When the American Powerboat Association held it's annual meeting and awards banquet in Seattle over the weekend, H1 Unlimited drivers were honored for their accomplishments in multiple classes of boat racing.
U-5 Formulaboats.com driver Jeff Bernard received the 5 Litre and National Mod National High Points Championship trophies and U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto driver Steve David was inducted into the APBA Hall of Champions in the Unlimited division.
Besides having a strong 2009 season in the unlimited class, driving for Ted Porter's Formulaboats team, Bernard drove the 5 Litre "My Way" owned by his uncles Mark, Mike and Steve Weber to the 2009 APBA National High Points Championship. He also won the National Mod title in Mack Elliott's "Max Out" replacing his step-father Terry Troxell who passed away during the season.
Bernard also had a great season in the 2.5 Litre Stock class, finishing second in high points in Mike Hofine's S-12.
Steve David, driver of the two-time national champion U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto unlimited hydroplane,
and four-time winner of the driver’s championship was inducted into the celebrated American Power Boat Association’s (APBA) Hall of Champions, an award distinguishing the sport of power boat racing's most outstanding drivers.
After learning he would receive the award he said, “It is an honor to be recognized as the best-of-the best in powerboat racing. To be only the 12th driver to be inducted in the unlimited class of hydroplane racing sure puts an exclamation point on the season I have had.”
David’s 2009 race season ended in Nov. in Doha, Qatar after he unexpectedly launched the 200 mph Oh Boy! Oberto hydroplane off wave causing the boat to fly in the air completing a 360 degree airborne flip (video available at http://tampadigital.com/abra/ under Saturday Heat 4A).
David, unhurt was able to drive the boat back to the pit area where his crew readied the boat for the winner-take-all final. David placed second, scoring enough points to win the 2009 H1 Unlimited hydroplane national championship.
After the flip David said, “That was the ‘hiiiiigh-light’ of the season!”
