Three Appointed to H1 Board of Directors

(L-R) Scott Carson, Fred Hauenstein, Doug BernsteinThree industry leaders have been appointed to the H1 Unlimited Board of Directors for the Air National Guard Series, H1 Unlimited Chairman Sam Cole announced Wednesday.

Joining the board are retired Boeing executive Scott Carson, Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) commissioner and retired Mercury Marine engineer Fred Hauenstein and Doug Bernstein, an ex-officio appointment and legal counsel. They join the 13-member board, which makes financial and rulebook decisions that shape the direction of the sport.

“Each of these new members brings a wealth of industry experience to the H1 Unlimited Board of Directors,” Cole said. “Not only are they great fans of the sport, they have incredible insight on ways to grow our brand.”

Carson is life-long resident of the Puget Sound area, having been born and raised on Mercer Island and living in Federal Way, Wash., for the past 40 years. He has held various executive positions at Boeing before retiring as President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes in December 2009.

He has been a long-time supporter of education, serving on various school board committees for Federal Way Public Schools. Carson was also on the advisory board to the College of Engineering at Washington State University—where he graduated—and was the first chairperson of the National Board of Advisors for the College of Business at WSU.

Carson has been a trustee and a member of the Board of Governors for the WSU Foundation and currently is the chairperson for the Foundation’s $1 billion capital campaign. Additionally, Carson was appointed to the Board of Regents for WSU by the governor and is vice chair of that group.

He is also involved in several local not-for-profit organizations including the Museum of Flight, the Hydro and Raceboat Museum, and the board of Childhaven, a local organization focused on helping young children.

“Having grown up in Seattle, boat racing has always been part of who I am. I recall the excitement each summer as the boats would arrive in Seattle and the thrill of meeting the heroic figures that represented boat racing,” Carson said. “It was an inspiration that shaped much of my life. I believe that we can restore racing to that same status and at the same time integrate it with the fiber of summer festivals across this country and around the world. At the same time we can make it a real business. It is that belief that has drawn me back to the sport at this particular time.”

Hauenstein has been involved in powerboat racing since childhood. He grew up watching his father race and followed in his footsteps, where Hauenstein still actively races outboard boats.

Having graduated from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo with a degree in mechanical engineering, and a master’s degree from San Jose State University, Hauenstein worked for Outboard Marine Corp. and then for Mercury Marine, from which he retired in 2008. At Mercury Marine he was instrumental in the company’s major racing successes of the past three decades.

He has also served two terms as President of the American Power Boat Association (APBA) and continues on the Board of Directors. Additionally, Hauenstein is the chairman of the international sports commission for the world’s sanctioning body, the UIM.

Hauenstein is no stranger to Unlimited hydroplane racing. His brother, Jim, owned the Arcadian team, which raced on the Unlimited hydroplane racing circuit for two seasons in the mid-1980s. Hauenstein served on the crew and recently was the UIM representative at the H1 Unlimited race in Doha, Qatar.

One of Hauenstein’s major goals in joining the H1 Unlimited Board of Directors is to grow the sport beyond the United States.

“I hope to work with the international events to make that successful,” said Hauenstein, who lives in Oshkosh, Wis. “There is a tremendous opportunity to grow the sport of hydroplane racing internationally.”

Bernstein serves as the general counsel for H1 Unlimited and as an ex-officio appointment to the Board of Directors, he has a non-voting position. The Michigan attorney is the managing partner of Plunkett Cooney’s Banking, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group.

He currently serves as board member on the Detroit River Regatta Association, which puts on the annual Gold Cup in Detroit. Bernstein is the general counsel to the APBA and held the same post with the Hydro-Prop Unlimited Racing Series (the sport’s prior sanctioning organization). He was also involved with the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Bernstein has been a fan of Unlimited racing since he was a child and considers himself a student of the sport. It’s that sense of history he brings to the board.

“When I was a kid I was on the other side of the chain-link fence at Muncey Park (in Detroit) looking in and wishing I could get into the pits,” he said. “Now I’m on the other side of the fence.”

The three new board members join Chairman Sam Cole and Vice Chairman Ken Muscatel; owner representatives Greg O’Farrell, John O’Brien, Ted Porter and Fred Leland; race site representatives Bill Rands, Mike Denslow, Tony Steinhart and Eric Corning.

The Air National Series National Guard kicks off July 1-3 in Madison, Ind., followed by stops in Detroit, Tri-Cities, Wash., Seattle, San Diego and Doha, Qatar. A seventh race will be added in the coming weeks.

H1 Unlimited racing features the fastest race boats on the water with a turbine-powered hydroplane reaching speeds of up to 200 mph and drivers are subjected to G-forces of up to 6’s Gs in turns.

The Series’ events will be televised on the Versus Network and streamed live online at www.H1unlimited.com. Follow H1 Unlimited on Facebook and Twitter.

Published On: April 21st, 2011Categories: Series News

Three Appointed to H1 Board of Directors

(L-R) Scott Carson, Fred Hauenstein, Doug BernsteinThree industry leaders have been appointed to the H1 Unlimited Board of Directors for the Air National Guard Series, H1 Unlimited Chairman Sam Cole announced Wednesday.

Joining the board are retired Boeing executive Scott Carson, Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) commissioner and retired Mercury Marine engineer Fred Hauenstein and Doug Bernstein, an ex-officio appointment and legal counsel. They join the 13-member board, which makes financial and rulebook decisions that shape the direction of the sport.

“Each of these new members brings a wealth of industry experience to the H1 Unlimited Board of Directors,” Cole said. “Not only are they great fans of the sport, they have incredible insight on ways to grow our brand.”

Carson is life-long resident of the Puget Sound area, having been born and raised on Mercer Island and living in Federal Way, Wash., for the past 40 years. He has held various executive positions at Boeing before retiring as President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes in December 2009.

He has been a long-time supporter of education, serving on various school board committees for Federal Way Public Schools. Carson was also on the advisory board to the College of Engineering at Washington State University—where he graduated—and was the first chairperson of the National Board of Advisors for the College of Business at WSU.

Carson has been a trustee and a member of the Board of Governors for the WSU Foundation and currently is the chairperson for the Foundation’s $1 billion capital campaign. Additionally, Carson was appointed to the Board of Regents for WSU by the governor and is vice chair of that group.

He is also involved in several local not-for-profit organizations including the Museum of Flight, the Hydro and Raceboat Museum, and the board of Childhaven, a local organization focused on helping young children.

“Having grown up in Seattle, boat racing has always been part of who I am. I recall the excitement each summer as the boats would arrive in Seattle and the thrill of meeting the heroic figures that represented boat racing,” Carson said. “It was an inspiration that shaped much of my life. I believe that we can restore racing to that same status and at the same time integrate it with the fiber of summer festivals across this country and around the world. At the same time we can make it a real business. It is that belief that has drawn me back to the sport at this particular time.”

Hauenstein has been involved in powerboat racing since childhood. He grew up watching his father race and followed in his footsteps, where Hauenstein still actively races outboard boats.

Having graduated from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo with a degree in mechanical engineering, and a master’s degree from San Jose State University, Hauenstein worked for Outboard Marine Corp. and then for Mercury Marine, from which he retired in 2008. At Mercury Marine he was instrumental in the company’s major racing successes of the past three decades.

He has also served two terms as President of the American Power Boat Association (APBA) and continues on the Board of Directors. Additionally, Hauenstein is the chairman of the international sports commission for the world’s sanctioning body, the UIM.

Hauenstein is no stranger to Unlimited hydroplane racing. His brother, Jim, owned the Arcadian team, which raced on the Unlimited hydroplane racing circuit for two seasons in the mid-1980s. Hauenstein served on the crew and recently was the UIM representative at the H1 Unlimited race in Doha, Qatar.

One of Hauenstein’s major goals in joining the H1 Unlimited Board of Directors is to grow the sport beyond the United States.

“I hope to work with the international events to make that successful,” said Hauenstein, who lives in Oshkosh, Wis. “There is a tremendous opportunity to grow the sport of hydroplane racing internationally.”

Bernstein serves as the general counsel for H1 Unlimited and as an ex-officio appointment to the Board of Directors, he has a non-voting position. The Michigan attorney is the managing partner of Plunkett Cooney’s Banking, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group.

He currently serves as board member on the Detroit River Regatta Association, which puts on the annual Gold Cup in Detroit. Bernstein is the general counsel to the APBA and held the same post with the Hydro-Prop Unlimited Racing Series (the sport’s prior sanctioning organization). He was also involved with the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Bernstein has been a fan of Unlimited racing since he was a child and considers himself a student of the sport. It’s that sense of history he brings to the board.

“When I was a kid I was on the other side of the chain-link fence at Muncey Park (in Detroit) looking in and wishing I could get into the pits,” he said. “Now I’m on the other side of the fence.”

The three new board members join Chairman Sam Cole and Vice Chairman Ken Muscatel; owner representatives Greg O’Farrell, John O’Brien, Ted Porter and Fred Leland; race site representatives Bill Rands, Mike Denslow, Tony Steinhart and Eric Corning.

The Air National Series National Guard kicks off July 1-3 in Madison, Ind., followed by stops in Detroit, Tri-Cities, Wash., Seattle, San Diego and Doha, Qatar. A seventh race will be added in the coming weeks.

H1 Unlimited racing features the fastest race boats on the water with a turbine-powered hydroplane reaching speeds of up to 200 mph and drivers are subjected to G-forces of up to 6’s Gs in turns.

The Series’ events will be televised on the Versus Network and streamed live online at www.H1unlimited.com. Follow H1 Unlimited on Facebook and Twitter.

Published On: April 21st, 2011Categories: Series News