13 Boats For Lamb-Weston Columbia Cup
No humans were harmed (seriously) in the running of the 103rd Detroit APBA Gold Cup. The three drivers involved in separate blow-over accidents on the Detroit River all walked away with bumps and bruises.
The three boats involved suffered varying degrees of damage, with one declared out for the rest of the season.
The 22 Great Scott! Presents Matrix Systems was returned to Webster Racing’s shop in Reading, Pennsylvania where it was determined the boat could not be repaired in time for a return to the 2012 Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Tour.
Two other boats involved in weekend crashes – 11 Miss Peters & May and 88 Degree Men – have returned to their Seattle area bases and expect to be repaired in time for the Lamb Weston Columbia Cup later this week.
In a late decision, Dave Bartush announced that his 13 Spirit of Detroit will not travel to the Tri-Cities and Seattle races. Bartush said, “We are not totally confident that we have solved the issues we struggled with in Madison and Detroit. We will continue to get things ironed out and come back strong in the future.”
The withdrawal of the 13 and 22 from the Western swing still leaves a big fast 13 boat field for the Tri-Cities race as three boats will join the fleet and be added to the 11 who ran in Madison and Detroit.
A lot of interest will be centered on the debut of Kelly Stocklin’s converted “G” boat – a lighter craft powered with the smaller T-53 turbine powerplant.
Also joining the fleet will be Greg and Brian O’Farrell’s 21 Hapo Community Credit Union, driven by Brian Perkins, which did not make the Eastern swing and Leland Unlimited’s second boat, the 99 which will be driven by Ryan Mallow.
After leaving the season opener in Madison, Indiana trailing Dave Villwock in the 1 Spirit of Qatar 96 by just 20 points, Steve David in the 6 Oh Boy! Oberto finds himself still in second place, but trailing Villwock by 465 points after a near perfect weekend for the Team Qatar driver in winning his 10th Gold Cup.
Villwock is also the defending Columbia Cup champion, but in 2011 David struck back with a victory in the Albert Lee Cup at Seattle’s Seafair the following week.
Villwock says he looks forward to the relatively smooth and very fast conditions normally found on the Columbia Cup oval. “Both Madison and Detroit were exceptionally rough this year,” he said. “The Tri-Cities course is a super speedway by comparison. We can put in the high speed stuff and hang it out. It will be fast!”
David says, “We have our work cut out for us. We have to draw the 1 in some prelims and win those heats. If we are in separate heats and both win, we don’t gain anything. Mike Hanson and the team in Madison are putting together some combinations that could help us do that.”
The Oberto pilot added, “I will predict that one of us will set qualifying and competition records for this race course on the Columbia. Both teams have our boats running very well.”
David has reason for optimism, having won six of the last nine races in the Pacific Northwest.
Jimmy Shane, in his first full season as an Unlimited pilot, found early speed and success in qualifying third at each of the first two events and is currently in third place in Season High Points driving Ted Porter’s 5 Graham Trucking.
The Lamb Weston Columbia Cup begins with testing and qualifying on Friday with racing on the 2.5 mile Columbia River course Saturday and Sunday.
Friday, July 27
8:15AM Grand Prix West Testing
9:10am H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Testing
11:30am – 1:30pm HAPO Community Credit Union Air Show
1:50pm H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Qualifying
4:00pm Legends Casino Vintage Hydroplane Exhibition
4:35pm Grand Prix West Dash for Cash
5:05pM Charter Business Unlimited Hydroplane Dash for Cash
Saturday, July 28
8:15am Grand Prix West Qualifying
9:10am Unlimited Hydroplane Testing
11:30am – 1:30pm HAPO Community Credit Union Air Show
12:00PM Metz Mobile Marine Autograph Session
1:45pm Legends Casino Vintage Heat 1
2:15pm Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 598 Grand Prix West Heat 1A
2:45pm Cascade Natural Gas Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 1A
2:30PM HAPO Air Show Autograph Session
3:05pm Cascade Natural Gas Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 1B
3:35pm Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 598 Grand Prix West Heat 2A
4:00pm Legends Casino Vintage Heat 2
Sunday, July 29
8:00am Testing, Unlimited & Grand Prix West Hydroplanes
9:30am Legends Casino Vintage Hydroplane Exhibition
10:15am Opening Ceremonies
10:45am Connell Oil Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 2A
11:05am H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 2B
11:30am – 1:30PM HAPO Community Credit Union Air Show
2:00pm Atomic Screen Printing Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 3A
2:20pm H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 3B
2:45pm Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 598 Grand Prix West Final
3:15pm Legends Casino Vintage Finale
4:00pm Lamb Weston Columbia Cup
13 Boats For Lamb-Weston Columbia Cup
No humans were harmed (seriously) in the running of the 103rd Detroit APBA Gold Cup. The three drivers involved in separate blow-over accidents on the Detroit River all walked away with bumps and bruises.
The three boats involved suffered varying degrees of damage, with one declared out for the rest of the season.
The 22 Great Scott! Presents Matrix Systems was returned to Webster Racing’s shop in Reading, Pennsylvania where it was determined the boat could not be repaired in time for a return to the 2012 Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Tour.
Two other boats involved in weekend crashes – 11 Miss Peters & May and 88 Degree Men – have returned to their Seattle area bases and expect to be repaired in time for the Lamb Weston Columbia Cup later this week.
In a late decision, Dave Bartush announced that his 13 Spirit of Detroit will not travel to the Tri-Cities and Seattle races. Bartush said, “We are not totally confident that we have solved the issues we struggled with in Madison and Detroit. We will continue to get things ironed out and come back strong in the future.”
The withdrawal of the 13 and 22 from the Western swing still leaves a big fast 13 boat field for the Tri-Cities race as three boats will join the fleet and be added to the 11 who ran in Madison and Detroit.
A lot of interest will be centered on the debut of Kelly Stocklin’s converted “G” boat – a lighter craft powered with the smaller T-53 turbine powerplant.
Also joining the fleet will be Greg and Brian O’Farrell’s 21 Hapo Community Credit Union, driven by Brian Perkins, which did not make the Eastern swing and Leland Unlimited’s second boat, the 99 which will be driven by Ryan Mallow.
After leaving the season opener in Madison, Indiana trailing Dave Villwock in the 1 Spirit of Qatar 96 by just 20 points, Steve David in the 6 Oh Boy! Oberto finds himself still in second place, but trailing Villwock by 465 points after a near perfect weekend for the Team Qatar driver in winning his 10th Gold Cup.
Villwock is also the defending Columbia Cup champion, but in 2011 David struck back with a victory in the Albert Lee Cup at Seattle’s Seafair the following week.
Villwock says he looks forward to the relatively smooth and very fast conditions normally found on the Columbia Cup oval. “Both Madison and Detroit were exceptionally rough this year,” he said. “The Tri-Cities course is a super speedway by comparison. We can put in the high speed stuff and hang it out. It will be fast!”
David says, “We have our work cut out for us. We have to draw the 1 in some prelims and win those heats. If we are in separate heats and both win, we don’t gain anything. Mike Hanson and the team in Madison are putting together some combinations that could help us do that.”
The Oberto pilot added, “I will predict that one of us will set qualifying and competition records for this race course on the Columbia. Both teams have our boats running very well.”
David has reason for optimism, having won six of the last nine races in the Pacific Northwest.
Jimmy Shane, in his first full season as an Unlimited pilot, found early speed and success in qualifying third at each of the first two events and is currently in third place in Season High Points driving Ted Porter’s 5 Graham Trucking.
The Lamb Weston Columbia Cup begins with testing and qualifying on Friday with racing on the 2.5 mile Columbia River course Saturday and Sunday.
Friday, July 27
8:15AM Grand Prix West Testing
9:10am H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Testing
11:30am – 1:30pm HAPO Community Credit Union Air Show
1:50pm H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Qualifying
4:00pm Legends Casino Vintage Hydroplane Exhibition
4:35pm Grand Prix West Dash for Cash
5:05pM Charter Business Unlimited Hydroplane Dash for Cash
Saturday, July 28
8:15am Grand Prix West Qualifying
9:10am Unlimited Hydroplane Testing
11:30am – 1:30pm HAPO Community Credit Union Air Show
12:00PM Metz Mobile Marine Autograph Session
1:45pm Legends Casino Vintage Heat 1
2:15pm Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 598 Grand Prix West Heat 1A
2:45pm Cascade Natural Gas Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 1A
2:30PM HAPO Air Show Autograph Session
3:05pm Cascade Natural Gas Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 1B
3:35pm Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 598 Grand Prix West Heat 2A
4:00pm Legends Casino Vintage Heat 2
Sunday, July 29
8:00am Testing, Unlimited & Grand Prix West Hydroplanes
9:30am Legends Casino Vintage Hydroplane Exhibition
10:15am Opening Ceremonies
10:45am Connell Oil Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 2A
11:05am H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 2B
11:30am – 1:30PM HAPO Community Credit Union Air Show
2:00pm Atomic Screen Printing Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 3A
2:20pm H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Heat 3B
2:45pm Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 598 Grand Prix West Final
3:15pm Legends Casino Vintage Finale
4:00pm Lamb Weston Columbia Cup