ACTIVE DRIVERS:
San Diego Championships: Jimmy Shane 2; J. Michael Kelly 1; Jeff Bernard 1.
San Diego Heat Wins (racing this weekend): Jimmy Shane 10; Jeff Bernard 8; J. Michael Kelly 5; Cal Phipps 3.
ALL TIME LEADERS:
San Diego Championships: Dave Villwock 9; Chip Hanauer 4.
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U-1 Miss HomeStreet Bank, Jimmy Shane, City of Madison, Ind.
- Driver Jimmy Shane has won two of the past three San Diego regattas (2013 & 2015). Shane also finished second in 2012. Shane has been the top qualifier the past two years and leads all drivers competing this weekend with 10 heat victories on the salt water course. Shane swept all four heats last year.
- The City of Madison, Ind. team has won the race held on Mission Bay four times: 1993 (U-6 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Mike Hanson); 2007 and 2012 (U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto, Steve David) and 2015 (U-1 Oberto, Shane).
- (HomeStreet Bank began sponsoring unlimited hydroplanes last year in Seattle. They sponsored Ed Cooper’s piston-powered U-3 in San Diego last year before signing up as sponsor of the City of Madison, Ind. boat this year. Last year in San Diego HomeStreet finished fifth in the final with Jimmy King driving. The U-3 team will not compete in San Diego this year.)
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U-5 Graham Trucking, J. Michael Kelly, Ted Porter
- Graham Trucking (owner: Robert Graham) sponsored boats have won the Bill Muncey Cup in 2013 & 2014. They also nabbed a second in 2012 and a third in 2010.
- Driver J. Michael Kelly was the winning pilot in 2014 (U-1 Graham Trucking) and also finished third in 2010 (U-7 Graham Trucking).
- Owner Ted Porter has eight top-three finishes (3-3-2) with checkered flags coming in 2008, 2013 & 2014.
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U-7 Graham Trucking II, Jeff Bernard, Ted Porter
- Graham Trucking (owner: Robert Graham) sponsored boats have won the Bill Muncey Cup in 2013 & 2014. They also nabbed a second in 2012 and a third in 2010.
- Driver Jeff Bernard’s was victorious in 2008 (U-5 Formulaboats.com). He was second the prior year in 2007.
- Owner Ted Porter has eight top-three finishes (3-3-2) with checkered flags coming in 2008, 2013 & 2014.
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U-9 Delta Gear/Realtrac, Andrew Tate, Jones Racing (Lori & Mike Jones)
- This is the second lifetime race for the sponsor.
- Andrew Tate makes his first appearance in a race that dates back to 1964. His dad Mark captured the 1995 San Diego Bayfair Presents the Bill Muncey Cup driving the U-10 Smokin’ Joe’s for Steve Woomer. Tate also racked up four runner-up finishes from 1991-1997.
- Mike and Lori Jones surprised many race goers in 2002 winning the final heat with the U-9 Sun Harbor Mortgage with Mike Hanson pushing the pedal. They had finished third a year earlier in 2001. The Jones entry finished second in last year’s championship final with the sponsors of So. Cal 811 /Red Dot (Scott Liddycoat). They had won heat 2-A earlier in the day.
- Tate, a rookie, won his first H1 race in Seattle this season. It was only his third unlimited hydroplane race of his career.
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U-11 Peters & May, Tom Thompson, Unlimited Racing Group (Scott & Shannon Raney)
- Peters and May’s best finish on the circuit’s traditional last stop was second in 2013.
- Driver Tom Thompson was at the controls in the 2013 final where he finished second behind the U-5 Graham Trucking. Over the weekend they also finished second in 1-A and 3-A.
- The Unlimited Racing Group began racing in 2011 and are still looking for their first victory.
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U-21 All Access Equipment, Brian Perkins, Greg and Brian O’Farrell
- All Access Equipment has sponsored the U-21 on three occasions – 2007, 2010 & 2015 (all in San Diego). They have yet to qualify for a final. Best preliminary finish was a second in 2-B (2010).
- Brian Perkins best finish in a heat race is a second, done twice (2008 & 2010). Perkins has competed in one San Diego final: A sixth-place finish in 2008 driving the U-50 Spirit of the Navy.
- Greg and Brian O’Farrell first raced in San Diego in 2007 with the U-48 Miss Lakeridge Paving (David Williams driving). They qualified for the 2008 final with the U-50 Spirit of the Navy (finished sixth).
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U-27 Dalton Industries, Cal Phipps, Wiggins Racing
- Dalton Industries checked in third last year in the California race, it was their first year sponsoring an unlimited.
- Cal Phipps drove the U-7 Graham Trucking II to a second-place finish in 2014 and was third last year in the U-27 Dalton Industries. Phipps first raced in San Diego in 2010 driving Dave Bartush’s U-13 Spirit of Detroit.
- Wiggins Racing qualified last year in San Diego at 158.931 mph which placed them second on the qualifying ladder. They won heat 1-A and grabbed a podium finish in the final (third). This is just the second year of competition for the Alabama-based U-27 team.
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U-99.9 Miss Rock, Kevin Eacret, Leland Unlimited
- Miss Rock/KISW has returned as a sponsor after a lengthy break.
- Kevin Eacret scored 225 points in each of the three San Diego prelims last year in the Miss CARSTAR.
- The late Fred Leland (Leland Unlimited) raced to victory on two occasions – both in the 1990s. The U-100 Vons American Dream (Dave Villwock) won the 1994 regatta and they were back on top in 1997 with the U-1 PICO American Dream (Mark Evans). Two seconds –U-99.9 Miss Vons (Mark Evans) in 1995 and U-100 Miss PICO (Chip Hanauer) in 1999.
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