Hopp wins San Diego

Greg Hopp, driving the 2 time ULHRA champion UL-1 Mike’s Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky took the lead in turn one and raced to victory in the San Diego Thunderboat Regatta for Unlimited Light Hydroplanes, Michael Flaherty, driving the UL-72 Dockside Magazine presents Miss Boat Electric was in lane 1, led the field over the line but the lead reverted to Hopp in the first turn. Flaherty, challenging Hopp for the 2005 ULHRA Championship, was racing without the team’s preferred engine, and eventually wound up 4th.

Hopp and Flaherty were challenged by Paul Droullard in his UL-9 Phoenix Enterprises American Eagle in a 3 way battle for more than 2 laps. On the third & final lap, Droullard assumed command of 2nd place and finished about a roostertail length behind Hopp.

With a strong final lap run, Al Carstensen in the UL-6 BCS Enterprises took third for the best finish in that team’s 2 year history with ULHRA. Behind Flaherty in 5th was UL-929 Team Chapman presents Conover Insurance driven by Vince Xaudaro and in 6th was Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Software Prototype, who started in the trailer position, one roostertail length behind.

What began as a promising weekend with a Heat 1A victory for the UL-40 System Three presents Miss Red Dot Corporation wound up with a 7th place Final Heat finish. Driver Harold Mills was too early to the score-up buoy in an effort to secure his lane of choice and was forced to cut across the infield to the front straightaway prior to the start. As a result, the UL-40 was about 10 seconds behind at the start.

The only major incident of the weekend saw Kevin Aylesworth’s UL-5 Sycuan Resort & Casino flip in the “B-Main”. According to Aylesworth's sister Julie Church, "Kevin is still in the intensive care unit as UCSD Medical Center and on a ventilator. He is breathing 50% on his own and seems to be holding. He will remain in the hospital heavily sedated until his lungs heal. The cat scan and MRI came back negative"

Aylesworth was able to extricate himself from the cockpit of the upside down race craft, but ingested a large amount of salt water. Rescue personnel were on the scene within 30 seconds of the accident. 

John Lynch
P.R. Director, ULHRA Inc.

Final Heat

B-Main Results

Aylesworth transported to hospital after accident

Kevin Aylesworth of Santee CA, owner driver of the UL-5 Sycuan Resort & Casino Unlimited Light Hydroplane is being examined at University Hospital after an accident in the B-Main” heat on San Diego’s Mission Bay. Aylesworth was racing into turn #2 side by side with Greg Hopp when the accident occurred. The boat lifted its right sponson, went up in the air and came down on the transom before settling into the water upside down.

Rescue personnel were on the scene quickly. According to Unlimited Light Hydroplane
Racing Association Medical-Rescue Director Dennis Olson, Aylesworth was talking with rescue personnel and able to move all extremities while being taken by stretcher to a waiting ambulance.

The UL-5 hull was retrieved by safety personnel.

The “B-Main” was rescheduled for 3:`15pm this afternoon. The top three finishing teams in the “B-Main” will transfer for the Unlimited Light Final Heat.

John Lynch
P.R. Director ULHRA, Inc.

Sunday Testing at San Diego

Hopp wins Heat 2B, but must run the B-Main

After two days of rudder problems, the Hopp Racing Team was able to iron them out Greg Hopp went wire to wire for the victory in Heat 2B. Hopp’s victory in the UL-1 Mikes Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky gained him 100 points in the battle with Michael Flaherty for the ULHRA Championship. Flaherty came close but finished 2nd by less than a roostertail length in the UL-72 Dockside Magazine presents Miss Boat Electric. In what turned out to be a drag race finish on the long front chute to the finish line, Al Carstensen in the UL-6 BCS Enterprises wound up third.

Fourth place went to Harold Mills in the UL-40 System Three presents Miss Red Dot Corporation and Paul Becker was fifth in the UL-14 Miss Software Prototype.

Because Hopp did not finish his first preliminary heat, the 400 point win in Heat 2B wasn’t sufficient for automatic seeding into the Final. He’ll have to race his way into the Final by earning one of the 3 transfer spots in Sunday afternoon’s B-Main. The B-Main will be followed by a 7 boat Unlimited Lights Final Heat on San Diego’s swift Mission Bay. The field will be set with six boats on the front line and one trailer boat starting one roostertail length behind.

In Heat 2A, Paul Droullard in the UL-9 Phoenix Enterprises American Eagle collided with the UL-5 Sycuan Resort and Casino, prior to the start. Damage occurred to both boats but they ran and were able to finish. Afterward two 1 minute penalties were assessed to Droullard; one for the collision and one for a DMZ violation. The penaties did not affect his 4th place finish. Aylesworth lost one rear wing and the other was damaged but stayed on. He was able to finish third but came up just short of sufficient points for seeding into the Final. First place in a wire to wire victory was Vince “X-Man” Xaudaro in the Team Chapman Lake Havasu Real Estate presents Conover Insurance. Second place with strong run in the smallest boat in the fleet went to Wil Muncey in the Barrett Engineering La Cucaracha IV. Muncey, holding lane one throughout the heat, took second place. Steve Hook in the UL-19 Mz Zip Fizz Energy Drink Mix was challenging for the lead when his boat went dead in the water on lap three.

The 4 Final Heat qualifiers and their points:

UL-929 Vince Xaudaro 625

UL- 72 Michael Flaherty 600

UL- 9 Paul Droullard 569

UL- 40 Harold Mills. 569


The B-Main at 1:35 pm will include:
UL-1 Greg Hopp
UL-5 Kevin Aylesworth
UL-6 Al Carstensen
UL-14 Paul Becker
UL-18 Joe Turner
UL-19 Steve Hook
UL-136 Wil Muncey

John Lynch
“Voice” of the Unhlimited Lights

Heat 2 Results

Harold Mills and Paul Droullard capture First Heats at San Diego

Harold Mills, who debuted at this race in Unlimited Lights competition two years ago, showed the competition the Thunder Valley Racing Team is here to race with a near wire to wire victory in Heat 1A. Vince Xaudaro in the UL-929 Team Chapman presents Conover Insurance took the lead at the start through turn one. One lane outside of Xaudaro was Mills in the UL-40 System Three presents Miss Red Dot Corporation. Mills overhauled Xaudaro on the backstretch and held more than a roostertail length lead by turn #2. He maintained command by 3 roostertail lengths to the finish. Kevin Aylesworth in the UL-5 Sycuan Resort & Casino held the inside line and was able to pass Xaudaro on lap 2, going on to a second place finish, with Xaudaro in third. Fourth place went to Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Software Prototype and 5th place to UL rookie Wil Muncey, 52 year old son of the legendary Bill Muncey. Rudder problems that cropped up for the UL-1 Mike’s Hard Lemonade in Friday qualifying could not be corrected Greg Hopp started but went dead in the water on the final lap, scoring no points.

In Heat 1B, it was the Phoenix Enterprises American Eagle flying to victory. Paul Droullard paced the field from lane 1 and cruised to victory ahead of Michael Flaherty in the UL-72 Dockside Magazine presents Miss Boat Electric. Third place went to Steve Hook in the UL-19 Mz Zip Fizz Energy Drink Mix with 4th place to Al Carstensen in the UL-6 BCS Enterprises, and 5th to Joe Turner in the UL-18 Pacific Rim Brewing Company.

As a result of the first round of heats, the ULHRA National Championship race has tightened. Michael Flaherty now trails Greg Hopp by only 19 points.

John Lynch
“Voice” of the Unlimited Lights

Heat 1 Results

Qualifying complete at San Diego

For the second consecutive year Paul Droullard and the UL-9 Phoenix Enterprises American Eagle is the Number 1 qualifier at San Diego. While Droullard didn’t approach last year’s world record speed of 122.324 mph, his Saturday morning lap of 117.439 vaulted him ahead of Kevin Aylesworth in the UL-5 Sycuan Resort & Casino.

Third quickest at 112.711 is Harold Mills in the UL-40 System Three presents Miss Red Dot Corporation. Fourth place with his best qualifying effort of the season is Steve Hook in the UL-19 Mz Zip Fizz Energy Drink Mix at 109.107, barely edging Paul Becker and the 31 year old UL-14 Miss Software Prototype at 109.009. Positions six through eight were taken by Al Carstensen in the UL-6 BCS Enterprises in sixth, Wil Muncey in the UL-136 Barrett Engineering La Cucaracha IV in seventh, and Joe Turner in the UL-18, Pacific Rim Brewing Escapius Maximus at eighth.

The big surprise of qualifying is the top three boats in the ULHRA standings failed to reach the top eight and score national points. UL-1 Mike’s Hard Lemonade Happy Go Lucky, driven by Greg Hopp sustained rudder damage while the UL-72 Dockside Magazine presents Miss Boat Electric with driver Michael Flaherty, sustained engine damage, and the UL-929 Team Chapman presents Conover Insurance, driven by Vince Xuadary was beset by ignition and starter problems.

Heat 1A is scheduled for 2:20 this afternoon & will include Greg Hopp, Kevin Aylesworth, Paul Becker, Harold Mills, Wil Muncey & Vince Xuadaro. Heat 1B at 2:40 pm will include Al Carstensen, Joe Turner, Steve Hook, Michael Flaherty & Paul Droullard.

John Lynch
“Voice” of the Unlimited Lights

Heat 1A & 1B Draw

Final Qualifying Results

Fourth Qualifying Session at San Diego

Third Qualifying Session at San Diego

Second Qualifying Session at San Diego

First Qualifying Session at San Diego