Second Detroit Ulimited race in Sept.

[Kevin Whitehead]

There is now a second Unlimited hydro race slated for September.

http://www.hydroprop.com/news/040803.htm

Looks like a resurrection of the old President's Cup that used to held on the Potomac.

Maybe the officials can get that little final heat confusion/indecisiveness sorted out this time around

 

[longballlumber]

Kevin,

Not sure if you caught this or not.....

This newly scheduled Hydroprop race in Detroit is the same weekend as the race in ("outlaw") SD!!! They are trying to compete against each other now....

Mike

 

[Kevin Whitehead]

I guess this is the response. A pretty quick one, considering that sites have just gone "outlaw" this year.

Looks like fight.

I would have to bet against San Diego. I've seen races there and really like the location (even if it is far too likely to cause blow-overs).

With a tight team competition and the race for overall points, it looks like Hydro-Prop has most of the cards.

KW

 

[crowebar]

Keven, It gets even better, I read this just a few minutes ago.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/motorsports/184968_race05.html

Sounds like a few details have been overlooked regarding holding the Detroit race so fast. There are a few hoops that they need to jump through to pull it off which may be difficult!

I've also read that the Bud may run at both events if it does happen with a boat at each race.

This is getting exciting. It's almost as fun as when Steve and I go at it!

Dick

 

[Kevin Whitehead]

I bet the 135-day notice can be easily bypassed. One of two ways (both involving a politician).

1. The mayor of Detroit calls for the race to go on for the obvious economic boom. No one will say no. The mayor can turn it into a racial thing at the drop of a hat.

2. It's the President's Cup! If they arrange for the President to either be at the race or to have the winner at the White House (as the Hydro-Prop story alleges), the restriction will be lifted.

This will be entertaining whichever way it goes.

Dick, if you think of it this weekend, ask Roger which one his team would attend if they both go on.

KW

 

[Watercadet]

HaHa!! This is great! I am in San Diego and have been part of the thunderboat regatta fot the past four years. I just read an article in our paper that stated Joe Little was comming here to make the Bud's final run no matter what was going on in Detroit. He also said that he was looking into making both appearences as mentioned above, but he thinks that Hydro Prop would find a way to disqualify them anyway.

Adam

 

[crowebar]

I'll ask Roger tomorrow.

I just talked to a friend who's at the Seafair qualifieing today. He told me that Hydro-Prop has decided that the Bud will be restricted to 3.7 GPM this weekend. That's nearly a gallon less then anyone else. That should be the kiss of death for the red boat. I think the lowest they have ever had to run in the past is 3.9.

Dick

 

[Watercadet]

Another reason I am sure they will blow off Hydro Prop and the president's cup and go to San Diego.

 

[Al Waters]

Budweiser owns the distribution rights of Bud products in San Diego. Not a local businessman. They also have the rights to the corporate hospitality at Ski Beach and plan on keeping it in future years to entertain their customers.

Oberto has their fiscal corporate meeting lined up in San Diego in September also.

I guess the question is how important is a points title to the teams, how strong is their will to be HP affiliated only, and if the boat sponsors dictate where their boat will go. Some of these questions were answered when I was in Tri-Cities.

Would you go to a race in hopes that the President might be there or have a photo taken with him at a later date? A good friend of mine was recently decorated with the medal of honor in San Diego for saving a fellow troopers life in Iraq. The California Governor was supposed to be there. He didnt make it as he had to make a trip back to his homeland. So, I wouldnt go to a race in hopes the President might be there. A photo with the Unlimited drivers would be more appealing to me.

I have been on the San Diego race committee for 12 years. They know how to put on an event no matter how many boats show. I think that it will be "The Battle of the Big Red's".

PS......... couldn't help but jump over here to the FE side.

Al Waters

NAMBA Vice President

NAMBA Scale Unlimited Chairman

President-Southern California Scale Thunderboat Association

 

[Jeff Stubbers]

For those interested, I asked Roger this morning whether the U-25 will be going to San Diego or to Detroit and he said that they do not know yet. :huh:

 

[crowebar]

Thanks for popping in Al,

I agree with you, the San Diego event is one of my favorites. I crewed on the Pico back in the mid 90's and was always blown away with that event. There is so much going on it makes your head spin. I even snuck over to the R/C event a few times. I hope to make it down again sometime as just a spectator and to see a real race.

The whole Fuel restriction thing drives me nuts. I want to see how fast these things can go, not how fast Hydro-Prop wants them to go. Still, I'm heading out to the Seafair "show" today and tomorrow with my kid and we'll have the time of our lives as usual.

Dick

 

[Al Waters]

Dick,

Let us know how Seafair goes. Looks like they got all the vintage boats running.

If our paths cross again, please say hello. I haven't seen you since the FE Nats in Los Angeles when I was Co-CD for Jeff Vasquez. That was a great event.

Your son ought to be pretty grown by now. Sounds like his likes boats also.

Al Waters

NAMBA Vice President

NAMBA Scale Unlimited Chairman

President-Southern California Scale Thunderboat Association

 

[crowebar]

It was a great race AL with only one incident when Nate blew off the Emcore. The boat broke through the middle but Nate is alright other then a broken toe.

The Bud won the final but as always, with a little controversy. The U-2 and U-8 filed a protest that the Bud went too slow prior to the start but Hydro Prop officials reviewed the film and said the Buds start was just fine.

I spent a little time with Roger at the Pits and Colten (my son) got to sit in the Cockpit of the U-25. The boat looked good all weekend and ran up front with the rest of the boys.

A hot summer day and Hydros. It doesn't get much better then that.

I also took a short mpeg video of the 1982 Atlas and the 1980 Griffon bud running deck to deck today making all kinds of noise. Chip actually drove the Atlas yesterday. I think Mark Evens drove it today.

Here's a link to the clip. It's not my best effort, but better the nothing! http://www.casrecprop.com/videos/videos/1980bud1982atlas.mpg

Dick

 

[Kevin Whitehead]

I listened to the Final heat on WORX (via Internet), out of Madison, Ind.

Jim Hendrix and the two other people doing the broadcast described the start of the heat as the worst that they had ever seen.

Everyone was way too early. The only boat that seemed capable of running with the Bud, Miss Elam Plus, was earliest and jumped the gun. The Elam's roostertail temporarily blocked the view of the other boats (from the judge's stand), that's why there was a delay in checking if other boats (like Bud) had dropped off of plane.

Dick, I think you are way off, on wanting these boats to go faster.

It is obvious that they are going too fast as is. They have almost gotten to the point of having at least one flip at every race.

I remember when, if there was a flip at any race in a season, the season was considered a bad season.

The advent of the enclosed canopy has given the race teams a false sense of security, like the worst thing that can happen is that some equipment breaks. Wrong.

The massive numbers of flips in the last 15 years or so, is just one of the many problems the sport has. Going to a 2-day format was a bad idea in the first place. Then, having a flip and delaying that day by hours makes it even worse.

KW

 

[Watercadet]

Haven't all the flips this season been in or right out of turns, usually involving rooster tails? That doesn't say too fast to me. Besides Hydro Prop is squeezing all of the fuel out of them any way.

Adam

 

[Kevin Whitehead]

I would say that the recent flurry of flips in turns is a direct result of too much speed.

The speeds that the boats are maintaining in the turns today are much higher. Faster straightaway speed + lighter hull = ability to carry more speed through the turn.

They still run on the same old courses that the old, slow boats did. If someone in front slows down, the boat behind is closing too fast and runs right up into their roostertail. There is not enough time to react.

The higher average speeds have not brought any more competition to the sport. In fact, it likely has diminished the competition as, each year, fewer and fewer of the boats were able to maintain the higher average speeds.

KW

 

[Watercadet]

Good point! What yould you do if you were the santioning body though. Weight restrictions? Fuel doesn't seem to be working...

 

[sjslhill]

Keven, It gets even better, I read this just a few minutes ago.http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/motorsports/184968_race05.html

Sounds like a few details have been overlooked regarding holding the Detroit race so fast. There are a few hoops that they need to jump through to pull it off which may be difficult!

I've also read that the Bud may run at both events if it does happen with a boat at each race.

This is getting exciting. It's almost as fun as when Steve and I go at it!

Dick

Looks like HP wants to get shed of the outlaw West.....HP is stupid.

 

[Al Waters]

Dick,

thanks for the clip. Watching those boats run together is like watching nitro twin riggers run. You cant help but get goosebumps.

Glad to see they got the Atlas running. I saw it in Tri-Cities last year but they had problems.

Now if they could get a half dozen Griffons on the water at the same time, nobody would want to watch anything else. See ya...........

Al Waters

NAMBA Vice President

NAMBA Scale Unlimited Chairman

President-Southern California Scale Thunderboat Association

 

[K.R.Joye]

Dick,Now if they could get a half dozen Griffons on the water at the same time, nobody would want to watch anything else. See ya...........

AMEN!

All this wining about fuel restrictions has put a black cloud over the ULs. Watching Bud constantly experiencing compressor stall, starving for fuel was a bummer at the Gold Cup this year. I'd really like to see Bud and Coopers etc. square off with no restrictions. Their only going to go as fast as it takes to win. There obviously safe enough now to sustain a flip and come back for the final.

Dick your so well connected what do the drivers think in regards to fuel restrictions?

My 2 cents