WHERE CHAMPIONS ARE CROWNED…AGAIN!
September 23rd, 2008
It’s more than a tagline. Every year since the first year, 2003, that ULHRA has come to Port Angeles WA, the Unlimited Light championship has been decided on Port Angeles Harbor. The event is called Strait Thunder, presented by Victoria Express Passenger Ferry, because the famous Strait of Juan de Fuca is just off the harbor, separating Washington State with Vancouver Island and picturesque Victoria, British Columbia.
In 2003 it was Jerry Hopp clinching his first championship in Unlimited Lights after being part of the series since it began in 1995. It was Jerry who became the first Unlimited Lights’ titlist to elect to race as UL-1 signifying the national champion. The Hopp Racing team won 4 straight titles, clinching all of them at Port Angeles including 2005 when Michael Flaherty in the UL-72 Miss Boat Electric “ran the table” by winning all 4 heats at Port Angeles, only to wind up 83 points short of the championship.
Last year; same story, different result. Then 19 year old rookie Kayleigh Perkins in the Miss Boat Electric came from behind to secure her first championship after Greg Hopp in the UL-1 Graham Trucking G.T. Happy Go Lucky flipped during qualifying.
On October 4th and 5th they’ll do it again. Greg Hopp and Kayleigh Perkins enter Port Angeles separated by a mere 283 points. With up to 1640 points available and 400 points for each heat victory, this is a race that’s very close. Adding to the points’ race complexity is a program established by the ULHRA Board of Directors this season. Unlimited Lights teams that choose to race ULHRA events exclusively earn Participation Points at each race they attend. If they attend them all their Participation Point totals escalate, starting with 30 points at the first race and by their 8th consecutive race (Port Angeles) a team would earn 240 Participation Points. As a result Ms. Perkins’ team will receive 240 Participation Points added to her total if she makes a legal start bringing the Miss Boat Electric team within 43 points of the lead. One item to be aware; don’t think a “legal start” is an automatic. Remember Greg Hopp’s flip in qualifying a year ago. Incidentally, Participation Points apply to the National Championship but have no effect on individual race results. The Boat Electric and Graham Trucking teams each earned 100 Bonus Points for competing at the season opener at Phoenix AZ. There were an additional 200 Bonus Points for participating at the Pickwick Landing TN exhibition but neither team was able to attend.
Paul Becker and the UL-14 Miss Critical Logic will wind up third for 2008 after leading the championship points’ race in August and earning his first ever Unlimited Lights win, at Seattle. Becker is recovering from injuries sustained when his boat flipped while leading the Final at Silverdale on August 10th. The boat and Becker, the former US Navy flier, will return for the 2009 season.
Further down the points’ ladder there’s a fine battle for 4th between Michael Flaherty in the Straitthunder.com presents ROXY 94.5 - Power Punch Performance Lubricants in Darren Bartels’ first complete season as team owner. Flaherty leads Wil Muncey in the UL-00 Trafficade Safety Sales presented by Warning Power.com by 474 points. Bartels’ team just completed some needed hull repairs to the engine well and belly pan and has been improving throughout the season. The UL-11 would have to be favored with the points advantage and because of the unknown factor facing the Muncey team. The two-boat team will be racing their larger hydroplane for only the second time. Engine damage at the larger hull’s debut in Montana put that program behind schedule with a limited number of laps and a limited amount of seat time for Muncey. Still, the larger UL-00 is the former UL-23 Pegasus built by Steve Balcer of Detroit and it’s a proven quick boat. With Muncey having the larger 00 carburetor boat able to start inside the supercharged entry of Flaherty, that could make a difference.
When it comes to the exciting world of Lighter-Than-LIGHTS (LTL) hydroplane racing, there are no guarantees other than for nearly every Victoria Express presents Strait Thunder, a champion will be crowned. On paper, Bud McKay in the 8-cylinder Lighter-Than-LIGHTS has a comfortable lead in the high points, as does the dynamic duo of rookies Joe Perkins and Bianca Bononcini in the 4-cylinders. But that’s only if Strait Thunder follows the four-heat format. If they had a bonus, fifth-heat, as they did in 2006, throw the paper out. Both teams are within reach. The LTL series is an affordable, entry-level series into the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association. Last year, local Shane Pratt surprised everyone and “whooped” the field in the final heat in the Victoria Express presents Maxxim Power Sports and Adly Moto, owned by Shane and Vicki Pratt and Garry and Tresa McCallister.
Nine Unlimited Light Hydroplane teams are expected for the 2008 Season Finale along with 3 Thunderboat (G) teams and both 4 cylinder and 8 cylinder hydroplanes from the Lighter than LIGHTS series and the vintage Jersey Skiffs. It will be a full weekend of marine motor sports action. A series of display appearances are being conducted leading up to the October 4th & 5th regatta in and around Port Angeles WA.
John Lynch “Voice” of ULHRA Racing Photograph credit: Mark Sharley
