American Torrente Hopeful Heading into F1 H2O Race in Ukraine

Florida native and Qatar Team driver Shaun Torrente has high hopes for the second round of the 2013 Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) F1 H2O World Championship in Kyiv, Ukraine. After finishing second in June at the Grand Prix of Brazil for his first career podium in the series, Torrente has his eyes on the top spot this weekend—and for good reason.

Qatar Team drive Shaun Torrente is hoping to improve on his second-place finish in Brazil in June at this weekend's F1 H2O Grand Prix of Ukraine. Photo courtesy F1 H20Last year at the Grand Prix of Ukraine, the three-time North American champion was heading for his first career victory in just his ninth start on the world's premiere stage of tunnel boat racing when, on a race restart with less than three laps to go, Torrente's boat came to a stop with a mechanical issue along the banks of the Kyiv Sea after leading for most of the race.

With Torrente forced into a spectator role, the victory went to pole-sitting Finnish star Sami Selio, who also won the season's first race in Brazil last month.  More; American Torrente Hopeful Heading into F1 H2O Race in Ukraine

Seebold Wins Second Straight US F1 Powerboat Tour Race

Although he evened up the total in the win column with his second straight US F1 Powerboat Tour victory in Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada, Tim Seebold is going to need a lot of help at the season finale in Seattle next month to surpass tour points leader Terry Rinker, who won the first two races of the season.

Tim Seebold leads Chris Fairchild down a straightaway at the Valleyfield Regatta in Quebec, Canada, last weekend. Photo by James Cole/MarineEngine.com

Racing in the NGK/Seebold Sports boat, Seebold bested Rinker, who finished second in his AMSOIL/Rinker Racing boat and Chris Fairchild, who took third in the Mercury Racing boat, in front of the large crowd on hand for the 75th annual Valleyfield Regatta. After four races, Rinker holds a 96-point lead over Seebold, who finished eighth in the season opener at Lucas Oil Speedway in Missouri.  More; Seebold Wins Second Straight US F1 Powerboat Tour Race

Selio Wins Inaugural Grand Prix of Brazil, Torrente Takes Second

Two-time F1 H2O world champion Sami Selio, aka the “Flying Finn,” led from start to finish despite two yellow flag incidents to win the inaugural Grand Prix of Brazil on Brasilia’s Lake Paranoá on Sunday afternoon. The Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team driver earned his the 11th F1 H2O victory by holding off hard-charging American driver Shaun Torrente and his Qatar Team teammate Alex Carella of Italy, who finished second and third, respectively.  More; Selio Wins Inaugural Grand Prix of Brazil, Torrente Takes Second

Finland's Sami Selio of the Mad Croc Baba Racing Team won the UIM F1 H2O Grand Prix of Brazil on Sunday.

Photo by Vittorio Ubertone/Idea Marketing

 

Source; Speed On The Water

Qatar F1 Team Carries Out Useful Pre-Season Test Session In Italy

DOHA (QATAR): The Qatar Team is leaving nothing to chance as it attempts to retain the UIM F1 H20 World Championship title and the Doha-based outfit has carried out a crucial five-day, pre-season test in Italy.

 

 

Defending World Champion Alex Carella and team mate Shaun Torrente attended the test in the presence of Khalid bin Arhama Al-Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF), engine builder and crew chief Brendan Power and several other members of the Qatar Team, including Alex Canzi and Billy Rucker.
 

Team driver Alex Carella won the world title for the second year in succession last season by the margin of 17 points to give the QMSF-supported team a third world title in five years. Shaun Torrente proved time and again that he was one of the fastest drivers on the F1 circuit, but a licence suspension ruined his chances of winning the last two races and he finished the season in 11th in the drivers points’ standings.
 

“After such a long lay-off before the first race in Brazil in June, it was important that we got some testing in to dust off the cobwebs,” said Khalid bin Arhama AL-Kuwari, head of formula racing at the QMSF, which runs under the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani.
 

“We tested some new propellers and engines. It was a good chance for the team to work together again and get in shape before the season begins. We learned many new things and that information will be critical when the racing starts.”
 

Race promoter H20 Racing has announced a provisional eight-race 2013 calendar, with the teams venturing to the Brazilian capital of Brasilia for the first time for the opening race on June 2nd.
 

From there, the calendar takes crews to Kiev (July 27th), Kazan (August 30th), Liuzhou (October 4th), Qatar (November 23rd), Abu Dhabi (November 29th) and Sharjah (December 13th). A second Chinese race has yet to be finalised in October.