Lynch Line September 2007

 

It's the end of the 2007 season and yet it could also be considered the beginning. 

 

The 2007 Powerboats NW Unlimited Light Hydroplane Championship will be decided in Port Angeles WA this weekend (Sept 29 & 30). The UL-1 FestoolSupply.com - Graham Trucking G.T. - Happy Go Lucky from Hopp Racing-Schellhase Racing tries for an unprecedented fifth consecutive championship.  However in the closest race ever going into the final event, the Impact Racing Team's UL-72 Miss Boat Electric trails by only 132 points with a maximum of 1640 points available this weekend. 

 

While it's a two team race, it's a 3 driver race for the Driver's Title in 2007.  Greg Hopp leads Kayleigh Perkins by 222 points.  Greg was injured and couldn't drive at San Diego two weeks ago and Kayleigh wasn't scheduled to race in California; her Canadian co-driver Patrick Haworth did, and nearly pulled off a victory.  This weekend Greg is scheduled to return to the UL-1 cockpit IF his bruised ribs allow.  That decision will be made Saturday morning in Port Angeles.  If Greg cannot drive his father Jerry Hopp will substitute.  Jerry drove to his 7th career victory at San Diego. 

Meanwhile Kayleigh Perkins returns to the UL-72.  Still, there's a third challenger and a surprising one at that.  Vince Xaudaro, who led the driver's points for about half the season, lost his ride when the UL-929 was severely damaged in August at Silverdale WA.  In that accident Xaudaro sustained a broken tailbone.  However, he's ready to return to racing and he will do so substituting for Detroit's Cal Phipps this weekend in the UL-40 Boat Trader.com presents King & Bunny's Appliances for Chuck Dow's Thunder Valley Racing Team.  The "X-Man" trails Hopp by only 331 points. 

 

Yes, Port Angeles, Washington's Victoria Express presents Strait Thunder again lives up to its moniker of "Where Champions are Crowned".  But I also said it's a beginning.

 

On the weekend of November 16-18 at Firebird Lake near Phoenix AZ, the Unlimited Lights will join the drag boat fraternity.....about 200 boats strong..........for the IHBA Lucas Oil World Finals.  Now don't get the wrong idea; the "Lights" won't be running the quarter mile.  They will be racing on a 1 1/4 mile oval in between drag racing segments as ULHRA and IHBA gauge how well the two series can fit and work together.  Both have been included at the San Diego Thunderboat Regatta for several years.  This will be the first time the two sanctioning bodies have collaborated on an event and if all goes well you just might see more of this kind of racing show in the future. 

 

This season's controversial decision to adjust the starting line procedure for Unlimited Lights has to be termed a success.  By placing the supercharged hydroplanes outside the naturally aspirated teams at the start it brought the racing closer together and for a longer period of time.  The San Diego UL Final can be listed as Exhibit 1.  The Valleyfield Final can be listed as Exhibit 2; showing that on a shorter, tighter course the advantage goes to the inside boat but that advantage goes away on a big course with wide turns like San Diego where Jerry Hopp drove from 5th place to 1st Place.  Now, while the two teams battling for the championship are the only two teams to win so far this year, the race for the title is closer than ever and we've seen several teams begin to step up into contender roles.

 

The UL-19 of Five Star Racing and owner Tom Eckenberg probably missed out on winning on the basis of restricted finances.  With no season long sponsorship the team had to limit how and where they ran and they also had some DNF's that cut into their season.  The boat remains fast, but as everyone knows it's awfully difficult to race on a "buck 95" budget.  The 19 team has been working sponsorships for 2008 very briskly and if they succeed, look for Ryan Mallow to be driving at the front of the pack next season. 

 

At the other end of the spectrum, the UL-83 continues to amaze.  That "Little Boat that Could" still can on occasion.  Wil Muncey made quite a move just prior to the score-up buoy to secure Lane 1 in the Final at San Diego and ran a strong 4th place, gaining several positions in the point standings.  The 83 hull ran a career best lap of just under 107 mph.  While that isn't good enough to threaten the ULHRA record of 126 plus set by Greg Hopp, it showed what some additional horsepower, hull tuning, propeller upgrades, and driving skill can do for a second tier boat.  Next year, this team just may move up to the top tier.  Remember they own the ex UL-23 Pegasus that Bob Larimore and J.W. Myers campaigned and a boat that has shown the capability to run with the leaders in the past.  If all elements can come together successfully for the Muncey Racing Team, their UL-00 in 2008 will be a new entry to watch.

 

Paul Becker and the UL-14 continue to close in on that elusive first career victory.  Since acquiring from Muncey Racing the skid fin that was built for the UL-14 back when it was campaigned by Carl and Randy Haas as the UL-110, the Compuware presents Miss Critical Logic has become a real challenger, including leading the field for 2 laps in the Seattle Final.  Becker, the retired Navy flyer and airline pilot is never hesitant to mix it up and go for the lead.  Now he has a ride that can stay there.  In 2008 one should expect this team to only improve.

 

UL-40 Team Owner and engine builder Chuck Dow keeps discovering things about the team's boat..........same thing that Muncey Racing has discovered this year as well.  "When you go faster than before, stuff happens that hasn't happened before".  A number of niggling issues have beset the team driven by Cal Phipps from Detroit but they seemed to be righted at San Diego till a broken gear box cost them a possible third place finish at San Diego.  Unfortunately Phipps, a very talented driver, will be unavailable this weekend due to work responsibilities but an able replacement has been recruited.........as noted earlier Vince Xaudaro will substitute in the UL-40 at Port Angeles to try for his first ever Unlimited Lights Driver's Championship.

 

Someone is going to have a fine program next year.  Whom?  We don't know yet.  But someone will undoubtedly be purchasing the UL-33 from Bob & Janet Estes who are departing ULHRA for a well earned retirement..........living on a boat, we're told...........just not the UL-33.  (Something about lack of sleeping and cooking space I imagine)  Anyway, this is another team that's been taking 2 steps forward only to have a one step retreat and the 2007 season hasn't been as hoped.  But Mark Echols has shown a flair for driving the 33 and he'd certainly like to continue in 2008 for whomever becomes the owner.  Bob, Janet & Mark and their entire team want to end their 2007 campaign in a big way this weekend and that certainly is possible.

 

Mark also likes being able to race against his son Dustin who drives the UL-17 for Rick & Shawn Bridgeman's Shockwave Racing Team.  This is a brand new Ron Jones Jr. Unlimited Light and the proverbial "new boatitis" has been part of their season.  One thing that wasn't expected was the loss of both racing engines on the same weekend at Silverdale in mid August.  Still this is a hard working team and not at all far from a top finish...........which could come this weekend.

 

Kerry Beynon and Al Carstensen showed, albeit briefly, that their re-done UL-6 hydroplane from BCS Racing Enterprises can run with the best of them.  Al drove from the trailer position to finish third in their first race at Seattle.  Kerry, in his first driving start in two years led the field by a roostertail going into turn one at Silverdale two weeks later.  Imagine, concentrating on Crew Chief responsibilities for two years and then stepping into the cockpit and the first time out Kerry nails his start in the "new" boat.  Sadly it came to a quick end due to the blowover accident but Kerry is fine, the boat wasn't severely damaged, ULHRA Rescue performed EXACTLY as they were supposed to, and next year other UL teams know they'll have to watch out for the UL-6.  Only problem for them is, they really need two boats.  Kerry and Al both are talented drivers and there's only one UL-6.  Upgraded sponsorship that allows this team t o compete more often would certainly help, and the BCS team is working on that aspect as are the other UL teams.  They know that sponsors "don't grow on trees" and that sponsors aren't there just handing out money to guys & gals who want to run around the lake on Sundays.  Sponsorship is serious business and is addressed seriously by UL teams and ULHRA.  Advertising here is an incredibly better value than it's ever been before and continues to grow with more and more opportunities for businesses to succeed in their marketing goals with ULHRA. 

 

I'm reminded that a racer once told me over 20 years ago that one of the great things about hydroplane racing is you always have someone to race.  Maybe it's for the lead.........maybe it's for 4th place.........and maybe it's to avoid finishing last but there's always someone just ahead so racers keeping pushing to get by the boat in front of them. While casual fans notice who's leading, and there's been excellent racing for the lead this season, some of the best racing in Unlimited Lights is "back in the pack" so watch the entire course when you're enjoying Racing, ULHRA Style. 

 

See you in Port Angeles, and in November in Arizona, right here at www.ulhra.org 

 

John Lynch

P.R. Director and "Voice" of ULHRA Racing.