After a successful taste of racing in three races this summer, Mike & Lori Jones are planning to make a full-time comeback to the Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Championship series in 2012.

 And they have big plans.

 Jon Zimmerman will drive the U-9 again next season, his first full-time ride in the unlimiteds. The 2010 H1 Unlimited Rookie of the Year, Zimmerman was the backup driver for Billy & Jane Schumacher’s U-37 that year, and drove three races for Jones Racing this year.

 “I’m excited about this opportunity,” Zimmerman said. “This hull is a great race boat and with the changes the team plans to make over the winter, I’m looking forward to being even more competitive next year.”

 Under crew chief Jeff Campbell – a former Miss Budweiser crew member who is bringing along four Bud veterans (Dave Arnold, Mike Campbell, Mike McIntosh and John Rice), for the 2012 team – the boat will get a new cockpit, a modern cowling, and adjustments to the ride surfaces over the offseason. The team is also in the market for a newer truck for the transportation and display of the boat and the team’s equipment.

 “The recent growth of the unlimited class has sparked a lot of renewed interest and enthusiasm for hydroplane racing, including our own” said Mike Jones. “More new sponsors are coming in, new races are being put together and the television coverage on Versus/NBC Sports has been highly successful.

 With all of the other work currently going on in the team’s boat shop, the team is also busy seeking a national sponsor for the 2012 season. For more information about the team’s sponsorship opportunities, contact marketing manager Nelson Holmberg ((Enable Javascript to see the email address)).

 Learn more about the team online at www.u9racing.com.

The winner of the 2011 Oryx Cup UIM World Championship was decided only after review of this video, which shows the U-1, U-96 & 88 had jumped the start by less than half a boat length.

The start clock is coordinated with the LED in the upper right of this video, where the LED lights when the countdown clock reaches “0.00 seconds” and the race begins.

This clip shows in real time, then slow motion, the U-1, U-96 & 88 crossing the starting line before the LED lights, indicating that they crossed the line before the race had begun:

Scott Liddycoat celebrates his maiden H1 victory with owner & crew

Driver Scott Liddycoat completed a magical rookie season Saturday by capturing his first unlimited hydroplane victory during a controversial finish at the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship. Liddycoat was declared the winner by officials after they reviewed film of the start and saw that drivers Steve David, Dave Villwock and J Michael Kelly had crossed the start line early. Those drivers were given a 1-minute penalty and Liddycoat got his first career victory on the H1 Unlimited tour. “It’s not the way I would have liked to win the first one but I’ll take it,” Liddycoat said. “This year has been unreal. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet.”

 David and the Oh Boy! Oberto team thought they had won the Oryx Cup and were ready to celebrate their third race win of the season. But after a 45-minute delay for the awards ceremony, David was told of the penalty that would give second-place finisher Liddycoat the victory. David was upset by the ruling, noting that fans and television viewers left the race with the impression that the Oh Boy! Oberto had won. Instead they took fifth. “In a world championship race there is no excuse for that,” David said. “Qatar deserves better officiating than what we gave them today.”

 Although race officials initially said the start was legal, when they examined video of the start/finish buoy, David, Villwock and Kelly were more than half a boat length past. Drivers can’t pass the start line before the clock strikes zero. Adding to the problem was that the clock was not displayed on the shore. “When I looked at the picture, it was obvious,” said Mike Noonan, H1 Unlimited’s chief referee. “Three of the boats were at least half a boat length over or a little less.”

 H1 Unlimited Chairman Sam Cole said they will look at procedures regarding official reviews at the start line. “It was a tough call but it was the right call,” Cole said. “We have to move on.”

Liddycoat had an up-and-down weekend before making the final. The team was docked points for a fuel violation during a heat Friday and were fighting to make the seven-boat final. But his luck turned Saturday when he edged Villwock for first place in day’s final heat, giving him enough points for the final. His luck continued when he got the inside lane and David and Villwock were on the outside. Because of the penalties, Graham Trucking driver Jeff Bernard went from fifth-place to second place on the podium. “We’ll take the second-place finish,” Bernard said. “But you would rather do it on the racecourse than see guys get penalized but that’s why we have rules.”

 Driver Greg Hopp, who was second to last to qualify for the final, finished third. Rookie driver Jimmy Shane was fourth in the Formulaboats.com boat. Villwock won three races and took home the driver and team national high points championship this season. He knew getting the outside lane in the final was going to be too difficult to overcome. “We were in trouble with the lane draw,” Villwock said. “We needed a little luck here or a crash or something to move us in a lane or two.”

 Liddycoat, who lives in Suffolk, Va., is the third different winner at the race in Doha, Qatar. Kelly won the first race in 2009 and Villwock captured last year’s Oryx Cup, which was founded by Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani, president of the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF). Liddycoat plans to celebrate an impressive season that should earn him rookie of the year honors. “It’s been a great year and this just topped it,” said Liddycoat, who drives the Ted Porter-owned Valken.com boat. “You couldn’t ask for a better ending.”

 Final Oryx Cup UIM Championships from Doha, Qatar

 Final

Place, Driver, Boat, Speed

1. Scott Liddycoat, Valken.com, 131.499 mph

2. Jeff Bernard, Graham Trucking, 120.143 mph

3. Greg Hopp, Mirageboats.com, 117.821 mph

4. Jimmy Shane, Formulaboats.com, 112.040 mph

5. Steve David, Oh Boy! Oberto, 110.376 mph

Saturday’s Heat Results

Heat 3A: 1. Dave Villwock, 2. Greg Hopp, 3. J. Michael Kelly.

Heat 3B: 1. Steve David, 2. Scott Liddycoat, 3. Jimmy Shane.

Heat 4A: 1. J. Michael Kelly, 2. Steve David, 3. Jeff Bernard.

Heat 4B: 1. Scott Liddycoat, 2. Dave Villwock, 3. Brian Perkins.

U.S. troops at the 2011 Oryx Cup

More than two dozen Army soldiers based in Doha, Qatar, are serving as volunteer crew members on H1 Unlimited teams competing at the Oryx Cup UIM World Championships.
Handling tasks from washing boats to swapping propellers, the soldiers are getting a first-hand look at the demands of getting a hydroplane ready to race. For many of the young men and women, it’s the first time they have seen an unlimited up close.
“With these high-powered engines, you can’t get better than that,” said soldier, Army Specialist Carlos Ramirez, who was raised in Phoenix, Ariz. “Now I’m interested in the sport, I’m definitely going to start following it.”
This is the first time H1 Unlimited has done an outreach program with the U.S. military bases in Doha. The program is a natural extension of its partnership with the Air National Guard, said H1 Unlimited Chairman Sam Cole.
Cole brought the TapouT/Muscle Pharm boat to display at Camp As Sayliyah and asked if any soldiers would want to spend three days working with the teams. Base leaders handpicked 24 soldiers, who are putting in 10-hour days alongside the teams. Other volunteers are assisting H1 Unlimited officials with racecourse flags and getting the boats in and out of the water.

With U-21 crew

“The team owners are impressed at how hardworking and smart these men and women are,” Cole said. “We know we have the finest troops in the world. For the teams working beside them, it only reinforces that.”
TapouT/Muscle Pharm team owner Greg O’Farrell echoes Cole’s sentiments.
“It’s the start of a good friendship with these guys. We appreciate what they do for our country,” O’Farrell said. “They’re a pleasure to be around and we’re having a lot of fun with them.”
Army Specialist Nicole Hubbard was assisting the Oh Boy! Oberto crew and her main task was to deliver the black box that officials use to check for fuel flow and turbine over-speed violations. She spent some time talking with driver Steve David about what it’s like behind the wheel of a hydroplane.
“They (base commanders) didn’t tell us much coming into here,” Hubbard said. “Now that I’m here, I’m having a blast.”
Army Specialist Nohle Jensen was given the task of helping H1 Unlimited officials at the docks coordinating the boats going in and out of the water during testing and qualifying on Thursday.
“It’s unreal. I never grew up around boats and to see them go 150 mph—oh my gosh,” he said. “How expense these boats are is just unreal.”

U.S. soldier visits with U-5 driver Jeff Bernard and owner Ted Porter

Cole said they will do the volunteer program with the troops at the Oryx Cup UIM World Championships in 2012 set for November 15-17.
“Everyone is having such a good time, we can’t wait for next year,” he said.

Saturday, November 19th

Times are local at the race site. Doha time is GMT+3 (+8 EST)

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (12:00am-1:00am EST) Unlimited Testing

11:00 AM (3:00am EST) Heat 3A

11:20 AM (3:20am EST) Heat 3B

11:35 AM (3:35am EST) Podium Event for Winners 3A and 3B, Draw for 4A and 4B

12:45 PM (4:45am EST) Heat 4A

1:05 PM (5:05am EST) Heat 4B

3:00 PM (7:00am EST) Oryx Cup UIM World Championship

8:00 PM (12:00pm EST) Gala Dinner & Awards Presentation

Images by Chris Denslow