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LYNCH LINE May 2007
Desert Thunder and more. 
The first ever Desert Thunder Regatta was an artistic
success in its first edition. ULHRA Inc. took over command
of the event and working with the US Troop Care Package
program made it all come together in about 7 weeks time. The
reviews of the event were very favorable and future editions
of Desert Thunder can be expected. Imagine what can be done
in 12 months rather than 7 weeks! 
The rules were adjusted by the Board of Directors in the
off-season in an effort to improve the competitive
opportunity. Based on one race the intent of the board was
met. Some things don't change that much, however. Greg Hopp
and the UL-1 Hopp Racing - Happy Go Lucky remain a very
strong team. Hopp won the race; the 32nd win for the hull
built a decade ago by Jamie Auld and Hopp's 15th career
victory, both Unlimited Light career records.
 It was
challenging as Hopp was forced to start outside the non
supercharged entries.
The strongest of those teams at Richland WA were the UL-929
Xaudaro Racing team of Vince "X-Man" Xaudaro, and the UL-72
Miss Boat Electric driven by 18 year old rookie, Kayleigh
Perkins. Ms Perkins started off the weekend in historic
fashion. As a rookie she was required to start her first
heats 5 seconds behind the front line. Yet in Heat 1B, her
first heat ever in Unlimited Lights racing, she was able to
overhaul the UL-19 Five Star Racing of Ryan Mallow, passing
him on the outside in the final turn to pull out the
victory. 
In the Final, Xaudaro and Hopp hit the starting line
together but the X-Man was four lanes inside of Hopp. Also
part of the new rules is the requirement that a supercharged
boat like Hopp's must hold their starting line lane for a
complete lap.
 Hopp
stayed on the outside throughout the 3 lap Final, swapping
the lead with Xaudaro multiple times till he assumed command
in turn one on the final lap. Xaudaro finished 2nd followed
by Perkins, then Michael Flaherty in the rebuilt UL-8
(formerly UL-5) Baker Equipment Co. Unfortunately for
Flaherty he jumped the gun by about half a boat length which
relegated him to 6th place. Rod Bourke in the UL-62 Benz
Electric - IRS Environmental took 4th followed by Mark
Echols in the UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking in 5th. This was
Bourke's first ever Final Heat appearance in ULHRA
competition. He also won Heat 2A for his first heat victory
as an Unlimited Lights driver. 
Next up for the Unlimited Lights will be the 11th annual
Tastin’ n Racin’ festival at Lake Sammamish in Issaquah WA
just east of Seattle. That race will be held June 9th & 10th
and will be carried live by ULHRA Video on this website.  
There were 13 Unlimited Lights at Desert Thunder. One boat
was lost when the UL-18 Countrywide presents
Straitthunder.com lost the right sponson in the B-Main.
Driver Joe Turner was uninjured but he said afterward it was
the last round-up for the “Purple Thunder” hull; the oldest
in the fleet which was built in 1973. Whether Turner
returns to UL racing this season has not been decided.
Meanwhile several teams came up just short in preparation
for Desert Thunder and are expected to join the “Lights” at
Tastin n Racin in Issaquah, June 9th & 10th. At least 3
additional UL teams are expected, bringing the Issaquah boat
count close to the all time UL record of 16 teams. 
As noted on this website the 2007 edition of Thunder &
LIGHTS Magazine, the official publication of ULHRA Inc. is
now available. Each year the magazine grows larger and this
year is no exception; 112 pages. Photo Editor Mark Sharley
took over the duties of Editor this year and led his group
of contributing writers and photographers to an outstanding
publication made even better by the talent of Sharon
Bartkowski of The Print Shop in Sumner WA. The magazine is
available for purchase from the ULHRA offices and can also
be purchased at ULHRA race sites and on newsstands in select
markets around the country. ULHRA Historian Fred Farley and
Statistician Ed Nelson have collaborated on an expanded
Media Guide inside the magazine with a variety of records
and accomplishments dating back to the start of the
Unlimited Light Racing Series in 1995. This publication is
a must for hydroplane racing fans.It’s the end of an era that never really got underway. Sr. Carlos Arturo Buitron acquired 5 racing hulls & trailers and engines and related equipment back in 2003. His plan at the time was to start a hydroplane racing program in his native Mexico, as he’s done with outboard “tunnel boats”. Unfortunately, shortly after purchasing the hulls the businessman from Tula contracted Cancer. Fortunately treatment succeeded but in the end Sr. Buitron was unable to pursue his concept and put everything up for sale. This month the last of what I dubbed the “Carlos Collection” was sold and returned over the Mexico border into Texas. Surprise! One of the hulls, the original UL-929 of Vince Xaudaro stayed in Texas and will be the start of the first UL team in the Lone Star State The other, the GP-44 hull which Sr. Buitron purchased out of Canada, will be campaigned by a new southern California ULHRA team……either UL or Thunderboat G. Details on both teams will be made available in the near future. While it’s expected both new teams will debut in 2008 it is possible that one or both may see action during 2007. Meantime, of the rest of the boats purchased out of Mexico one debuted at Desert Thunder. The new UL-14 Compuware’s Miss Critical Logic is the former UL-110 driven by Randy Haas of Toledo OH. 
It’s now owned & driven by Bellevue WA’s Paul Becker who’s
aiming for his first UL race win this season after having
his best campaign ever in 2006 with two 2nd place finishes
and third place in the championship points series. At the
end of last season Becker sold that hull to Greg & Lora
Walden of Kennewick WA (now the UL-98) and purchased the new
UL-14. 
Also the UL-23, the former Pegasus of Bob Larimore is now
owned by Muncey Racing out of Duvall WA. Driver Wil Muncey
anticipates the 23 will take over for the “Little Boat that
Could” UL-83 Power Punch following the ULHRA’s annual trek
to Quebec’s Regates de Valleyfield in early July. The
remaining hull, the UL-21 formerly of Thunder Valley Racing
and driven by Nick Badolato; the first UL to employ a
supercharged engine is now owned by Jim & Karon Wilmot of
Issaquah WA. That team is expected to debut in 2008.John Lynch P.R. Director, ULHRA Inc.
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