Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
Just got off the phone with Jetcruzer in Madison, and our friend Steve David just won his heat in the Oh Boy! Oberto. Go Steve!!!
Here yesterday's blip about the race event.
Unlimited hydroplanes roar into season this week
The unlimited-hydroplane season starts this week with the first of six races, in Madison, Ind. Again, the series favorites will be Dave Villwock and the Spirit of Qatar 96 and Steve David and the Oh Boy! Oberto.
By Bob Condotta
A look at the boats scheduled to race this week in the Madison Regatta, the first stop on the 2012 unlimited hydroplane circuit:
U-1 Spirit of Qatar 96: Driver Dave Villwock
U-5 Graham Trucking: Driver Jimmy Shane
U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto: Driver Steve David
U-9 Holiday Inn Express presents Bellos Pizza: Driver Jon Zimmerman
U-11 Miss Peters & May: Driver J.W. Myers
U-13 Spirit of Detroit presents Tubby's Grilled Subs: Driver Cal Phipps
U-17 Miss Red Dot: Driver Kip Brown
U-22 Great Scott! presents Matrix Systems: Driver Mike Webster
U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing: Driver J. Michael Kelly
U-57 Formulaboats.com: Driver N. Mark Evans
U-88 Degree Men: Driver Scott Liddycoat
U-100 Leland Unlimited: Driver Greg Hopp
For the fifth consecutive year, the circuit boasts six sanctioned races. And as the season kicks off Friday through Sunday with the Madison Regatta in Madison, Ind., the favorites again figure to be Dave Villwock and the Spirit of Qatar 96 and Steve David and the Oh Boy! Oberto.
Villwock and David have won every national driver's season title since 1997, Villwock emerging victorious last season to snap a string of three in a row by David.
And for the third straight year, the race lineup is the same — Madison, Ind., Detroit, Tri-Cities, Seattle, San Diego and Doha, Qatar.
Considering the uncertainty that has often surrounded the sport the past decade or so, such stability might not necessarily be a bad thing.
H1 Unlimited Chairman Sam Cole promises, though, that growth is on the way. He says there continue to be promising negotiations for future races in new sites, with a possible announcement coming soon. And there will be an exhibition this year on Labor Day weekend on Lake Coeur d'Alene, which held a race from 1958 through 1968.
"We are really excited about the direction of the sport," Cole said. "More teams, the addition of new events over the next 12 months, possible expansion internationally.
"It has been a lot of work, with the support and commitment of so many to see the continued growth of the sport. We have lots more to do, but we are getting closer to becoming bigger, better and faster."
One notable difference this year will be the absence of longtime owner Fred Leland, who died in May of cancer.
But his team, the U-100 Leland Unlimited, will continue with Greg Hopp again in the cockpit. The Leland boat is one of at least 12 expected in Madison, and Cole says there could be more for the Western swing, which begins with the race in the Tri-Cities July 27-29 and then the Seafair Albert Lee Cup the following weekend.
One notable addition is the U-88 Degree Men, a former Miss Budweiser hull owned by Matt Gregory, son of the late Kim Gregory, a longtime hydro owner. Scott Liddycoat, who was the only driver other than Villwock and David to win last year when he took the Qatar race in the Valken.com, will be the driver.
Some in the sport peg that boat as a possible contender. But Villwock and David will be the favorites.
Villwock surpassed Bill Muncey for most victories by a driver in the history of the sport last year and now has 65 (Muncey won 62 races). David has won seven races since 2008 and has been particularly successful in Washington, taking Seafair the past two years and three times since 2007, and winning in the Tri-Cities in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The circuit again has the Air National Guard as a title sponsor, and races will be shown on a delayed basis on the Fox Sports Network.
Here yesterday's blip about the race event.
Unlimited hydroplanes roar into season this week
The unlimited-hydroplane season starts this week with the first of six races, in Madison, Ind. Again, the series favorites will be Dave Villwock and the Spirit of Qatar 96 and Steve David and the Oh Boy! Oberto.
By Bob Condotta
A look at the boats scheduled to race this week in the Madison Regatta, the first stop on the 2012 unlimited hydroplane circuit:
U-1 Spirit of Qatar 96: Driver Dave Villwock
U-5 Graham Trucking: Driver Jimmy Shane
U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto: Driver Steve David
U-9 Holiday Inn Express presents Bellos Pizza: Driver Jon Zimmerman
U-11 Miss Peters & May: Driver J.W. Myers
U-13 Spirit of Detroit presents Tubby's Grilled Subs: Driver Cal Phipps
U-17 Miss Red Dot: Driver Kip Brown
U-22 Great Scott! presents Matrix Systems: Driver Mike Webster
U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing: Driver J. Michael Kelly
U-57 Formulaboats.com: Driver N. Mark Evans
U-88 Degree Men: Driver Scott Liddycoat
U-100 Leland Unlimited: Driver Greg Hopp
For the fifth consecutive year, the circuit boasts six sanctioned races. And as the season kicks off Friday through Sunday with the Madison Regatta in Madison, Ind., the favorites again figure to be Dave Villwock and the Spirit of Qatar 96 and Steve David and the Oh Boy! Oberto.
Villwock and David have won every national driver's season title since 1997, Villwock emerging victorious last season to snap a string of three in a row by David.
And for the third straight year, the race lineup is the same — Madison, Ind., Detroit, Tri-Cities, Seattle, San Diego and Doha, Qatar.
Considering the uncertainty that has often surrounded the sport the past decade or so, such stability might not necessarily be a bad thing.
H1 Unlimited Chairman Sam Cole promises, though, that growth is on the way. He says there continue to be promising negotiations for future races in new sites, with a possible announcement coming soon. And there will be an exhibition this year on Labor Day weekend on Lake Coeur d'Alene, which held a race from 1958 through 1968.
"We are really excited about the direction of the sport," Cole said. "More teams, the addition of new events over the next 12 months, possible expansion internationally.
"It has been a lot of work, with the support and commitment of so many to see the continued growth of the sport. We have lots more to do, but we are getting closer to becoming bigger, better and faster."
One notable difference this year will be the absence of longtime owner Fred Leland, who died in May of cancer.
But his team, the U-100 Leland Unlimited, will continue with Greg Hopp again in the cockpit. The Leland boat is one of at least 12 expected in Madison, and Cole says there could be more for the Western swing, which begins with the race in the Tri-Cities July 27-29 and then the Seafair Albert Lee Cup the following weekend.
One notable addition is the U-88 Degree Men, a former Miss Budweiser hull owned by Matt Gregory, son of the late Kim Gregory, a longtime hydro owner. Scott Liddycoat, who was the only driver other than Villwock and David to win last year when he took the Qatar race in the Valken.com, will be the driver.
Some in the sport peg that boat as a possible contender. But Villwock and David will be the favorites.
Villwock surpassed Bill Muncey for most victories by a driver in the history of the sport last year and now has 65 (Muncey won 62 races). David has won seven races since 2008 and has been particularly successful in Washington, taking Seafair the past two years and three times since 2007, and winning in the Tri-Cities in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The circuit again has the Air National Guard as a title sponsor, and races will be shown on a delayed basis on the Fox Sports Network.
