Friday, Jul. 27, 2007

Fleet gets ready for traditional Tri-City swell

By Jody Moore, hydro.commentator

For several years now, the unlimited hydroplane racing season has had two halves. The first comprises the East Coast swing, with races in Indiana and Detroit, and previously, Virginia and New York. The second half is the West Coast swing, with Washington and California all represented.

It's like a baseball season where teams go out on the road, then come back for a lengthy home stand. Or so it seems, as the majority of the teams on the hydroplane circuit are based in and around the Seattle area.

Being out west has a few advantages, namely that we get to see some of the teams that might not be able to afford to travel the entire circuit. And as the first stop on the home stand, Tri-Cities often plays host to the largest number of teams each season. And this year will be no exception. That's right, baby. Welcome to Hydro Town!

So far, 10 teams have made the tour, but those numbers have fluctuated a little bit because of damage to the boats incurred in the first three races. Expect that number to swell, possibly to as many as 15 boats. Let's meet the players, starting with the boats that have been tour so far:

U-1 Formulaboats.com II: The defending national champion has been the leader of the in-heat air shows, with two blowovers in the first three races. Driver Mike Allen, a rookie last year, injured his left thumb in the first accident, and then aggravated it in the second. As such, he will be replaced in the cockpit by limited driver Jimmy Shane, who drove the boat in an exhibition in Ohio last year.

Also, the team has brought its backup boat - the former Appian Jeronimo that traces its lineage back to being Fred Leland's first turbine boat - in place of the former Miss Budweiser hull, which is still awaiting repairs after losing a sponson in the Detroit blowover.

U-3 Cooper's Express: Todd Hoss Mortgages will team up with the Ronald McDonald House as the sponsors of the only piston-powered team to make the first three races, and for that matter, most of the last decade. Jimmy King is still at the wheel for this team.

U-5 Formulaboats.com: Jeff Bernard is in the midst of his first full season in an unlimited hydroplane after driving a few races each year for Fred Leland, then finishing last season as a replacement for crew chief Mike Weber in Ted Porter's U-5.

Bernard made the highlight films with the season's first blowover, the first of three in three consecutive heats in Evansville. Since then, he's been a little more subdued.

U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto: New boats are always exciting, and Steve David is jazzed about the new Madison-owned boat, which returns with Oberto as title sponsor. The boat debuted in Evansville, and has gradually improved over the course of the season, gathering up a second place in Detroit two weeks ago. I'm jazzed also, as this is one of three (count 'em, three) new boats on the circuit this season, and that's a pretty darned good sign.

U-10 Todd Hoss Mortgage Investors: This team had to skip the Gold Cup after tearing the bottom out of the boat in Madison after breaking a propeller. For some reason this seems to be the U-10's Achilles Heel. They've had the same problem so many times in the past that I can't even count.

Rookie driver David Bryant had a good showing in his first race in Evansville, and was doing well until he had to withdraw in Madison.

U-16 Miss E-Lam Plus: If you simply look at the numbers, Dave Villwock is having another dominating season in the U-16 Miss E-Lam Plus, and they're my bet to be wearing U-1 in 2008. But the field is so closely grouped this year that I'd bet Villwock has relied on every bit of his and his teams' skill, as well as a little luck, to pull off his three victories this year.

U-25 Superior Racing: Ken Muscatel purchased the assets of Jim Harvey's U-2, which he leased last year and ran as the U-2.25. I guess that means he's not retiring. Cool. Of course, his first decision after cleaning out Harvey's shop was to dry dock the hull he raced last year in favor of the tried and true ex-T-Plus boat that was originally built as a two-winged Jones design and later rebuilt to a more conventional design. Muscatel won one preliminary heat in the Gold Cup two weeks ago.

U-37 Beacon Plumbing: Jean Theoret's season in the U-37 started off about the same way it did last season, with a blowover in Evansville. Unfortunately, the season failed to keep pace with 2006. Though he rebounded for second in Evansville after sustaining only mild damage, the team struggled in Evansville, then had an absolutely miserable time in Detroit, where they weren't even a factor to defend their 2006 Gold Cup victory.

Theoret and owner Billy Schumacher would like nothing better than to regain their stride with a good showing in Tri-Cities, then get on the way to Seattle, where they have won the last two years.

U-100 Mirageboats.com: Greg Hopp seems to be having the season of his career in Fred Leland's reinvigorated U-100. Gone are most of the motor problems that have plagued the team the last few seasons, and the boat is performing better than it has in years.

That's the field so far. Now let's take a look at the teams that we will be adding to the fleet this weekend.

U-9 Conover Insurance: Chris Bertram will be back behind the wheel of Mike and Lori Jones' U-9, this year making its first appearance with Conover Insurance as the title sponsor. Expect an announcement soon for sponsors in Seattle, and possibly San Diego as well.

U-17 Miss Red Dot: This is a brand new team (Our Gang Racing) with a brand new boat, and team manager/driver Nate Brown promises that they'll have some tricks up their sleeves with the hull. At last report, they were scrambling to put the finishing touches on the boat and have it ready to race. Expect Tri-Cities to be a big question mark for this operation while they learn to work together and sort out the brand new hull.

U-21 Meyers Auto Tech: A brand new Dale Van Wierengen boat (same as the E-Lam, Oberto, and U-3 teams) and a rookie driver in UL pilot Brian Perkins will be the highlights of this effort, which ended its 2006 season after a dramatic fire destroyed their boat in Seattle.

The new boat, decked out in orange, yellow and purple paint, ought to be easy to spot when it takes the course. The team tested near San Diego a last week, but this is the boat's first competitive appearance.

U-28 New Kid in Town: After two years of waiting for the circuit's second Allison-powered entry, we'll have to keep on waiting. Driver Dick Lynch and crew are working on Ray Forsman's former Miss Free-i boat, but word is it won't be ready for the Columbia Cup. Bummer.

U-48 Lakeridge Paving: Greg O'Farrell and John Cheetham purchased the boat that they had been sponsoring for several years from Fred Leland, and are campaigning it on their own. Good news is, the boat still has its Miss Bardahl-inspired paint scheme. Even better news, they've hired Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum front man Dave Williams to drive. I'll bet he's every bit as good of a spokesman for Lakeridge Paving as he has been for the museum.

The U-48 hit the water twice for pre-season testing, once along with the U-37 in Tri-Cities in early June, and again in Seattle after the rest of the fleet had raced in Evansville.

There's lots of action coming up this weekend, and we'll hit our stride right out of the gate with the Dash for Cash on Friday evening, along with the first of three vintage exhibition heats with our five visiting museum boats.

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