Congratulations
to Jerry Hopp and the UL-15 Mike's Hard Hopp takes win. Hometown entry a popular second place If the Unlimited Lights keep producing races like this weekend and at Seafair a week ago, I'm going to have to find that elusive "signature exclamation" Something like "GODFREY DANIEL, what a race! It truly was a spectacular race, on Olympia, Washington's scenic Black Lake, at Columbus Park. Produced by the Olympia Power Boat Association, the 2nd year Speedfest is quickly growing into an event of substance. Not only were the Unlimited Lights incredibly competitive, so were the other classes competing including 2.5 Stock Hydroplanes and 5 Liter Stock Hydroplanes. The first day (Saturday) recap is elsewhere on this site. Let's get to Sunday, August 10th. Heat 3A & 3B for the Unlimited Lights was a new draw from the Saturday preliminaries. Curiously, this section of preliminary heats featured an all carburetor heat, and an all supercharger heat. In Heat 3A, knowing he didn't have the horsepower to keep up with the UL72 Graham Trucking of Phil Bononcini, rapidly improving Vince Xaudaro in the UL929 Microsoft Office Project elected to go for lane one and hope for the best. The "X" man was deck to deck with Bononcini going into turn 1 and exiting the first turn, Xaudaro had a brief lead. But by midway down the backstretch, Bononcini took the lead and was never re-passed, although Xaudaro valiantly challenged throughout the heat and stayed within striking range. Third place went to Steve Hook in the UL19 Windows SharePoint Services, while Ping Conflitti in the UL58 SharePoint Portal Services took 4th. Continuing their ill fortune from the day before when the UL40 Front Page 2003 with Kelly Stocklin qualified 4th, only to suffer engine damage that kept it from racing, Stocklin could not start heat 3A. He returned to the pits prior to the start. Heat 3B really reverberated around the stadium-like Black Lake race course with 4 supercharged entries. But the roar of the crowd was just as intense. By the end of lap #2, Jerry Hopp in the UL15 was running deck to deck with..........George Woods?! Nothing against Woods, who was proclaimed by renowned hydroplane builder Ron Jones Sr. one of the very best hydroplane racers in the world, but Wood's UL51 Security Race Products is probably 500 lbs or more heavier than Hopp's Big "O" Tires of Issaquah and Issaquah Pit Stop Presents Mike's Hard Lemonade/Happy Go Lucky. The UL51 is also 22 years old and more than a decade behind the technology curve compared to the UL15. But the great equalizer is Woods in the cockpit, and Woods tuning the engine. Two laps of side by side racing by two talented veterans the likes of Hopp and Woods thrilled the crowd. Ultimately, the better boat prevailed, but not by much. Both Hopp and Woods came to race in Olympia and they sure put on a show! Both would advance to the Final; each with 1100 points. Third place went to another rapidly improving team; the hometown boat from Olympia WA, the UL17 Ted's Red Apple Market driven by Rick Bridgeman. Fourth place went to Kevin Aylesworth in the UL5 Hilton Garden Inn Presents Baker Equipment of Renton Wa. So, the Final heat seeds were set, with Hopp, Woods, and Bononcini. The "B" Main figured to be an excellent last chance run for the Final, and it proved to be just that. Vince Xaudaro secured the inside position edged into the lead exiting turn number 1. Steve Hook in the UL19 was even with Xaudaro & Bridgeman, but lost ground in the sharp first turn. Both Ping Conflitti in the UL58 and Kevin Aylesworth in the UL5 were behind at the start. With Xaudaro to his inside, Bridgeman maintained a very slight margin as the two drivers diced for first place over the first two laps. Nearing the end of lap 3, something happened to the right rear upright on the UL17, causing it to lay horizontal. Ron Jones said, the loss of the right side upright probably affected Bridgeman's boat mostly in the turns, and Xaudaro was able to take advantage, ultimately winning but only by half a roostertail. It was quite a run by both the 929 and 17 teams and both advanced to the final. Despite his late start, Kevin Aylesworth was able to recover to finish third, while Ping Conflitti edged Steve Hook for 4th. When it was learned that the UL72 had to withdraw, that 4th place finish for Conflitti in the UL58 put him into the Final. The Final put 6 top Unlimited Lights onto a course that some felt was best suited for 5. After the final heat, some of the drivers in the Final felt the same way. But what an exciting Final. Into turn number one, racing hard with neither tail fin, the leader brought the crowd to its feet because if was Olympia's own Rick Bridgeman. At the exit pin, inside of Bridgeman were Vince Xaudaro and Jerry Hopp, who took the lead. Hopp was challenged throughout lap 1 by Xaudaro on the inside and Bridgeman to the outside. Hopp's lead slowly, but steadily lengthened, but no more than a roostertail length, as Bridgeman and Xaudaro battled for 2nd spot, and ready to pounce should Hopp's boat hiccup. The Mike's Hard Lemonade/Happy Go Lucky UL15 would not be denied this day, and Jerry Hopp drove on to his first victory of 2003. His son Greg took first at the season opener, Tastin & Racin at Issaquah WA, last June. While Hopp assumed command, the battle for 2nd place became more intense. After starting on the far outside and getting slowed in the first turn, UL5 pilot Kevin Aylesworth began to reel in the field; at least some of the field as he closed on the second place battle between Xaudaro and Bridgeman. In the end, Bridgeman captured a very popular second place finish in front of the home crowd, and Aylesworth came from behind on the last turn & straightaway to edge the "X" Man for third. It made for an excellent end to a weekend the Freedom Racing Team felt was less than their best. Still, backup driver Jon Church scored his first points as a UL driver, and the team took consecutive 3rd place finishes in Seattle and Olympia. Fourth place was quite a jump for the heretofore struggling UL929 team. Coming into the race with only one third place heat finish all season, Xaudaro reeled off three 2nd place finishes, plus a "B" Main win and 4th in the final. Can you imagine.......3 second place preliminary heat finishes and Xaudaro still had to race the "B" Main to reach the final? This Unlimited Lights series is tough. Fifth went to George Woods in the UL51, who ran out of room on the tight course. By the time he was able to resume serious racing the pack was too far ahead. But this was a most successful weekend Woods with 2 heat victories and a 2nd place prior to the Final 5th place. It moved Woods all the way to third place in the driver and team standings, just ahead of Steve Hook. Sixth place went to a relieved Pingree Conflitti and the UL58 team. Relieved because they made it through the weekend successfully without breakage, and ran the best we've seen from this team all year. Expect more from the Detroit based 2nd year UL racer come San Diego CA in September and Port Angeles WA in October. Be sure to check the Standings section of this website. You'll see that Hopp Racing's UL15 has nearly an 800 point lead over the UL72 from Impact Equipment Racing , while Phil Bononcini has a mere 98 point lead over Jerry Hopp in the driver's race. John Lynch Results from the Olympia Speedfest Final Olympia
Speedfest Final In the final, the course itself was a bit tight for six hulls entering the first turn together. The boat pinched this time out was George Woods in the UL-51. George was forced to back out the field and was unable to recover. Up front, Jerry Hopp and the UL-15 would dominate this time out. A great battle for second was enjoyed between Aylesworth in the UL-5 and Bridgeman in the UL-17. Side-by-side fight start to finish and Bridgeman didn't even possess uprights for the final. He lost one in the "B" Main and took the both off for the final. Check back later for John Lynch's full review of the day's racing action. Results from the "B" Main at Speedfest! "B"
Main Based on points, the UL-51 (1100 points), the UL-15 (1100 points) and the UL-72 (969 points) had already advanced to the final. From the "B" Main, the UL-929, UL-17 and UL-5 would advance to complete the six boat field. The UL-100 withdrew early in the day. One surprise just prior to the final... Phil Bononcini and the UL-72 Graham Trucking would withdraw due to a cracked strut allowing Ping Conflitti and the UL-58 to advance to the final field of six. Results from Heat 3A and 3B in Olympia Washington ... Speedfest! Heat
3A Heat 3B In 3B we had a solid battle for the front spot between the UL-15 and the UL-51. The fight would continue for two laps! Check John Lynch's upcoming race review for more on this fight for first. Draw for Heat 3A and 3B plus details on the "B" Main and the Final In heat 3A we will have... In
heat 3B we will have... The final will be a six boat race with no trailers. The top three boats in points will automatically advance to the final. The next six boats will be in the "B" Main heat. The top three boats from the "B" Main will advance to fill the remaining three spots in the final. John Lynch offers a full review of Saturday's Unlimited Light action Heat
1A Heat
1B Heat
2A Heat
2B After Day One at Olympia Speedfest 2003 UL-51 George Woods
- 800 pts UL40 Front Page 2003. Kelly Stocklin. After qualifying 4th fastest with an impressive run of 89.946 mph on the tight 1 1/4 mile Black Lake course, the Thunder Valley team's engine sustained ample damage and the boat was scratched for the day's racing. They hope to return on Sunday either with a repaired engine, or a replacement. The UL40 has looked the best it has all year long the past two weeks only to sustain mechanical woes that kept it out of competition. UL100. Vince Xaudaro's black ex UL929 Karelson hull, with a Kelly Stocklin 427 cu.in SuperStock engine, may be the debut of the ULHRA's first woman race driver. Limited racer & journalist Tracy Morgan hopes to race in preliminary heat competition on Sunday. Stocklin and Xaudaro and others worked long hours this week trying to get this ride ready for competition but they ran short of time. By the draw, both heats looked to have strong competition on Saturday and that's the way it went. In Heat 1A at the end of lap one it was three wide at the line with Vince Xaudaro, Steve Hook, and George Woods battling for the lead. Hook had to back off because at the end of lap one his UL19 got very light and looked to be close to blowing over. Hook brought his ride under control and wound up 3rd. Woods and Xaudaro continued on for 4 laps with Woods, running on the outside, gradually moving to a 3 roostertail length victory. Qualifying driver Jon Church in the UL5 started outside and back in his heat of competition and ran capably to a 4th place finish. In Heat 1B, Hopp & Bononcini did it again; another outstanding race between these two top notch teams. But it nearly ended before it began. Both drivers wanted lane 1. The score-up buoy in the middle of the backstretch is where that issue is decided. Bononcini got there a bit early. Knowing he cannot pass the score-up buoy until after the 1 minute "gun" he went to the infield and made a tight circle. Jerry Hopp, seeing this maneuver from the turn one exit pin, accelerated quickly trying to take lane one. Bononcini turned in front of Hopp and only a quick right turn by Hopp avoided a serious collision. At the end of the race, Referee Dick Price issued a one minute penalty on Bononcini and the UL72 for not following the "4 boat length" overlap rule. As explained by ULHRA President, and UL72 team owner Joe Frauenheim, Unlimited Lights must have a 4 boat length "overlap" in order to take a lane away from a competitor. This rule applies, even before the heat begins, and Frauenheim agreed with the call, as Bononcini from inside the course tried to take away lane one which was occupied by the swift moving UL15 just before the score-up buoy. The penalty dropped Bononcini to 4th, but not until after a thrilling side by side 4 lap duel with Hopp that Bononcini won on the course by less than a roostertail length. In Heat 2A & 2B, the matchups were the same, and the racing just as exciting. In 2A, Vince Xaudaro got the jump on George Woods, Steve Hook and Kevin Aylesworth, now behind the wheel of his UL5. Aylesworth must've had a deja-vu moment, as he was racing into the turn and gaining, following a late start. The deja-vu moment was he ran afoul of a couple of roostertails that nearly put out the fire in the supercharged engine. Aylesworth was able to recover and finish a strong third. The same thing happened in Seattle last weekend in a preliminary heat, costing Aylesworth a points finish, although he wound up third in the Seattle Seafair Final. Meanwhile, the "X" Man took off in first with George Woods close behind. The heat reminded fans of the Seattle Seafair finale last weekend, where Cal Phipps trailed Dave Bender for nearly 3 laps, only to win at the line on the final lap. For Xaudaro, in the Bender role, he drove his best race of the season. It took Woods 3 laps on the Black Lake course to get by the UL929, edging closer with each lap. In the end, Woods was victorious by about a roostertail length. In Heat 2B, there were no near collisions, but Hopp was able to get lane one because Bononcini again was too early to the score-up buoy. Bononcini could've been in a difficult spot having to start on the outside, but Rick Bridgeman and Ping Conflitti both left lane 2 available. Bononcini didn't wait to be asked a second time, secured lane two, and won the start. He went on to a convincing victory in his non supercharged UL72 over Jerry Hopp in the supercharged UL15. But the other two entrants made this a very exciting heat. Rick Bridgeman thrilled his hometown fans by actually taking second on lap 2 ahead of Jerry Hopp. He maintained second till the end of lap three, while Ping Confliti was challenging Hopp for third in the UL58's best run of the year. In the end, Hopp prevailed in second, Bridgeman wound up with a heartbreaking DNF as the boat stalled in the final turn, and Conflitti finished a strong third. In the Limited Class racing, Jeff Bernard and Brian Perkins traded victories in the 2.5 liter stock hydroplane field. Bernard has a strong racing lineage and was driving for Jerry Jarvis in this class. His step father and his uncle, Terry Troxell and Mike Weber, both currently race in Unlimited Hydroplanes, and both competed previously in Unlimited Lights. Bernard dominated heat one over Ken Pasquinucci who's boat wasn't running its best. In the second heat, Pasquinucci's team improved the performance, and Brian Perkins benefitted by driving Pasquinucci's entry past Bernard in a come from behind victory, enabled by Perkins daring dart to the inside through Bernard's roostertail at the end of lap two. From there, Perkins benefited by running a shorter course from lane one, and motored on to victory. In the 5 Liter heats, Barbara Michael, one of the race organizers and a soon to be Unlimited Lights driver, had one of those days. The first heat she sustained motor problems and returned to the pits after lap one. In Heat 2, she led wire to wire but jumped the gun in the process and was given a one minute penalty. Jeff Bernard won both heats of 5 liter competition, driving for Armand Yapachino. Racing resumes Sunday with testing at 11am (Pacific time) and racing at 12 noon at Columbus Park on Black Lake at Olympia WA. John Lynch Results
from Unlimited Light Heat 1A First a note on the line-up. The UL-100 has pulled itself out of the first flight of heats as they needed to work on the engine. Likewise, the UL-40 Front Page 2003 (looking really good out on the water this weekend) took advantage of the opening and dropped themselves back into 1B. Also, John Church, as a new driver, started back and on the outside during the heat getting some solid heat time safely finishing the race. The hard charging traditional pilot for the UL-5 team, Kevin Aylesworth, will be back driving for them in the next series of heats. Throughout the first lap, it would be Woods in the UL-51 (lane 1), Xaudaro in the UL-929 (lane 2) and Hook in the UL-19 (lane 3) running side-by-side. This would come to an end as Steve Hook got very light in the UL-19 Windows Sharepoint Services almost flipping the boat at the end of lap one. In the end, Woods would take the checkered flag and the win in heat 1A. In terms of the points, the UL-51 would earn 400 points, the UL-929 would earn 300 points (more than doubling his points total for the 2003 season), the UL-19 would earn 225 points (moving the UL-19 into the third place spot in the national point standings) and the UL-5 would earn 169 points. Draw
for Heat 1A and 1B In
heat 1B we will have... Qualification
results and speeds! The early word!
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