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(Tri Cities WA) Greg Hopp wins the HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup, the 2nd event in the Powerboats NW West Coast Series for Unlimited Light Hydroplanes. Following lengthy delays due to high winds and a couple of accidents in the Unlimited race, the Final Heat finally started shortly before 6:00pm Pacific time. Hopp, in the UL-1 Mike's Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky snared the inside lane for the start, beat Michael Flaherty to the starting line and won wire to wire over the 3 lap 5 mile Final Heat distance. Flaherty, driving the UL-72 Powerboats NW presents Miss Boat Electric wound up in second followed by Bob Estes in the UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking in third place. Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic took 4th. After a late start Wil Muncey in the UL-83 Power Punch advanced to 5th place with Joe Turner in the UL-18 Pacific Rim Brewing Co. in 6th and Bill Strain in the UL-56 Miss Diagnosed in 7th. Strain was the alternate for the Final after finishing in 5th place in the B-Main He advanced to the Final when the UL-2 Red Hot driven by Mike Webster was withdrawn. All Carstensen made a strong run in the UL-6 BCS Racing Enterprises and maintained 3rd place until problems developed near the entrance pin of the final turn and the boat went dead in the water. With the victory by Hopp, coupled with his number 1 qualifying spot at better than 119 mph, the Hopp Racing Team had a perfect 1240 point weekend That erased Michael Flaherty's 446 point advantage at the start of the weekend and vaults Hopp into the top spot with a margin of 252 points as the Unlimited Lights head to Seattle next weekend for the Graham Trucking Cup at Seafair. John Lynch "Voice":of the Unlimited Lights
Saturday Report #3. July 29, 2006 HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup (Tri Cities WA) Greg Hopp overcame a third place start and won Heat 2A going away, over second place Bob Estes in Heat 2B of the HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Caup; race # 2 of the Powerboats NW Unlimited Lights Western Series. Hopp, driving the UL-1 Mike's Hard Lemonade - Happy Go Lucky took the lead in turn number one and was never headed. Estes, at the wheel of the UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking settled for second place, knowing that would get him into Sunday's Final Heat. Third place was taken by Joe Turner in the UL-18 Pacific Rim Brewing Co. which gave him 525 points from the preliminary heats. That number equaled the total of Al Carstensen in the UL-6 BCS Enterprises team but Carstensen won the tiebreaker with an overall faster elapsed time. Carstensen is in the Final while Turner will need to earn one of 4 berths available in the B-Main. Fourth place went to Wil Muncey in the UL-83 Power Punch, but he was penalized a minute for dislodging a buoy. Fourth place went to Mike Webster in the UL-2 Red Hot and Bill Strain in the UL-56 Miss Diagnosed wound up 6th. Briam Perkins in the UL-40 Miss Red Dot Corporation did not start. Here is the lineup for the B-Man, with the top 4 teams advancing to the 8 boat Final. UL-2 Red Hot, Mike Webster UL-18 Pacific Rim Brewing, Joe Turner UL-19 Mz Zip Fizz, Ryan Mallow UL-40 Miss Red Dot Corporation UL-56 Miss Diagnosed, Bill Strain UL-72 Poweboats NW presents Miss Boat Electric UL-83 Power Punch, Wil Muncey UL-89 No Excuses Racing, Mike Sadlon The 4 teams seeded into the Final Heat are UL-1 Mikes Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky, Greg Hopp 800 pts UL-6 BCS Enterprises Racing, Al Carstensen 525 pts UL-14 Miss Critical Logic, Paul Becker 569 pts UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking, Bob Estes 700 pts John Lynch "Voice" of the Unlimited Lights Check the home page of this website Sunday for video streaming times
Saturday Report #2. July 29, 2006 HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup (Tri Cities WA) Several teams needing a top finish to advance to tomorrow’s Final Heat here at the HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup were drawn into Heat 2A. This is race #2 of the Powerboats NW Unlimited Lights Western Series. At the start, Michael Flaherty was just a shade early in the UL-72 Miss Boat Electric and was assessed a one minute penalty. Flaherty was on the outside, with Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic in lane 2 and Al Carstensen on the inside. Flaherty and Becker went into turn 1 just about even with Carstensen a half roostertail behind. Carstensen’s UL-6 BCS Enterprises entry slid into the roostertail of Becker and lost some power but quickly recovered. On lap 3, Becker in his 32 year old Ron Jones hull took the lead for good on the backstretch in a very impressive straightway run, and held on for the victory. Flaherty crossed the line second and Carstensen third, all within a roostertail of each other. With the completion of Heat 2A, Becker has 569 points and Carstensen 525 points. Both have a chance to advance to the Final Heat on points, depending on the results of Heat 2B where the winners and runners-up from Heats 1A & B were all drawn into the same preliminary heat. Flaherty will be in the B-Main where at least 4 teams will advance to the Final Heat. Heat 2B will be at 5:10pm Pacific Time and can be watched, right here. John Lynch Saturday Report #1 July 29, 2006 HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup .Race Number (Tri Cities WA) The Unlimited Lights season points race had a big change as a result of the first round of racing on the Columbia River, Greg Hopp eliminated the bulk of his 446 point deficit to Michael Flaherty with a victory in Heat 1B, while Flaherty did not start in Heat 1A. Hopp, in the Mike’s Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky had quite a dice with the surprisingly racy Pacific Rim Brewing Co UL-18 driven by Joe Turner. This is the same hull that lost its right sponson in a traffic accident prior to the Seattle race last year and the team spent the winter in a rebuilding project. It succeeded as Turner’s entry was a solid competitor, and Turner won the start. Third place went to Bryan Richards in the UL-4 Shoreline Sign & Awning followed by Mike Sadlon in the UL-89 No Excuses Racing, and fifth place to Bill Strain in the UL-56 Miss Diagnosed. In Heat 1A, after Flaherty in the UL-72 Powerboats NW presents Miss Boat Electric was unable to start, Bob Estes and Brian Perkins took advantage. Perkins in the UL-40 Miss Red Dot Corporation made a great start and took the lead into turn 1 with Al Carstensen, Paul Becker, Rod Bourke and Estes all challenging. Out of the turn Estes in the UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking grabbed second with Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic and Rod Bourke in the UL-62 IRS Environmental-Benz Electric side by side and Al Carstensen another half roostertail behind. Unfortunately Bourke’s engine later lost power and he did not finish. Perkins held the lead through 2 laps of the 3 lap heat but appeared to lose some power coming off the exit pin of turn two, which on this course is also the start-finish line as much of the turbine race course is used in the UL HAPO course Estes took the lead in turn 1 on the final lap. Perkins later commented that something affected the engine’s output going into lap 3. The problem cleared itself up on the backstretch but not soon enough to overcome Estes’ advantage. Carstensen passed Becker going into the final turn for third place while Becker finished 4th and Mike Webster in the UL-2 Red Hot wound up 5th. J. Craig Fletcher in the UL-13 Celtic Racing did not start. Here is the lineup for Heats 2A and 2B 2A 2B UL 4 Bryan Richards has scratched for the weekend due to hull damage. UL 929 Kelly Stocklin has also scratched. Press Release At 9:30 AM the ACCS -"G" -Thunderboats took to the water. At the end of the race Dustin Echols, driver of the G17, owed by Shawn and Rick Bridgeman blew over. The G 17 was entering the first turn for a parade lap. It appears that the throttle stuck wide open. As the Hydroplane was floating through the air the engine rpm’s were at the maximum. You could hear the engine back firing up against the rev limiter. Dustin was able to get out of the boat under his own power. When the rescue crew arrived Dustin was alert and talking. As a precaution he was taken to a local hospital for a complete physical due to a sore knee. We would like to thank the Tri-City Water Follies, ULHRA and ABRA rescue for a job well done. For updates please visit our web site, www.ulhra.org. Pat Malara Draws Heat 1 A UL 2 Red Hot Mike Webster UL 6 BCS Enterprises Al Carstensen UL 13 Celtic Racing J Craig Fletcher UL 14 Miss Critical Logic Paul Becker UL 33 Miss Graham Trucking Bob Estes UL 40 Miss Red Dot Corp Brian Perkins UL 62 IRS Environmental presents Benz Electric Rod Bourke UL 72 Powerboats NW presents Miss Boat Electric Michael Flaherty Heat 1 B UL 1 Mike’s Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky Greg Hopp UL 4 Shoreline Sign & Awning Bryan Richards UL 18 Pacific Rim Brewing Co. Joe Turner UL 19 Mz Zip Fizz Energy Drink Mix Ryan Mallow UL 56 Miss Diagnosed Bill Strain UL 83 Power Punch Wil Muncey UL 89 No Excuses Racing Mike Sadlon UL 929 Graham Trucking Too-Security Race Products Kelly Stocklin Friday report 7-28-06 Powerboats Northwest West Coast ULHRA Series (Tri Cities WA) Greg Hopp in the Ul-1 Mike's Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky leads the field after Friday qualifying for the HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup here on the Columbia River. Hopp's speed of 119.896 mph easily topped Al Carsensen in the UL-6 BCS Racing Enterprises a 108.296 mph. Third at101.588 was Michael Flaherty in the UL-72 Powerboats NW presents Miss Boat Electric followed by Bob Estes in the ULl-33 Miss Graham Trucking at 100.990. Thirteen of the 15 teams in the pit area made qualifying runs today. Ryan Mallow in the UL-19 Mz Zip Fizz was unable to complete a lap but a team spokesman said the problem was corrected and they'll run on Saturday. Joe Turner in the UL-18 Pacific Rim Brewing made one slow test lap and returned to the pits. A 16th entry, Mike Sadlon from Michigan with the UL-89 No Excused Racing entry is expected to arrive in town tonight. Rod Bourke in the UL-62 IRS Environmental presents Benz Electric edged Jerry Hopp in the Mike's Hard Lemonade in the day ending "Dash for Cash". Paul Becker in the Miss Critical Logic UL-14 was leading on the final lap when his boat went dead in the water. Becker later revealed the problem was a failed ignition wire and the UL-14 will be ready on Saturday. The American Challenge Cup Series is debuting this weekend. In the first heat on Friday afternoon, Dick Lynch in the G-13 Tempo edged Ken Brodie II in the G-555 GP50 Racing entry Dustin Echols in the G-17 Schucks Auto Supply was challenging for the win when his boat went dead in the water at the end of lap 2. The G-17 has been rebuilt after a spectacular flip at this event one year ago. Also on hand for the ACCS program is Mike Eacrett and the Team G-24 Racing LLC entry. Eacrett ran some solid test laps earlier in the day but was unable to start the ACCS heat. Dave Waren in the G-329 Baker Equipment Co had to shut down prior to the start. John Lynch P.R. Director, ULHRA Inc.
For the first time in its brief 4 year
history, ULHRA's Lighter than LIGHTS series heads to the desert of
Southeast Washington State this weekend to compete in the HAPO
Community Credit Union Thunder Cup. The LTL program of 8 cylinder
stock hydroplanes and 4 cylinder stock hydroplanes will be on the
same card as the Unlimited Lights, and the competitive debut of the
larger American Challenge Cup Series.
After a strong winning performance at Tastin n Racin
in June, Robby Dahlquist in the S-5 Pacific Nautiques holds a 623
point advantage over Kayleigh Perkins in the S-6 Baker Equipment.
Jeff Perkins in the Y-82 Perkins Glass holds third, 177 points back
of his teammate. With 1200 points available this weekend the
standings could shift significantly.
On the 8 cylinder stock side, Jon Zimmerman in the
E-72 Chop Chip holds a 531 point advantage over Rob Lisk in the E-27
Miss Tons O Fun. In third is Jim Mauldin in his E-31 Mauldin's Well
Service, just 42 points behind Lisk, and a mere two points in front
of 4th place Mark Echols in Dave Cossette's E-15 "Wingin It".
Teams are competing for their share of the LTL season
long prize fund. After this weekend two races remain in the Lighter
than LIGHTS series for 2006. Those dates are August 19 and 20 at
Silverdale WA and September 30 and October 1st at Port Angeles WA.
Meantime..........
McKays duke it out, again, in Tri Cities this weekend BELFAIR, Wash. – Bud and Gigi McKay, from the Namron Racing Team, will square off on the water again in Tri Cities during this week’s HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup. They’ll race Friday and Sunday in between the unlimited and the unlimited lights hydroplanes. Thanks, to their sponsor, Rick Stevens of GEICO Direct in Lakewood, Wash., the McKays will be able to race two hydroplanes in the 8-Cylinder Stock “Lighter Than Lights” series of the Unlimited Lights Hydroplane Association. They have teamed up with Bob Donley of Ravensdale, Wash., to run his “Terminator” hydroplane for the race since he can’t make the race. With the sponsorship from GEICO, both boats have been reflagged for the race. Bud will drive the “GEICO Presents Namron Racing Team,” and Gigi will drive the “GEICO Presents The Terminator.” This is the second time Bud and Gigi have raced against each other. Last weekend at Moses Lake with Gigi driving for Donley, the McKays squared off three times. Gigi has a 2-1 lead in the battle. “That was about the most fun I’ve had in hydroplane racing,” Gigi said, who is the security and guest services manager for the Kitsap Mall in Silverdale, Wash. “If I didn’t have such an awful start in the first heat we raced against each other, I’d have skunked him.” What does Bud say about getting beat by his wife? “It wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t wave at me every time she passed me,” Bud said, a retired Air Force Reserve master sergeant who still works as a civilian at McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Wash. “But it was such a blast being out there with her. The first and second time we raced against each other, we really had to work – we were within 2 seconds of each other at the finish both heats. The last heat we raced, she was just gone and I couldn’t keep up. No one was more proud of her than me when she got by me than me. Especially with all that she’s been through.” The Moses Lake race was the first race Gigi competed in since coming off chemotherapy for breast cancer just four weeks earlier.
John Lynch Bud McKay, NAMRON Racing Mark Sharley at Valleyfield
In addition to a large fleet of Unlimited
Lights this weekend at Tri Cities, for the first time ever the American
Challenge Cup Series will be competing and the Lighter than LIGHTS
series will also be on hand at the Columbia River event..
ULHRA's American Challenge Cup Series for
hydroplanes larger than Unlimited Lights will conduct its first racing
event on the HAPO Thunder Cup course. The ACCS program includes a
growing number of teams; among them three teams in the eastern half of
the U.S. One of those teams, the G-555 Miss GP 50 Racing driven by Ken
Brodie II of Grand Island NY will be competing this weekend. This
former Grand Prix team had a strong performance in the recently
conducted Silver Cup in Detroit as an Invitee and finished second to
Greg Hopp in the UL-1.
The first all ACCS race craft built will
return to the Columbia River this weekend. Dick Lynch, who debuted in a
turbine hydro at this race in 2004, takes over the wheel of the G-13
Tempo; owned by Joe Frauenheim and Phil Bononcini of Issaquah WA and
their Impact Hydros racing team. This craft was built by Dale Van
Wierengen and the Impact team in 2005. The brightly colored Tempo is
named after bandleader-racer Guy Lombardo's series of Tempo race craft,
including Tempo VI which won the Gold Cup after WWII and was later
restored by Frauenheim and Bononcini who retain its ownership today.
A welcome return to the Tri Cities is the
G-17 Schucks Auto Supply.. This is the craft that owner-driver Rick
Bridgeman survived a spectacular flip on the Columbia River a year ago.
It's taken the better part of a year to rebuild the G-17 and it is ready
to resume racing. The former UL-17 was remodeled a couple years ago
specifically with ACCS in mind and became the founding entry in the
American Challenge Cup Series. Co-owner Bridgeman will manage the team
this weekend for new driver Dustin Echols of Duvall WA, two time World
Champion in limited class racing.
A new ACCS entry draws raves every time it's
viewed. The G-24 Racing LLC entry driven by Mike Eacrett returns the
Seattle driver to the Columbia River and to racing after more than a
decade away. Eacrett competed for many years in 7 Liter and Grand Prix
racing prior to an accident in the 90's at Tri Cites in an Unlimited.
This race craft, originally built by Ron Jones Jr. as a Grand Prix hull
has never been raced and has been adapted to the ACCS rules over the
past 18 months.
The ACCS program starts this weekend and
will continue at Seattle the following weekend.
Also running for the first time at the HAPO
Thunder Cup event is ULHRA's Lighter than LIGHTS series for 4 cylinder
and 8 cylinder stock engine powered hydroplanes, that are, as the name
implies, smaller and lighter than Unlimited Lights. Both categories
will be represented this weekend in what will be for these racers the
largest event they've ever raced at with the largest crowd attendance.
When not racing, fans in attendance will have the opportunity to meet
these teams and view their race craft up close.
John Lynch
P.R. Director, ULHRA Inc.
Power Punch to sponsor UL-83 at Tri-Cities and Seattle FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: MUNCEY RACING Contact Person DEBI MUNCEY Voice Phone Number 360-805-0805 OR 360-794-8404 Email Address DMuncey922@AOL.com POWER PUNCH ADDED TO THE NORTHWEST HYDROPLANE RACES Among the impressive line-up of hydroplanes appearing in Tri-Cities and Seattle will be an entry bearing some long-time Northwest names who have teamed up for the two events. Power Punch, 50 years in the Northwest, is joining forces with Muncey Racing. The Muncey family has been involved in hydroplane racing in the Northwest about as long as Power Punch as been around. Power Punch began in 1952, and adopted the Power Punch brand name in 1957. The firm is located in Bremerton WA. General Manager Pete Morey attended his first Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association event at Tastin n Racin in Issaquah, Washington this last June. At that race, Pete and his two sons had the opportunity to spend some time with Wil Muncey and his wife, Debi. The Munceys just weeks before had purchased an Unlimited Light hydroplane out of San Diego, California. Pete admits when he saw the red boat glistening in the sun off the waters of Lake Sammamish, he envisioned it with the name "Power Punch" and this week that vision became a reality. The Unlimited Light Hydroplanes are a class of automotive-powered hydroplanes up to 26 feet long that compete in the touring professional Unlimited Light Racing Series. Now in its 12th season, the ULHRA has delivered the biggest growth factor in hydroplane racing history: 13 new teams in the Series this year, including Muncey Racing. The deck-to-deck competition and the sound has grabbed the hearts and caught the ears of fans with a throaty thundering roar that echoes back to the classic days of hydroplanes. Five more cities are yet to host racing in the 2006 North American Series including Tri-Cities and Seattle, Washington, followed by Silverdale, Washington, San Diego, California, and a Series finale in Port Angeles, Washington. Peter Morey says, "We were already pleased with the results of our advertising with the hydroplane association". Power Punch became acquainted with the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association when the company got involved with their 2006 contingency sponsorship program. Power Punch is best known for Power Punch Oil Supplements. They also produce Power Punch Extreme Pressure Gear Oil Additive, plus greases, automatic transmission treatment, power steering treatment and a unique two-cycle oil. Morey continued, "When I saw the opportunity to step up our commitment by sponsoring the Munceys and their long term involvement in racing, it just made good sense". Wil Muncey, son of hydroplane racing legend Bill Muncey, has been racing boats since he was just 8 years old including several classes of limited inboard hydros and Unlimiteds. Wil began racing Unlimited Light Hydroplanes last summer. After just two races driving for Pat Roach out of San Diego, he was nominated for and subsequently received the 2005 Rookie of the Year Award in that class. In late May this year, the Munceys went to San Diego and purchased that same boat. The UL-83 at just over 20 feet long, is as small as the class will allow, earning it the nickname of "The Little Boat That Could "– and frequently does! The HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup on the Columbia River at Tri Cities July 28 – 30 will be Wil’s second race as the co-owner of the UL-83 hydroplane, now named Power Punch. The following weekend, August 4-6, the Power Punch UL-83 will race for the Graham Trucking Cup at Seafair. The team’s back-up driver is another long-time Northwest racing name, "Smokin’ Joe" Souza from Lakewood, WA. Regarding the new sponsorship, the 53-year-old Muncey says, "We are honored to be sponsored by and affiliated with a company whose history in the Northwest is as long as my family’s".Power Punch is available where automotive products are sold. Ask for it by name. You can also purchase online at www.powerpunch.biz or call toll free at 877 GO 4 LUBE. (877-464- 5823)quicksilver is ON in Silverdale, next month
NEWS Release Contact: Darla D. Murker Phone: 360.692.6800 Email: communications@silverdalechamber.com
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
QUICKSILVER HYDROPLANE RACES COMING TO SILVERDALE Silverdale, WA – July 24, 2006 - News of the demise of quicksilver has been greatly exaggerated.Quicksilver is alive and well and will be held August 18-20 at the Silverdale Waterfront Park and Dyes Inlet. The Chamber Board and the ULHRA have come together to ensure that the event takes place. Gene Straw, President of the Silverdale Chamber Board of Directors offers, "The outpouring of support from the community businesses and individuals has been terrific, and we appreciate all the sponsors and Rooster Tail Boosters who have stepped forward to make the event happen. We are very appreciative of Great Western Sports/Back the Track for invigorating our sponsorship efforts." Quicksilver is already a quantifiable asset to the community. One Silverdale hotel reports all rooms booked for the weekend of the event with reservations specific to quicksilver. With an estimated attendance larger than last years the dollars to be spent in the community have the potential of surpassing $100,000, benefiting area restaurants, lodging properties, goods and services. Friday night, the event kicks off with a concert by the bay in partnership with the Kitsap Parks and Recreation Department. The band "Hit Sensation" will be playing until 10pm. Bill Brown and the Kingbees will keep the party going on Saturday night after the races. Keep cool each evening in the beer garden, featuring a great selection of local brews. Saturday morning the Kitsap Radio Control Boat Club takes to the water with radio controlled hydroplanes racing until the tides allow the big boats to hit the water. Unlimited Light and Lighter than Light boats will hit the water between noon and 1pm Saturday and Sunday, with a full schedule of qualifying heats and finals racing on Sunday. There are great locations to watch the races, but the best seat is sure to be found at the Silverdale Waterfront Park at the foot of Byron Street. The Race Pits will be open for tours Saturday and Sunday with all proceeds from the tours benefiting the Toys for Tots Olympic Peninsula Chapter. Come down and meet the teams and drivers, get photo and autographs. If you’d like to get involved with quicksilver there are volunteer opportunities available both on land and in the water. Contact the Chamber office at 692.6800. For quicksilver updates check the race website at www.quicksilverhydroraces.com. About the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce Since 1973 the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce has worked to provide leadership, business advocacy, community development, membership services and networking opportunities in partnership with area businesses, professionals, community groups, and the military. The Chamber is an independent, non-profit, member organization composed
of local business people and individuals invested in the success of the
community. With its nearly 400 members, it is a steward of the community.
Tri Cities UL Preview UPDATE including Xaudaro, Turner, Eckenberg and more. HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup, Tri Cities WA: UPDATED 7-25-06 Longtime followers of the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Series know that over the 11 year history of Unlimited Lights racing only 3 boats have ever won the championship. One of those hulls has been retired for years. The other two hulls have won every title since 1997, and "they're at it again". The players may change, but the quality remains. Bo Schide in Ned Alllen's Alamo Rent a Car UL-16 won three consecutive titles from 1997 through 1999 before the team retired. Then in 2000, Phil Bononcini in the UL-72 Budweiser-Pocket Mechanic won three titles through 2002. Starting in 2003, Hopp Racing's Mike's Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky won the next 3, with the same hull that Bo Schide had won in the 90's. The plan was to gracefully retire the UL-1, replacing it with the qualifying speed record holding ex UL-9 American Eagle hull. But after sustaining damage in the season opener, the tried and true UL-1 hull reappeared on the eastern swing and won the Silver Cup in Detroit. The plan now is to bring the ex "Eagle" hull to Tri Cities for Greg Hopp to contest the HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup. However, at this time of year Hopp finds himself in unfamiliar territory. Also with a win this year, at Valleyfield, and more consistency so far than Hopp including 7 of 12 first place heat finishes and no Did Not Finish (DNF) this season, Michael Flaherty in the UL-72.......yes the same 72 hull that Phil Bononcini drove to 3 titles and still remains as co-owner, currently leads the Unlimited Lights points chase by 446 points. Keep in mind that the HAPO Thunder Cup has available 1240 points for a perfect weekend, meaning 3 heat victories and #1 qualifier, So 446 points is not a huge margin. This is Flaherty's third season of Unlimited Lights racing and second behind the wheel of the vaunted 72 hull. Last year at this event Flaherty raced strongly to an apparent second place finish on the Columbia River. However the apparent winner, Greg Hopp, had earned a 1 minute penalty prior to the start of the Final and Flaherty was elevated to the victory stand. Later he would end the season with his second victory at Port Angels, and his win in early July at Valleyfield became his third. Based on history, expect this title contest to go right down the the wire. Last year it was decided in the Final Heat of the final race. After three races in 2006, three different teams have won. The third place team is not one of those winners but they are having a remarkable season. This year with more horsepower in the engine well, and taking advantage of greater speed and reliability plus consistent finishes, Paul Becker holds third position in the venerable UL-14 Miss Critical Logic........a hull that began its racing life in the former 7 Liter Div II class in 1974. The Bellevue airline pilot and former military flyer has developed a solid and capable crew comprised of sons and friends of sons. For the first time they took the trip east after finishing 2nd in the season opener at Issaquah. At Valleyfield Becker's team took 4th, and finished 5th at Detroit after taking 2 preliminary heat victories. It's that consistency throughout the first 3 events that have catapulted the Critical Logic team to their highest placement in the series. For that matter it's the highest position in the points this hull has ever been situated after 3 races since the UL series began in 1995. (NEW) Fourth place in the standings is a team you'd expect to be in the hunt since they've finished in the top 3 the past two years. However, Vince "X-Man" Xaudaro, owner-driver of the UL-929 Graham Trucking Too & Graham Real Ventures won't be driving this weekend. It takes a lot to keep the X-Man out of the Tri Cities race since he grew up in that area and graduated from Kamiakin High School in Kennewick WA. in 1985 along with his Team Manager Eric Burke. He's always wanted to become the first native Tri Citiean to win the HAPO Community Credit Union Thunder Cup. But that will have to wait another year as this weekend Vince will be standing by and taking care of some family issues back in Seattle. However don't be surprised if Xaudaro is often near a computer checking out the live video web streaming here at www.ulhra.org to see how replacement driver Kelly Stocklin is doing with the UL-929. If all goes as planned, Xaudaro will return to the cockpit in time for the Graham Trucking Cup at Seafair, August 4-6. That third winning team in 2005 was a pleasant surprise, but also a result that has been slowly building for years. Brian Perkins, in his first race for the veteran team known as Thunder Valley Racing, took advantage of other drivers' mistakes and captured the 10th annual Tastin' n Racin' event. it was a very popular win on two fronts. For Thunder Valley it was their first ever UL victory, and it came in the race that the team launched back in 1996. Perkins, who debuted in UL racing as a teenager in 2003 took over the driving chores this season from retired Harold Mills. It was on this HAPO Thunder Cup Course a year ago that Mills and the "Fabulous 40" began to show they were becoming a competitive threat. Mils turned the team's career best lap speed of just under 113 mph in the B-Main. A fuel pump problem kept the Miss Red Dot Corporation from winning and advancing to the Final Heat, but the team finished the season strongly with 2 third place finishes and one fourth place finish. The Miss Red Dot Corporation wound up a career best 5th in the 2005 team standings with Mills fourth in the driver standings.. With Perkins behind the wheel the team has continued to develop and ranks 5th on the current campaign, 1167 points behind first place Michael Flaherty, but only 102 points behind 4th place Vince Xaudaro and 360 points behind third place Paul Becker. In UL competition, each heat except the B-Main earns the winner 400 points, 300 for second, 225 for third, 169 for fourth, 127 for fifth, 95 for sixth, 71 for seventh and 53 for eighth. Qualifying ranking earns 10 percent of those points for the National Championship. Thus the #1 qualifier at the HAPO Thunder Cup will earn 40 national points, second on the qualifying ladder receives 30 points, then 23, 17, 13, 10, 7 and 5 points for 8th in qualifying. Yes, in the overall scheme of things qualifying does matter. Last year Greg Hopp outscored Michael Flaherty in qualifying by 123 points; enough to overcome Flaherty's 40 point advantage in heat racing. Looking for a break through weekend? Look toward the UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking Team. Led by co-owner & driver Bob Estes this first year team has had their share of little "gremlins" and also showed some very competitive speeds. The hull, of course, if one of the quickest in the series; the first ever all UL craft developed by Ron Jones Sr in 1997, at the time for Kim Gregory of Las Vegas NV. Later the hull was acquired by Milton and Charley Wiggins of Gadsden AL and when the Wiggins family decided to move up to the American Challenge Cup Series, the Estes family from Shelton WA made the acquisition last winter and moved up from the Lighter than LIGHTS modified class. Estes is ably assisted by radio man and backup driver Mark Echols who made his competitive debut at Detroit only to have one of those "gremlins" spoil a solid run in Heat 2A with a DNF. The boat has 12 victories in UL competition but since Y2K has appeared only sparingly till this year. Patrick Haworth drove to victory at Valleyfield in this hull in 2003 and Cal Phipps won at Seattle that same year in the two most recent winning efforts. Among other entries, each time out the BCS team of Kerry Beynon and Al Carstensen from Mason County WA get closer to the front. This former Dave Bender owned & driven craft has 4 wins in its career including the first ever Unlimited Lights race in 1995. Limited finances have restricted the BCS group from racing more often. An aborted 2005 season finally showed progress with a 3rd place finish in the San Diego race. At their only appearance in 2006 the team qualified 4th at Issaquah but a damaged skid fin system beached the team after their third heat. Both Beynon and Carstensen are accomplished drivers. At Tri Cities, Carstensen will drive and Beynon will be Crew Chief. Other teams to watch at Tri Cities include rookie J. Craig Fletcher in his UL-13 Celtic Racing. Fletcher reached the Final Heat in the season opener in his first UL competition. Wil Muncey in "The Little Boat that Could", the UL-83 Encore will try to replicate his 2005 Rookie of the Year performance. The team has added UL driver-crew chief "Smokin:" Joe Souza as a consultant and this will be Souza's first opportunity to work with the Muncey Racing team. Three graduates from the ULHRA's Lighter than LIGHTS Modified series are expected including UL-4 Miss Shoreline Sign & Awning driven by Bryan Richards, UL-56 Miss Diagnosed with driver Bill Strain and UL-62 Benz-Electric/Sr. Company driven by owner Rod Bourke. (NEW) The UL-2 "Red Hot" of Mike & Steve Webster out of Reading PA is on the road to Tri Cities. The team left the Chicago shop of UL-22 owner-driver Marty Wolfe where they completed engine repairs. The team debuted in UL competition at Valleyfield and at Detroit but had engine woes both times. Mike Webster has 3 National Championships to his credit in limited class racing. (NEW) Also on the road to Tri Cities is Michigan's Mike Sadlon who debuted in Unlimited Lights racing at Valleyfield and Detroit. His Valleyfield debut was over quickly with a flip in his first heat. However the team was able to make quick repairs and race successfully the following weekend in Detroit. It's just what you'd expect from a team that's known as the UL-89 No Excuses Racing. . (NEW) This weekend will mark the return of two popular Unlimited Light teams. Joe & Jackie Turner's UL-18 Pacific Rim Brewing will compete for the first time since a towing accident just prior to Sefair tore off one of the hull's sponsons. It was that incident that brought the Turner's together with British Columbia's Ron Doumont. In 24 hours a group of volunteers worked together to adapt Turner's engine to Doumont's then inactive UL-117 Escapeius Maximus hull. turner drove it to 3rd place in the Seafair B-Main, and the very next race drove Doumont's hull to a career best 4th place finish at Silverdale WA. This will be the first time for Turner back behind the wheel of his own UL-18 since the Tri Cities race a year ago. (NEW) A rookie driver will take over the wheel of the UL-19 Mz Zip Fizz for owner Tom Eckenberg. Tacoma WA's Ryan Mallow, a veteran limited racer replaces popular Steve Hook who took a "sabbatical" this racing season to concentrate on his insurance career. The Zip Fizz hull, built by Dale Van Wierengen, debuted last year. After a rocky start in the first 3 races of the year the "new-boat-itis" finally began to wear off as the Mz Zip Fizz finished its first two heats of the season and was seeded into the Final. . John Lynch P.R. Director, ULHRA Inc. Vintage at Detroit by Mark Sharley
The Mike's Hard Lemonade - Happy Go Lucky will
be on display today at the Central Market in Mill Creek From 11AM to 3PM.
Store is located just North of 164th and Bothell Everett Hwy.
15605 Main St
Mill Creek, WA
GCV Friday and Saturday at Detroit
Sunday Report #6 July 16, 2006 (Detroit MI) Greg Hopp wins the Silver Cup! Greg Hopp and the Hopp Racing team overcame two days of mechanical difficulties with a dominating win in the Final Heat for the O.J. Mulford Silver Cup. Hopp led from the start because the UL-22 Miss Trafficade was over the line just a shade early and earned a one minute penalty. Another penalty was issued to Vince Xaudaro in the UL-929 Fishbones for entering the center of the course with less than 2 minutes to go before the start.
Second place went to Ken Brodie II in the GP50
Racing UL-555. Brodie overcame a 5 second handicap at the start to take
2nd. The delayed start was because Brodie's boat ran an oversized
supercharged engine. Third place went to Brian Perkins in the UL-40 Miss
Red Dot Corporation. However because the UL-555 is a non compliant UL
Invitee, Perkins' Thunder Valley Racing Team earn 2nd place points in the Final.
Michael Flaherty in the UL-72 Boat Trader.com presents Miss Boat Electric took
4th followed by Paul Becker in 5th in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic, and Cal
Phipps in the UL-8 Deel Me In finishing 6th. After the penalties, Wolfe
was credited with 7th and Xaudaro 8th. For the purposes of ULHRA National Points in the Final, UL-1 Greg Hopp 400 pts UL-40 Brian Perkins 300 pts UL-72 Michael Flaherty 225 pts UL-14 Paul Becker 169 pts UL-929 Vince Xaudaro 127 pts John Lynch "Voice" of the Unlimited Lights (Detroit MI) Greg Hopp, driving the UL-1 Happy Go Lucky won today's B-Main, earning one of 8 positions in the Final Heat for the 60th Anniversary of the O.J. Mulford Silver Cup. In second was UL-22 Miss Trafficade driven by Marty Wolfe, followed by Ken Brodie II in the GP 50 Racing UL-555 and Cal Phipps in the UL-8 Deel Me In. Phipps drove the UL-8, one of his regular rides when his own UL-41 Image Sun Tanning Centers was unable to run today. The alternate for the B-Main is the UL-59 Baby Doll III with Mario Maraldo. The lineup for the Final includes: UL-1 Greg Hopp UL-8 Cal Phipps UL-14 Paul Becker UL-22 Marty Wolfe UL-40 Brian Perkins UL-72 Michael Flaherty UL-929 Vince Xaudaro UL-555 Ken Brodie II (starts 5 seconds delayed with oversized engine) John Lynch
"Voice" of the Unlimited Lights (Detroit MI) Four teams have been seeded into the Final Heat for the 60th Anniversary of the O.J. Mulford Silver Cup. Four more teams will transfer from tomorrow morning's B-Main here on the famous Detroit River race course. A total of 16 teams began the day in competition and 14 remain in contention. After 5 preliminary heats, Vince Xaudaro in the UL-929 Fishbones, and Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic each have 800 points following a pair of heat wins. Michael Flaherty has 700 points with a win and a second place finish in the UL-72 Boat Trader.com presents Miss Boat Electric. The 4th seeding goes to Brian Perkins in the UL-40 Miss Red Dot Corporation with two second place finishes for 600 points. If you've been following today's action some of those point totals may seem surprising. Here's the explanation. Scoring is being conducted exactly as it was conducted in Valleyfield last week. Teams that are non compliant UL's, meaning they don't fit all of the rules, are Invitees in the event and do not score Unlimited Light National Points. Only UL National Points eligible teams can earn the 4 transfer spots. However, any team that finishes in the top 4 in tomorrow's B-Main will transfer to the Final and have a chance to win the Silver Cup. Some examples of non compliant Invitees are the UL-8, and UL-22 which fit the size and engine rules, but do not have enclosed cockpits and rear upright "tails" which are required for UL points compliance. Also the UL-46, UL-59 and UL-555 have oversized engines so they must compete with a start delayed by five seconds. Speaking of the UL-22.,it's performance has been a pleasant surprise. Miss Trafficade driven by Marty Wolfe of Crete IL, is in his first Unlimited Lights event and if the UL-22 boat was UL rules compliant he'd have already qualified for the Final with a second and first place finish. Non compliant UL's have a separate scoring program. He'll compete for one of the 4 Final spots in the B-Main against the weekend's other big surprise, although for this team the surprise hasn't been pleasant. Greg Hopp in the UL-1 Happy Go Lucky ran into milfoil problems in the warmup to his first heat causing an overheating condition and the UL-1 did not start the heat. In the second heat, Hopp won the heat only to be assessed a 1 minute penalty for failing to hold his lane through turn 1 after the start. The same penalty was issued in another heat to Michael Flaherty in the UL-72 but Flaherty still had sufficient points to advance to the Final. The lineup for the B-Main includes: UL-1 Happy Go Lucky - Greg Hopp UL-2 Red Hot - Mike Webster UL-8 Deel Me In - Randy Haas UL-22 Miss Trafficade - Marty Wolfe UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking - Bob Estes UL-59 Baby Doll III - Mario Maraldo * UL-61 Pat's Blue Ribbon - Patrick Sankuer UL-89 No Excuses Racing - Mike Sadlon UL-555 GP 50 Racing - Ken Brodie II * The alternate is the UL-46 Levolution driven by Jay Tolbert *. * oversized engine; must start 5 seconds delayed. The UL-41 Image Sun Tanning Centers with Cal Phipps, and the UL-445 The Brake Exchange with Dennis Macy have been withdrawn from further competition. Phipps engine was damaged in a exciting battle for the lead with Vince Xaudaro in Heat 1A, while Macy's UL-445 struggled to finish his second heat of the day due to engine woes and also was retired for the weekend. Watch this site for updates on times for web streaming video replays and live B-Main and Final heat coverage through tomorrow from the Silver Cup in Detroit. The B-Main is scheduled for 11:10am and the Silver Cup Final is set for 1:10pm (Eastern Daylight Time) John Lynch "Voice" of the Unlimited Lights
(Detroit, MI) Racing for today is concluded here at the 60th Anniversary running of the O.J. Mulford Silver Cup. The results so far are rather surprising. No surprise that Vince Xaudaro has two heat victories. The X-Man in he UL-929 Fishbones is always a competitive threat and he is now locked in to tomorrow's Final Heat with 800 points. He's the only driver with two victories on the day. The big surprise is Greg Hopp in the UL-1 Happy Go Lucky. Hopp was unable to start his first heat of the day, and in heat 2B Hopp was flagged for a lane change violation. UL teams must maintain the same lane from the score-up buoy on the backstretch, through turn one at the start and Hopp was called for bearing in from lane 4 to lane 2. The one minute penalty put Hopp in 5th place and elevated Marty Wolfe of Crete IL to first place in his first Unlimited Lights race. Second place went to Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic followed by Mario Maraldo in Baby Doll III, Brian Perkins in Miss Red Dot Corporation, and Greg Hopp. Mike Sadlon in Ul-89 returned to the pits prior to finishing his 4th lap. In Heat 2A, Michael Flaherty appeared to race to victory but he was also flagged for a lane one violation on lap 1, resulting in a one minute penalty. The victory went to Xaudaro, followed by Randy Haas in the UL-8 Deel Me In. Third place went to Dennis Macy in the UL-445 The Brake Express with Flaherty in 4th. The Boat Trader.com presents Miss Boat Electric driver continued to race hard trying to overcome the 1 minute penalty, but came up 5 seconds short in his effort to overtake Macy. Mark Echols, backup driver for the UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking, made his UL competition debut with a solid start and strong second place run until the boat went dead in the water in the Roostertail turn on lap 3. Mike Webster in the UL-2 Red Hot was unable to start the heat. Due to streaming difficulties Heats 2A and 2B were interrupted so they will be re-streamed later today. Check back for the replay time. John Lynch "Voice" of the Unlimited Lights Report #2 Saturday July 15, 2006 (Detroit, Mi) The first heat section is complete for the 60th Anniversary of the O.J. Mulford Silver Cup. Vince Xaudaro in UL-929 Fisbones held off a determined Marty Wolfe in the UL-22 Miss Trafficade for the victory. Wolfe erased a 2 roostertail length lead over the final 2 laps, only to fall 1 boat length short. In third was Mario Maraldo in UL-59 Baby Doll III and Mike Sadlon took 4th in UL-89 No Excuses Racing.....the same boat & driver that flipped a week ago in Valleyfield but were able to effect repairs for this weekend. Cal Phipps in his own UL-41 Image Sun Tanning Centers ran strong and was challenging Xaudaro for the lead but went dead in the water at the end of lap 1. Randy Haas, returning to Unlimited Lights racing for the first time in 3 years since winning on this race course in 2003, was unable to get the UL-8 Deel Me In on a plane and did not start. In Heat 1B several teams experienced difficulties, but not the UL-72 Boat Trader.com presents Miss Boat Electric. Michael Flaherty led wide to wire over Bob Estes in the UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking. Jay Tolbert in UL-46 Levolution went dead in the water after lap 1. Patrick Sankeur and he UL-61 shut down during the warmup period. Heat 1C saw Paul Becker lead the field over the starting line, and Greg Hopp dead in the water prior to the start. Hopp's UL-1 Happy Go Lucky had overheating problems due to collecting milfoil from the river yesterday. Becker led wire to wire in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic with second place going to Brian Perkins in the UL-40 Miss Red Dot Corporation and third place to Dennis Macy in the UL-445 The Brake Express. Ken Brodie II was challenging for the lead on the final lap but went dead in the water in the Roostertail turn. It was later revealed that Brodie's boat had a fuel problem but will be ready for the next round. Heats 2A and 2B are scheduled for 8 boats each and will be held at1:40pm and 2:00pm Eastern Daylight Time. Live video streaming coverage begins here at 1:30pm Eastern time. The lineup includes..... Heat 2A UL-2 Red Hot - Mike Webster UL-8 Deel Me In - Randy Haas UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking - Bob Estes UL-46 Levoluion - Jay Tolbert UL-72 Boat Trader.com presents Miss Boat Electric - Michael Flaherty UL-445 The Brake Express - Dennis Macy UL-555 GP 50 Racing - Ken Brodie II UL-929 Fishbones - Vince Xaudaro Heat 2B UL-1 Happy Go Lucky - Greg Hopp UL-14 Miss Critical Logic - Paul Becker UL-22 Miss Trafficade - Marty Wolfe UL-40 Miss Red Dot Corporation - Brian Perkins UL-41 Image Sun Tanning Centers - Cal Phipps UL-59 Baby Doll III - Mario Maraldo UL-61 Pat's Blue Ribbon - Patrick Sankuer UL-89 No Excuses Racing - Mike Sadlon John Lynch "Voice" of the Unlimited Lights
(Detroit MI) Sixteen teams will compete this weekend for the prestigious O.J. Mulford Silver Cup. It's the 60h anniversary of the trophy and a new ULHRA record number of teams is competing. The first heat section will have 3 sets, Heat1A, 1B and 1C. The lineup. Heat 1A UL-8 Deel Me In - Randy Haas UL-22 Miss Trafficade - Marty Wolfe UL-41 Image Sun Tanning Centers - Cal Phipps UL-89 No Excuses Racing - Mike Sadlon UL-929 Fishbones - Vince Xaudaro and UL-59 Baby Doll III - Mario Maraldo *
Heat 1B UL-2 Red Hot - Mike Webster UL-33 Miss Graham Trucking - Bob Estes UL-61 Pat's Blue Ribbon - Parick Sankuer UL-72 Boat Trader.com presents Miss Boat Electric UL-46 Leveloution - Jay Tolbert * Heat 1C UL1 Happy Go Lucky - Greg Hopp UL-14 Miss Critical Logic - Paul Becker UL-445 The Brake Express - Dennis Macy UL-555 GP 50 Racing - Ken Brodie II * Teams with * are running an oversized engine and will start 5 seconds behind. Coverage here on www.ulhra.org begins shortly at 10:40am Eastern Time- 7:40am Pacific Time John Lynch "Voice" of the Unlimited Lights
Friday July 14, 2006
(Detroit MI) Seven Unlimited Light teams took
to the Detroit River today in testing just prior to the weather going sour.
Lightning, Thunder and rain halted proceedings about 4:45pm Eastern time
prior to the scheduled start of the special "Shootout" race.
Teams on the water today included....
Brian Perkins in the UL-40 Miss Red Dot
Corporation
Greg Hopp in the UL-1 Happy Go Lucky
Michael Flaherty in the UL-72 Espar Heater
Systems presents Miss Boat Electric
Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic
Patrick Sankuer in the UL-61
Marty Wolfe in the UL-22 Miss Trafficade
Currently in the pit area there are 15 teams set
to compete for the O.J. Mulford Silver Cup which would be a ULHRA record,
and more teams are said to be on the way.
According to ULHRA Historian Fred Farley this is
the 60th anniversary of the Silver Cup, first contested here on the Detroit
River in 1946 and now dedicated to the automotive powered Unlimited
Lights.
John Lynch
"Voice" of the Unlimited Lights
Preliminary Detroit UL Schedule
Silver Cup Preview-Detroit
Last Lap at Valleyfield by GCV
Valleyfield Report #8 Sunday July 9, 2006 (Valleyfield Quebec) Michael Flaherty come from nearly 2 roostertails behind at the start of the final lap to win the 68'th edition of Regates De Valleyfield here on Bay St. Francois. With huge crowd on hand standing and cheering throughout the 8 boat, 5 mile Final Heat, Flaherty overcame a late start for the victory over Greg Hopp. Flaherty, driving the UL-72 Espar Heater Systems presents Miss Boat Electric drew even with Hopp in turn 1 of the last lap while both drivers were lapping slower boats. Flaherty raced side by side with Hopp down the backstretch and deck to deck through turn #2. Then at the exit pin Hopp's UL-1 Mike's Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky hooked and briefly went dead in the water. He was able to re-fire and finish second. Third place went to Vince Xaudaro in the UL-929 Garage PML de Valleyfield. Xaudaro also was awarded the Wyatt's Watches award for the best start of the weekend presented by Wyatt's Watches in Monroe WA; the official timepiece of ULHRA. Fourth place went to Paul Becker in the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic followed by Brian Perkins in the UL-40 Miss Red Dot Corporation. Dennis Macy in the UL-445 The Menace had a strong run and was in the top 3 for much of the heat but due to a 1 minute penalty for jumping the gun he would |
