Jim Mauldin races away with 5-Liter hydro title in Tri-Cities

After missing the first two heats of the weekend, Jim Mauldin won the last four heats of the Washington National Guard presents 5-Liter Hydroplane Regatta, including the winner-take-all final Sunday.

In the final, Mauldin, driving the E-31 Mauldin Well Service, had to battle with Kurt Myers in the E-26 for three highly competitive laps. Mauldin pushed his hull so hard that he came completely out of the water on the first turn of the final lap after hitting a roller and barely managed to save the boat from flipping.

Rochelle Hill, driver of the E-46 Miss Galaxy, didn't finish a race in any of the five preliminary heats for the weekend, but was able to get her hull on the water for the final after driving to Burlington and back Saturday night to pick up a new motor. She spent all of Sunday morning getting the part installed, but her boat lost power before she was able to finish the first lap of the final.

This story was originally published July 31, 2016 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Jim Mauldin races away with 5-Liter hydro title in Tri-Cities."