Unlimited hydroplanes test in Kennewick

[Serious News]

Tri-City Herald
May 29, 2015

Spectators watch Friday as the U-96 Spirit of Qatar hydroplane is lowered onto the docks during H1 Unlimited testing at the Lampson pits at Columbia Park in Kennewick. Three teams and four drivers participated in the first test session of the season.

On Saturday the U-7 Graham Trucking team along with new driver Jesse Robertson will be at Meyers Auto Tech in Kennewick from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

SARAH GORDON — Tri-City Herald



Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2015/05/29/3750846/h1-unlimited-hydroplane-testing.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Ratickle]

Odd, I thought Qatar was no longer participating in the sport?:huh:

 

[TubeCarz]

As a country no . Maybe Hassan is spending a little of his retirement package on having a little personal fun ... :cheers2:

 

[Serious News]

Unlimited hydroplanes get jump on 2015 season on the Columbia

Lampson Pits in Kennewick’s Columbia Park was filled Friday with unlimited hydroplane people in what is fast becoming the sport’s annual spring training event.

On one end was Mike and Lori Jones, owners of the U-9 Jones Racing team.

On the other end was Ted Porter and his U-7 Team Porter Racing II team, with plenty of crew members.

In between, the U-96 Spirit of Qatar race team was busy working around its boat.

Along the river, fans parked their cars and were taking pictures whenever a boat came out on the water.

Heck, even Larry Oberto, whose family’s company makes the finest dried meats in all the land and sponsors the U-1 Oberto boat based in Madison, Ind., watched the action in the pits, even though his team wasn’t on hand.

“I flew from Hawaii to Seattle to see Barry Manilow in concert with my wife,” Oberto said. “I thought if I could fly from Hawaii, I could fly from Seattle to here to see this. If I wanted to make the three- or four-day drive from Madison and spend the money on the fuel, I’d be here in a second.”

With the H1 Unlimited season opener just five weeks away in Madison, Oberto said he appreciates what spring training does for a team.

“If nothing else, it’s an advantage in a sense to allow a team to jell,” Oberto said. “All the way down to the little things as to what they didn’t put in the truck. So when they show up in Madison, they don’t have to run to a store to get things together.”

Porter was skeptical at first, hauling his U-7 boat from Indiana to the Northwest for this event. A chance to work the U-7 out where the HAPO Gold Cup will be held July 24-26 was too hard to pass up, however.

“But we used a lot of our West Coast (crew) guys, and it’s worked out great,” said Porter, who wanted to get his new driver, Jesse Robertson, some seat time in the boat. “We’ve tried out a couple of different turbine packages and some different gear ratios.”

Robertson will sit in the cockpit this season, replacing Cal Phipps, who drove the U-7 to third place in the national high point standings last season. Robertson has driven the U-57 for Mark Evans and the U-12 Miss DiJulio the past few seasons.

“This,” Robertson pointed at the U-7, “is like night and day with those other boats. Each boat has its own quirks. This one, I haven’t found them yet. And this has been great. We basically have run half a race day.”

With the current race count for the 2015 season — a possible Detroit race in August is still in the works — at four, the race for the national high points championship will be quick. Making no mistakes will be a top priority.

“The first few heats at Madison, there are still some gremlins and you’re working through them,” Porter said.

Porter’s No. 1 driver, J. Michael Kelly, understands how important it is to be ready. He drove the U-7 to shake things out before Robertson got in the cockpit, but Kelly’s boat — the U-5 — is sitting back in the shop in Indiana.

“Our boat is in great shape,” said Kelly. “The main thing is to be ready to go. There is no room for mistakes. That kind of got us last year. We missed three heat races, and it ended up costing us the national championship. So we’ve got to take it one heat race at a time. Finish each race without penalties.”

That’s why the U-96 team was in the pits, said crew chief Mike Hanson.

“Unfortunately last year, finishing a new boat, then crashing in Seattle, we were behind all year,” Hanson said. “After this offseason, though, we’re caught up.”

That could be bad news for the rest of the field. Driver Jean Theoret felt comfortable in the boat.

“It went very well out there,” said Theoret, who had been out of racing for a few years after a nasty crash before finishing last season with the U-96 team. “I was waiting for a good opportunity to race again. And the opportunity to work with (team manager and owner) Erick Ellstrom and Mike Hanson was too good to pass up.”

Scott Liddycoat steps in this season to drive for the U-9 team, replacing Jon Zimmerman, who opted to spend more time this season with his family.

It has been a few seasons since Liddycoat has had a full-time ride. But he feels the U-9 is a great fit.

“This is my fourth unlimited,” Liddycoat said. “This boat, I’d say, is the nicest so far. (Crew chief) Jeff Campbell and his brother Mike, and the whole crew’s preparation is incredible. They had the boat ready for a week before we came here. I got to the shop, it was done. It shows their dedication.”

Less than two months until the Gold Cup is here.

NOTES: The U-12 Centurion Racing also was scheduled to be in the pits. But late Thursday, the team begged out because electrical issues. ... From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, the U-7 team and Robertson will be at the Meyers Auto Tech at 1120 N. Grant Place in Kennewick. Robertson also will be signing autographs. ... Hanson and Theoret confirmed that even though the Doha race has been canceled, the team still will be sponsored by and called the Spirit of Qatar. ... There was one Grand Prix boat in the pits. But when the crane tried to pick the boat up off its trailer, the left sponson cracked. ... The circuit’s other two races are July 31-Aug. 2 in Seattle, and Sept. 18-20 in San Diego.

Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2015/05/29/3584476/unlimited-hydroplanes-get-jump.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Ratickle]

I emailed Steve David. He said the team was funded before the pullout by the Qatar Marine Federation, so the boat will carry the Qatar name for the season.

 

[Serious News]

Three Teams Get A Jump On Competition

New drivers test the waters
By Owen Blauman

KENNEWICK,WASH-May 29, 2015—Three H1 Unlimited teams and a radical looking Grand Prix boat arrived on the shores of the Columbia River on Friday for what Tri-Cities Water Follies promoted as a “spring test” for racers prior to the start of the season in Madison, Ind. Fourth of July weekend.

When the roostertails settled, the three unlimited teams had completed at total of 35 laps on a one-mile plus abbreviated racecourse. U-7 “Graham Trucking”, U-9 “Red Dot/Les Schwab” and U-96 “Spirit of Qatar” made great progress in readying themselves for the season opener. The GP 74 “Premonition” was damaged when it was being lifted from its trailer.

In addition, U-7 “Graham Trucking” (black boat) had two drivers log seat time. Jesse Robertson, the new team driver of the U-7 got familiar with his new team and boat while sharing the boat with J. Michael Kelly who logged seven laps before the shaft log broke, side-lining the boat at the end of the day.

U-9 “Red Dot/Les Schwab Tires” introduced new team driver Scott Liddycoat to the boat. Liddycoat, who in the offseason drives a Monster Truck adapted well to his new team. Not only did the U-9 log the most laps but they also had the most drivers in the boat. Lori and Mike Jones allowed long-time crew members Mike and Jeff Campbell drive the boat for several laps.

The highlight of their session came towards the end of the day when former Smokin’ Joe’s driver Mark Tate’s son Andrew Tate (25) climbed into the U-9 for a few laps.

Owner Lori Jones said, “we’ve got to get new blood in the sport.” The Jones family has allowed many up-and-coming drivers test their boat over the years. When asked how many Lori Jones said “almost two handfuls.”

Tate, who has driven Grand Prix hydros and 2.5 liters was thrilled to get a chance to be the third generation Tate to run a H1 Unlimited hydroplane on the Columbia River. His Grandfather Joe and his father Mark also ran unlimited hydros down the Columbia River.

The comments in the temporary pits ran rampant when the two brothers ran. Lori Jones was overhead saying, “we got him out there now we can’t get him in,” when Jeff Campbell had the boat out. “Somebody shoot a red flare!”

When Mike Campbell brought the boat back to the pits many on the other teams were critiquing who brought the boat back closer to the dock. Dixon Smith who has taken both brothers out in his vintage Miss Bardahl said he hoped both crew members learned from their experience driving but felt Mike Campbell parked the boat better. Jeff Campbell said, “this is proof if I can do it anybody can do it.”, to which J. Michael Kelly quickly added, “even a monkey.”

Newcomer to Team Porter’s U-7, Jesse Robertson said his ride handled “like a dream. This is the best handling boat I have driven so far.” Jesse said Friday’s event “really builds excitement leading into the season.”

Robertson and Kelly seemed to get along and even poked fun at each other. Robertson said his teammate J. Michael Kelly’s “biggest problem this season will be beating me,” he joked. Kelly quickly responded by saying, “I like my boat because its my boat, so Jesse is pretty much going to have to like his.”

Both drivers agreed that the Tri-Cities Water Follies event was a success because it allowed the estimated 1,000 fans a chance to see the race boats and crews up close and personal and “allowed our new crew members and existing crew members with new roles a chance to jell as a team,” J. Michael said.

Still disappointed from his second place finish in the 2014 National High Points standings, Kelly said, “our biggest goal this season will be to make every preliminary heat and final and don’t get any boat damage because its such a short season.”

J. Michael Kelly is also excited that the American Power Boat Association’s Gold Cup will be held in the Tri-Cities, Washington area. “It’s a different feeling not having the Gold Cup in Detroit this year, pretty much all my life its been in Detroit. But the cool thing is many family and friends that haven’t been able to attend the Gold Cup in Detroit now have a chance to see me challenge for the Gold Cup here on the Columbia River.”

One surprise to many on the riverbanks was the fact that all three team’s elected to run a less than a mile course instead of preparing for the HAPO’s Gold Cup 2-1/2 mile course.

The U-96 “Spirit of Qatar” finished running around 2:30 pm and said they “just ran what Water Follies laid out for them.” The “Spirit of Qatar” team just wanted to test their offseason modifications. “We tried two different skid fins, a new ‘pit man’ on the rudder and some smaller changes,” driver Jean Theoret said.

Noticeably absent from testing was “Spirit of Qatar” owner Erick Ellstrom whose father Sven Ellstrom took ill and remained in Seattle.

“Jean Theoret did a wonderful job driving today, he never comes off the throttle. I guess we don’t need to put a gauge on that anymore,” crew chief Mike Hanson said.

He continued, “we got everything accomplished we wanted to today and now its time to go race.”

Entire article and photos: http://www.h1unlimited.com/2015/05/three-teams-get-a-jump-on-competition/