Sunday, Jul. 13, 2008

Bernard, U-5 Formulaboats.com win 2 Gold Cup heats

By The Associated Press

DETROIT -- Jeff Bernard in the U-5 Formulaboats.com was the only driver to win both of his elimination heats Saturday in the 100th running of the Chrysler-Jeep APBA Gold Cup.

Bernard, 23, of Kent, led the nine-boat field with 800 points after one day of racing with his two wins. He won the Indiana Governor's Cup hydroplane race on the Ohio River last weekend for his first career victory.

Jean Theoret of Maple Valley, Quebec, in the Miss Beacon Plumbing and Steve David of Lighthouse Point, Fla., in the Oh Boy! Oberto each had one win and one second-place finish Saturday.

All four heat winners averaged 148 mph or better on the 2 1/2-mile Detroit River course and each had a fast lap of 152 mph in each of the heats.

David led the qualifying Friday with a two-lap average of 159.888 mph on the 2 1/2-mile course (and a fastest lap of 160.74), just edging the 159.15 two-lap mark posted by Theoret.

The winner-take-all final is scheduled for 4 p.m. today.