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UL-11: New Paint, New Look

The recipient of ULHRA's 2008 "Hard Charger Award," the UL-11 Power Punch-ROXY Radio 94.5 also sponsored by K&N filters, has been quite busy. Since returning from Phoenix the team has completely disassembled the boat, repaired cracks, removed and replaced the shaft log, installed a new escape hatch, and painted the boat! Working in two "shifts" the core team made several key improvements with one shift working on mechanical issues and the other shift prepping the boat for paint.

Over the last two weekends, with the help of Kevin Eacret, driver of the E-36, and Vickie Parkens, the new paint job has finally come together. "We still have a few details to finish" says team owner Darren Bartels. "We should be ready to "debut" the new paint job on display very soon, and then give the new scheme its competition debut in South Dakota in July!"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 25, 2009

Contact: Muncey Marketing 360-805-0805

Hey Hot Shot!

Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing wants your Photos

Hydroplane Racing may well be one of the most photogenic sports in the world. Shiny race boats of all colors careening off shimmering sunlit waters beckons to photographers of all skill levels. Now the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA) has opened up their website with a call to those photographers. Fan photos are being solicited at www.ulhra.org

ULHRA Inc. whose membership includes some of the best photographers in the business is inviting photographers, experienced or amateur, to submit their favorite photos for consideration as an addition to the Fan Photos webpage. The hope is this will give hydroplane fans around the world a chance to see "other views" of the Unlimited Lights racing season. There is no charge to post and no compensation to the photographer. This is strictly a volunteer program and for entertainment purposes. On the website click on Photos in the left column and follow the links and instructions from there.

The 2009 season has been a busy year already for ULHRA in the area of camera work. Earlier this year, the ULHRA announced that Minox Camera is sponsoring the Photo Finish Award. At every regatta on the ULHRA 2009 national circuit, Minox will award a model 8022WP camera to the driver who wins the closest finish in first place. MINOX has also stepped up to become the first camera manufacturer to participate in the ULHRA’s Contingency Awards Program (CAP). This program equally rewards the top six participating teams in the final heat of all regattas on the ULHRA circuit.

The photographs chosen in the fan photo submission program will be shown on the website throughout the season and may also be used in the annual edition of Thunder & LIGHTS Magazine, the ULHRA newsstand publication.

For more information about the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association or Thunder & ‘LIGHTS Magazine, please visit www.ulhra.org or contact Linda Amundsen, ULHRA PR Director at lamundsen22@msn.com. At WestCoastCameras.com you will find a complete selection of high quality digital cameras, spotting scopes and binoculars from Minox and Leica available to order online. By phone 360-255-1048. With the new world of Minox Digiscoping, better photography of hydroplane race boats is now available to everyone who enjoys the sport.

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.

One thing you see "there" you don't see "here"
an op-ed by John Lynch

Over the years I've made many references to NASCAR when writing about ULHRA. NASCAR is the USA's most successful professional racing series and other racing series try to emulate their success. We in ULHRA watch what they do and if we see something that can work over here, we try to implement something similar.

Certainly there are huge differences. The obvious difference, other than they race on land and we race on water, is money. NASCAR is well funded through sponsorships, TV rights, ticket sales, licensed merchandise and many other "revenue streams" that we don't have yet in ULHRA. That's not a complaint. It's a compliment to NASCAR because, as the late John Houseman in those Smith Barney commercials used to say "they EARRRNED it". What people forget today is that NASCAR is a 60 year "overnight sensation". It wasn't until they approached 50 years in business that the business of NASCAR really began to take off, and then shortly after their 50th year NASCAR negotiated their first comprehensive TV deal that now includes FOX/SPEED, Turner, and ABC-ESPN. ULHRA by comparison as is into its ninth year of existence.

I may not be around for ULHRA's 50th season in 2050 but I hope it's monumental compared to today..........just as NASCAR's 50th was monumental compared to the early days of "Big Bill" France Sr. whose tremendous amount of work built the foundation that became today's NASCAR.

However, something about the current NASCAR model bothers me and was on display again this past weekend in Darlington SC. You know it costs a LOT of money just to build a NASCAR team, or a ULHRA team for that matter. Then there's more money just to travel to a race and if the weatherman frowns on you what does NASCAR do? Right now I guess they send you home with a "better luck next time" card.

Spanaway WA native Derrike Cope, who won the Daytona 500 in 1990 has been slowly, brick by brick so to speak, building his own racing company. He has entries in the Truck Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Sprint Cup Series; not every weekend.....just when budgets allow. He has to pick his spots as the team develops and right now they have an encouraging sponsorship deal going. But the weather gods don't seem to like Derrike. I guess they figure since he grew up near Seattle, then Seattle-like weather is OK. Unfortunately for the Cope team it doesn't work that way in NASCAR.

The last 4 times Cope entered a Sprint Cup Race (not counting Daytona) and now this past weekend at the Nationwide race, qualifying was rained out. That's FIVE expensive visits to race sites with no chance to race and no racing check to cash, even though in testing his team was right in the middle of the pack speedwise at Darlington and finished in the middle of the pack the previous weekend at Richmond VA. Try explaining that to sponsors!

NASCAR says it's open to anyone who wants to build a team and race it.........but NASCAR appears from a distance to make no special effort to give those start-up teams a chance once they do show up. If qualifying is set for 3pm and it starts to rain......."you're done-go home." There's no rescheduling and no chance to get in the race and all of the money a team spent to get there is gone.

NASCAR has this policy about "locking in" X number of teams per racing series based on points. Nothing wrong with that. Teams that deliver and earn their way in and support the series week in-week out deserve consideration. In ULHRA we have Participation Points and Bonus Points that accomplish a similar intent. Where NASCAR misses the boat (pardon the ULHRA pun) is simply in scheduling. Each week they have a pack of teams known by the nickname "Go or Go Homers", meaning if they don't qualify to be one of the 43 starters (or 36 in the Truck series) they go home. The GGH teams are put at the back end of qualifying so no GGH has an advantage over the others by qualifying at a different time. Very understandable. The problem is, NASCAR has so much piled into a race weekend they can schedule just one block of time for qualifying. If it rains at that scheduled time, "too bad!" Where NASCAR misses their intent is by not giving these GGH teams even a chance to get in the race. As a result they diminish the chance those teams will continue to be teams.......and in motor sports, fewer teams is never a good thing. The "locked in teams" are already in the race so if qualifying is rained out NASCAR simply places them on the starting grid in order of points standing. But unless it rains all weekend, NASCAR should be able to find a small "window" of time so all of the GGH teams have a chance. In the same spirit NASCAR ought to have GGH teams qualify first instead of last so that if it rains halfway through the qualifying session, the GGH teams have finished and they can get the spots behind the top 30 or 35 teams. At that point the GGH teams that don't make the race were at least granted the opportunity.

The difference with ULHRA is significant. This organization has a history of doing whatever it can to get teams into a race. ULHRA and NASCAR and other racing series all find ways of getting races in, as in 2008 when three ULHRA events had Saturday weather problems so the entire race weekend was fit into Sunday. Yes we don't have 8 figure sponsorships and TV contracts to deal with......not yet, anyway.... but when we do I hope ULHRA will still be a place where a start-up team knows that the organization will find a way to give them the opportunity to compete.

Perfect example of the "ULHRA way". Tri Cities WA - Water Follies 2004.

This was the year that three turbine hydroplane race sites, including Tri Cities, decided not to contract with the sanctioning body at the time. Instead they hired ULHRA, Inc to operate their events with the Unlimited Lights series and an invitational event for the turbines. Some people thought it was near scandalous to let "those Lights guys" run an Unlimited race. What they didn't know then is this series draws on a staff of highly talented volunteers, and not just "those Lights guys" either. This group of volunteers includes a number of talented "Lights gals" too.

That weekend in Tri Cities we had over 400 years of combined experience in producing hydroplane races at all levels. The weekend event ran as designed and was a success. Far from being the "death knell" that some feared, the Tri Cities race, after being conducted successfully by ULHRA, Inc. in 2004, remains today a stalwart on the racing schedule and one of two race sites with live-local television coverage.

Now for that example. In 2004, four turbine teams arrived at the Tri Cities race with rookie drivers. None of the drivers were rookie racers.........just not qualified to race in that class. Three of those teams had local Tri Cities area sponsors.

Over the course of a race weekend sometimes "stuff happens"......especially to turbine teams trying to qualify rookie drivers. So, with first time drivers and local sponsors, ULHRA was bound and determined to give those drivers & teams and sponsors every opportunity to get into the race.

One of the primary requirements at the time was new drivers had to run a series of laps under review by officials and meet minimum speeds. Even though the race was not sanctioned by the turbine series, ULHRA officials followed the traditional turbine driver qualification standards and by the end of Saturday, all 4 were in "the show" with their teams and their local sponsors. Even better, all 4 did well. Was it easy? No. We had to juggle time on the water, one of the teams was sharing an engine with an exhibition boat which cost time. and all drivers needed "laps". But, we did it. Those drivers were ULHRA veterans Vince Xaudaro who's rebuilding his UL-929 hull for the 2010 season, and Steve Hook who is currently inactive, plus outboard veteran J. Michael Kelly who stayed in the turbine series, and inboard veteran RW Dick Lynch who now drives the G-13 Jet Chevrolet.com Tempo in ULHRA's Thunderboats North American Challenge Cup Series. Incidentally, that level of driver qualification has happened only one other time in history where 4 first time drivers qualified at the same event. That occurred in Seattle............in 1956!

Call it the "ULHRA way" or "Racing, ULHRA Style". When this series comes to your community, we'll do everything possible to get the race "in" and to provide every team that attends the opportunity to get in "the show".

Photos provided by Mark Sharley

John Lynch
"Voice" of ULHRA Racing

Thunder & LIGHTS Magazine Available Now!

Thunder & LIGHTS Magazine brings you the 2009 Racing Season! Inside you will find history, stats and news. 112 pages of stunning photos, a Spectators Guide to following the races, Racing Venues with information on every race site along the ‘09 season, profiles of the Light’s Top Ten Drivers, and more!

On Newsstands $4.95 each

To order individual copies by mail within the U.S., please send $8.00 to cover cost of magazine and first class postage to:

Unlimited Light Hydroplane
Racing Association
375 East Sunset Way
Issaquah, WA 98027

International orders, please fax your request to (425) 557-8634. Please include name, address and an email contact.

Advertisers: Order full cases (78 magazines to a case) shipped directly to your location or trade shows, etc. For more information and shipping prices please email DMuncey922@AOL.com

Hopp Racing's UL-1 damaged at WarningPower.com Regatta

Significant hull damage occurred to the defending Unlimited Light championship hull at the season opener. However, team owner and co-driver Jerry Hopp says it could've been worse.

While challenging Kayleigh Perkins for the lead in the Phoenix Final Heat, Hopp says the bright yellow Festool Supply-Graham Trucking fell into a big hole on Firebird Lake in turn #2. Driver Greg Hopp lost a lot of distance, but by the apex of turn one he had regained most of the gap between he and Perkins who was driving the UL-72 Foster Care-Change A Lifetime. Then at the exit pin of Turn 1 Hopp's engine shut down and that was it. Following three preliminary heat victories and 1200 points the team had a Did Not Finish. The UL-1, also sponsored by Pump Tech and Happy Go Lucky, wound up in 5th place for the race.

Jerry Hopp says by falling into the "hole" in turn 2, the boat sustained sponson damage near the rear of the sponson. Hopp went on to detail that the twisting force of the incident broke a brace between the engine and the thrust bearing, which sent parts into the supercharger belt causing it to break. In Hopp's words, "the bad news is the engine quit; the good news is the engine quit", meaning further hull damage may have been caused if Greg was able to continue. In addition to the sponson damage, the engine cowling scoop was broken and an area of the left side deck near the rear of the cockpit was cracked.

Fortunately for Hopp Racing the next ULHRA event is 2 months away in Chamberlain-Oacoma South Dakota for the second annual Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge on the Missouri River, presented by River City Racin'. It will be conducted on July 11th & 12th.

John Lynch
"Voice" of the ULHRA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 12th 2009
contact: Darren Bartels 360-615-4914 or 253-797-4369

MISS EXECUTIF RACING LLC ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP BY K&N ENGINEERING

UL-11 Team Takes Their Racing Program Seriously

Buckley, Washington Miss Executif Racing LLC of Buckley Washington today announces partnership with K&N Engineering, manufacturer of Performance Air and Oil filtration systems.

Darren Bartels, Owner of the UL-11 Miss Executif III hydroplane, says “The agreement signed today is just the beginning of what we hope is a long-standing relationship with K&N. To be recognized by the leader in performance air and oil filtration products is quite an accomplishment for our team. We are proud to have K&N join our organization.”

The UL-11 finished among the top five teams in national points standings in 2008 and has earned a reputation as a serious contender. K&N, also a leader, is the originator of the high flow performance air filter.

K&N joins the excitement of hydroplane racing “ULHRA Style” at the next stop on the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association’s circuit at the “Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge” in Chamberlain, South Dakota, July 11-12 2009. South Dakota kicks off the ULHRA “Gauntlet” of Racing with consecutive stops in Polson Montana, Tri-cities Washington, Seattle (SEAFAIR), followed by a one weekend respite before heading to Silverdale, WA. The Championship finale is September 25-26 in Port Angeles, WA.

K&N “The Worlds Best Air Filter” www.knfilters.com

For more information regarding the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association, please visit www.ulhra.org. To learn more about about the Miss Executif Unlimited Light racing team check out www.UL11.com

The "Photo Finish"

Yellow, red and blue, a kaleidoscope of color frantically tumbling out of focus. The yellow hydroplane trades places with the red hydroplane which trades places yet again with the yellow one over the blue surface of the water at speeds that are a challenge to keep in focus. The seasoned veteran in contention with the accomplished challenger. Gregg Hopp barely held off Kayleigh Perkins at the finish line.

This duel in the Arizona sun was witnessed and rewarded by Minox Camera on the weekend of April 25th and 26th at Firebird International Raceways near Phoenix. The opening contest of the ULHRA 2009 circuit saw competitors travel from as far away as Illinois, Ohio and Washington State. The congregation of contestants represented several classes of race boats such as Unlimited Lights, Lighter-than-Lights, NACCS and Sprint Boats.

Sponsored by Trafficade and WarningPower.com, the regatta featured for the first time an award created and supported by the Minox Camera Company with the specific intent of rewarding close and photogenic competition on the race course. Referred to as the Photo Finish Award, Minox presented a camera to the driver who prevailed over the finish line in the closest competition to their nearest competitor. Although close and fervent racing occurred all weekend, most would agree that the most contested was between the 2008 National Champion, Greg Hopp and the 2007 National Champion Kayleigh Perkins. Although Kayleigh's equipment is naturally aspirated, it has proven on numerous occasions to be a match against the supercharged steed of Greg Hopp.

In front of the Phoenix crowd, the two teams wrestled for the lead back and forth. In the words of Greg's father Jerry," This weekend the fans at Firebird Lake were treated to real racing action as the equally well prepared and competitively matchedUL-72 and UL-1 took to the water. Perkins and Hopp had one thought in mind, to be the first one across the finish line. Both drivers had the “peddle-to-the-metal” and the engines were set on "kill" mode. The lead changed back and forth and the crowd in the Firebird bleachers was on their feet

A representative of the Minox Company, Brad Weeks, also had traveled far and was on hand to say," We are delighted to be a part of such a spectacular sport. Greg and Kayleigh did a great job of providing the type of family entertainment everyone can watch and enjoy. Close competition down to the wire. “For more information on upcoming events, Visit www.ULHRA.org
At WestCoastCameras.com you will find a complete selection of high quality digital cameras from Minox available to order online.

Photos of Warning Power.Com presents Unlimited Lights at Firebird by Julie Sparrowgrove

For additional photos please go to
http://julie-a-sparrowgrove.smugmug.com/Hydroplane%20Racing

Photos of Warning Power.Com presents Unlimited Lights at Firebird by Tim Crowley

For additional pictures please go to
http://tcrowley.smugmug.com/gallery/8052918_DVn6U/1/524486494_3soD5

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 6, 2009

Contact: Muncey Marketing 360-805-0805

Momentous Black Box Program is Launched

First Steps Taken in Hydroplane Safety Innovations

On March 28, 2009 the first Northwest Safety Seminar dedicated to addressing safety in power boat racing was conducted in Kent, Washington. In April, phase two of an aggressive new safety program was launched in Phoenix Arizona at Firebird Raceways at the season opener of the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association.

The innovative “Black Box program” is being developed cooperatively between the Union of International Motorboating, the ULHRA, and inthinc, a developer and manufacturer of technologies to improve driving safety. The Union of International Motorboating, or UIM, is the international governing body of power boating. It is recognized as such by the International Olympic Committee and 52 member nations.

What have been dubbed “black boxes” are actually a product of inthinc called the Witness� Incident Data Recorder. Witness�, was initially designed for the insurance industry to help address losses due to fraudulent claims. In 2001, following the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR� mandated crash data recorders and turned to the Witness� product in their quest to create the safest car possible for the sport. Information obtained from the recorder helped shape the design and engineering decisions leading to ‘The Car of Tomorrow’. Racing series other than NASCAR’s Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series, that use inthinc’s Witness products include, FIA, WRC, Australia’s V8 Supercars, GrandAM, and F1 Boats. inthinc has developed innovations such as waySmart™ and tiwiPRO™ for industrial fleets and tiwi™ for teen drivers and their parents. The safety aspect of this technology is so significant, that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.iihs.gov) is releasing a major, multi-year teen study later this week. It features tiwi and some of the same technology used by the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association. inthinc combines innovative ideas with engineering expertise to create technology that mentors drivers to save lives, prevent accidents and safeguard property. inthinc technology dramatically improves driver behavior and has been documented by clients to reduce accidents by 80-90%.

Bob Wartinger, President of the UIM’s Safety and Medical Commission explains. “Data recording has been going on for about 15 years in auto racing for the purposes of collecting crash data. It has become much more sophisticated in the last five years. In NASCAR, for example, there was enough data collected that they used it to design the ‘Car of Tomorrow’ that they are racing now and injuries have dropped dramatically during the recent years. To do that they had data from about 140 cars, 40 races a year, for a number of years with lots of crashes. That’s what it took. Real world crash data with live human beings are at a premium. Even NASA utilizes competitive motorsports crash data to make their lunar lander designs safer. Unfortunately in the boat racing world, we have very little of this kind of data.

Seats, belts, restraints, HANS type devices, crush zones, etc. are now designed from the crash data. Crash data, along with film is used to analyze an accident. Sled tests are done in the laboratory using the crash impulses to test improvements, then the designs are incorporated in the cars.

We have no data, or it’s well hidden data, on hydroplane loads. Regardless, there’s no time like now! This is the beginning of a multi-year hydroplane data gathering program. Analysis and consequently design and safety improvements are the expected outcome. First we learn the baseline loads, then keep adjusting the recording thresholds during the first season. We analyze each collision event and store those traces in a database for analysis. Even non-collision events are helpful in better understanding the operational environment for both man and machine. After the thresholds are set, data is generally recorded when there is some type of incident that exceeds the thresholds, such as a spin-out or blow over.

Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association President Joe Frauenheim said, “Our recent race at Firebird Raceways in Arizona was a first for hydroplane racing and the ULHRA. We installed three ‘black boxes’ in the UL-72, UL-00 and the G-93 to record data which we hope to use to develop safer cockpits for our drivers. We will continue to collect data throughout the season to determine the forces exerted on the boats and drivers during the events. With this data, manufacturers can make better products to make our drivers comfortable and safer.”

The three hydroplanes who participated in the first batch of data collection are owned by Frauenheim (Impact Racing), Muncey Racing and Johnson-Wolfe Racing. For more information on the manufacturer of the hydroplane “black box”, please visit www.inthinc.com. For more information regarding the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association, please visit www.ulhra.org.

Firebird Lake, April 25, 2009 Photo by Mike Niwa

Harold Mills to be inducted into African-American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame

Former Unlimited Lights race driver Harold Mills will be joined by Lenny Wilkens, James Donaldson, Otis Sistrunk, and Michael Davis as they are inducted in ceremonies at Bellevue WA on Saturday (May 2). Percy Allen of the Seattle Times reports. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2009158041_hall02.html

Block Head Machine-Speed Hut Revolution Gauges earns first notch in LTL series

The Block Head Machine-Speed Hut Revolution Gauges had a near perfect weekend winning the "Warning Power.Com presents Unlimited Lights" at Firebird April 25-26 for the Lighter-Than-LIGHTS series. Kevin Eacret ran away with wins in heat one and two. For heat three, Philip Eacret made his debut in the flighty E-36 and finished ahead of Bud McKay, in the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood, on the course. But the younger Eacret was hit with a one-minute penalty for an improper lane change giving the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood the win.

With the final and fourth heat cancelled due to long delays in the drag-racing portion of the event, only three heats would be run for the LTLs. The Eacrets combined for 1,100 points in the Block Head Machine-Speed Hut Revolution Gauges for the weekend; while McKay's West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood earned 1,000 points.

The only thing slowing down the Block Head Machine-Speed Hut Revolution Gauges were the steady winds of 30 mph on Saturday. While the drag boats wouldn't go on the course because of the winds, the LTLs did. Kevin Eacret stopped everyone's hearts in heat one as he had the nose of his hydroplane about as high as it could go without blowing it over as he passed the grandstands. McKay's heart was pounding as well as he had steering issues in both heats Saturday - the boat simply would not steer through turn one, where McKay had flipped the year before.

On Sunday, the winds that roared through the day before were gone - offering a perfect day on the water to race. Barry Eacret, the owner of the Block Head Machine-Speed Hut Revolution Gauges, helped McKay reset his skid fin, and the boat was able to turn during heat three.

With one last rudder adjustment, McKay's West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood was ready to battle Eacret's Head Machine-Speed Hut Revolution Gauges for the final. Both boats were ready to go into the water when they got the word their final heat was cancelled due to major delays caused by a drag boat sinking.

Bud McKay

Photo Credit: David Coe

Click here for updates from April 2009