Sunday 9:00 PM update
Closing notes on the weekend

We couldn't let this weekend close without mentioning John Lynch.  He normally acts as the "Voice of the Lights" at each of our races, but this weekend he became a true goodwill ambassador for the series.  John was a constant voice over the public address system and made it his mission to explain every aspect of what was taking place and how the series worked.  Through his efforts, new fans had a real chance to not only enjoy what they were watching on the water, but understand how it all came together.  We tip our hat to his hard work.

We would also like to extend thanks to Jody Patten.  ULHRA Commissioner Patricia Darling summed it up well this evening saying, "Jody deserves so much credit.  He did exactly what he said he would do and has our thanks for his help organizing this wonderful event."

One thing that struck everyone in attendance was how clean the area was.  Just an hour or so after the event, there wasn't a bit of trash to be seen.  The residents of Kamsack take a lot of pride in their park.  One young boy leaving spotted a can laying off to the side.  He quickly ran over and placed it in the garbage.  That's a great representation of the general attitude.  You have to love it.

A note on Pingree Conflitti...  He had such a great weekend and was very pleased with his team's success.  Did you know that Ping is no stranger to the series?  He's a certified diver who was involved with last year's Detroit Gold Cup as a rescue worker.  He became enthused by the racing and put together his own Unlimited Light team over the winter.  Jump forward to today...  He just took fourth place in his very first race with the series!

Kamsack's Mayor, Pamela Nykolaishen, was a wonderful host for the series and a real treat.  UL-40 pilot Kelly Stocklin took her in his arms following the event, hugged her then dipped her during the awards ceremony.  She leaves the weekend with a lot of new friends in the Unlimited Lights.  Ms. Nykolaishen plans to make a run for Parliament next year.

Pastor Jim Riley did double duty this weekend in Kamsack.  Jim not only held service for the series, but also worked the reader board throughout the weekend keeping track of all the action on the water.

First team out of the pits this weekend?  It had to be Vince Xaudro who had a quick three hour trip ahead of him to make a flight back to the states.  

Three television stations and a lot of press representatives were on hand for today's race giving the series some great exposure.  As everyone was packing up and preparing to leaving, several resident who lived around the lake upon which the lights raced (these are the people who basically had the Lights in their back yard) made their strong feelings known.  They loved the show and explained that they simply had to have the Lights back next year.  I think anyone who attended the event would love to return as well.  All in all, a very successful weekend!
 

Sunday 6:01 PM update
The final

Thunder at the Duck Final

It was a solid, exciting final closing out this year's Thunder at the Duck.  Jerry Hopp and the UL-15 Freddie's Club Casino had the early lead over the field, but would be constantly contested by Phil Bononcini in the UL-72 Budweiser/Labatt's.  The two put on race that the new fans of Kamsack will not soon forget.  It came down to the last half of the final lap before it was all decided.  Bononcini would pull ahead to take the lead at the very end for the checkered flag.  The crowd goes wild...

What looked like a rough weekend for the UL-929 Yorkton Distributors (Vince Xaudaro) turned into a success story as everything simply fell into place when it counted.  Vince found one of the best runs he's seen all year in the final and secured a solid third place final.

Over in the UL-58 Miss Tatonka/Buffalo Meats camp, they are also celebrating.  A fourth place finish isn't bad at all for your first time out in Unlimited Light competition.  Welcome to the fleet Pingree Conflitti!

Kelly Stocklin did make it out onto the water for the final, but went down prior to the start.  No word yet on what prevented them from competing in the final.

Sunday 5:25 PM update
Qualification for the final

Thunder at the Duck Pre-Final Qualification

Notes on the three teams that are out...

	UL-19 Monsanto - Shaft broke and prop was lost during 2B.  Divers and the team are looking for the prop at this time.
	UL-23 Bayer Crop Science - A pump problem has ended the teams weekend.  They are a scratch.
	UL- 25 Miss Country Service - The boat did make it out onto the water, but jut couldn't get started and up on plane.

Sunday 3:59 PM update
Thunder at the Duck Heat 2A and 2B

Thunder at the Duck Heat 2A Results

Thunder at the Duck Heat 2B Results

Heat 2A saw a great fight for first between Jerry Hopp (UL-15 Freddie's Club Casino) and Phil Bononcini (UL- 72 Budweiser/Labatts).  The two, as the speeds will indicate, were deck-to-deck through almost the entire race.  Phil was racing this heat as a volunteer boat and will receive no points.  His points race is 2B.  Pingree Conflitti's UL- 58 Miss Tatonka/Buffalo Meats looked very solid out on the water.  Though he's rookie and and had to start on the outside and back from the field, he was only about 2 mph off the leaders' pace.

Pingree would run in 2B as a volunteer in an effort to get a little additional seat time under his belt.  In this heat, it was a three boat race right up to the final lap.  Hook, Bononcini and Stocklin were running flat out changing leads the entire race.  It was only at the very end that the Hook's UL-19 dropped of the pace and eventually went down.  Certainly one to watch and the fans reacted accordingly!  

Once again, in heat 2B Pingree and the UL-58 was right up their running with the field.  This team looks to be one to watch in 2002!  Pingree is thrilled with their performance so far.  Equally thrilled is the gentleman who helped the UL-58 team make it to Kamsack.  Vern Luchsinger from Edgerton, Wisconsin has the thanks of the series for putting in that 18 hour drive for a group of racers he'd not met before yesterday.

JW Myers is hard at work on the UL-23 Bayer Crop Science hull.  No word yet on what's wrong, but he is desperately working to avoid a scratch for the weekend.  Vince Xaudaro is similarly hard at work on the UL-929 Yorkton Distributors.

The crowd is really filling out today and the park's parking area is said to be filling up fast!  Great news for this inaugural event.
 

Sunday 2:00 PM update
The latest on today's schedule

Thunder at the Duck Heat 2A - 12:00 PM
Thunder at the Duck Heat 2B - 12:30 PM 

Fan Appreciate - 12:45 PM
  Fans are invited to come to walkway to observe the boats and get autographs.

Special Qualifying (one hour) - 1:30 PM
  All boats who wish to be in the final will enter this session.  Lanes will be decided after this session.

Final - 3:30 PM (six boats)
Awards Ceremony - 4:15 PM
 

Sunday 1:48 PM update
Local sponsors take center stage

As the series gears up for a packed day of on-the-water action, we would like to share all the renamed/resposored boats for the weekend.  Local race director Jody Patten arranged for local sponsorships for many of the teams.  Here's what each team is being called this weekend...

Sunday, 12:26 PM update
New event photos

If you click over to our Kamsack photo gallery page, we've added six new photos from Saturday at Thunder at the Duck.

Talking with Commissioner Patricia Darling this morning, the UL-40 Texaco M&M Deli broke a belt yesterday in competition.  The team was up much of the night working on repairs and reminded people living in the area that a boat race was taking place... they trailer fired at 1:00 AM!

Crowds in the area have been growing slowly as the event continues.  Originally the pits had been divided into hot pits and outer pits.  Those with outer pit armbands were invited to "come on in" and get to know the boats and the series.  It's been a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere which makes for a perfect opportunity to take in the series.

Local media has been doing television spots on the racing and the series now has a full eight boat field in attendance.  Yesterday was good for testing the course which is suited well to a three boat field, but was able to handle the six boat "dash" yesterday.
 

Saturday, 11:33 PM update
Looking back on Saturday in Kamsack

The true show of the day was the Dash for Cash!  This race was spectacular.  The Mayor (Pamela Nykolaishen) called out on the public address "Gentlemen start your engines!" and six Unlimited Lights did just that!!!  It was an impressive sight and an amazing sound!  Jerry Hopp in UL-15 Freddie's Club Casino of Renton won with Phil Bononcini taking a close second in the UL-72 Budweiser Pocket Mechanic.  Steve Hook wasn't far off the pace in the UL-19 Spirit of Coeur D' Alene, ID.  It was simply a terrific show and the crowd went absolutely crazy cheering for the teams while watching it.

Jody Patten's boat, the UL-25 Country Service, did make it to the pits this afternoon but was not quite ready to run.  We hope to see the team on the water tomorrow.

One interesting story... Pingree Conflitti along with his crew and boat did eventually make it to the race site at roughly the same time as the Dash for Cash.  They may be a bit late, but they had quite the story to share.  Their motor home broke down in Wisconsin.  While trying to adjust their plans at a local gas station, they met a total stranger who liked boats.  This individual ended up driving them and the boat 18 hours to make the race!  Needless to say, that is one new fan who is being treated like a king this weekend.  The team will be ready to run tomorrow morning.

Many this evening are still talking about the bagpipers and the First Nation presentation during the opening ceremonies.  During one period of down time, John Lynch invited ALL the folks in the immediate viewing areas to come on in and get close to the boats. John O'Brien was hosting fans all day offering them an up close and personal look at the fleet.  The Mayor and her husband are real supporters and Shishliki, Pierogi and Buffalo burger lunches were a real treat.  As Patricia Darling put it in a note this evening, "There is simply so much to do and see here."

Tonight some of the teams are enjoying a street dance in Kamsack while others are resting up for tomorrow's race back at the Duck Mountain Lodge.

For those of you not in Kamsack, we are on a hold right now. Not at the course, but in getting the details out. They are having trouble getting cell phone calls out of the pit area. Though the coverage can't be moment-by-moment, I am confident we will have all the details up later this evening.
 

We've added a new gallery of photos featuring the drivers, officials and team members as they spend a bit of time with local Kamsack fans before the day's action gets underway.  Click here to take a look.
 

Friday started out as a slower paced day for the series.  The weather in Kamsack continues to be perfect.  Sunny, warm, gentle breezes and the race hosts have already proved themselves to be extremely helpful and friendly as everyone gets into place. 

The UL-15 Freddie's Club Casino of Renton entry may have been the first in the pits, but the UL-40 Texaco M&M Deli was the first to fire up. They came in early today trailing behind their new HUGE rig driven out by Ken Eng, Spencer Tradup and Steve Audett.  The vehicle is white and has a very interesting console.  John O'Brien is on site and spent several hours touring fans through the boats and getting their pictures serving as a perfect ambassador for the series.

Joe Frauenheim brought the UL-72 Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic up and we are hoping to see Jody Patten's UL-25 in place very soon. Jody and the local committee are working hard to get this race underway and their efforts are appreciated.  They are still building the docks and the crane spent roughly an hour getting set and leveling.  Two ambulances and the fire department are on site with a full complement of divers, EMTs and paramedics. 

Greg and Jerry Hopp arrived midday (along with Jim and Charlotte Riley) and they were soon followed by the UL-19 Spirit of Coeur D' Alene, ID and the UL-929 Xaudaro Racing Team.  It's already starting to look like a boat race in the pits of Kamsack!  

JW Myers (UL-23 J.W. Myers' NoFear.com Extreme Racing Team) and the Union Dooz (aka UL-58 Hard Hat Racing Team) are reportedly headed this way. Phil Bononcini, Rick Sandstrom and Howard Shaw are due to join us in the pits this evening as well.

The UL-40 Texaco M&M Deli went out to test, then the UL-15 Freddie's Club Casino of Renton with Greg Hopp piloting went for a spin. To add to the excitement, we witnessed a jet skier dart across the race course as Greg was running. Greg was radioed and was able to easily avoid the resident--who was issued a severe warning by authorities.

Pamela Nykolaishen, the Mayor of Kamsack, was on site for the testing session and says she "loves any kind of racing".  She also got to try on Phil Bononcini's helmet and sit in the cockpit of the UL-72.  She, along with her husband Allen, are great supporters and promoters of this event. 

Tomorrow morning we will have a Safety Meeting at 0800, followed by Driver Physicals, Chapel, Driver's Meeting, Testing, Opening Ceremonies and our first heats.  Clay Serby, Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan as well as Provincial Minister of  Agriculture, and quite possibly the Mayor of Yorkton, will attend the Ceremonies.

Crowds continued to grow throughout the day.  At first they were small, but late in the day as the noise started the numbers increased.  The Beer Gardens seemed to have a good business and the fans are enthralled with the boats!
 

Jody Patten's boat (UL-25) is back in his Kamsack shop and was set to test fire.  After that, it's on it's way to the pit area.  

Thunder Valley Racing's UL-40 has arrived and they have with them their new toy...  A HUGE new team truck!!!!  It's the same size at Carl Haas' UL-110 Miss CompAir rig and we hope to have photos to share soon.

Pit Tower went up last night and the sound system for the race area sounds excellent!  Buoys are still being organized, along with lines, cables and the cranes.  The pit area set-up is inching closer and closer toward complete.  The weather perfect and it looks like we have the start of a great race weekend!
 

Checking in with Kamsack this evening, the weekend is predicted to have temperatures in the 80's and talking with race director Jody Patton, the fans are multiplying quickly.  He explained that interest has mushroomed in just the past few days! 

We don't know the details yet, but we have heard that there is a new toy in the UL-40 camp this weekend.  We'll just consider that a bit of a teaser to keep you checking back.  Details will follow over the weekend.

How are the teams doing making the trip?  The UL-72 Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic and Jody Patten's hull, UL-25 Patten Racing, are already in Kamsack doing local displays to promote sponsors and the event.  At around 4:00 PM EST, a group of Unlimited Lights were spotted in route "just east of Moose Jaw".  A short hour or two later, Jerry and Greg Hopp's UL-15 Freddie's Club Casino of Renton became the first Unlimited Light in the pits.  Nick Ehli and D. Dodge drove 22 hours to get on site. 

Buoys are being placed, docks being finished and Peter Thomson is due on site at any minute. The Pattons--Diane, Wes and Scott arrived yesterday.  Jody Patten is in constant motion.

Quoting several who are on site at this time, "it is so beautiful here".  Many from the series are staying at Duck Mountain Lodge which is about 12 miles from Kamsack.  This facility is located off highway 57, nestled in the heart of Duck Mountain near Ministick Beach.  Ministick Beach will serve as a launching/pit area during the event.  

This area of Saskatchewan is truly amazing.  Deer, foxes, bears (from a distance) and a mass of beautiful white birch trees are just some of the sights spotted as the series sets up shop to race this weekend.  Vendors are already getting into position, the beer gardens are taking shape and children's' play areas will be ready soon.

As we mentioned yesterday, Security Race Products has come on board as a supporting sponsor of the ULHRA.  In addition to their commitment to the series, they will continue to sponsor the Bender's UL-38 Security Race Products team.  Regrettably, the Benders will miss Kamsack, but promise to catch up with the series in Valleyfield.

The Kamsack area has a large native american population, referred to as the "First Nation" in Canada.  In the immediate area, there are three to four different tribes adding a wonderful cultural heritage to the area.  To learn more, visit the First Nation Information Project website.

Interested in all the details on Kamsack and the Duck Mountain Provincial Park?  Visit the area's tourism guide which features a ton of information on Duck Mountain Provincial Park (where the race is taking place).  It should be an exciting weekend!