Madison, IN, July 2, 2011— Dave Villwock moved a step closer to history Saturday by winning his first heat of the Air National Guard Series at the Madison Regatta and now is just three races from becoming the sport’s all-time winningest driver.

Villwock is on a collision course to meet Madison favorite Steve David in the final, who had an easy victory in his heat. David, the driver of the Oh Boy! Oberto boat that is owned by the city of Madison, Ind., is hoping to keep Villwock from making history for at least one more weekend.

The season opener of the Air National Guard Series also saw driver Kip Brown earn his first Unlimited heat race victory. It was just a year ago in Madison that Brown thought he would get his first heat win only to have a gear box break and watch as the victory got away.

Villwock was focused Saturday in his attempt to break Bill Muncey’s 62 career race victories, a record that has stood for more than three decades. Muncey, who lived in San Diego, died in 1981 during a boat racing accident in Acapulco, Mexico.

“It doesn’t really matter if you get a first or second in these preliminary heats,” Villwock said. “You get a first or second, you get enough points to make the final. Making the final is what matters.”

David and the Oh Boy! Oberto started off where they left last season with another potential meeting with Villwock in the final. He took advantage of a miscue by Jeff Bernard at the start to cruise to an easy win on the Ohio River.

“You never take anything for granted,” said David, who has won three consecutive national high points championship. “It was a gift today but it’s going to get a lot tougher tomorrow.”

Brown’s heat victory was anything but a gift as he held off newly qualified Scott Liddycoat in their respective heat. Brown, who has been racing in the unlimited class for four years, put the race away early but worried the boat might break. He had the fastest average speed Saturday at 130.667 mph.

“I was listening to every noise the boat was making,” Brown said. “I heard some banging and I’m pretty sure it was my seatbelt but I’m going, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ If this gear box comes apart, I’m jumping into the water and never coming up.”

The Madison Regatta wraps up today with two rounds of heats and the final is scheduled for approximately 4:20 p.m. EDT.

For more on the Air National Guard Series, visit www.h1unlimited.com.

Saturday Results for Madison Regatta

Results for Heat 1A

Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	126.601	400
2	U-5 Graham Trucking	Jeff Bernard	120.33	300
3	U-11 Peters & May	JW Myers	95.649	225

Results for Heat 1B

Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	U-96 Spirit of Qatar	Dave Villwock	129.144	400
2	U-21 Go Fast, Turn Left Racing	Brian Perkins	119.797	300
3	U-57 Formulaboats.com	Mark Evans	112.921	225
4	U-100 Leland Unlimited	Greg Hopp	123.588	169

Results for Heat 1C

Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	U-17 Miss Red Dot	Kip Brown	130.667	400
2	U-7 Valken.com	Scott Liddycoat	122.978	300
3	U-22 Miss Broadway	Mike Webster	116.697	225

About H1 Unlimited

The Air National Guard Hydroplane series features the fastest boats on the water. Based in Pasco, Wash., H1 Unlimited has more than a dozen teams with turbine-powered hydroplanes reaching speeds of up to 200 mph and drivers are subjected to G-forces of 6 G’s in turns. Tour stops include Madison, Ind. (July 1-3), the prestigious APBA Gold Cup in Detroit, Mich. (July 8-10), Tri-Cities, Wash. (July 29-31), Seattle, Wash. (August 5-7), San Diego, Calif. (September 16-18) and Doha, Qatar (November 17-19).