Thursday, September 17, 2015

HYDROS: Detroit race Roars past...



Yeah, lost in A-L-L the thunder over Indy Cars title fight and Formula 1 resuming racing, the Unlimiteds' put on another GURR-REAT Show at Detroit!

Apparently it took two former B-I-G BOATZ Skippers to keep Detroit's race afloat, one being H1 Unlimited series Chairman, multi-time National High Points Champion Steve David - with Mark Webber doing the Lion tamer's work from behind the Steel cage of Detroit after the previous promoter DRRA (Detroit River Regatta Association) folded this February.


NO! That's NOT 'Aussie ex-F1 driver Mark Webber Mates, but instead ex-Unlimiteds High Points champion Mark Webber who piloted the sport's winningest hull, simply known as "The Bud" (Miss Budweiser) to the title in 1997! As Webber's truly a BAD ARSE Boat Jockey - having amassed 14 Championships and was inducted into Michigan's Motorsports Hall Of Fame last year.


As Webber, who's been a leading hand of the American Power Boat Association's (APBA) prestigious Gold Cup, is at the steering wheel of the Detroit Riverfront Association taking charge 'O Detroit's Unlimiteds' race this year, which will resume hosting their yearly Gold Cup event next August.

While much Attenzione would be focused upon Homeboy Cal Phipps and the upstart U-27 Wiggins Racing entry...


Thus it wasn't a surprise to hear that Jean Theoret in the U-96 Ellstrom Elam Plus was fastest qualifier again, which was all for naught when he and his fellow competitors, excluding the lone piston powered hull, Jimmy King's U-3 Home Street Banking had A-L-L jumped the gun in their  respective Heat 1C, effectively handing King his second Heat win of the season - the second Heat win this year since 2009!

After all, the U-3 is somewhat, albeit loosely associated with the Pacific Northwest, as they're the official bank of some professional teams named the Seahawks and Sounders FC...


Heat 1A saw National High Points Championship protagonists Jimmy Shane and J. Michael Kelly racing against each other, with Shane piloting the U-1 Oh Boy Oberto to another victory over Kelly's U-5 Graham Trucking. while Heat 1B saw Brian Perkins in the U-21 Miss Al Deeby capture his first win of the season.

Jean Theoret suffered a Narly Blowover accident when leading Heat 2A! And  although the U-96 Elam Plus landed right side up and Theoret was fairly unscathed, the Ellstrom hull suffered major damage and due to lengthy repairs missed the day's final heat.

But even without Theoret and the U-96, the day's final was  another Barn-burner between rivals Shane and Kelly, once again going Deck-to-Deck the entire race with the Oh Boy Oberto being victorious over Graham Trucking, as Jimmy Shane takes the points lead into the season finale at San Diego this weekend ...