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U-1 Miss HomeStreet driver
Jimmy Shane, right, laughs as he puts a temporary tattoo on one of his
competitors, Andrew Tate, during an autograph session at last year's Tri-City
Water Follies at Columbia Park in Kennewick, WA. Which one of these driver's
will be smiling after Seafair? Sarah Gordon Herald file. (Source: tri-cityhearld.com)
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Ah, what's Seafair without the legendous' Jerky
boat, the Oh Boy, Oberto! Even if it's not the Madison based championship
winning rendition...
2017 SEAFAIR PROVISIONAL
ENTRY LIST
No. Name Driver Team Base
U-1 Miss HomeStreet Bank Jimmy Shane Madison, IN
U-3 Griggs Ace Hardware Jimmy King Evansville, IN
U-9 Les Schwab Andrew Tate Enumclaw,
WA
U-11 J&B Hydraulics Thom
Thompson Edmonds, WA
U-12 Graham Trucking J.
Michael Kelly Milton, WA
U-16 Oberto Beef Jerky JW Meyers Arlington, WA
U-21 Paine West Insurance Brian Perkins Maple Valley, WA
U-440 Bucket List Racing R-Dustin
Echols Snohomish, WA
U-99.9 Leland presents Miss Rock Greg Hopp Kirkland, WA
2017 SEASON CHANGES
Ah,
where to begin? Start with the low-hangin' fruit I suppose. As The Miss Madison
Racing team returns with defending National High Points Champion Jimmy Shane at
the controls of the U-1 Miss HomeStreet, for which everyone else will be
gunning for.
then Thars' my favourite Hull, 'lil
Enum-scratches' U-9 Les Schwab Tires, who I've contributed significant
"Coinage" to, for our "Eh-Team" van's various Off-roading
escapades! With the fourth generation Andrew Tate in his sophomore season for
Jones Racing of Enumclaw, WA at the Helm, where somebody named Kasey Kahne's
from.
Thars' third fiddle, the Graham Trucking
Unlimited with multiple race winner J. Michael Kelly still at the rudder,
although the team's mainstay Ted Porter has stepped away, selling the team to Rod
Graham over the winter.
With this winning Hull changing to the U-12
this year, as the long ago, ex-Miss Budweiser Hull's been updated over the
winter, like all of the Hydros' were...
As these are presumably the top three
Unlimiteds in the show, or who I'd guestimate having the best chance 'O winning
Seafair this year - with the rest of the field being somewhat of a mixed bag;
Err pass Dem Planters Mixed Nuts; Uhm? Suppose that should be Beef Jerky; Hya!
And I'm a little peeved over the current lack
'o information forthcoming from the series official website, (and
that was before the FUCKING waste 'O time I spent futily trying to pull-up a
"live stream" to listen to the Columbia Cup final!) since
the first story about the Tri cities Hydroplane race showed up just three days
before the weekend's activities commenced; URGH!
As the July 5th's Chairman's
Corner post, from the new H1 Unlimited Commissioner Doug Bernstein cryptically
noted how they hoped to see most of their teams soon...
Thus, it appeared from the scant news that I
could find, pre-Columbia Cup, the two Dark Horse Hydros' have to be the U-16 Oh
Boy Oberto! Previously the U-96 Spirit of Qatar, along with the U-27 Dalton
Industries, as Y'all should never count out either of these boats.
Biggest news for Eric Ellstrom's squad, along
with flying the flag for Oh Boy Oberto last year, after it's long association
as the Miss Madison's sponsor was that the fiery KuhNuck Jean Jumpin' Jaques
Flash" Theoret was effectively
sacked, with another Ellstrom Racing Team Alumni now coming out of retirement.
As JW Meyers who hadn't driven in five years,
but got to knock off the rust with a guest drive at Madison aboard the U-27, will
look to rekindle his winning ways aboard the U-16 this season. As Meyers lone
Unlimiteds victory came with the team at Madison in 2005.
Then on Friday afternoon, July 28th, with NO help
via H1 Unlimited's website, I first discovered via the obscure deck2deck.us
website that apparently the U-16 wouldn't be racing at Tri Cities; WTF? For
which the Ellstrom Racing website confirmed by announcing that this weekend's
Albert Lee Appliance Cup on Lake Washington would be the boat's and it's new driver's
debut this season...
Meanwhile, the U-27, typically Juan' of the
most competitive Hulls, effectively spent all last year rebuilding its boat
after Cal Phipps suffered a NARLY Blowover accident at the season opening
Madison Regatta.
As the lone team based in Gadsden,
Alabama spent the entire Offseason
finishing the boat before Meyers broke it in at Madison this year, with the
Bama' Crew roaring to get back to their winning ways, albeit electing to forgo
Seafair and Tri Cities this year, possibly to conserve resources?
As I was hoping it was just an erroneous omission
when reading the Tri Cities
"teaser" just days before the HAPO Columbia Cup race, which didn't
mention the U-27, which unfortunately elected to skip this season's Washington
state events...
The U-3 Griggs Ace Hardware entry of GO-3 Racing's an interesting boat, being the only Unlimited
Hydroplane still utilizing good 'Ol fashion piston power; Aye Karumba!
As the boat's motive power comes from a
twin-turbocharged Allison V-12 vintage WW II airplane engine. While it could be
a potential "Sleeper" candidate due to the potentially rough waters
created off of Lake Washington's famous Log boom.
The U-440 Bucket List Racing entry features a
new Shue' underneath the canopy, as Dustin Echols makes his debut in the B-I-G
BOATZ' class, nee Unlimiteds this year. As Echols reportedly is a championship
winning Supercharged GP class skipper.
Whilst the U-440 also reportedly sports a
major update look along with its number change from last year's U-18, which
hopefully includes stepping up to a more powerful version of the venerable
Lycoming turbine powerplant.
According to deck2Deck.us, the team campaigns a
Lycoming T-53 turbine which has half the power of the Lycoming T-55 turbine
used by most competitors. While the team has supposedly solved its problematic
gearbox issues...
While hopefully Thar rookie Helmsman will have a
better weekend on Lake Washington, after floundering in the rough waters of the
"Mighty Columbia!"
And lastly, Greg Hopp, son of ex-Unlimiteds Journeyman Driver Jerry
Hopp, a local legend has been tabbed to substitute for the U-99.9 KISW Miss Rock powered by
CarStar's regular driver Kevin Eacret,
who apparently suffered a torn Achilles
earlier this year. As it'll be the younger Hopp's first Unlimited seat-time
in some three years.
NOTES
Hopefully the U-21 Hull can be repaired in
time for Seafair? As the boat, which Bryan Perkins was giving perennial
Unlimiteds champion Jimmy Shane a run for his money suffered major damage when
throwing a propeller blade in Heat-1A at Tri Cities.
As Perkins noted how the lost blade had
damaged the boat's hull when tearing up it's driveshaft, propeller strut and
steering! And the team would decide after Tri Cities if it could make the
repairs in time for Seafair, a week later.
Meanwhile, I missed another Memo, as the
Piston powered U-3 Thunderboat pulled out of the Seafair event following Tri
Cities due to unspecified damage...
Local CBS TV Affiliate KIRO 7 Throws in Towel...
In another sign of the times, corporate
greediness, bottom lines and making the Shareholders happy... Local CBS
affiliate KIRO7 cancelled its traditional day long coverage of Seafair's
legendous' Hydroplanes and Blue angels television coverage, after 66-years!
Which will be replaced by a 90mins Highlight's package instead...
As it'll be good
to get away from the scorching, red hot Keyboard for a few Dazes during our
Excessive Heat Warning here in Seattle, where we'll be flirting with record
high temperatures leading up to this year's Seafair...