Latest News

December 2005

Over the next several months of our off-season (actually there's no "off-season", just the racing season and the non racing season, because in ULHRA, Inc. there's really no off time anymore) this column will update you on the status of teams, the racing series', and look ahead to the 2006 season.

Already 5 UL teams have been formed since the end of the 2005 season, just 2 months ago. First to announce was Bob & Janet Estes, who won the first ever 8 Cylinder Modified Series in the Lighter than LIGHTS program. At the same time,

they acquired Milt & Charley Wiggins' very swift UL-10 Ron Jones Sr. Unlimited Light hull. They're changed the number to their favored UL-33 and they intend to compete on the entire Unlimited Lights circuit. The Estes' have hired Wil & Debi Muncey of Muncey Marketing to represent them in securing sponsorships.

At the final race of the season, Mercer Island WA resident J. Craig Fletcher became the newest team owner. He heard

about Pingree Conflitti needing to sell his two Detroit based teams. Fletcher came to Port Angeles WA, saw the UL-559 7 Cedars Casio "Outlaw" race with Joe Souza behind the wheel, purchased the turnkey race program from Conflitti and took it home. He is forming a team to campaign the UL-559 next year in the Washington State races and possibly in San Diego. It is Fletcher's first foray into race team ownership after being a lifelong fan.

Two members of the ULHRA fraternity have joined forces to create a third new team. Charlie Xaudaro, younger brother of Vince "X-Man" Xaudaro, who took third place this year in the 4 cylinder stock Lighter than LIGHTS series, has teamed

up with Thunder Valley Racing crewman Ryan Butler. They've acquired the ex GP11 Executif, a former Grand Prix record holding hydroplane, and will convert it to conform to Unlimited Lights rules. This will include installing rear tails on the wooden Staudacher hull, and an enclosed cockpit, along with the UL approved supercharged engine program. Butler has indicated they may choose to run with racing gasoline instead of the traditional methanol used in supercharged engines. With gasoline, roughly half the amount of fuel is needed which is a significant weight consideration. That decision will be made at a later date.

Bill Nootenboom of Canby OR will debut his new-old boat next spring. It's been about a 5 year odyssey to upgrade an early 70's Ron Jones hull, once owned & driven by Tacoma WA's Howie Labrie, to current UL status. Nootenboom's UL-85 project is nearing completion and will be ready by Spring Training, 2006. Nootenboom is a veteran NW limited hydro racer but maintains his interest in the UL-85 will be in owning, managing, and working on the boat. He says while he'll be tempted to take a few laps in the hydroplane, his body says it's time for someone else to race.

The fifth team will be joining the "eastern fleet" of the Unlimited Lights. Ken Brodie II announced at the annual meeting of

ULHRA, Inc. last month in Seattle that he and his father's team are adding a second boat, so both father and son will be racing in 2006. The UL-50 which ran at Evansville and Valleyfield in 2005, will make at least one western trip in 2006, while the UL-555 will likely race the eastern events, exclusively.

These are just the officially announced new teams. Plenty of activity is underway that is expected to generate more new UL teams. In fact, do not be surprised if several more UL teams are added in time for the 2006 season.

The schedule for 2006 is coming together but not all races have been officially signed as of this writing. It's expected that the 2006 season will mirror the 2005 season, with the likely addition of Detroit in mid July. If the Detroit race is approved, the Unlimited Lights will be racing for the famed Silver Cup on the Detroit River.

Two scary accidents occurred in the 2005 racing season. Both are resulting in great recovery results..........and new data to continue to improve safety in our sport. Kevin Aylesworth checks in from Santee CA with this update.

"I'm doing about 6.5 mph on the road to recovery after the UL-5 accident on Mission Bay. On Thanksgiving, I graduated from the treadmill to a 5K run, and my lungs handled it well. I go to therapy an average of three days a week, where they're still extracting Kendall 50-weight oil from my system." Kevin noted that he ingested a good deal of salt water and engine oil during the accident. A loss of air supply led to the problems, and the air supply problem was tracked to a connector that teams are now replacing with a modified version.

Aylesworth went on to say, "a number of experts have assessed the UL-5, and determined it needs to be completely redesigned before it hits the water again. The boat has too much lift (as demonstrated on this video http://www.freedomracingteam.com/2005sandiegovideo4.htm ), and a major overhaul is required. It will continue to be a two-wing boat."

Aylesworth says it will take several months for the UL-5 to return to action. They hope it'll be ready for the 2006 edition of their home town San Diego Thunderboat Regatta. In the meantime, work is progressing on the U-21, the former U-25 turbine hydroplane of Dr. Ken Muscatel. In addition to prepping and upgrading the racing program, Freedom Racing Team has also hired Emily Estes to direct the team's marketing effort. Ms. Estes formerly was contracted to ABRA, and was for 7 years the event director of the Columbia Cup in Tri Cities WA and co-owner of The Maurer Group which operated the Water Follies festival in Tri Cities. Her work will focus on sponsorships for both the U-21 and UL-5 programs.

Meanwhile, in Olympia WA, Rick Bridgeman is virtually recovered from his accident in July at Tri Cities, although repairs

to the G-17 hull have not been completed. All necessary components have been received to complete repairs. Wife and race team partner Shawn Bridgeman says their 2006 racing plans haven't been firmed. She indicated they are contemplating continuing with the American Challenge Cup Series, but they may also return to the Unlimited Lights. They might even do both. If so, that would require two hulls. Shawn says, their plans should be firm in a few weeks, so "stay tuned".

Gee, what's happening? As in "G", meaning Thunderboats ACCS, the G-Boats? That series continues to develop. At the present time there are 5 teams in the series with the potential for more in 2006. In addition to the Bridgeman's G-17,

there is the first all new G-13 Tempo of Joe Frauenheim and Phil Bononcini. The wildly painted craft was built in 6 months by designer Dale Van Wierengen and the G-13 crew. It was driven in 2005 by both George Woods and Dick Lynch.

Two other boats which appeared in 2005 will return. David Warren had his best outing of the year at Port Angeles WA

two months ago and is very much encouraged for his G-329 race program in the coming season. Milton & Charley Wiggins of Rainbow City AL, after selling their Unlimited Light hydroplane program to Bob & Janet Estes, acquired the G-55 Cobalt 2 hull from Detroit's Justin Schaller. The Schaller hull

appeared at Seattle last August. The boat was built by Ron Jones Jr. originally to be a Grand Prix class boat. With the demise of the GP class, Schaller converted to ACCS and now the project is being taken over by the Wiggins Hydroplane Racing Team. Cal Phipps of Detroit, who was Wiggins driver in Unlimited Lights, will drive and the boat will be re-numbered G-10.

The fifth team is expected to test prior to spring training, possibly multiple times. Seattle's Mike Eacrett will drive his Ron Brown re-mastered hull in the 2006 ACCS series. Eacrett's boat, a previously never run Ron Jones Jr. GP hull, has been completely restyled by Brown, the successful former crew chief of Bernie Little's Miss Budweiser Unlimited team.

John Lynch

"Voice" of the Unlimited Lights and Thunderboats ACCS.....the "G-Boats".