The Last Lynch Line?
In a couple of ways, yes. It’s the last Lynch Line for the year 2008 and it’s the last Lynch Line to be written from my now former home of Auburn WA…….but the last Lynch Line ever? Is ULHRA's John Lynch moving on? Answer, below.
The new racing season commences at the end of April in Phoenix (Chandler) AZ. As I write this the Phoenix race is looking particularly good with sub freezing temperatures and snow here in western Washington State.
Lots of people think the economy right now is hazardous to motor sports. At the top end, maybe, with all of the job losses and sponsorship reductions at NASCAR teams and other series. Keep in mind the top NASCAR teams were commanding up to 25 million dollars a year from a single Title Sponsor. Here at ULHRA, according to Director of Marketing Wil Muncey, we’re finding exactly the opposite. Sponsors are stepping up. Wil and his wife-business partner-team owner Debi Muncey and other ULHRA officials have been traveling to the eastern and southern regions of the USA, meeting with media representatives, community leaders, government officials and local facility owners to build regattas for the ULHRA that are substantially east of the Pacific Time Zone…..specifically, North Carolina and Florida. Notable in this eastward reach is the revitalization of the Miami Marine stadium. The reception for ULHRA has been very good.
John Lynch
“Voice” of ULHRA Racing
Read more of The Lynch Line in the comments >>
Jerry & Dorothy Hopp, Greg Hopp, Saxon Hopp, Peyton Hopp, Randy Erb, Jeri Eldridge, Thayer Cueter and Uncle Al Thoreson all met up in front of Chuck’s Seafood Grotto, wwned by one of the infamous Seafair Pirates, Chuck Gibbs, where they all joined in to decorate the UL-1 with garland, wreaths, bows and lights… but what was missing?? The Christmas Frog?? The Grinch?? And what about Santa??
Well, I guess you could say the festival was a huge success… That’s right… The Christmas Frog (Thayer Cueter), the Grinch (Dena Marie of the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce), and Santa were all there to join in the festivities… You could have had you picture taken with Santa, sing a song with the Christmas Carolers, or walk the sidewalks of Historic Downtown Snohomish enjoying music from live bands.
At the end of festival, Chuck Gibbs treated the entire crew to a delicious round of his famous Fish-N-Chips. Of which, was enjoyed by all…
Story by Linda Amundsen
Pictures by Hopp Crew, Thayer Cueter & Dorothy Hopp
There is a new "Blog" out now about the U-37 Racing Team. This blog seems to focus on the team and behind the scenes, with some great pictures of repair work after Tri Cities. Take a look here for more from the newest blog for Unlimited Hydroplane racing: u37racing.blogspot.com
Richard (Dick) T. Gordon of Harrison Township, Mich. passed away December 18, 2008 with complications from heart surgery.
Gordon started the family-owned Fairlane Tool Co. and American Aircraft Parts Manufacturing -- makers of landing gear for US military fighters, both in Fraser, Mich. The family also runs Heat Safe, a company that has been a sponsor on the U-16 Miss Elam and U-5/U-7 Formula Boats unlimited hydroplanes.
"Dick Gordon has helped just about every team in unlimited hydroplane racing for the past twenty-five plus years, " said Tracy Bratvold, motor mastermind of the Ellstrom's race team. He said the family has built short and long shafts, case halves for both pistons and turbines, and other turbine engine parts. He also generously gave teams space to work on their boats while on the midwestern series races.
Gordon continued that after the loss of Rick Wayne Gordon, his son, in early August.
Dick Gordon is survived by his wife Laureen, sons Mark and Mike, several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
ULHRA's 2008 Season Awards Banquet will take place at 5pm on Jan. 31 at the 7 Cedars Casino in Sequim, WA.
From the ULHRA website: Pre-registration and payment must be received by January 20, 2009 for $33 per person, and from January 21st up through the day of the Banquet will be $38 per person. For more information contact David Warren, email: duicasper@msn.com or Melissa Davidson, ph 425) 923-5832, email: mel.davidson@comcast.net
RELATED...
ABRA banquet is Feb. 14 in Madison, IN - home of the new U-1 Oh! Boy Oberto national champion.
Details >>
HYDROINSIDER.COM
The voting has concluded. Watch for results of the competition in early January. Thanks to everyone that voted...!
This photo of the new U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto comes from the Madison Came Running website. If you haven't checked out this site before, you really need to. Bob Cline is a great supporter of the Miss Madison Racing Team and Unlimited Hydroplane racing in general. He visits the shop on Milton Street often, and posts great pictures to his site. It is a unique website about downtown Madison. Lots of neat stuff to browse through and he updates it quite often. Check it out for all the cool stuff about Madison and the Miss Madison/Oh Boy! Oberto Race Team
“I was in love with racing from the first, but I’ll admit car racing was my first love,” says Chip Hanauer. “I was caught up in the romance of it, the international stars. My greatest admiration was for a man like Jim Clark who represented a great personality contrast. Here he was a mild mannered Scottish gentleman, a farmer, yet the master of his craft in an intensely aggressive profession.”
Chip Hanauer will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 BMWCCA - Puget Sound Chapter
Saturday Jan 31 @ Marriot Courtyard DT Bellevue, WA
Details >>
The Unlimiteds have raced in Kelowna six times, the last time in 1999. Mira Slovak won the first race in 1966 aboard the Tahoe Miss and was followed by Mike Thomas aboard the Miss Budweiser the following year. After nearly 30 years away, the hydros returned for four-straight years, with Dave Villwock winning aboard the PICO American Dream in 1996 and again aboard the Miss Budweiser in 1999. Mark Evans won the two races in between, both aboard the PICO. While the announcement does not change the number of actual races on the 2009 ABRA schedule, it does give the organization more events on the water. A possible exhibition in Chattanooga, Tenn., is also being negotiated.
Unlimited hydro racing returning to Kelowna in 2009 >>
MADISON COURIER
Next summer’s appearance of hydroplanes here is expected to be a test run. But if the city’s recent attitude to events that draw large crowds of young people to the city’s lakeshore in the summer is anything to go by, the stay may not be too long. Just ask the organizers of Wakefest.
New council to put tentative toes into festival waters >>
BCLocalNews.com
Full story at: http://www.kndu.com/global/Story.asp?s=9527404
If I heard it right, the count is 5 in favor, 3 opposed. However, the motion for the event has passed and the road is paved for an exhibition race in Kelowna in 2009.
Council chair expresses support; asks for community support after exhibition. By my count, that's 4 to 2 in favor. Not sure the total number of people on the council or how the actual vote will go however...!
Another council comment against the proposal, citing the park would be closed four weekends out of five for events. Also, promixity to marshes - "It's not a good site. We're not hepling by promoting this type of event."
Councilor Reid described herself as "a respected environmentlist in this community"and that she will support the pilot event and the next phase in 2010 with some oversite on the environmental impact and inclusion of environmental groups in the community.
Councilor Hodge: "I have some serious concerns with noise and with the environmental issue. I’m not concerned we’ve done a good job in the past and that we will do a better job this time. I’d like to have seen a report on that and how we load the cranes into the park.
It’s really a pilot project for a much bigger project. I have some concerns about even the small project. Without the ability to have a staff report on that, I’m going ot have to vote against this."
Two other have expressed support; another has said they will vote against it based on noise and park closures.
A motion has been made to approve an Unlimited Hydroplane exhibition event in Kelowna for 2009... and seconded... debating now...
Right now, Kelowna City Council is hearing arguments on behalf of holding an exhibition event (3-4 boats) in 2009. The mood so far seems fairly supportive, but there have been questions raised about the noise and environmental impacts - specifically about protecting the nearby marsh which has been damaged in events previously.
Live streaming audio at: http://www.kndu.com/global/Story.asp?S=9495220 >>
HYDROINSIDER.COM
The Tri-City Water Follies Association got a financial boost Thursday for the 2009 hydroplane races from the Tri-City Regional Hotel-Motel Commission, though it wasn't as much as they'd hoped for. Commissioners approved $3 per hotel room occupied with Water Follies-related visitors from a fund for sponsoring groups holding events in the area. If the event fills local hotels to the same levels it did last year, the total would be nearly $17,200. The commission capped the amount it would give at $20,000.
Hotel stays to boost hydro races >>
TRI-CITY HERALD
Kelowna will soon decide if hydroplane racing will take place on Okanagan Lake in 2009...
SOURCE: CHBC News
Kelowna's Castanet.net readers vote 4 to 1 to return hydro racing to British Columbia.
Proposal goes before city council next week... details to follow....
The City of Madison held their annual Christmas parade this past Saturday afternoon. The new ABRA trophy that goes to the National High Points Champion was presented to the Oh Boy! Oberto team. A little mishap occured, and I found this on the Madison Courier website:Interview with Dave Villwock, who flipped in the U-1 Ellstrom's Elam Plus, but managed to still come back and win the Final race at Tri-Cities in 2006.
That moment is being featured on The Discovery Channel. Read the story, view the photo sequence and watch four additional videos at HydroInsider.com >>
David Bryant, driver of the U-10 USA Racing Partners unlimited hydroplane set a new world record in the Super Stock class flat bottom race boat at the American Power Boat Association's Centurion Boats presents the 2008 Salton Sea Speedweek in Southern Calif.
Bryant was set to attempt a record run in the K class flat bottom but on Friday, just prior to hitting the start, the boat's prop shaft broke causing substantial damage. After working all night on the boat, he attempted another attempt, but "we just didn't have it," he said.
HydroInsider.com Live Blog ~ Version 2.0 is now on-line! Please let me know what you think of the new design and any suggestions for improvements by leaving your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
The City of Miami has designated the Marine Stadium and the Marine Stadium Basin as a Historic Landmark. However, the city itself is appealing the designation of the Basin as it would put a crimp in the re-development plans in the Basin area.
ARCHIVES: Miami Marine Stadium >>
Steve David, driver of the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison, recently hooked up with The Morning VIP radio team to talk unlimited hydroplane racing on a variety of topics.
Among his relevations:
- Pretty good chances of racing at Kelowna (British Columbia) and Chattanooga (Exhibition) in 2009.
- Brian Perkins will probably have a new ride in 2009, but still with Greg O'Farrell's Navy sponsored team.
- Kayleigh Perkins should get some seat time in qualifying laps in an unlimited in 2009.
Read the full details or download the audio interview >>
HYDROINSIDER.COM
Chip Hanauer talks about his win at the one and only Unlimited Hydroplane Race held in Milwaukee.
Posted on Youtube ~ More videos at Russ' Hydroplane Site >>
PHOTO CREDIT: Roger Bean
North Bend photographer Rusty Rae has captured images all over the world, from the Great Wall of China to St. Paul's Bay in Malta. His latest exhibit brings his work closer to home.
Alternate perspectives of the Valley >>
SNOQUALMIE VALLEY RECORD
THE FINAL stage of the reconstruction of the record-breaking Bluebird hydroplane, in which speed ace Donald Campbell died more than 40 years ago, has begun.
Work starts on the final stage of The Bluebird Project >>
WESTMORELAND GAZETTE
Related...
Bluebird Project - Official Website >>
BELOW: Video of Fatal Crash
Warwick Lupton and the Annihilator won the E.C. Griffith Cup holding off hometown favorite Ken Lupton in Annihilator 3.
E.C. GRIFFITH CUP RESULTS
- Warwick Lipton - Annihilator
- Ken Lupton - Annihilator 3
- Dean Gleeson - Kyrptonite
- Brett Niddrie - Warlord
- Mark Healey - Aussie Connection
- Craig Lewis - Image
Grant Harrison - GP1 - DNF
Waverley hydroplane driver Dave Alexander was "bloody lucky" to escape unscathed from a 160kph wipeout in an Australian race, a fellow driver says.
Wipeout on the water at 160kph >>
WAGANBIU CHRONICLE
In this video by videographer Gil Rebilas, IHBA top fuel hydro driver James Ray crashes a high speed during qualifying for the NAPA Auto Parts World Finals on Firebird Lake in Chandler, AZ. Ray survived the accident with numerous broken bones but is expected to fully recover. To see incredible photos of this crash go to:http://markjrebilas.com/blog/2008/11/...
ABRA banquet is Feb. 14 in Madison, IN - home of the new U-1 Oh! Boy Oberto national champion.
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