Although it’s just the Apollo Mechanical Cup. And
they’ll have to wait another month for the Gold Cup in San Diego…
As noted, this Sunday celebrates Seattle’s 75th
Anniversary of its summer’s Seafair celebration, culminated by the running of
the Unlimiteds on Lake Washington’s traditional Ted Jones race course.
As I never thought I’d be leaving the Emerald
City and moving to Florence, Oregon in the summer of 2018! And it’s Uber’ Sad
that the official H1 Unlimited website is as pathetic today as it was six years
ago, Sigh! When I relied on it to tell me who’d won that year’s Seafair trophy
race…
http://www.nofenders.net/2018/12/hydros-discouraging-lack-of-local-news.html
Arse-sumedly the same eight Unlimited Hulls
will be racing thru the legendous’ Seattle log boom’s rollers on Lake
Washington today. For which I may even try “watching”, err listening to via H1
Unlimited’s livestream, provided the volume is adequate and the action’s
actually live?
As the only question was whether or not the
U-12 Graham Trucking and the U-60 The Beast Unleashed would be joining the
party in Tri-Cities? But Heavens forbid that the H1 Unlimited website would
tell us in a timely manner, Urgh!
Since as of Sunday during the entire day’s
Columbia Cup event, which I did manage to listen to via their livestream which
only required twenty levels of volume adjustment, Ack! Uhm, Speak U-P sonny!
Thar was nothin’ on the H1 Unlimited website eluding to the weekend’s
preceding’s…
And
as of the following Tuesday morning, still Don’t have a Freakin’ race report on
their website; Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, Roger that!
Thus tuning in for Heat-3A east of the
mountains, I learned there were only a total of five Unlimiteds racing Sunday,
Say What? With the local radio announcer noting there had been some attrition.
Thus three boats took to the water for Heat-3A
with the winner being Cory Peabody in the U-9 Beacon Plumbing. With Dustin
Echols in the U-40 flav-R-Pac finishing second. While Jamie Nilsen drove
straight back to the pits before the start with an unspecified problem in the
U-11 Miss Mercurys Coffee.
Heat-3B saw a paltry two boats competing, with
Andrew Tate in the U-91 Miss Goodman real Estate toying with Gunnar O’Farrill
in the U-35 Gutters by Keith presents Boitano Homes Hydroplane. With gunnar
racing for the first time this year in what I believe is only His second ever
Big boats race.
Tate let Gunnar have some fun before He said
See Ya starting lap two, easily winning. Setting up for what seemed like a
showdown between Tate and Peabody in the day’s final.
Finally learned during a Sunday interview with
Bobby King that the U-12 Graham Trucking had made the trip, but had been washed
down in a preliminary Heat and was finished for the day.
Even more amazing was hearing the recap of J.
Michael Kelly in the U-1 Beacon electric having apparently hit a roller during
Saturday’s Heat 1A, trying to correct. Then being Hit by teammate Peabody’s
roostertail before seeing sky, and ultimately landing upside-down in a
Blow-over accident!
But what about the U-27 Miss Apollos with Dave Villwock?
Thus, All of the Pundits were claiming it was Andrew
Tate in the Miss Goodman Real Estate U-91’s race to lose. As Tate had won the season’s
first two races in Guntersville and Madison, Indiana, and leading the National
High Points championship arguably was the boat to beat!
Yet cory Peabody, Skipper of the U-9 said not
so fast Y’all! And after apparently playing a game of “Chicken” with Tate,
pulled into the preferred Lane-2 with Tate stuck outside in Lane-3.
Nilsen had the inside Lane-1 which had been
“pinching” drivers with the water’s chop and placement of buoys on the
reconfigured 2.0-mile course. Having to modify the original 2.5-mile course due
to low water constraints on the Columbia River.
Hence Peabody charged into the lead and never
looked back during the five laps final Heat. With Nilsen and Dustin Echols
scrapping over second place while Tate fell back to fourth.
Tate then made it three boats side-by-side,
before powering thru the middle to
finish runner-up with Echols holding onto third. Nilsen was eventually DQ’ed
(Disqualified) and O’Farrill who’d finished fifth, was classified fourth.
Thus Peabody gave the Hometown team Strong
Racing it’s third victory in four Columbia cups since the team’s inception. Along
with Peabody going back-to-back, i.e.; 2023-24. Along with His maiden Unlimited
win on the Columbia in 2021.
While obviously, the team will attempt to get J.
Michael Kelly’s U-1 Beacon Electric repaired in time for Seafair. Although I’ve
got zero clue how extensive the damage is?
Peabody and Kelly arguably are Tate’s
“Strongest” challengers. And you’d have to say are the three fastest Hulls
currently. Whilst who knows what Dave
Villwock and the U-27 Miss Apollo can do in this year’s Apollo Mechanical Cup?
Having finally learned during the “five to the
Five” O’clock News livestream radio simocast Sunday afternoon that the U-27 had
been involved in a somewhat scary incident with Bobby King earlier Sunday!
Whilst I finally learn on Monday morning that
Villwock had become the sport’s oldest winner of a Heat race at age 70 when
winning the resumed Heat-1A after Kelly’s Blow-over. But apparently failed to
qualify for the final Heat? Which makes absolutely no sense to Mwah! Unless
there’s no longer a “trailer” boat making up six Hulls in the Final Heat?
Fighting to be one of the “Big Four” Boats
arguably is the U-11 Miss Mercurys Coffee with Skipper Jamie Nilsen, whose
title sponsor is located in Bellevue, Washington and sells Organic Coffee.
The bottom half of the flotilla, albeit
steadily improving. Driving a Helluva race in Tri-cities where He was
consistently fast is the U-40 with Dustin Echols at the tiller. gaining Echols the
nod over our final two Pretendahs’, due to their lack of participation.
And even though Gunnar’s got the newer U-35 Hull
vs. rookie driver bobby King’s U-12 entry, you’d have to say both boats are a
“wash”, due to their driver’s inexperience and lack of racing in the Big
leagues.
While Tate is my Numero Uno driver and I hope He wins. I’d also like to “See” Jamie Nilsen in the Miss Mercurys Coffee win Thar Debutante Unlimited victory! As Nilsen’s an underrated driver who’s been knocking at the door for years now…
Although after Dustin Echols super impressive Heat 2A win yesterday from lane 3. It would be the ultimate Cinderella story if the U-40 Flav-R Pac pulled off a mighty upset today!
