I Don’t See A Problem Or Am I Just Confused

Elam announces that they are not coming East. Reason, to pursue a deal that could potentially add more races to the schedule, more money to sport that is strapped for cash and greater exposure. So where’s the problem?

It seems that most fans don’t want to see the Orange Boat and Villwock win, so why should it matter if they miss the Eastern Swing? I know, I know, boat count….hmmmm, don’t you think what the Ellstroms are doing may just take care of 9, 10 or even 11 boats at each site and maybe someday 15(arbitrary #) + boats. Give ‘em a chance!

I’ve read some good and many negative responses and one that was totally out of line. I’m sort of confused. I think we should be happy and support what the Ellstroms are trying to do and that is trying to grow the sport. Year after year, all of us hope that there will be more races added to the schedule and more teams to increase the boat count only to get much of the same. The only real change is the competition is the best it has been in more years than I know.

I for one would love to see Steve David, David Bryant, Jeff Bernard, Mike Allen , Jimmy King, J. Michael Kelly, David Williams, Greg Hopp, Ken Muscatel, and Jean Theoret beat Dave Villwock in Evansville, Madison and the Gold Cup. The field of boats competing at the Eastern races is competitive and we should see some great racing.

To The Ellstroms, Good Luck!

To all of the teams making the Eastern Swing, good luck, be safe and race fast! See you in Detroit!

Word Association: Evansville – Thunder on the Ohio 6

10 hours driving to Evansville in the Chevy Nova (affectionately known as the "The Probe" as in Savairs)

It was Thunder on the Ohio 6. My 1 and only trip to Evansville

The New Turbine Atlas Van Lines breaking a qualifying record

Great view of the entire course

Brother Dave

Chet’s Music Shop

The Lite All Star

Amazon Hot heat

Catfish & asphalt sandwich

The PA guy in his White coveralls and Cowboy hat

That darn Budweiser song

The Bierstube and Live music

A trip to a beer store for Sunday provisions.... no alcohol sales on Sunday.

"Black Saturday"!

The campground

Race Day was Hot...Amazon Hot!

The beer was cold.

Did I mention that darn Budweiser song...”here comes the king, here comes the king here comes the big number one”....blah, blah, blah. Over and over again?! I think the race was sponsored by Bud. ;)

Between heat activity - Gene Souci...120, 130, 140 raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah (propeller driven airplane sound) and the air show. It was pretty entertaining.

It was an average day won by Jim Kropfeld driving the Miss Budweiser.

I think it was hot that day. With a 20 % chance of rain that turned into about 2" inches in 20 minutes. The rain was welcome relief to the blazing heat.

After the race, we were invited to a post race party at a big house on the main street across from the river and the Freedom Monument. We drank their beer, kissed their girls and had a great time. Great hospitality!

Filet 'O Fish!

An interesting trip!

I really want to go back in the near future

Many of these are inside jokes, so don't put too much into it...

The U-12, Miss Budweiser will be running at Detroit. Thanks Eric Sellers for the heads up.

http://www.vintageraceboatshop.com/Detroit-2008.htm

From The Vintage Race Boat Shop. The U-12, Miss Budweiser will be running at Detroit. Scroll down to see other U-Boats that will be in Detroit. Thanks to Eric Sellers for the heads up.

Additional Photos: http://www.network54.com/Forum/157337/message/1213697630/A+few+more+photos…

Photo of the Jarvis Construction courtesy of Eric Sellers

Thing of Beauty...

Just a couple pictures from Lake Samammish a couple weeks ago my mother-in-law took of my daughter. Apparently she just didn't want to leave those old boats behind!

Who Will Win The Gold Cup? I have the inside scoop!

Looking into my crystal ball, I see…my desk! So, here’s my opportunity to make some predictions. Of the 11 unlimiteds that are supposed to be in Detroit, there are 10 that I would like to see win the Gold Cup. Of those 10, the sentimental favorite is the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto and Steve David. Why Steve David and the Oberto Team? Steve David is a great driver with a great crew behind him and Madison, IN. Steve David is the ultimate spokesman for the sport and his sponsor, Oh Boy! Oberto. One word sums up Steve, Charisma. In my opinion, Steve has paid his dues and now has the equipment and crew to get it done. No one ever deserves the Gold Cup because they paid their dues or has the best equipment, but in this case, I think the Oberto Team will earn it.

There will be lots of talk about Jean Theoret, Dave Villwock and Steve David and others as favorites to win. My dark horse winner is David Bryant and The USA Racing Partners. The Gregory Family has a dedicated crew, great equipment and David Bryant proved that he can run with the big dogs at last years GM Cup in Seattle. It would be a fitting return to Detroit after tearing up the bottom of the boat in Madison last year.

Let’s not forget the Formula Boat team. Two powerhouse boats, with 2 drivers who can get it done. Jeff Bernard ran a great race in San Diego and came real close to getting the win. He will win some races in his career. Maybe a 1st Gold Cup in July. Mike Allen had a rough season last year, but I’m not counting him out either. Mike proved he could get it done by donning the U-1 last season.

Jean Theoret has always been one of my favorite racers. His success in the Grand Prix ranks carried over to the unlimiteds. My question is what took owners so long to bring him to the U-Boats? After a tough run in the Gold Cup last year, Jean and the U-37 Team will be back.

Another sentimental favorite is Jimmy King and the U-3 Miss Chrysler-Jeep. Like Jean Theoret, I enjoyed watching Jimmy race in the GP ranks. Not only is Jimmy from the Detroit Area, he drives the only piston powered boat on the circuit with the Chrysler-Jeep sponsorship. The noise is a definite fan favorite. The U-3 is capable of winning and proved in 2003 with Mitch Evans driving. 2008 could be the second Gold Cup win for Ed Cooper, Jr.

The Detroit River hasn’t been kind to J. Michael Kelly. The river beat him up in his boat, blew over in the start of a final heat and gave him a wild ride in 2007. Dues paid? Only time will tell. From what I’ve seen from JMK, he’s a good driver that will win some races. It’s a Detroit boat that will have fans rooting for the hometown entry. The team has 1 Gold Cup under their belt. Experience goes a long way.

Fred Leland seems to always find a way to get a boat to Detroit. It’s been a while since the U-100 won a Gold Cup. Greg Hopp has had lots of success in the UL ranks and with the right combination he should see some success in the unlimiteds.

Dr. Ken Muscatel is another owner who finds a way to bring a boat to Detroit. If some of the off season work on the hull makes it more competitive, Dr. Ken may make some waves in the end. Thank you for bringing a boat to Detroit all of these years.

I don’t know much about Brian Perkins, but from those I have e-mailed and talked to, they say Brian is a good driver who needs experience in the seat of a U-Boat before showing everyone what he can do. It’s exciting to have the U.S. Navy on board. The boat looks good and hopefully, the team can represent and recruit successfully for the Navy.

***See Comments Below***

Is Dave Villwock really as evil as he’s portrayed to be? Personally, I don’t think so. Back in the Bud days, he seemed to be a bit pompous on the surface, but then you would see him talking to the kids and signing anything put in front of him. Dave is not a very popular choice, but his race and Gold Cup wins can’t be denied. Sorry Dave, I would like to see a 1st time winner this year.

As you can see, I don’t have a solid pick, only personal favorites and opinion. I see a field where anyone can win the 2008 Gold Cup. It may take a little luck to bring home the gold.

I once heard someone say ‘you don’t beat the Detroit River, you survive it’ and in some cases drivers have paid the ultimate price in their attempts to win a Gold Cup.

Here’s to a safe, fast 100th Running of The Gold Cup!

Good Luck to all of the teams in Evansville and Madison. See you in Detroit!

Jimmy King in the GP 151

GP Hydros Lining Up For The Start

From Dan Yates

U-22 Miss Tosti Asti

American Spirit - Detroit

Miss Madison - Detroit

Smokin' Joes - Detroit

I'm Back, Now Let's Get Back To Blogging

Sorry the blog has been so quiet, but I've been out of commission since April 13th. I had some medical issues, but I am better and unfortunately ;) I return to work tomorrow. Look for frequent updates in the near future.

I have lots of photos and a few stories to tell. I'll probably even re-post a few stories from the Thunderzone Blog. There may be a few photos and updates from the Oberto test session later this month. Hopefully, Kirk can post a few.

Roger

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.

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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