Lynch Line April 2008
The 2008 season is
off to a flying
start in the
sunshine and heat of
the Arizona desert.
Kayleigh Perkins and
David Warren drove
to victories in the
Unlimited Light and
Thunderboat Final
Heats. For Ms.
Perkins it was a
continuation of 2007
where she not only
won the Driver's and
Team Championships
(along with co-
driver Patrick
Haworth) the UL-72
Miss Boat Electric
team finished all
but one heat of
racing in 2007. And
the one heat the
team did not finish
was a safety
choice. A fogged
windshield at
Issaquah WA forced
Kayleigh to the pits
in difficult, misty
conditions that day
in June. At Phoenix
Perkins and the
UL-72 finished all 5
heats, winning every
one and earning the
maximum of 2,000
points. Her team
leads the UL-15 of
Hopp Racing by 400
points and the UL-14
of Paul Becker by
500 points.
Thunderboat team
owner-driver David
Warren in the G-329
Block Head Machine
presents My Town
Motors bested R.W.
Dick Lynch in the
G-13 Jet
Chevrolet.com -
Tempo and Dustin
Echols in the G-17
Checker Auto Parts.
Echols boat spun out
in turn one of the
first lap. Lynch
led after the first
lap in the preferred
outside lane but
Warren was able to
overcome the 3 boat
length advantage and
win by nearly a
roostertail on
Firebird Lake at
Chandler AZ. It was
a popular first time
victory for Warren
who's been one of
the original
Thunderboat teams
since 2005 with a
history of DNF's
(did not finish). A
new engine program
displaying excellent
power and
reliability from
Block Head Machine
made a huge
difference.
All three of these
G-teams are expected
for race number two
on the ULHRA season;
Desert Thunder II at
Howard Amon Park in
Richland WA, May 17
& 18. The 4th G
team entry, the G-93
of Johnson-Wolfe
Racing sustained
hull damage at
Phoenix when its
engine "blew" and a
broken connecting
rod went through the
bottom of the hull.
Howard Amon Park is
an ideal setting for
ULHRA racing. The
park's boat launch
area provides ample
pit facilities for
the racing teams,
and the park
stretches from turn
2 to turn 1 with a
sloped grass bank
for viewing of the
race and plenty of
shade trees in the
park. The racing
action is close to
the shoreline and
admission to Desert
Thunder II is FREE!
In addition, KONA
610AM Information
Radio returns with
full broadcast
coverage both days
of Desert Thunder
II. The KONA
broadcast crew is
one of the most
experienced in
hydroplane racing
coverage, led by
Sports Director
Michael McDonnal.
Their broadcast will
be streamed on this
website along with
ULHRA Video's live
coverage for those
who cannot attend in
person.
At Richland a number
of Unlimited Light
and Lighter than
LIGHTS teams that
could not make the
trek to Phoenix will
open their ULHRA
seasons. UL-5 with
Rod Bourke who won a
preliminary heat at
Richland last year,
UL-98 Miss Atomic
Screen Printing, the
local favorite with
Charles Xaudaro
driving, plus
Charles' older
brother "Vince X-Man
Xaudaro in his
UL-929 with Wilmot
Racing will be
competing. Wil
Muncey and the
Muncey Racing
Trafficade Signs &
Safety Sales team
hopes to debut their
"Big Red Boat" the
ex UL-23 Pegasus at
Richland. UL-13
Celtic Racing Team
owner-driver J.Craig
Fletcher will make
his move to the
former UL-33 hull
which won the season
finale at Port
Angeles last year.
Fletcher purchased
the former Miss
Graham Trucking hull
from Bob & Janet
Estes last winter.
Brian Perkins in
Chuck Dow's Thunder
Valley UL-40 is also
expected to compete
along with Kerry
Beynon & Al
Carstensen's UL-6
which was damaged in
a flip at Silverdale
WA last Aug ust.
Fifteen UL teams are
expected for Desert
Thunder II, plus 10
or more from the
Lighter than LIGHTS
Fleet.
This weekend (May 3
& 4) ULHRA is on
another "exhibition
run". Last year
exhibition programs
at Chamberlain-Oacoma
SD and Firebird Lake
near Phoenix AZ led
to full ULHRA races
in 2008. This
weekend's program is
part of the F1 Champ
Boat series at
Pickwick Landing
TN. It'll be
ULHRA's first visit
to the Volunteer
State and if last
year is any
indication it won't
be the last. Milton
& Charley Wiggins
G-10 Thunderboat
will be at the
exhibition with
Detroit based driver
Cal Phipps making
their season debut.
This impressive
G-class hydroplane
last appeared in
Seattle in August of
2007 and picked up a
preliminary heat
victory. The
Wiggins team from
Rainbow City AL with
their Ron Jones Jr.
hydroplane adds to
the growing fleet of
Thunderboat teams
which this summer
should surpass a
half dozen entries.
Looks like ULHRA
Video's live race
coverage is getting
more popular. We're
told that viewership
of the Trafficade
presents ULHRA
Racing at Firebird "maxxed
out" the server at
times during the
weekend. It's a
nice problem to
have,but a problem
nonetheless and that
issue will be
addressed.
John Lynch
P.R. Director and
"Voice" of ULHRA
Racing
