May 3 .  J Michael Kelly, new driver for U-37 Schumacher Racing, Team General Manager Jim Harvey and new Crew Chief Jeff Weiding will chat with fans.

San Diego Bayfair execs will be on hand to answer questions about their event.

Click the link in the right hand column to join or receive a reminder.

Webster Racing, LLC is proud to announce the addition of Scott and Linda Carson as presenting sponsor on the U-22 Unlimited Hydroplane for the 2011 race season.  The boat will be campaigned as “Great Scott Presents” for the 2011 Air National Guard Hydroplane Series.

The relationship between the Carson’s and the Webster family began at last year’s Seafair event.  In celebration of Scott’s birthday, he asked to have his name on the U-22 for the race.  He had such a good time that he decided to have his name on the boat for the San Diego and Doha events.

Being a Seattle native and former President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Scott Carson is no stranger to Unlimited Hydroplane racing.  He was involved in the creation of the U-77 Miss Wahoo replica that was built by the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum.  Scott was also a driving force in the Bio-Fuel project for the U-787 Boeing boat that tested alternative fuel sources for Unlimited Hydroplane racing.  Mr. Cason hopes to help make Unlimited Hydroplane racing go “green” in the near future.

Webster Racing, LLC is very excited about Scott and Linda Carson’s involvement with the U-22 race team and is looking forward to a very successful season.

July 1-3, the Air National Guard Hydroplane Series will make its 2011 debut at the Indiana Governor’s Cup on the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana.

Recent reports of flooding in the area and a photo showing the Madison Regatta office (across the street from the river) surrounded by water have had some race fans concerned about the prospects for the season opener.

According to the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service,  the river is in the process of dropping below flood stage (451 feet) and will be down to 418 feet by the second week in May.

The 451 foot reading equals about  55 feet on the “lower gauge” that is watched by Madison residents.  Normal depth for the regatta is about 19-20 feet on that gauge.

Looking ahead, the lowest point in the forecast comes during race weekend.   Regatta advisor Tony Steinhardt reports the river has dropped below Vaughn drive now and Madison Regatta President Crystal McHargue plans to begin re-occupying the race office this weekend.

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Guests:

Kip Brown, Driver, U-17 Miss Red Dot
Doug Ford, Engineer & designer
Peter Thomson, H1 Unlimited Inspector

Three 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.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Guests:

Gregg Hopp, Driver, U-100 Leland Racing
Jerry Hopp, Driver, GP-15 Hopp Racing
Mark Weber, Detroit APBA Gold Cup

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

H1 Unlimited owners, drivers, crews and officials have experienced the beauty and hospitality of Qatar on two trips to the Gulf Region.

Now fifteen teenagers from  Qatar are visiting Seattle as part of a student-exchange program funded by the Qatar Foundation International.

Read about their experience in the story by Jerry Large in the Seattle Times.

Courtesy of Jared Meyer aka “mcfatty510″ via YouTube:

2009 UIM World Championship: Final Heat

DOHA, QATAR (November 21, 2009) – J. Michael Kelly in the U-7 Graham Trucking won his first hydroplane final in grand fashion, passing an ailing U-16 Ellstrom Elam Plus in the final lap to win the inaugural Oryx Cup UIM World Championship. Steve David in the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto finished second giving him enough points to lay claim to both the team and driver H1 Unlimited National High Points Championship and retain the coveted U-1 designation for the 2010 season. Villwock in the U-16 had engine difficulty after a bumpy ride through the west turn on the second lap and the usually strong charging orange and blue hull started to compression stall and yellow flame came through the tailpipe. He managed to hold off Kelly until the final lap. The final heat was rerun after Jeff Bernard in the U-5 Formulaboats.com flipped during in its initial running. Bernard was talking with the media and the crowd in Doha and appears to be fine.

2007 Chevrolet Cup at Seafair: Heat 2B

One of H1 Unlimited’s greatest races, David Bryant in the U-10 Hoss Mortgage Investors comes from behind in Lane 3 to challenge Steve David in the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto at the finish.

2006 APBA Gold Cup Final Heat:

2nd year driver Jean Theoret in the U-37 MIss Beacon Plumbing loses his engine cowling and rear vertical wing on the first lap, then holds of rookie Mike Allen in the U-7 Dick Scott/Miss DYC to win racing legend Billy Schumacher his first APBA Gold Cup as an owner in his first year as an owner.

2005 Seafair: Consolation Heat

1999 APBA Gold Cup: Final Heat

Detroit, MI (July 11, 1999) – Returning to competition after a nearly three year hiatus, Chip Hanauer, driving the U-100 Miss PICO, held off three-time defending APBA Gold Cup Champion Dave Villwock in the U-1 Miss Budweiser to capture his eleventh career APBA Gold Cup. Hanauer has taken the Detroit sponsored Miss PICO to victory in three of the five 1999 Ralph’s Unlimited Hydros Thunder Tour presented by Las Vegas events. “My first Gold Cup here in 1982 with Fran Muncey and Atlas Van Lines was the most satisfying of my career, but this is very special and ranks number two,” said Hanauer. “We had a pretty tough week. When I got here to the pit area at 8:00 Thursday morning, our boats weren’t here yet. Later, I learned that we had scraped up a sponson on a freeway overpass. We never got to run our primary boat on Thursday, and then it was too windy to run on Friday. We were using the preliminary heats just to learn how to set the boat up for the final. Once we got the lead on the start, we were able to control the racecourse. Once you have the lead here, you can make it very tough for the guy behind to pass.” Hanauer’s win capped off an exciting Hydros final that saw Dave Villwock in the U-1 Miss Budweiser chasing Hanauer to the finish line only to finish second. U-10 York International & Young Country present Miss Detroit Yacht Club driver Mark Weber, from nearby St. Clair Shores, gave his hometown crowd something to cheer about by finishing third in this year’s Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold Cup. Rookie Greg Hopp again demonstrated why he is the odds-on favorite for Rookie of the Year honors, winning Heat 4-B and bringing home the U-15 R.S. Eastin Hotels in fourth place in the final. Hanauer’s 1999 Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold Cup victory places him just one win away from Bill Muncey’s all-time career wins record of 62. Already a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame, Hanauer’s Gold Cup record is impressive.

1990 Madison Regatta: Heat 2A

A three-lap battle between Chip Hanauer in the U-31 Miss Circus Circus and Tom D’Eath in the U-1 Miss Budweiser concludes with a photo finish.

1989 San Diego Gold Cup: Final Heat

Arguably one of the best Gold Cup races ever, Tom D’Eath driving the U-1 Miss Budweiser takes control from the start until the final lap when Miss Budweiser’s turbine engine malfunctions due to the salt water in Mission Bay and slows down allowing George Woods Jr. in the piston-powered U-2 Oh Boy! Oberto to take the lead on the backstretch setting up a finish for the ages.

1988 Seafair: Final Heat

Tom D’Eath in the U-1 Miss Budweiser almost loses it coming out of turn 4 at the end of lap 1 on a very rough Lake Washington and leads the entire race until Chip Hanauer in the U-00 Miller High Life gives him a challenge on the final lap to the finish.