UL Point Standings

Villwock wins Bud finale

In the last race for the fabled Miss Budweiser Team, Dave Villwock drove to victory in the Bill Muncey Cup at the Washington Mutual Thunderboat Regatta on San Diego’s Mission Bay.

Villwock’s T-6 Miss Budweiser was the top performer of the weekend, with 4 heat victories and the number 1 qualifying spot at just under 170 mph. Second Place went to Mitch Evans in the Vacationville.com, the only piston powered hull in the otherwise all turbine fleet. Third place went to Steve David in the Madison IN based Oh Boy! Oberto, followed by Nate Brown in the York presents Miss Emcor. The other two finalists, J. Michael Kelly in Graham Trucking and J.W. Myers in the Llumar Window Film both failed to finish. The Llumar broke a propeller and took on water, nearly sinking to the bottom, but quick work by the rescue team brought the hull back in to the pit area.

 

Woods takes San Diego….again!

In a thrilling finish, George Woods Jr. held off home town favorite Kevin Ayelsworth to capture the Laughlin Nevada Unlimited Light Hydroplane Challenge on San Diego’s Mission Bay.

Woods, starting third in the Graham Trucking – Security Race Products UL-72 was trailing leader Jerry Hopp in the UL-1 Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and Aylesworth in the UL-5 Sycuan Resort and Casino. Going into the Sea World turn on lap #2, Hopp’s boat began to struggle and nearly went dead in the water. Aylesworth and then Woods both passed Hopp in the turn setting up a one lap battle for the title. Woods was able to overcome Aylesworth on the backstretch and held on for a 5 boat length victory.

Third place was secured by Vince Xaudaro in the UL-929 Team Chapman – Lake Havasu City Real Estate. 4th was Michael Flaherty in the UL-51AFE Filters presents Miss Boat Electric, followed by Brian Perkins in the UL-136 Perkins glass Presents La Cucaracha IV, and in 6th was Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Software Prototype.

Falling to the back of the pack was Hopp, however due to a one minute penalty for a score-up infraction by Harold Mills in the UL-40 Red Dot Corp. salutes the U.S. Marines, Hop took 7th and Mills wound up 8th after a strong run that had him in 4th, prior to the penalty.

With Woods victory and perfect 3 heat wins, he remains mathematically in contention for the ULHRA Series Points Title. Jerry Hopp continues to lead. The victory by Woods matches his win here in the Bill Muncey Cup in1988 driving the Unlimited Hydroplane, Oh Boy Oberto.  Woods becomes the first driver to win in both categories in San Diego.

Myers and Brown advance to Thunderboat Final

Aylesworth takes "B Main" Three advance to the Final

Kelly wins wire to wire in Heat 2

J. Michael Kelly, in his rookie season driving Thunderboats,, led from the start in Heat 2A . Driving the Graham Trucking entry for Jim Harvey, Kelly held off J.W. Myers in he Llumar Window Film, while Steve David took third in Oh Boy Oberto. Greg Hopp was unable to start the Charles Standlly Handyman Kelly averaged 148.582 mph for the head win. In a rare occurrence, Kelly’s race speed slightly exceeded his qualifying speed.

In Heat 2B, it was 4 laps of deck to deck racing between Dave Hillock in the Miss Budweiser and Mitch Evans in the Vacationville.com. Evans had the inside, but Villwock was able to extend his lead in the chutes. With the long run to the finish line on the Mission Bay course, Villvock took the victory by a couple of boat lengths. Third place went to Nate Brown in the recently repaired York Presents Miss Emcor. Villwock’s winning speed was `153.925, less than 6 tenths of a mile per hour quicker than Evans over the 4 lap 10 mile heat.

Dr. Ken Muscatel started from lane one and lead through the first turn. At the end of lap one, the Mister Home Loan was running strong and less than a roostertail length behind in third place, but the boat went dead in the water on lap 2.

 

Unlimited Lights Points after preliminary heats

UL72 Graham Trucking-Security Racing Products, driven by George Woods 800 pts

UL 1 Mike’s Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky driven by Jerry Hopp 625 pts

UL51 AFE Filters presents Miss Boat Electric driven by Michael Flaherty 600 pts

UL929 Team Chapman-Lake Havasu City Real Estate driven by Vince Xaudaro 525 pts

UL136 Perkins Glass presents La Cucaracha IV driven by Brian Perkins 525 pts

The above 5 teams have qualified for the Final Heat in the Laughlin Nevada Unlimited Light Hydroplane Challenge. The Final is scheduled for 4:10pm.

The remaining 4 boats are eligible for the “B” Main at 1:55pm. From the “B Main” 3 boats will transfer to the Final. The winner of the “B Main will start on the 6 boat front line in the Final. Second and Third Place in the “B Main” will start as “Trailer Boats” one roostertail length behind the front line.

Those teams eligible for the “B Main” include

UL 9 American Eagle driven by Paul Droullard 400 pts

UL 14 Miss Software Prototype driven by Paul Becker 225 pts

UL 5 Sycuan Resort & Casino driven by Kevin Aylesworth 0 pts

UL-40 Red Dot Corporation salutes the U.S. Marines driven by Harold Mills 0 pts


Two Unlimited Light teams, the UL6 BCS Racing Team driven by Al Carstensen and the UL18 Jackie’s Purple Thunder presents Pacific Rim Brewing and Baker Equipment Co. have withdrawn due to mechanical woes.


Woods two victories pace Saturday in San Diego

Two preliminary heat wins have secured a Final Heat berth for the UL72 Graham Trucking - Security Race Products, driven by George Woods Jr. Woods was involved in two deck to deck battles with the X-Man, Vince Xaudaro, driving his own UL929 Team Chapman - Lake Havasu Real Estate.

Xaudaro appeared to have two 2nd place finishes, but in Heat 2A he was ruled to have violated the score-up rule...crossing the score-up pin just barely ahead of the one minute gun. The one minute penalty placed Xaudaro in third position, moving Michael Flaherty in the UL-51 AFE Filters presents Miss Boat Electric, into second place.

Top qualifier Paul Droullard had a mixed Saturday. He won Heat 1A, but in Heat 2A the American Eagle broke its propeller; the second failed prop of the weekend for the UL-9. Droullard is hopeful of running on Sunday. On Friday, Droullard established a new lap speed record in ULHRA Inc events at 122.324 mph.

Jerry Hopp, currently leading the 2004 ULHRA points championship, picked up a 3rd and a 1st place to maintain an 1153 point lead over Woods. The Mike's Hard Lemonade ran side by side for 3 laps with the surprisingly strong UL-136 Perkins Glass presents La Cucaracha IV driven by Brian Perkins. I was Perkins 3rd race in this hull. He debuted at this race a year ago, and shows that the dominant driver in the 4 cylinder ULHRA Lighter than LIGHTS series, also belongs in the Unlimited Lights.

Heat results follow.

The top 5 teams by points have qualified for the Sunday afternoon Final in the Laughlin Nevada Unlimited Light Hydroplane Challenge. The remaining 3 spots in the Final will be determined in the "B" Main, early Sunday afternoon on Mission Bay.

 

Villwock wins first heat. Evans sets speed mark.

Dave Villwock in the final race for the Miss Budweiser team captured first place in Heat 1A Saturday in a thrilling deck to deck dual with J.W. Myers in the Llumar Window Film.

Villwock’s speed was 148.588 mph, and his margin of victory was less than 2 boat lengths. Earlier in the day, the Miss Bud driver supassed his own speed mark of the weekend, turning a qualifying lap of 169.940 mph. According to Unlimited Historian Fred Farley, it’s the quickest lap turned by a turbine hydroplane running at 4.3 gallons per minute fuel allotment. The Washington Mutual Thunderboat Regatta for the Bill Muncey Cup is being officiated by the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association, Inc.(ULHRA), sanctioning body for the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Series. San Diego is one of three races on the 2004 schedule that chose to conduct an “independent” race. The other two were Evansville IN back in June and Tri Cities WA in July. It’s also the final event of the year for the Unlimited Hydroplanes, while the Unlimited Lights have one more race in two weeks in Port Angeles WA.

Heat 1B was captured by Mitch Evans in the Vacationville.com over Greg Hopp in the Charles Standley Handyman entry. Nate Brown in the York Presents Miss Emcor finished 3rd. This is the same hull that crashed with Brown aboard, at the Seattle Seafair event in August.

Evans also ran the fastest lap ever recorded by a piston powered hydroplane, on Saturday. The craft from Evansville IN toured the Mission Bay course at 162.602 mph.