I have a confession to make

by Paul Dughi, HydroInsider.com

I have a confession to make. I miss Kevin Aylesworth. I know that's not the way guys are supposed to say these things, so let me try to be more specific. I miss the Freedom Racing team, Jeffrey Michael Johnson, Kevin and, well, the whole way that team went at it.

I miss the new boat they built last year. They only made it to the West Coast races and had gear box problems that hampered them down the stretch, but that boat had potential. HAS potential. Somebody needs to buy it and put it back on the water!

I really miss the way this team gathered support and publicity. They made fans everywhere they went. And they worked hard to bring in new fans. They got attention. Quite simply, they did things right. And they're a model for anybody else out there that wants to get started in boat racing.

LEFT: The U-21 leaves San Diego at night for the trek to Tri-Cities for debut
RIGHT: Brian Perkins returns after qualifying in the U-21 at Tri-Cities 2007

For the years Kevin and his team were in the Unlimited ranks, they brought the boat to town days before anybody else and took it around for show. Kevin's dad, Rich, usually brought the boat to KNDU-TV and took the time to explain (again) to the (yet another) batch of reporters what the sport was all about. At the race site, Kevin was always out with the fans, giving tours, and interacting with the crowd.

I've told the story before about the time in the Tri-Cities when one of the other teams had to close down the pits to use a crane to lift a motor from their truck to the boat. It was a safety thing – can't have people walking under the crane. A lot of people were upset they had to stand there and wait for 5 minutes while this took place. Kevin came out from his area and started talking to people and signing autographs. Turned the grumblers into fans.

I miss the way the found sponsor money. And I miss the way they teamed up with a charity in each community to race money for children's causes.

Kevin and Jeffrey had to make the tough decision to put racing on hold so they could invest and grow their business. I respect that. But that doesn't stop me from wishing they were still doing their thing.

RELATED ARTICLES:

VIDEO: Brian Perkins qualifies as a hydroplane driver >>

Kevin Aylesworth is healthy and has a new boat >>

U-21's Brian Perkins: "We accomplished every one of our goals" >>
Freedom Racing team is up for sale >>

Moses Lake 2008

I'm too pooped to write anything but I thought I would post a couple photos from the weekend. Ana Cappelletti works year round on this race and she always does a fantasic job. Thank you for being such a gracious host!

Moses Lake Regatta 2008

Gregg Hopp driving happy go lucky at Moses lake regatta April 13 2008

Here one fast Dustin Echols I believe in the ul17

Boat looked real fast But looked to have a oil leak issue Early in the day and died in the backstretch of the final

I'm a Blogger! Well... a Boat Racing Blogger!

So this is my first blog, well, first "real" blog. I'm mean I've blogged on my myspace page but I'm not counting it. This is the real deal. I want to thank Roger for thinking of me because honestly, I feel like I know as much about hydroplane racing as I do about aerospace engineering. What I can provide is perspective. I may not know what spark plugs we're using or what angle our skid fin is at (things I can ask my hubby however!) but I'm pretty seasoned as a racing wife. Anyhow let the blogging begin!

I chose this picture because this was a pretty important moment in our racing career. Yes I said "our" because once you become involved with a _____ (insert driver, crewman, owner, boat holder, etc.) it is not his career anymore. Suddenly everything you're living for only occurs between the months of April and October, money is saved for the next piece of racing equipment and vacations just don't exist unless they're spent with a couple hundred of your close racing buddies. Don't get me wrong I love my life now. The weekend of this accident, my friend Sue Troxell told me "Rena, you chose this life." And shes right.

I had never seen Dustin wreck a boat before this. Dustin has raced outboards since the ripe old age of nine and therefore has been crashing them that long also. He's not a careless driver, quite the opposite just if you're playing the odds it's not if you crash but when and I'm quite certain any racer will tell you that. What's different about this crash wasn't so much that it happened. (and if you're looking for specifics on that crash you'll have to ask Dustin) More so that I was nine months pregnant and 5 days before my due date! So if you want to count crappy days at the race course this would qualify for the both of us! I would like to take this public forum to thank my friends for, quite readily, stepping in to help me after it happened. Hydro racing wives are the unsung heroes of the sport. They are the ones left lonely most summer nights and weekends, dilligently wiping down the boat whether win or lose, chasing childeren around, fetching lunches, running to pick up boat parts....... you get the idea. They are very much involved though they may never touch the engine in their lives. Anyhow it is a subject very much close to my heart and I thought I would share. I promise not to be so "mushy" all the time!

Go GP-17!

Rena Echols (wife of Dustin, driver GP-17)

*photo courtesy of the Tri-City Herald*

Cool Bardahl pic for you all

Hi all My name is Brian lepinski I will be posting some Picture from the west coast boat races. Here is a hint of what I will be posting on my own blog and my smugmug site

Jean Theoret - Miss Danash II