WarningPower.com Regatta: a "Warning" to the guys.


(Chandler AZ) History was made again in "Racing, ULHRA Style" as hydroplane racing in ULHRA knows no gender barrier. For the first time in major hydroplane competition, two women drivers competed in the Final Heat and not only competed, they finished 1-2! Kayleigh Perkins and Elizabeth Wolfe took first and second in the WarningPower.com presents the Unlimited Lights at Firebird Raceway near Phoenix AZ.

Racing on the unique 1.4 mile course is, well, unique. The lake was built for drag boat racing with a berm running the length of the infield to keep wave action reduced for the drag boats. The berm eliminates hydroplanes crossing the infield during the warm up period so use of the clock start is dropped in favor of a flag start.

A series of 2 & 3 boat elimination heats were conducted leading to a 3 boat Final. Flanking defending series champion Greg Hopp in the UL-1 Festool Supply-Graham Trucking-Happy Go Lucky-Pump Tech were Kayleigh Perkins in the UL-72 Foster Care-Change a Lifetime, and Elizabeth Wolfe in the UL-93 Trafficade-Desperado.

For Ms. Perkins, being in the Final was nothing new. She's won 4 times in two seasons including here at Firebird last year and is the two time defending Series Drivers Champion. However for Ms. Wolfe this was her first Final Heat appearance in only her second Unlimited Lights race; the first being last July at Chamberlain-Oacoma, South Dakota.

At the start it was Perkins and Hopp with Wolfe slightly behind. The drivers for the two dominant teams in UL Racing for the past 6 years swapped the lead, racing deck to deck with a slight advantage to Perkins on the inside. Hopp's boat appeared to hook and lose momentum at the exit of turn #2 on lap one but he recovered to catch Perkins by the time they reached the very tight turn #1. Then it was "deja vu" for the defending UL Series champion as Hopp's boat went dead in the water and Perkins went on to victory, just as happened here one year ago. Wolfe raced on to take second place in the best performance ever by Johnson Wolfe Racing in Unlimited Lights competition.

The Semifinal heat was a contest for 4th, 5th & 6th place and Wil Muncey came out on top in the UL-00 WarningPower.com - Trafficade. The Muncey Racing team wound up with 3rd place overall as a result of the DNF (did not finish) by Greg Hopp in the Final and that's a career best both for driver Wil and owner Debi Muncey. They raced their "Big 00" hull which was acquired out of Mexico two years ago. It's the former UL-23 Pegasus built by Steve Balcer and previously raced by Ohio's Bob Larimore and Washington's J.W. Myers through the 2002 season, followed by 5 years of warehouse storage in Tula, Mexico.

Fourth Place, from finishing second in the Semifinal, went to Chris Grant which was another career best. The Grant Boat Racing UL-3 debuted in 2008 and slowly progressed. This year team owner David Grant says they are committed to running the entire Unlimited Lights Season with their tandem wing, single tail hull.

Fifth place went to Greg Hopp and Sixth to Charles "Ace" Xuadaro in the UL-98 Miss Atomic Screen Printing which failed to finish the Semifinal after having an impressive round of preliminary heats with two firsts and a second. Unfortunately for Xaudaro, his second heat victory came in a one boat heat as the other two teams scheduled were unable to make it to the starting line. In the case of a one boat heat at Firebird, by rule the heat is stopped and 300 second place points are awarded instead of 400 first place points. As luck would have it, had the rest of the weekend gone as it did and Xaudaro had those extra 100 points, he, not race winner Perkins would have been in the Final. That UL-98 hull may be in it's 36th year of racing, but it still shows a lot of competitiveness including turning the fastest heat speed on Saturday.

 ULHRA races at Firebird as guests of the host organization, the International Hot Boat Association which conducted their drag boat season opener. Due to a drag boat accident on Sunday the Unlimited Lights racing schedule was significantly delayed and due to travel schedules ULHRA Video was unable to show live coverage on this website of the Semifinal and Final heats. No one was injured in the drag boat accident.

In the Thunderboat (G) Class, Marty Wolfe in the G-93 Trafficade-Renegade defeated Dustin Echols in the G-17 Venture Bank-Ted's Red Apple Market, two heats out of three. The same was true in the Lighter than LIGHTS as Kevin Eacret won twice in the E-36 Block Head Machine-Speed Hut Revolution Gauges over Bud McKay in the E-10 West Sound Electric-GEICO of Lakewood. McKay won the third heat when substitute driver Phillip Eacret was penalized 1 minute for an improper lane change.

Next for the ULHRA teams is The Gauntlet. They have over 2 months to prepare. The 5 races in 6 weeks racing sequence begins July 11th & 12 at the Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge in South Dakota, followed by the Anderson Radio Broadcasting Radio Waves Regatta at Flathead Lake, Polson MT, then the Water Follies Regatta at Tri Cities WA, and the Graham Trucking Cup for Unlimited Lights at Seafair in Seattle. Following a weekend off for an exhibition run at Kelowna BC The Gauntlet concludes with the Silverdale Thunder Regatta in Silverdale WA, August 15th & 16th.

 John Lynch
 "Voice" of ULHRA Racing

Photo Credits: David Coe, Mike Niwa and Jessica Cetro
 

Day One of Racing at Firebird
 
It was almost an incredible tie. It still is incredible. 

Photo by Tim Crowley

Yes, Jerry & Greg Hopp and the UL-1 Festool Supply-Graham Trucking-Happy Go Lucky-Pump Tech won both their heats on Saturday for 800 points. Nothing incredible about that.........it's quite common for that team. But one boat had a chance to duplicate that feat, and technically did, but is 100 points down after winning two heats. The only difference is when it's a one boat heat the race is flagged off at Firebird Lake and by rule the one boat running gets 300 points........as in second place points. So which boat is it? That's the incredible element.

Photo by Mike Niwa
 

Charles "Ace" Xaudaro driving the Kennewick WA based UL-98 Miss Atomic Screen Printing won his first heat over Wil Muncey in the UL-00 Warning Power.com - Trafficade and Xaudaro was scheduled to race Joe Souza in the UL-9 US ARMY - NAPA Auto Parts. Both boats came out of the pits but Souza's boat expired before the start necessitating stoppage of the heat and awarding 300 points to Xaudaro. For long time fans, the UL-98 not only is the oldest boat in the fleet, built by Ron Jones Sr. in 1974, it also was raced by the Hopp Team from 1995-2000. This was the first time for the Greg & Lora Walden owned team at Firebird and the first time for "Ace" driving on the unique 1/4 mile course, and it was their best first day of ULHRA racing so far. 
 
 
John Lynch

FRIDAY AT FIREBIRD
 
(Chandler AZ) It was move-in day at Firebird International Raceway for the ULHRA teams and the Sprint boats. At 5pm there was a test session which many teams took advantage to become acclimated to the unique Firebird Lake course.
 
Greg Hopp in the UL-1 Festool Supply-Graham Trucking-Happy Go Lucky-Pump Tech and Kayleigh Perkins in the UL-72 Foster Care-Change a Lifetime both looked solid. Hopp, the defending series champion and Perkins, the defending race champion, have seven other challengers this weekend. 
 
Elizabeth Wolfe in the UL-93 Trafficade-Warning Power.com Desperado ran impressively, as did Wil Muncey in the UL-00 Warning Power.com. Ms. Wolfe is the second woman to compete in Unlimited Lights racing after debuting at South Dakota last summer. The Muncey team had possibly their best outing yet in their "Big 00" hull, the former Pegasus of Bob Larimore that was idled for five years in a Tula, Mexico warehouse. 
 
Charles "Ace" Xaudaro took quite a few laps in the UL-98 Miss Atomic Screen Printing, the venerable hull built in 1974 by Ron Jones Sr. Xaudaro and the 98 looked right at home on the tight 1 1/4 mile course that features an infield berm, built for the drag boats that race here. 
 
Also at Firebird and ready for racing action tomorrow include occasional ULHRA competitor James Deel and his GNH 8 "Deel Me In'. This weekend veteran Unlimited Lights' driver Cal Phipps from Detroit will be behind the wheel.
 
"Smokin Joe" Souza and the renumbered UL-9 (ex-929) US ARMY-NAPA Auto Parts is on hand from Xaudaro-Wilmot Racing. The engine was trailer.fired after installation of a new oil pump and is ready for racing. Grant Racing also trailer fired their UL-3 tandem wing hull that Chris Grant will drive this weekend. 
 
Rounding out the field is Darren Bartel's UL-11 Power Punch driven by Michael Flaherty. Last year this team didn't arrive till mid Friday afternoon. This year they were one of the first teams onsite and are race ready. 
 
With 9 teams there will be three boat heats in the Warning Power.com Presents the Unlimited Lights at Firebird. 
 
Meanwhile, two of the teams from the North American Challenge Cup Series will have a match-race weekend. Dustin Echolls and the G-17 Venture Bank will be opposed by Marty Wolfe in the G-93 Trafficade Renegade. These two teams had some memorable heats in 2008. 
 
The Lighter than LIGHTS are represented by 3 time defending 8 cylinder champion Bud McKay in his West Sound Electric-GEICO of Lakewood WA along with the vastly improved Kevin Eacrett in the E-36 and Mike Schroeder in the E-23 who had an impressive performance here one year ago. 
 
Also, the Sprint Boats from USSBA made their Firebird debut. Sprint Boats race a special course.........you could call it a slalom, in a way, like ski racing or auto cross. They run solo passes and the quickets times advance. These high powered, short (12-14 feet) jet drive boats are extremely quick reacting with rapid accelleration. the fans enjoyed their performance.
 
It's an extremely varied event, highlighted by the IHBA Drag Boats who again this year invited ULHRA to participate in the drag boat season opener. ULHRA racing plus the Sprint Boats will have two heats of competition each on Saturday and two more on Sunday, in between drag boat heats. 
 
Live coverage can be viewed on this website. Check the home page for log in information and times. 
 
John Lynch
 "Voice" of ULHRA Racing 

2009 Season Begins in Phoenix

The 2009 season begins this weekend (April 25 & 26) and teams from the Pacific NW, Illinois, and Ohio, where winter weather has been brutal, are soaking up the sunshine in Phoenix AZ. Nine Unlimited Lights (UL) plus two teams from the North American Challenge Cup Series (G) and a host of teams from the Lighter than LIGHTS series are poised to commence the new season where last season began.......Firebird International Raceway and Firebird Lake in Chandler AZ, just outside of Phoenix.
 
Did you know that since Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing began in 1995 there have been 109 races? In those thirteen racing seasons, 54 percent of all races have been won by 2 boats. If you've been around Racing, ULHRA Style very long you'll know those two boats are campaigned by Hopp Racing out of Snohomish WA, racing this year as the UL-1 Festool Supply-Graham Trucking-Happy Go Lucky-Pump Tech, and Impact Equipment Racing out of Issaquah WA, campaigning this year as the UL-72 Foster Care - Change a Lifetime.
 
The Jamie Auld built UL-1 began its UL career in 1997 and was an instant hit as the Alamo Rent - A - Car. It was driven by Bo Schide to 12 race victories and 3 consecutive titles. Following the 1999 season that team retired from the sport and a year later Jerry & Greg Hopp acquired the hull beginning with the 2001 season. Since then they have added 22 victories with that hull for a career total of 34. Their first win which also was Hopp Racing's first win (the team began UL racing in 1995) came with a naturally aspirated engine in 2001. All the rest of the wins came after the team converted to supercharged power in 2002 with Greg Hopp winning 15 times and his father Jerry capturing 7 trophies.
 
For the UL-72 built by Ron Jones Sr. in 1998, it's hard to fathom that with its record of 25 victories.......the most by any naturally aspirated powered hull..........its first win did not come till the year 2000. But once it started winning it became a habit. Phil Bononcini drove to the first 12 wins and retired.......tied with Bo Schide with a dozen career victories. Bononcini, who remains co-owner of the 72 was followed by George Woods Jr. who won three times, Michael Flaherty nabbed 4 wins, and now Kayleigh Perkins has added 4; the only woman driver in UL history with a race victory, plus she earned 2007 Rookie of the Year, 2007 Team champion, and 2007 & 2008 Driver champion awards. Quite an accomplishment for the young woman who later this spring will turn 21 years of age.
 
Put another way, from the time these two craft began racing (1997 and 1998) they have won 65 1/2% of all Unlimited Lights races, and they remain the two favorites for the 2009 Championship. It takes more than a good boat to succeed in UL racing. Both teams have outstanding crews with vast amounts of experience and expertise, and talented drivers. That's a lot for any other team to try to overcome, but there are many teams in 2009 that will try to unseat these two craft that have dominated this series since 1997.
 
Can any team surpass these two? It's possible but as the old Three Dog Night song goes "It Ain't Easy". It's been close for the past two years and both times the challengers were "Swatted at Silverdale". The Silverdale Thunder (WA) Regatta which is a salt water race right after Seattle, proved to be the Waterloo for Vince Xaudaro in 2007 and Paul Becker in 2008. Both drivers led the points race at Silverdale only to have their seasons end in devastating crashes. This year Becker won't be at the season opener which puts a crimp on his points potential, and Xaudaro is sitting out the 2009 campaign to rebuild his "All Black, All the Time" UL-929 hull from that 2007 crash, and he'll be back for a title attempt in 2010. Xaudaro's place behind the wheel of the Xaudaro-Wilmot Racing UL-9 US ARMY - NAPA Auto Parts will be filled by Joe Souza, in his second stint of Unlimited Lights racing. Souza was part of the series from 1995 to 1997, then came back part time beginning in 2005 and this will be his first ever season long campaign. The hull upgrades by Xaudaro and crew have already shown improvement at last week's Spring Training campaign.
 
Don't discount "the other red boat", the UL-00 WarningPower.com - Trafficade owned by Debi Muncey and driven by her husband and business partner, Wil Muncey. Wil is the son of the legendary Bill Muncey and he's a competitive driver in his own right but hasn't had the most competitive equipment over the years. However the Muncey Racing team has improved each year and with two capable boats to choose from race to race depending on the course, Muncey is getting into position to challenge the top teams in 2009.
 
Another team stepping up in 2009 is the UL-11 owned by Darren Bartels and driven by 4 time race winner Michael Flaherty. Ironing out the "new team" elements in 2008, this veteran craft and crew are ready to mount an assault toward the top of UL Racing. Team Advisor, John Flaherty and Crew Chief Scott Main, along with their driver have been down this road before. They've won, and they've challenged for titles, and they know what it takes to succeed.
 
Don't forget the UL-93 Trafficade - Desperado. Elizabeth Wolfe in her ULHRA debut at South Dakota last year demonstrated she is a driver to be watched and the Dennis Johnson owned, Marty Wolfe powered hull is definitely a "player".
 

Also this weekend the Sprint Boats will be part of ULHRA racing at Phoenix. 8 teams will provide a unique competitive experience for the fans at Firebird as part of the IHBA Drag Boat season opener. Live coverage of ULHRA racing will be available on this website on Saturday & Sunday from Chandler AZ.
 
John Lynch
 "Voice" of ULHRA Racing

Sprint boat racing began in New Zealand over 25 years ago and quickly spread into Australia where the Aussies began digging channeled tracks into the ground. The sport found its way into the United States in the late 1990's . Jet sprinting as it is called in New Zealand and Australia is now becoming the fastest growing "Extreme Motorsport" in the United States. Most sprint boats are from 12ft. to 14ft. long and weigh in at 1100 to 1400 lbs. with horsepower ranging from 600 to 1500 hp. These boats can accelerate from 0 to 80 in less than 3 seconds, turn corners with extreme accuracy while pulling G-Forces up to and 8 G's. Typically this is done in man made channels that are 3ft. deep and 14ft. wide. That is why you will see all of the Sprint boats with roll cages.

Racers refer to Sprint Boats as Formula 1 on water. They all carry a navigator because they run courses from memory. Course layouts are given to the drivers and navigators the night before a race where they will have approximately 12 hrs. to memorize the course. They will then compete with the navigators using hand motions to help keep the drivers on course while negotiating approximately 24 to 32 corners and usually completing the course in less than 60 seconds. This sport is very high paced and exciting for the fans.

For the Sprint Boat racers at Firebird Lake it's going to be a bit different.  It's a lake, not a river or series of channels.  It has a berm running down the middle and there are drag boat lanes and timing gear to avoid.  It should be quite exciting.
 

     

UL-00 Warning Power.com-Trafficade on the road to Phoenix
 

    
Photos Wed AM pulling out of Red Bluff CA. Arrival at Firebird International Raceway (Chandler) AZ scheduled for Thursday 4-23.

Photo Credit: Debi Muncey

"BLACK BEAUTY" IS PHOENIX BOUND
 
The West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood is ready to head to Phoenix. The engine is the strongest one ever - and for the first time, the engine is painted black - not "Namron red." We figure this is a stroke of good luck, as we've been through about 10 engines in our first four seasons - all red. We're hoping "Black Beauty" will be the one to last for a couple of seasons. Also, the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood will have a different look on the water in Phoenix. The team was set to paint the boat last night, but even though the weather was ideal - the pollen decided to explode over the weekend. Making any attempt to paint the boat problematic. So, "The Shark" will compete with a tactical gray paint scheme. Others might call this primer, but it's just a trick we're trying to conceal ourselves from the competition. The mid portion remains "Namron red - " we don't want to conceal ourselves from the thousands of racing fans for this weekend's huge event! For the latest photos on the repair work and progress, see www.namronracing.com. 
 
I'd like to thank Steve Clark for the work he spent beefing up the hull to support our new skid fin, which we hope will prevent further flips in corners - two was enough last year. I'd also like to thank Greg Sheard for giving us two skid fins to work with - one he fabricated for us; the other from his own boat. And let me send out HUGE thanks to Matt Mattson and Tony Milo for putting together "Black Beauty" and making incredible modifications to the hull as well. These two were great fun! And the power behind "Black Beauty" goes to Bud's Machine and Engine Shop in Lakewood; they're the best. For the better part of six weeks, Cheryl Lurz has gone over every inch of the boat and filled in all cracks and holes and sanded it to one smoooooth surface. Cheryl's endured countless hours of work on the boat since late February. Without her help, we'd not be ready for the race. But the biggest thanks of all go out to Ron House, CEO of West Sound Electric, and Rick Stevens of GEICO of Lakewood who sponsor us in our attempt to four-peat as high points champions in the ULHRA LTL series. 

UL-9 Press Release
 
Xaudaro Wilmot Racing is proud to announce that the decision has been made that we will be re-numbering the Wilmot ("red and Black 929") hull to become the new US ARMY - NAPA Auto Parts UL-9.  This is being done to simplify communications coming from the team regarding the individual hulls.  UL-9 was chosen out of respect for Bob Scribner and Vince Xaudaro.  Since both UL-39 and UL-929 have 9 as a component and we are merging elements from both teams for this season.  We felt this is the best way to honor both organizations.   We are excited to be moving forward with the UL-929 "All Black all the time" resurrection and the continued development of the UL-9.  We are also looking forward to continuing to represent Rouly and Nola-B as associate sponsors to maintain their presence in the ULHRA. We also wish to make a "tip of the hat" to Paul Droullard and the American Eagle UL-9 and hope that we can do justice to legacy of that number. Our website will be changing and evolving to reflect this change and more announcements will be forthcoming concerning the team and it's future plans.
 
Jim Wilmot/Joe Souza/Vince Xaudaro
 

TRAFFICADE presents the WARNING POWER.COM Regatta.


Nine Unlimited Lights teams have announced they'll make the trek to the "Valley of the Sun" for ULHRA's season opener, April 24-26.  The race at Firebird International Raceway on Firebird Lake at Phoenix (Chandler) AZ kicks off the 2009 campaign.  For all of the teams attending it's a terrific break from difficult winter weather.

Jerry & Greg Hopp's re-numbered UL-1 (for 2008 National Champion) Festool Supply-Graham Trucking-Happy Go Lucky-Pump Tech will lead the field along with top challenger Kayleigh Perkins in the UL-72 Foster Care-Change a Lifetime. Firebird Lake is the site of the first ever Unlimited Lights' race in 1995 and in 2008 it was a very successful return.  Ms. Perkins picked up the victory while Greg Hopp's ride failed to finish.  However the Hopp Racing Team turned things around and clinched their 5th championship in 6 years at Port Angeles WA last October.  Hopp Racing campaigns the 1997 Jamie Auld hull that has won 34 races in Unlimited Lights competition; 22 with Hopp Racing and the first twelve, along with three season championships, by driver Bo Schide from 1997-99 as the Alamo Rent A Car.

Ms Perkins' team has taken on the promotion of Foster Care; something the family of team co-owner Joe Frauenheim has been involved with for years, especially in Arizona.  It's a continuation of involvement and commitment that the "72 team" has displayed over the years.  During the holiday season, the crew and driver of the UL-72 combined their efforts to make a major donation to the organization known as Food Lifeline on behalf of the volunteers of ULHRA, Inc.  The result?  "We would like to express our sincere thanks to the … Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA) for your donations to Food Lifeline in support of our work – Ending Hunger in Western Washington. Your generosity is remarkable and awe inspiring as you have provided 2,500 meals to those in need."  So wrote Linda Nageotte, President and CEO, of Food Lifeline. You can read the entire text in the February 2009 "Series" section on this website.  The 72 team made things happen in the off season, and are fully prepared for a new season of competition, starting in Phoenix.

Five Unlimited Lights teams tested at Spring Training and all 5 are expected in Arizona.  Joe Souza will take over behind the wheel of the re-numbered UL-9 (formerly UL-929) U.S. ARMY-NAPA Auto Parts replacing Vince Xaudaro who will be concentrating his efforts this season on rebuilding his damaged "all black, all the time" hydroplane for the 2010 season.  Several changes made to the hull this off season drew praise from both the "X-Man" and "Smokin Joe" after each tested the hull at Spring Training.

Wil Muncey drives another hull that made excellent progress in the off season.  The UL-00 Warning Power.com-Trafficade team will run their "Big 00" at Phoenix, the hull formerly campaigned by Bob Larimore and JW Myers before it was sold to a Tula, Mexico businessman in 2003.  After 5 years in a warehouse, Debi Muncey acquired this hull and the team chooses between this craft and their "Little Boat that Could" Lil-00 depending on the race course.  The team would have chosen the Lil 00 for Arizona's tight 1 1/4 mile course but it needed more off season work and won't be ready till summer.  This will be the third race the team has competed with the "Big 00" which earned a 6th place finish at the season finale in Port Angeles WA.

Last year Kennewick WA's Greg Walden attended the Phoenix area race. This year he's bringing his race team; the UL-98 Miss Atomic Screen Printing driven by Charles Xaudaro.  The Tri Cities WA based team is the only Unlimited Lights' team based in that part of the state where the annual Water Follies Regatta is held at the end of July.  Walden said the craft received extensive re-wiring over the off season.  Built in 1974, Walden is the 4th owner since the early 90's and he said while other areas of the hydroplane have been upgraded over the years it was definitely time for rewiring this year.

Chris & David Grant and their tandem wing UL-3 decided after Spring Training to enter the Arizona race.  They acquired and completed a previously unfinished hull which they debuted in 2008.  After a very slow start the team has improved with each subsequent event and they are eagerly looking forward to making this craft more of a challenger in 2009.

Darren Bartels UL-11 team with Michael Flaherty behind the wheel made it to Phoenix last year...........barely!  They didn't leave their Buckley WA shop till the wee hours of the morning on Thursday of race week. They arrived at the race course Friday afternoon after driving straight through, and still were able to secure a 4th place points tie for the weekend.  This year they expect to be fresher upon arrival.  Plus, the crew, anchored by veteran Technical Advisor John Flaherty and Crew Chief Scott Main figures a second season with their supercharged former Grand Prix record holding hull, should show even more competitiveness.  This crew and driver combination won 4 races with the UL-72 team in 2005 & 2006.

Eilzabeth Wolfe from Illinois made her debut in Unlimited Lights last July at Chamberlain SD.  She showed she is a talented driver and much more than just the "other woman driver" in the series.  With the UL-93 Trafficade-Desperado she has a craft well suited to the Firebird Lake course and she definitely has the ability, team, and hull to contend for the win.

One other long distance competitor returns to ULHRA Racing.  When last seen, at Pickwick Landing TN for an exhibition event last year, Ohio's James Deel and his "Deel Me In" Staudacher hull showed it's still a very competitive craft.  Deel, along with Cal Phipps from Detroit will bring this craft to Phoenix, and this is another hull that could do quite well at the Arizona course.  In addition, Deel's team can also take advantage of the ULHRA CAP which stands for Contingency Awards Program.  Nineteen sponsors are participating in the program created by ULHRA's Director of Marketing (and UL-00 driver) Wil Muncey.  Each team that qualifies for the Final Heat, and at Phoenix that covers 6 teams, each team will collect from those 19 sponsors added value of $900 dollars worth of cash and product discounts.  This is in addition to tow money and prize money earned. All they have to do is post the 19 decals on their hulls.  Even an occasional ULHRA competitor like James Deel can participate and collect at each ULHRA race they enter.

ULHRA will also have a contingent of Lighter than LIGHTS and Sprint Boats competing at the Arizona event.  Previews for those categories will soon be posted.

ULHRA Video will have live webcast coverage of the Unlimited LIGHTS, Lighter than LIGHTS and Sprint Boats at Arizona on Saturday & Sunday, April 25th & 26th.

John Lynch
"Voice" of ULHRA Racing

Photo Credits: Mark Sharley

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2009

Contact: Muncey Marketing  360-805-0805

The Official Lodging of the ULHRA at Thunder Cup 09

Shilo Inn Suites Hotel teams up with ULHRA

The latest sponsorship being announced by the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA) makes Shilo Inn the Official Lodging of the Unlimited Lights at the Thunder Cup.  In about 90 days, July 24-26, 2009 the TriCities (Richland/Kennewick/Pasco) area will host a full weekend of festivities and hydroplane racing as it has for the past 44 years.  Unlimited Light hydroplane teams will be arriving in the area mid-week coming directly from the Radio Waves Regatta on Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana. TriCities will be race number three of the five-race Gauntlet (five races and one exhibition event in six weeks) for the ULHRA teams. The Gauntlet is an intense marathon of boat races beginning in Chamberlain/Oacoma SD, followed by the next weekend at Polson, Montana. After TriCities, the teams go on to Seafair in Seattle. The next weekend sees an exhibition event in Kelowna BC and then Silverdale Thunder in Silverdale, Washington August 15-16 wraps up the Gauntlet.  Weary racing crews will welcome comfortable beds and hot showers in beautifully appointed rooms waiting for them at Shilo Inn Suites Hotel in Richland, Washington. The Shilo Inn overlooks the spectacular Columbia River adjacent to the Columbia Point Golf Course.

Before the TriCities racing even begins, Shilo’s contribution to the event will be felt. On Thursday, July 23^rd, the hotel’s seasonal pool will undergo a temporary transformation to ULHRA capsule training headquarters. Capsule training is a mandatory process for which all drivers must be certified. During this test hydro drivers are strapped into a mock hydroplane capsule in the swimming pool. The capsule is rotated and inverted, simulating the disorentation of a hydroplane accident situation. The driver then must go through the surprisingly complicated process of extracting him or herself from the submerged canopy, involving removing the steering wheel, undoing latches, opening the canopy lid and swimming out all while upside down in the water. Of course, in this case Safety personnel are just feet away to make sure all goes well. During the Shilo sponsored capsule training on July 23rd, media and other local personalities will be invited to attend either as spectators or experience the actual process of becoming “capsule certified”.  Brian Kreitzer, General Manager, Shilo Inn Richland, Washington has indicated he plans to be among the first in line to get capsule certified. Certification and a valid drivers physical are some of the first steps to becoming a hydroplane driver. So will we see Kreitzer racing next year?  Kreitzer says that’s not likely, however he went on to say, “The Tri-ities is an exciting place to live and visit. We have pleasant warm weather, superb wineries, challenging golf courses and the area is a sporting paradise, with water sports like the hydroplane racing, fishing derbies and organized sporting events and activities. We are glad to help with the promotion of the area and the safety of the sport of Hydroplane Racing.”  

The hydroplanes will hit the water on the Columbia River with testing July 24 and all the racing action July 25 and 26. For more information on the race, visit www.waterfollies.com

The Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association is an automotive-powered class which continues to gain popularity especially with fans seeking affordable, exciting family entertainment. Although they utilize today's technology, the thundering engines produce a sound that echoes back to the classic days of hydroplane racing. For more information regarding the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association, please visit www.ulhra.org.

or contact Linda Amundsen, ULHRA PR Director, Email:  Lamundsen22@msn.com

Spring Training Report

Five Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Teams were able to test off-season upgrades on Lake Washington (Tuesday) April 14th.  The annual Spring Training test session was a success for the teams and for the many fans who braved far less than ideal weather conditions in order to watch.  The five UL's were joined by four teams from ULHRA's Lighter-than- LIGHTS series.

Kayleigh Perkins in the UL-72 Foster Care-Change a Lifetime was able to put the bright red Ron Jones Sr. hull through several test laps and all seemed ready for the season opener.  The 72 crew, one of the most capable and seasoned in ULHRA were prepped for the session which preceeds the season opener at Phoenix (Chandler) AZ April 24-26. Perkins is coming off a sophomore season in Unlimited Lights that came up just short of a second consecutive team title, but she did win the Driver's Championship for the second straight year while earning three race victories in 2008.

Vince Xaudaro and Joe Souza were both upbeat after successful test runs with the UL-929 US ARMY-NAPA Auto Parts-Jiffy Lube-Deschutes Brewery. Xaudaro drove this craft for the Xaudaro-Wilmot team in 2008 and supervised hull upgrades over the winter.  Xaudaro proclaimed the changes were very positive and very successful.  The "X-Man" will be sitting out this season but still helping the team while he rebuilds his "all black-all the time" hydroplane that was severely damaged 20 months ago at Silverdale WA.  Souza, moving over from the UL-39 program was effusive on how this boat has been improved.  He took a short test run in the 929 hull last year and was amazed at the positive difference he found at Spring Training.

Wil Muncey and the UL-00 Warning Power.com-Trafficade also made a successful test effort.  Owner Debi Muncey commented that a problem they had with the ride at Port Angeles last October appears to have been corrected.  Her driver-husband said they found a couple of minor items during the test session but they'll be corrected prior to departing for Arizona and the team is eagerly looking forward to the season opener. They tested their "Big 00" hull which is the former UL-23 "Pegasus", a Steve Balcer built hydroplane that was campaigned by Ohio's Bob Larimore through 2001.  The Munceys acquired this hull after it had spent five years in a Tula, Mexico warehouse, as did the Xaudaro-Wilmot UL-929.  In fact in 2007, Wil Muncey and Joe Souza trailered these two hulls from Laredo TX to Monroe WA in an epic journey that inspired a multi-part story on this website called "Wil & Joe's Excellent Adventure".

Charles Xaudaro, younger brother to Vince, and the UL-98 Miss Atomic Screen Printing team from Kennewick WA made the trek over Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle and successfully tested the oldest hull in Unlimited Lights racing. It was originally built by Ron Jones Sr. in 1974 as a 7 Liter Div II craft.  Extensive rewiring has been done to this hull and the Greg Walden owned team is primed for their first ever race in Arizona.

Second year team owners Chris & David Grant and their tandem wing UL-3 also tested on Lake Washington.  This team had a very slow start to their first season a year ago.  They gradually made improvements to where they were running their best by the season ending race in Port Angeles. Observers said the Spring Training test looked even better than Port Angeles so the team continues to make progress.

Bud McKay will be reporting on the Lighter than LIGHTS teams at Spring Training in a future post.

ULHRA Video also went through Spring Training and overall had a very successful day; finding a couple of minor glitches that will be corrected for the season opener............just like the race teams. After all, that's why we test.

John Lynch
"Voice" of ULHRA Racing

Photos by Mark Sharley

Muncey, Hanauer Inducted into the Hall of Champions

Fran Muncey and Chip Hanauer with their  Hydroplane Hall of Champions plaques

With Fran, Wil, Dorian, Kenton, and Edward Muncey sitting in the audience, hydro legend Bill Muncey was the first inductee into the Unlimited Hydroplane Hall of Champions Saturday night. Master of Ceromonies, Steve Raible and Broadcast partner Pat O'Day, gave the over 115 people in attendance a brief summary of the the racing career of the winningest driver in the sports history. Puncuated by a 10 minute video presentation prepared by Don Mock, the audience was treated to some of the greatest hydro footage of Bills career, including many of his famous flying starts. The Muncey family joined Raible on stage, along with crew chief Jim Lucero, to unveil the plaque that will hang in the museum honoring Bill, and each one shared a few words about how much this award meant to them.

Immediately following, the sports second winningest driver was then brought up on stage to be inducted, our own Chip Hanauer. With both his Seafair broadcast partners on hand, a video of Chips career highlights were shown to the crowd. Chip gave a heartfelt thanks to the crews who, as he termed it, "made me look good on the race course". He also recognized the restoration crew fo the fine job that was done in bringing his first Gold Cup winning boat back to life.

Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum

UNLIMITED LIGHT HYDROPLANE RACING ASSOCIATION SIGNS WITH GLACEAU

VITAMINWATER TO HYDRATE THIRSTY RACING TEAMS

The Unlimited Light Racing Association announced today its partnership with beverage company glaceau for the 2009 racing season. glaceau (the makers of vitaminwater, smartwater and vitaminwater10) is based in Whitestone, New York and is the pioneer of enhanced water beverages. The Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA) is a forward-thinking marine motorsport sanctioning body with racing events across the country. The ULHRA, who has received the attention of a rapidly expanding fan base, holds races across the country in some of the most demanding conditions. The partnership with glaceau is targeted to best hydrate both race fans and ULHRA teams and pilots.
vitaminwater (along with other glaceau brands) is well-known for its long list of celebrity friends including athletes, artists, actors and other individuals who embody the ideal of good health and wellness. Some of their partners include sports figures and entertainers such as country music icon Carrie Underwood, basketball superstar Lebron James, actor Jennifer Aniston and rapper 50 Cent. The well-known brand has taken the lead in a saturated market posting a 19.3% gain in 2008 sales, as of Sept. 7, hitting $315.3 million, according to Information Resources Inc.

The ULHRA/glaceau partnership will concentrate primarily on two of the ULHRA premier events: Radio Waves Regatta on Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana July 18 and 19, and Seafair on Lake Washington in Seattle, Washington August 1-2. However, product will be supplied at all ULHRA-sanctioned events to make sure the competitors retain a healthy level of hydration. Other joint marketing promotions are being developed as the two organizations work together.

ULHRA President Joe Frauenheim said, “Our organization had the opportunity to become acquainted with the vitaminwater product and people last year. We are very pleased to welcome them back in 2009 with increased participation and we look forward to developing and expanding a mutually-beneficial marketing program.”

The Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association is an automotive-powered class which continues to gain popularity especially with fans seeking affordable, exciting family entertainment. Although they utilize today's technology, the thundering engines produce a sound that echoes back to the classic days of hydroplane racing. For more information regarding the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association, please visit www.ulhra.org.

To learn more about vitaminwater products, please visit www.vitaminwater.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2009
Muncey Marketing 360-805-0805

Spring Training Preview
 
Spring Training is over for baseball teams however Spring Training is just ahead for ULHRA hydroplane racing teams.
 
The Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association, Inc. and the Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum are once again collaborating on Spring Training; the annual pre-season test session.
 
Scheduled to test on Tuesday, April 14th from the Unlimited Lights' series.............................
 
Kayleigh Perkins, 2 time defending Driver's Champion in ULHRA at the wheel of the UL-72 "Foster Care-Change a Lifetime". Ms. Perkins made an historic debut in "Racing, ULHRA Style" in 2007 when she earned Rookie of the Year honors, and won the Driver's Title and Team Championship. It was the UL-72's fourth team championship since 2000. Last year she won 3 races and finished a close second in the Team Championship points race. All this has occurred prior to her 21st birthday.
 
Bob Smets from Wilsonville, Oregon will be testing his UL-20 "Smetco" after a difficult 2008 campaign due to multiple engine failures. Smets is a veteran inboard hydroplane racer and the UL-20 is a capable craft. If the mechanical woes don't return Smets and the UL-20 can be a factor, especially on the shorter, tighter courses such as Phoenix International Raceway in Chandler AZ where the ULHRA season begins April 24-26.
 
Entering its 36th year of racing, the venerable UL-98 Miss Atomic Screen Printing from Kennewick WA and driven by Charles "Ace" Xaudaro will make the trek over Snoqualmie Pass. This boat was built as a 7 liter hydroplane in 1974 by Ron Jones Sr. and it remains today a competive craft in the Unlimited Lights' series as well as one of the most popular. Xaudaro has demonstrated he's a quick driver and just needs more "seat time" in the 98 hull to get the most out of that ride.
 
Charles Xaudaro's older brother, Vince, also known as the "X-Man" will be testing the UL-929 US ARMY-NAPA Auto Parts-Jiffy Lube, prior to turning the ride over to another UL veteran, "Smokin Joe" Souza. The 929 is the hull owned by Jim & Karon Wilmot that Xaudaro drove last year to a tenth place finish in the Team Standings, despite missing the first race and scoring 0 points in the second. The plan is for Xaudaro to take the first run on Tuesday morning to check out the changes the team has made to the steering system, the tails, and the front canard. Then Souza, who drove the UL-39 for Bob Scribner out of Odessa TX last year, will take over for the 2009 season, beginning at Spring Training. Xaudaro is going to spend the 2009 season rebuilding his "all black, all the time" hydroplane that was damaged in a spectacular crash at Silverdale WA in 2007. The X-Man plans to be back to full time racing with his own boat in 2010.
 
Rounding out the UL field of teams testing on Tuesday is the UL-00 Warning Power.com - Trafficade driven by Wil Muncey; son of the legendary Bill Muncey. The Muncey Racing Team in 2008 ran a One team-Two boat program and had their most successful season to date; finishing in 5th place. They will continue that strategy in 2009 with the smaller and larger versions of the UL-00. Testing on Tuesday will be with the larger craft and it will be raced at Phoenix. The smaller of the two craft would normally have been chosen but more extensive off season work has been needed so the larger craft will start the upcoming campaign on the short and tight Arizona course.

They will be joined by 3 time defending champion in the Lighter than LIGHTS 8 cylinder class, Bud McKay in his West Sound Electric - GEICO of Lakewood E-10. Last year McKay enjoyed a lifetime highlight when he was able to test his 17 foot hydroplane along with his favorite vintage Unlimited, the Dixon Smith owned U-40 Miss Bardahl. The Miss Bardahl and the Vashon Unlimiteds Miss Thriftway will represent the Museum at the testing session and both will be on the water.
 
Spring Training will run from 10am till 2pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, April 14th. The public is welcome to attend and there is no admission charge at the Stan Sayers Pits on Lake Washington at Genessee Park in Seattle. However there are strict parking restrictions which much be followed so viewers are encouraged to park on nearby side streets.
 
ULHRA Video will produce a live webcast of Spring Training and the link will be on this website's home page Tuesday morning.
 
John Lynch
 "Voice" of ULHRA Racing

Photo Credits : Chris Denslow and Linda Amundsen
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 3, 2009

MUNCEY MARKETING 360-805-0805 or  360-794-8404

Boat Racers Convene in an effort to head off Disaster  

The Serious Safety-minded Side of the Sport

        As the saying goes, “It’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.”

Following the lead of the Union of International Motorboating’s recent thrust on safety in boat racing, some of the best minds in the industry recently convened in Kent, Washington, USA. On March 25th, the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association in conjunction with the local chapter of the American Power Boat Association conducted the first of what they hope will be many regular seminars addressing the subject of safety in racing. The Unlimited Light hydroplanes have had a long history of relatively safe racing. In spite of some spectacular looking crashes, most incidents have resulted in few serious injuries. ULHRA officials would like to avoid lapsing into complacency before it begins through in-depth education of its participants.

Historically speaking in the world of racing, it often takes a fatality of a well known figure in the sport to sound a wake up call about safety. In the early ‘80’s the deaths of drivers Bill Muncey and Dean Chenoweth prompted the implementation of the enclosed cockpit or safety capsule that is mandatory on the hydroplanes today. For NASCAR, the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt caused auto racing to take notice of practices that can keep their drivers much safer.

Keynote speaker at the seminar was the renowned powerboat safety expert Bob Wartinger. Wartinger has been president of the Union of International Motorboating’s Safety and Medical Commission since 1990 and is constantly studying safety in power boat racing. Subsequent to the seminar, Wartinger said, “The Northwest Safety Seminar significantly advanced the UIM and APBA safety education efforts. The quality, depth and breadth of the presentations provided “one stop shopping” for attendees and those participating via web streaming. The sponsoring ULHRA and supporting racing clubs are to be commended for this achievement.”

The UIM is the international governing body of power boating. It is recognized as such by the International Olympic Committee, and is the clearing house for all contacts with and from its member nations, a total risen from twelve in 1927 to fifty two in 2008. Dr. Raffaele Chiulli’s commitment to UIM National Authorities since he was elected as UIM President has been quoted as saying “Safety will continue to be the pivotal point of all our UIM disciplines. We will continue to improve all the safety aspects of our sport and, I am convinced, that we can achieve measurable progress by increasing education of drivers and officials and strict enforcement of our rules. I will encourage seminars and workshops in conjunction with our racing events.”

Among the topics that were discussed in detail were hull design and construction, radio communication, oxygen systems, driver’s psychology, and restraint devices such as belts, seats, harnesses. Trevor Ashline and Aaron Zentgraf of Safety Solutions flew to Seattle from North Carolina to address questions in the areas of proper seating and restraint devices such as belts and harnesses. Ashline provided detailed video footage from the test lab of safety belt stress under racing and accident conditions. Education on proper safety belt materials and even proper latching techniques can make the difference between surviving a high speed impact or not. Counter-intuitively, water does not provide a cushion on impact at high speeds but actually increases in density to create near or even greater immediate load than asphalt.  These are some of the anomalies currently being studied by Safety Solutions for application in the boat racing community.  It was Aaron Zentgraf’s first visit to the Seattle area. Aaron said, “What a huge success!  Getting to see good friends from ULHRA and APBA, coming together for the benefit of the racers at such an incredible setting, it was outstanding.  A huge thank you to all of those involved.”

Input and feedback on the just concluded seminar is being solicited by ULHRA Chief Referee Rick Sandstrom as plans are underway to develop an on-going series of safety education and awareness for those involved in marine motorsports. The next seminar is tentatively scheduled for November of 2009, however complete details and announcements will be made in advance of the scheduled date. More information and contact information can be located at www.ulhra.org.

Photo courtesy of Howard Shaw

Rockwell Faith

Click here for updates from March 2009