By David Nasternak

Over the past couple months, Erick Ellstrom's Ellstrom Elam Plus Racing team made the decision to skip the eastern swing of the 2008 Hydroplane Unlimited circuit. Instead of racing in Evansville, Madison, and Detroit, they've saved their resources for a trip around the world to explore different circuits in the Middle East and Europe.

The reigning National and World Champion unlimited hydroplane team, the U-16 (U-1) Miss Elam Plus, and their newest hull, Miss Boeing 787, will take to the water on Thursday, July 10th, for a major testing session on Lake Washington. Boeing CEO Scott Carson, as well as many Boeing scientists, and executives, will be on hand to assist with the session, which will also be incorporating some of the newest technology, and something that could well change the face of unlimited hydroplane racing as we see it today.

Photos from the pits and a printable poster of the 2007 ABRA Hydroplane Series champions, U-16 Ellstrom Elam Plus.

2007 ABRA Champion Ellstrom Elam Plus was recently featured in the Spring 2008 edition of "The Leader," a publication focused at the precision machinery industry.