And can He win another APBA National High Points
championship this weekend?
Think the IndyCar season is far too short? Then
just try wrappin’ your Noggin around the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane season lasting
a scant two plus months. Having begun on July 5th at Madison, Indiana, and
finishing this Sunday at San Diego’s Bayfair on Mission Bay. With the season
ending’s traditional Bill Muncey Cup just 77 days later!
As it seems a
really, really long time ago since Gory Fourth ‘O July weekend Y’all!
Madison, IN Gold Cupp Entry list
(Boat #/Boat Name/Driver)
U-00 Maverick, J. Michael Kelly
U-1 Miss BWR Racing, Andrew Tate
U-3 Tahoe Miss, Cory Peabody
U-6 Miss Madison, Brandon Kennedy
U-11 Miss Flav-r-Pac, Jamie Nilsen
U-27 Miss Apollo, Jimmy Shane
U-40 Bucket List Racing, Dylan Runne
First off, I’ve been critical of the sport for
several years now. And Arse-sumedly will continue to do so as long as their
Youtube love stream audio continues to Suck!
That said, a very cursory look forty years ago,
reveals that the 1986 Budweiser Unlimited season opener at Miami had ten boats
entered; with Bernie Little, the Dom of Unlimited boat racing running two
Hulls. Running two cockpit canopy boats. The U-12 revolutionary 1985 Bubble Bud
piston powered Griffon “Monster”. And their very first turbine Hydro. With
Scott Pierce in the Griffon Bud, and Jim Kropfeld in the turbine Beer Wagon.
Naturally, the top three qualifiers were the
fleets trio of Lycoming T55 (Helicopter) turbine powered craft. The U-11 Bud
being fastest at 122.719mph. Followed by Steve Reynolds in the (U-711) Miss 7-Eleven
and Chip Hanauer in the U-1 Miller
American, with Scotty Pierce the fastest of the piston boats.
Ron Snyder was driving the oldest Hull; the
lone, remaining conventional (Driver behind engine) 13 year old former Pride of
Pay ‘n Pak. Now the U-6 Holset Miss Madison, with Snyder returning to the
tiller after a year’s absence. While Jerry Hopp in the U-7 Riggin’s Crab House
failed to qualify.
Thus my rudimentary math says this year’s
season opener at Madison, Indiana, the prestigious Gold Cup no less. Had 23%
less combatants, i.e.; two fewer Hydroplanes.
Yet the 1986 season opener had five boats in
the final. both Miss Budweiser’s, with the Miss Madison sandwiched between the
two Beer Wagons. Spoiling Bernie Little’s hoped for 1-2 finish, with Kropfeld scoring a turbine boat’s first
win on salt water. And the Pantry Pride and first alternate, Miss MerCruiser
finished fourth and fifth respectively.
In comparison, this year’s season opening
Madison regatta’s Gold Cup final also had five Hydroplanes racing, albeit four
contestants with a fifth trailer boat. As the two BWR Racing boats lined up
against the Strong Racing duo, with the Miss Madison the trailer.
Jimmy Shane, who’d retired from Unlimited
racing at season’s end, 2022. Having won five Gold Cups and seven APBA National
High Points championships, and tied for fourth overall in career wins with 25.
Equaling the late, great Dean Chenoweth, was returning after a four year hiatus
from the sport.
Shane replaced the retiring Dave Villwock, who
has the most career H1 Unlimited wins with 68 at the sport’s new powerhouse,
BWR Racing.
This year, the sport has a new race format,
where driver lanes are chosen by order of the driver with the most points,
which I’ll discuss my thoughts upon this later.
H1
Unlimited introduces new Race Format debuting at Madison
Thus the two fastest boats got lane choice
first ahead of the others, with BWR Racing’s Andrew Tate choosing first. With
Tate taking what He thought was the
preferred Lane 2, and Shane taking the dubious Lane 1.
Strong Racing’s
J. Michael Kelly was in Lane 3, and rounding out the field was teammate
Cory Peabody in Lane 4. With Brandon Kennedy in the Miss Madison trailing the
field.
I said dubious Lane 1 since new H1 Unlimited
Colour commentator and Driver Analyst Dustin Echols, former skipper of the U-40
Bucket List Racing Hydroplane aptly coined Lane 1’s “Hole” the Turf Monster!
Even noting how you could see the darker patch of water in this hole.
As the Turf Monster reared its ugly head in
Heat 3B when current U-40 Unlimited driver Dylan Runne raced down to Turn 1 in
Lane 1 and promptly “Hooked” the turn, putting Him out of contention for the
rest of the qualifying heat!
Yet Shane had won the (2021) Gold cup
previously at Madison running in Lane 1 and as the four Hydros made a perfect
start, Shane flew thru the corner and effectively never looked back enroute to
His sixth gold cup victory!
Shane’s only blemish over the weekend occurred
in Heat 3B when suffering from rudder “flutter”, with Shane noting the
mechanical issue really tore Him up!
And although Shane and Tate ran deck-to-deck
for three of the final’s five laps. With H1 Unlimiteds Play-by-Play announcer
Brad Luce noting how Shane was literally flying the boat! With Shane later
saying He’d gotten eight feet out of the water on one lap before settling back
down!
Nobody could touch Jimmy Shane! Who set two
more milestones in His storied Unlimited career. Along with winning on return
from a four year hiatus. The win moved His career tally to 26 victories, taking
sole possession of fourth all-time. While His sixth Gold Cup win surpassed
being tied with the great Gar Wood. And I believe also puts Him fourth overall
for Gold Cup victories?
Since Chip Hanauer and Dave Villwock are tied
for most Gold Cup wins with eleven apiece, and Bill Muncey has eight W’s.
Thanks to the three hours weather delay at the
Mid-Ohio IndyCar race, I got to “watch”, Err listen to most of Sunday’s
Unlimited action. Even with one of the Heats being cancelled with 1:24 on the
clock to going Green! As the same weather system was moving thru the Ohio
river, along with causing large amounts of debris to clog the river and
encroach upon the racecourse. With the final being delayed until 4:35PM Pacific
if I remember correctly?
Tate was issued a Bearing Out penalty for
encroaching on another driver’s lane, thus dropping from second to last.
(fifth) Peabody finished second, Kelly third and Kennedy fourth.
