boats with supercharged engines to start outside of those boats with naturally aspirated engines.

Xaudaro showed tremendous chute speed and was able to run head to head with Hopp for better than two laps as they swapped the lead multiple times in the three-lap finale. In the final turn, Xaudaro's boat hooked in the churned-up Columbia River and could not recover in time to stay with Hopp.

Moving over to the team's primary hull, the Ron Jones, Jr., craft, Greg triumphed at Lake Sammamish after a battle royal in the Final Heat.

Five front-line teams hit the starting line together, while the large crowd roared its approval. At the end of lap-one, it was three wide: Xaudaro, Ryan Mallow, and Hopp. Throughout lap-four, Hopp gained a slight advantage over Mallow with Xaudaro settling into third. And that's how they finished.

The fans will be talking about the 2007 Seattle Seafair Final Heat for years to come. Greg Hopp edged teenage sensation Kayleigh Perkins by three boat lengths in a drag race to the finish line. Greg averaged 102.659 miles per hour to Kayleigh's 102.189.

Hopp, driving the Chevy-powered GRAHAM TRUCKING G.T. - HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1), was again required to start outside of Perkins' MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72) because of the supercharged engine rule.

This was the seventeenth career win since 2001 for Greg Hopp, the winningest driver in Unlimited Light history. (Bo Schide is the second most victorious pilot with twelve wins between 1997 and 1999.)

Between the two of them, as of 2007, Jerry and Greg Hopp have an even two dozen victories in the Unlimited Light Racing Series. The UL-72, owned by Joe Frauenheim and Phil Bononcini, has 21 race wins. No one else is even close.

Greg is especially appreciative of his hard-working crew. "I want to recognize Bob Schellhase for buying us a great boat, Steve Hausske and Brent Tiede, our crew chiefs, Scott Baker, Randy Erb, Randy Hoyle, Saxon Hopp, Aaron Johnson, Alan McDonough, Dave Penz, Dan Post, Travis Sellers, Shana Swanson, and Tim Smith. The credit is theirs."

Hopp likewise has nothing but praise for his sponsors: Mike's Hard Lemonade, Happy Go Lucky, Graham Trucking, Ed's Automotive & Machine, Kendall Motor Oil, Crane Cams, Scott Baker Props, Nordskog Performance Products. The list goes on.

Greg summed up his philosophy of racing:

"The late great Gar Wood put it this way: 'The race itself is over in a few minutes. It's but a public demonstration of what took a whole year of work and preparation to accomplish.'

"That was true in Gar Wood's time; and it's true today."

Fred Farley
ULHRA Historian

 

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