H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Team RedDOT Will Miss Bayfair

Mike Jones, co-owner of the 9 Team RedDOT with wife Lori, has informed H1 that damage sustained during Friday qualifying for the 2013 Coeur d’Alene Diamond Cup will keep  the team from making the trip to the season ender on San Diego’s Mission Bay September 13-15.

Driver Jon Zimmerman was just ¾ of a lap into his qualifying effort in the 9 Fox Plumbing presents Team RedDOT powered by Les Schwab when he told the crew he had a vibration and was shutting down.  The vibration turned out to be serious, as the propeller had lost one of its three blades with the resulting vibration doing extensive damage to the hull.  More; H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Team RedDOT Will Miss Bayfair

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Jimmy Shane is Diamond Cup Champion

The juggernaut that is Jimmy Shane in the 5 Graham Trucking continued to roll – all the way to the top of the podium at the 2013 Coeur d’Alene Diamond cup.

 

Left to right – Kip Brown, Jimmy Shane, Steve David
Photo by Chris Denslow – H1

 

The 28 year old new dad from Havre de Grace,  Maryland made it two wins in a row, following up his win at the Albert Lee Cup at Seattle Seafai r in early August with a dramatic victory in the Diamond Cup Championship Final as Unlimited Hydroplanes returned to Coeur d’Alene after an absence of 45 years.

 

Shane used the inside advantage – secured before the start – to hold off a challenge from J. Michael Kelly in the 37 Miss Beacon Plumbing.  After a review of the start, Kelly was ruled to have jumped the start clock.  That set the Beacon driver back from second place to fifth and moved Steve David up to third in the 1 Oh Boy! Oberto.

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Shane Tops Coeur d’Alene Qualifiers

Wind and water conditions interrupted the Friday qualifying session for the Diamond Cup on North Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’Alene, but not soon enough for Jon Zimmerman and the 9 Fox Plumbing presents Team RedDOT powered by Les Schwab.

Photo by Chris Denslow -H1

Zimmerman was the fifth boat to enter the two mile race course for a qualifying attempt, but lost a blade off the propeller before completing a lap.  The vibration created by the broken prop cause severe damage to the race boat, causing the team to withdraw from the event.

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » The Hydros Are Back!

When the H1 Unlimited hydroplane series returns to scenic Lake Coeur d’Alene this weekend, it will mark the return of the sport to the North Idaho area after an absence of 45 years.

When the World’s Fastest Race Boats last appeared in Coeur d’Alene, the year was 1968 and the Diamond Cup was won by a young Seattle Driver named Billy Schumacher driving Miss Bardahl.  Schumacher sat in an open cockpit behind a massive WWII piston aircraft engine and raced against drivers who make up the sport’s Hall of Fame.

San Diego Bayfair Ready to Deliver High-Octane Fun / Speed on the Water

As the H1 Unlimited teams prepare for this weekend's Diamond Cup Race in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the Southern California town of San Diego is getting excited to host the thunder boats in a couple of weeks.

Once again, the Unlimited hydroplanes will be a big part of the San Diego Bayfair entertainment . Photo courtesy San Diego Bayfair

Celebrating its 49th year on Mission Bay, San Diego Bayfair moves into the fast lane Sept. 13-15 with the return of the H1 Unlimited hydroplanes, a Metal Mulisha freestyle motocross exhibition and expanded live music.

Along with the H1 Unlimited tour's 2013 season finale, Bayfair has enhanced the three-day event by bringing in the ever-popular Metal Mulisha, featuring top freestyle motocross riders Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Derrick Garland. And for fans of big horsepower, the piston-powered boats of the Grand Prix West tour returns after a one-year hiatus. More; San Diego Bayfair Ready to Deliver High-Octane Fun

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Shane Scores Stunning Seafair Victory

With a little help from his friends, Jimmy Shane combined the inside advantage, great boat speed and an outstanding job of driving to hold off defending Seafair champion Steve David in the 1 Oh Boy! Oberto and put the 5 Graham Trucking in the winner’s circle Sunday at the 2013 Albert Lee Appliance Cup on Seattle’s Lake Washington.

The help from friends came during the scoring up for the Championship Final Heat when Graham had secured lane one and was joined in lane two by Kip Brown in the 95 Spirit of Qatar in lane two and J. Michael Kelly in the 37 Miss Beacon Plumbing who took lane three, forcing David out to lane four. More; H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Shane Scores Stunning Seafair Victory

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Steve David Wins 2013 Columbia Cup

For Defending National Champion Steve David in the 1 Oh Boy! Oberto and defending Columbia Cup Champion Jimmy Shane in the 5 Graham Trucking, the 2013 Lamb-Weston Columbia Cup was all about the “fight for lanes” before the start.

 

Steve David (far right) hits the line in lane 1 in the 1 Oh Boy! Oberto. Photo by Craig Barney

 

Neither was able to win from lane two when the two were in the same heat and when David got the inside for the final it was enough to make the difference and return the Oberto team to the top of the Tri-Cities podium.  Shane stayed on David’s hip the entire five laps, but David built a two second lead by the end of the third lap and kept that advantage to the checkered flag.

 

One minute before the start, David was in lane three, outside Kip Brown in one in the 95 Spirit of Qatar and Shane in two.  At the start, David had moved into lane one and explained, “We put in the acceleration package and it paid off.  I was able to get the overlap on Kip and Jamie and take the lane.”  More; H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Steve David Wins 2013 Columbia Cup

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Shane & David Win Saturday Prelims

The early rounds of racing in the Lamb-Weston Columbia Cup in the Tri-Cities went true to the racing form as favorites Jimmy Shane in the 5 Graham Trucking and Steve David in the 1 Oh Boy! Oberto won heats 1A and 1B.

Shane was not challenged for the inside lane in the first Saturday prelim and the defending Columbia Cup Champion used the short way around the course to stay ahead of Jon Zimmerman in the 9 Team RedDOT who ran second all five laps.

Mark Evans’ 57 FEDCO made a strong run in third place, staying ahead of Tom Thompson in the 11 Peters & May who ran fourth.

Shane said, “We’re back!” The fuel problems that plagued the team during qualifying appeared to be solved.

Brown Wins Dramatic Detroit APBA Gold Cup / Speed on the Water

Despite a pair of unusual Saturday heats where penalties cost veteran Unlimited hydroplane driver Steve David two preliminary wins at the APBA Gold Cup in Detroit, things appeared to be going better on Sunday for the H1 Unlimited national high points leader who drives the No. 1 Oh Boy! Oberto boat.

 

Kip Brown celebrates his first H1 Unlimited victory after winning the 2013 Detroit APBA Gold Cup atop the No. 95 Spirit of Qatar. Photo by Chris Denslow/courtesy H1 Unlimited

 

By the start of the final heat, the veteran driver from Lighthouse Point, Fla., had worked his way to the top of the weekend points column and was the favorite to win his first Gold Cup in 23 attempts. He’s finished second seven times.

 

After three-quarters of a lap, David established a lead over Jimmy Shane in No. 5 Graham Trucking, Kip Brown in No. 95 Spirit of Qatar and Jon Zimmerman in No. 9 Team RedDot. But as the four boats came through the second turn, David was called for a lane infraction and assessed a one-lap penalty. Shane went into David’s roostertail and lost the front wing of his boat.  Read more; Brown Wins Dramatic Detroit APBA Gold Cup

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Jimmy Shane is Double Saturday Winner

Day one of the 2013 DYC Detroit APBA Gold did everything but follow the racing form.
When the Roostertails settled into the Detroit River, Mike Webster in the 22 Roostertail 55 had his first H1 Unlimited Heat victory and it came on the same course where he survived a devastating accident a year ago.

Kip Brown also scored a heat win in the 95 Spirit of Qatar and Jimmy Shane was a double winner in the 5 Graham Trucking.

The biggest surprise of the day was the inability of Steve David in the Oh Boy! Oberto to put together four penalty free laps and score a win.   David had a comfortable lead in Heat 1B when his boat hit a buoy in the tight Roostertail Turn, incurring a one lap penalty.

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » High Water Cancels Madison Regatta

The worsening flood conditions along the Ohio River have forced H1 Unlimited and the Madison Regatta to cancel this year’s Lucas Oil Indiana Governor’s Cup Race.

With high water rising above the entire pit area along Madison’s riverfront, officials had little choice but to cancel the event after monitoring the situation for the past three days and seeing the river jump from a projected 29-foot crest to more than 34.4 feet this morning and approaching 36 feet later in the day. Normal conditions range between 18-24 feet.  More; H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » High Water Cancels Madison Regatta

A Weekend of Powerboat Racing all on Livestream

SARASOTA
www.superboat.com
SBI Suncoast Grand Prix one of the largest offshore powerboat races in the world.
 Sun Jul 7, 2013 10:45am EDT
 Sun Jul 7, 2013 8:00pm EDT
                 ***********

MADISON
www.h1unlimited.com
Testing and Qualifying Friday, July 5th 3:00pm – 5:00pm.  Saturday, July 6th, heat racing 1:30pm
Sunday, July 7th, Heat racing leading up to the final for the LUCAS OIL Indiana Governor’s Cup at 4:20 p.m. (EDT).

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » 63rd Indiana Governor’s Cup…July 5 – 7

The weekend of July 5 – 7 marks the 63rd Anniversary of Unlimited Hydroplane Racing in Madison, Indiana and race fans will be here watching ten unlimited hydroplanes vie for the LUCAS OIL Indiana Governor’s Cup, the third stop on the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series schedule.

Local fans are eagerly awaiting the battles among these thundering 200-mph-plus competitors to see and cheer on the hometown team (the 2012 National High Points Champion U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto / Miss Madison) against a strong field of contenders.  Will there be a new contender that races to the front of the pack?  With so many teams within a couple of mph of each other, you never know who might be lifting the Lucas Oil Indiana Governor’s Cup trophy at the end of the weekend.  Ten of the world’s fastest race boats are ready to race deck-to-deck along the Bill Cantrell Memorial Race Course with qualifying set for Friday, and multiple heats scheduled for Saturday and Sunday leading up to the coveted LUCAS OIL Indiana Governor’s Cup final heat set for 4:20pm on Sunday, July 7th.  Madison is one of eight race sites on the 2013 H1 Unlimited calendar.  More; H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » 63rd Indiana Governor’s Cup…July 5 – 7

Big Wake / David Dominates,Oberto throttles field in final heat / The Madison Courier Daily Newspaper

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Steve David hit his start perfectly and was never threatened en route to a dominating H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series win on Folsom Lake in Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday.

David, driving the Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison, found himself in lane four of the final heat but used that position to his advantage. He avoided a near-collision behind him and used the momentum from the outside to hit the start-finish line at full speed and never look back.  More; David Dominates - The Madison Courier Daily Newspaper - Madison, Indiana - Madison, IN

Steve David celebrates on his Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison hydroplane (above) after winning Sunday on Folsom Lake near Sacramento (below) David steered the Oberto to a dominating win in the first race held at the site in 46 years — his 17th career win tying him with Billy Schumacher for sixth on the all-time list.
(Photos by Chris Denslow/H1 Unlimited)

U-11 Peters & May Reveals Rock Star Ambassador

A day after announcing it would be campaigning the rebuilt Miss Budweiser T4 hull at this weekend’s H1 Unlimited race on California’s Folsom Lake near Sacramento, the U-11 Peters & May team released some more news.

The team, which is owned by Unlimited Racing Group, has a new ambassador for the 2013 season—Seattle musician Duff McKagan. Best known for playing in the bands Guns ’n’ Roses, Velvet Revolver and Loaded, McKagan was a VIP guest for last year’s Seattle Seafair race where he met Dave Holley, CEO of Peters & May.  More; U-11 Peters & May Reveals Rock Star Ambassador

Source; Speed on the Water

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Steve David Tops BWW Qualifying

Steve David of Lighthouse Point, Florida drove the Madison, Indiana based 1 Oh Boy! Oberto to the top of the qualifying ladder for BigWake Weekend on Sacramento’s Folsom Lake with an average speed of 150.441 mph on the two mile course. More; H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » Steve David Tops BWW Qualifying

Jimmy Shane in the 5 Graham Trucking and Steve David in the 1 Oh Boy! Oberto during testing for BigWake Weekend.

 

Source; H1 Unlimited

H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » BFF (Big Fast Field) For Big Wake Weekend

Ten of the World’s Fastest Race Boats are set to put tons of water in the air and thrill a huge crowd expected to line the shores of Sacramento’s Folsom lake as “Big Wake Weekend powered by Toyota” brings Unlimited Hydroplane racing back to the area for the first time in 46 years.

The last time the Thunderboats occupied the pit area at Granite Bay was 1967.  They were round-nosed hydroplanes with the drivers sitting in an open cockpit behind a massive World War II vintage piston engine. Today’s turbine powered unlimiteds feature state of the art technology designed for maximum speed and cornering on water. They will reach speeds approaching 200 mph on a two mile oval on Folsom Lake.  Read more; H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series » BFF (Big Fast Field) For Big Wake Weekend

 

Source; H1 Unlimited

U-11 Peters & May to Campaign Rebuilt Miss Budweiser

After an accident in Doha, Qatar, in February, the U-11 Peters & May team agreed to a deal with Schumacher Racing to purchase the former Miss Budweiser T4 hull, which was damaged “beyond repair” at the 2010 Detroit Gold Cup. Since then, the team has been cranking away on a complete rebuild of the legendary hydroplane and plans to debut the rebuilt T4 hull at the second race of the 2013 H1 Unlimited season in Sacramento this weekend.  Read more; U-11 Peters & May to Campaign Rebuilt Miss Budweiser

The Unlimited Racing Group purchased the former Miss Budweiser T4 (shown here racing in 2010). Photo courtesy Peters & May

 

Source; Speed on the Water

SHEIKH HASSAN ANNOUNCES HIS OWN VERSION OF THE ‘RYDER CUP’ OF POWERBOAT RACING

QMSF president relishes chance for Qatar to take on the USA… Exciting American racing programme beckons for QMSF team

DOHA (QATAR): His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani is delighted to announce that the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) is making its final preparations for an exciting new racing programme in the United States of America and that Qatar will go head-to-head with the mighty USA with a two-pronged racing challenge this season.

Jimmy Shane Triumphs In Oryx Cup Uim World Championship Final On Doha Bay

 

U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto’s Steve David beats Jimmy Shane to victory in heat 4A.

4B victory goes to Kip Brown in U-95 Spirit of Qatar after a Kelly jump start.

Junior hydro racers get their first taste of powerboat racing in J Stock Hydros.

H1 Unlimited’s Sam Cole signs five-year deal with Sheikh Hassan for Oryx Cup racing.

 

DOHA (Qatar): It was a case of déjà vu in slightly easier circumstances for Jimmy Shane and his U-5 Graham Trucking team, who snatched a straightforward victory in the 2013 Oryx Cup UIM World Championship final in Doha Bay on Tuesday afternoon.

 

No driver had ever won the Oryx Cup twice and Shane duly re-wrote the history books with his second win in the space of a month when he cruised to a comfortable triumph once main rival Steve David was penalised a lap before the start for making a premature move on his rival to take the inside line on the back straight of the pre-race warm-up lap.

 

“I couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Shane, who didn’t have a full-time H1 ride until 18 months ago. “I will be a father for the first time in three and a half months time and to win here in Qatar twice in less than two months is a superb start to the year for me.”