Volume 69, Issue 08 // August 2015 apba.org
Rough Water Kelly’s battle to claim the Indiana Governor’s Cup
JASON ASLAKSON Local hydroplane driver participates in hometown race
MAN ON A MISSION Barber takes to the water with wife by his side
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PROPELLER // IN THIS ISSUE
Volume 69, Issue 08 // August 2015
17640 E. Nine Mile Road, PO Box 377 Eastpointe, MI 48021-0377 PHONE: 586.773.9700 WEB: apba.org EMAIL: apbahq@apba.org TWITTER: twitter.com/APBARacing FACEBOOK: facebook.com/APBARacing DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS ACCOUNTING MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR SANCTION/ HIGH POINT COORDINATOR DESIGN EDITOR
//Ryan Berlin //Linda Likert
rberlin@apba.org llikert@apba.org
//Sabrina Haudek //Cindy Minoletti //Marie Lowe
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//Mark Wheeler //Dutch Squires //Charles Strang //Jose Mendana Jr. //Mary Williams //Steven Hearn //J. David Augustine Sr. //Ernie Dawe //Fred Hauenstein Jr. //Jean Mackay-Schwartz //Bill Thompson //Howie Nichols //Robin Shane //Dutch Squires //Jan Shaw // Rick Sandstrom // Kristi Ellison
president@apba.org VP@apba.org NC@apba.org treasurer@apba.org secretary@apba.org legal@apba.org patndave2@verison.net dawecraftboats@aol.com fhauenstein@new.rr.com Jean84c@earthlink.net boatinspector@comcast.net apba113@aol.com SLT@apba.org VP@apba.org info@woodshedemb.comcastbiz.net region10@apba.org prooutboard@apba.org
COUNCIL-AT-LARGE:
Penny Anderson, Alexander Jennings II, Mark Miskerik, Robert F. Moore, Jeff Titus, Rich Fushlin, Jeff Conant, Tony Lombardo, Jack Meyer, Patrick Gleason, Rachel Warnock
2015 RACING CATEGORY/COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Inboard Inboard Endurance Offshore PRO Modified Stock OPC Outboard Drag Unlimited SLT Junior Class Vintage and Historic Special Event
//Mark Weber //Ted Kolby //Mark Wheeler //Kristi Ellison //Tom Sutherland //Jeff Brewster //James Chambers //Chris Fairchild //Steve David //Robin Shane //Patrick Gleason //John Krebs //Dutch Squires
inboardracing@apba.org Inboardendurance@apba.org offshore@apba.org prooutboard@apba.org modifiedoutboard@apba.org stockoutboard@apba.org opc@apba.org outboarddrag@apba.org unlimited@apba.org SLT@apba.org junior@apba.org vintage @apba.org specialevent@apba.or
2015 REGION CHAIRMEN Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6 Region 7 Region 8 Region 9 Region 10 Region 11 Region 12 Region 14 Region 15 Region 16
//Dave Jones //John Krebs //Ann Shaw //Steve Barrett //Jeff Titus //Tom Johnston //Kris Shepard //Dave McCormick //John Ballero // Rick Sandstrom //Gloria Crim //Roger Carr //Buddy Tennell //Carleton Callahan //Paul Sumereau
4
Jason Aslakson
20
Barber takes to the water with wife by his side
2015 APBA OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT NATIONAL COMMISSIONER TREASURER SECRETARY LEGAL COUNCIL
Man On A Mission
region1@apba.org region2@apba.org region3@apba.org region4@apba.org region5@apba.org region6@apba.org region7@apba.org region8@apba.org region9@apba.org region10@apba.org region11@apba.org region12@apba.org region14@apba.org region15@apba.org region16@apba.org
PROPELLER© welcomes unsolicited articles and photos. Views expresses herein are not necessarily those of the publication and do not represent official APBA policy. Advertising herein cannot be construed as an endorsement by APBA or its members. PROPELLER (ISSN 0194-6218) (USPS 0047-800) is published five times yearly for $25.00 (U.S. and Canada); $55.00 (foreign) by APBA, 17640 East Nine Mile Road, PO Box 377, Eastpointe, MI., 48021-0377 Periodical postage paid at Eastpointe, MI., and additional mailing office. Postmaster: send addresses to APBA PO BOX 377, Eastpointe, MI., 48021-0377.
Local hydroplane driver participates in hometown race
Rough Water Kelly’s battle to claim the Indiana Governor’s Cup
DEPARTMENTS From The Editor From The Top Suited For Safety This Date in History Rooster-Tales: Art Oberto’s ‘Thank You’ tour starts in Madison
Race Calendar Inside The Cockpit: Jim Fox
You Make The Call In Pictures Category Corner
Junior Classes Stock Outboard Modified Outboard Region Roundup
Region 3, Region 6, Region 10, Region 11
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// FROM THE EDITOR ////////////////////
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FROM THE EDITOR
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WRITTEN BY // RYAN BERLIN, APBA DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
As we reach the dog days of summer, the racing season is in full swing and the rookies and veterans have had their highs and lows. Starting off his Unlimited racing season on a high, U-5 Graham Trucking driver J. Michael Kelly claimed victory at the Madison Regatta and took home the Indiana Governors Cup.
Bringing a little piece of home with him whenever he goes racing, SST-45 driver
SHOP ONLINE NOW
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Gary Barber attends every race he goes to with his crew chief/wife Terri. Together the husband/wife duo spends as much time as they can together competing and enjoying each other’s company.
Competing in boat racing a little bit later in life, Inboard driver Jason Aslakson grew up watching the boat races on Black Lake in Washington. This year, he decided enough was enough and he finally got inside the cockpit and competed in his first race.
// FROM THE TOP ////////////////////
PROPELLER
FROM THE TOP WRITTEN BY // MARK WHEELER, APBA PRESIDENT
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On June 11, 2015 the APBA Board of Directors passed the motion: “Effective November 1, 2015, all inboard runabout classes and their rules (including the capsule mandate) move to the Inboard Endurance Category.” The minutes of this meeting are available on the APBA Resource Page.
The original purpose of my August column was to explain how this change would be implemented. However, at an APBA Board of Directors’ meeting held on July 21, 2015, the APBA Board of Directors reversed its decision. All current inboard runabout classes will remain part of the inboard category for the 2016 racing season and beyond. The capsule mandate remains in effect.
ANNOUNCEMENTS NOTICE OF AWARD NOMINATIONS
Each year the Don Allen Sr. Memorial Leadership Award shall be presented during the APBA Annual Meeting. This award honors service contributions to the American Power Boat Association in the areas of leadership, officiating, safety, or other activities contributing to the benefit of the APBA not directly related to the racing of a specific boat. Previous honorees are: 2008 Penny Anderson 2009 Ernie Dawe
Edmonds, WA Indio, CA
2010 George Thornhill Tacoma, WA 2011 Brian Small
Dracut, MA
2013 Roger Carr
San Juan Capistrano, CA
2012 Tracy Trolian
2014 Bill Boyes
Milan, MI
Yuba City, CA
The contribution may be judged on the efforts of a single year, or for work done over a period of years, at the judgment of the selection committee. The selection committee is chaired by the sitting APBA President, and shall comprise of the previous five surviving selectees.
It is not required that there be a selectee each year, but it is encouraged that there be a selection process each year. Any member interested in making a nomination for this award may do so by submitting the nomination with written details to APBA Headquarters.
All nominations must be received no later than September 30th, 2015 Notice of Honor Squadron Nominations
The APBA Honor Squadron is the highest non-racing award that the APBA offers each year. PROCEDURE
1. Nominations reminder will be in the June, July, and August Propellers, and on the APBA website. 2. Nominations are due October 1st.
3. Ballots and copies of the nominations are mailed to the Honor Squadron Committee by October 15th. 4. Ballots are due October 31st.
5. To be a candidate for induction, the nominee must receive a vote of at least 50% of the Honor Squadron Committee members.
6. A maximum of two (2) nominees will be selected by the Committee for induction into the Honor Squadron, for presentation at the next APBA Annual Meeting Banquet. In case of a tie, the chairperson will resolve it with her/his vote. CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION AND SELECTION OF CANDIDATES
Extensive service and contributions to APBA and powerboat racing such as: (a) major boat race promotion accomplishments (new race sites; race sponsors) (b) major structural improvements in APBA’s organization;
(c) major contributions to APBA’s functioning through rule restructuring, driver and official recruitment, committee activities. (d) Major technological improvement to one, or several, aspects of the sport. (e) Exceptional long-term racing accomplishments may be considered.
The description of each contribution, exceptional service, or accomplishment must be specific.
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>G
ary Barber is a man’s man.
He likes motorcycles and jet skis, tinkering with engines and hitting the great outdoors. Every year in June, he flaunts his manliness by roaring across the water, hitting high speeds, flirting with disaster and living life with gusto. And this man’s man does it all with his wife by his side -- and in his ear.
When the Bay City powerboat racer fired up his SST-45 at the 28th annual Bay City River Roar, he wasn’t going at it alone. Since agreeing to stick together for better or for worse in 1977, Gary and Terri Barber have done everything as a team -- whether bowling, golfing, cycling, speeding down the Saginaw River at 70 mph or paddling down the Au Sable River at 7 mph. “You want a real test of compatibility?” said Gary Barber. “Husband and wife in a canoe.”
man on a mission Barber takes to the water with wife by his side
WRITTEN BY // LEE THOMPSON, BAY CITY TIMES
The Barbers are geared up for their eighth season in the River Roar, the American Power Boat Association event which took over the Saginaw River in downtown Bay City with testing Friday, trials Saturday and finals Sunday, June 26-28.
While Gary Barber is the man at the controls of their signature orange Formula Light powerboat, Terri Barber is the woman at the helm, working the radio to feed her husband encouragement, precaution and a whole lot of advice. “My eyes are always on him out there,” said Terri Barber. “Sometimes I’ll be telling him to be careful and sometimes I’ll be yelling, ‘Go! Go! Go!’ He keeps calm where I get excited.” Stress and bliss
The Barbers have long turned competitive stress into marital bliss, and it goes beyond golfing and bowling together. Over the years, they have both tried their hand at auto racing and jet ski racing, where Terri Barber once finished 10th in the nation. So it was no major leap when Gary decided to try his hand at the race circuit that makes an annual stop in his hometown. He purchased a boat,
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completed the training and competed in his first powerboat race in the 2008 River Roar.
“One day I asked him what he’d have on his bucket list,” Terri Barber said. “He said, ‘Boat racing is on the list.’ Me and my big mouth.” In his second career race at Trenton, Gary Barber crashed, busted his boat, broke his jaw and shattered six teeth. The Barbers quickly understood this would be a highstakes venture.
“I was in second behind Jose Mendana. I walked over his wake and the boat didn’t react the way I wanted,” said Gary Barber, 61, an engineer at Dow Corning Corp. “Another boat hit me and spun me perpendicular to the pack -- and another friend T-boned me. “You never want anything like that to happen, but that’s racing.” Dangers of the game
The risks of racing don’t make things easy for a wife who is part of the pit crew. Gary Barber has had his share of blowovers, flips and barrel rolls, and Terri Barber has had a front-row seat for every one of them, watching as her husband’s well-being is threatened.
“It’s definitely challenging for me because I know he’s pushing it to the limit,” Terri Barber said. “Things can go wrong out there.”
While Gary Barber is thoroughly trained on how to extract himself from a capsized boat, and highly-skilled rescue crews are quick to the scene at every River Roar spill, those things can’t quell the anxiety of
a heightened moment for Terri Barber on shore.
“One time the canopy pushed into the hull of the boat and wouldn’t open,” she said. “The rescue team had a hard time getting him out. He was under water for a minute and a half or two minutes -- and it got pretty tense.
“My heart sinks until I know he’s OK. When he comes up, is bobbing around and looks like he doesn’t need to be taken to the hospital, then I can breathe again.” A race to remember
Last year’s River Roar produced exhilarating highs and excruciating lows in one eventful weekend for the Barbers. Since he first joined the circuit in 2008, Gary has been close-but-not-quite in his quest for victory. His best finish was third place in the Formula Light world championships in 2010. But when he led the entire field and captured the pole for Sunday’s finale at the 2014 River Roar, he was poised for the podium finish of his dreams.
But on a stormy race day, things went wrong for the local driver. First, he snagged a buoy on the front sponson of his boat, costing him a penalty lap. In an effort to make up ground, things went from bad to worse. “He was lifted in the air then came back down, and I went, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ “ said Terri Barber.
A gust of wind got under Gary Barber’s bow and sent him airborne. The boat came to rest capsized and Barber was pulled from the water by rescue crews, his race over, his boat broken and his pride injured.
“That was a lot of pressure starting on the pole,” he said. “I tried too hard and pushed it over the edge. I know now that I have to pull the reins back in a little bit, and keep it fun. “I feel like I let my team down. When I try to drive beyond my abilities -- then blunder -- I know I let them down. But they have supported me 110 percent.” All about the team
Team Barber wasn’t about to get down on its driver because of a crash.
The crew that includes chief Dave Sinniff, Randy Weaver, Michael Sinniff, Dave Bradley and others has stood behind Gary Barber since he first decided to enter a Bay City driver in the Bay City River Roar in 2008. And his radio chief has stood beside him since 1977. “She’s behind me all the way, and that’s important,” Gary Barber said. “A lot of racers are out there doing what they love to do, but it’s not a mutual thing (with their wives). And then it’s tough.”
For Gary and Terri Barber, the decision to tackle the River Roar and other adventures together was made long ago. And they’re sticking with it -- and each other -- for better and for worse. Not just the man’s man, but the man and wife. “He’s a thrill-seeker, but he can be a thrill-seeker because he’s so confident in what he’s doing,” Terri Barber said. “Even though you can’t control the unknown, he has an understanding of what could happen out there. “It is stressful at times, I have butterflies before every race. But I definitely support him.”
PROPELLER
// SUITED FOR SAFETY ///////////////
SUITED FOR SAFETY >
WRITTEN BY // DON “ELI” WHITNEY APBA SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
Anybody happen to be up in the wee hours July 5th into July 6th? Firecracker 400 in Daytona. End of the race, spectacular wreck. Wow! Driver emerges OK, whew. Luck? Maybe a small amount, but, most of the “luck” was adhering to a systematic approach to keeping the driver safe. Seat belts and shoulder harness, head and neck restraint, fire suit, seat mounting and design, padded compartment, a bunch of stuff inside the car surrounding the driver; the car itself absorbing the enormous energy imparted with the bending and folding up of both ends of the chassis, with tethers keeping flying debris to a minimum. To top that, with the central portion of the car intact, it further protected the driver when the last car came
sliding in with a second impact, just as the first impact had more or less concluded. System worked, each safety design had worked in conjunction with others to give a successful outcome. What does that tell us in our boat racing? Use all the stuff we have, and use it as a system, as each piece complements the other in function! Non-restrained drivers - You think none of this applies? Well, think of your gear alone, Snell 2000 minimum helmet, (it’s going to be 2005 on Nov. 1, 2016. So, don’t say you do not know later!), life jacket with flak protection all over, cut suit, shoes (whoa, booties for comfort? Get cut resistant now!), all with proper coloration to be seen! Each item by itself
is good, but all together are needed to maximize effect! Now, to the boat, kill switch, steering condition, side protection, no projecting objects, padding where applicable? All work together to provide protection if, surprise, whoops, into the drink. Complaining about requirements? They are there to give you the best chance at long term enjoyment of our great sport!
Restrained driver? Do you have head clearance? Belts tight and properly attached? Seating secure? Padding where needed? Head and neck restraint? Snell 2000 helmet as a minimum (see above reminder about Snell 2005 minimum)? All this stuff needs to be in place all the time. Start now to plan updates, don’t wait.
RACING CALENDAR
// FORUM /////////////////////////// //SCORER’S RACING CALENDARLEARNING ////////////////////
PROPELLER PROPELLER
REGION 1
8/16 Fall River, MA Offshore 9/17-9/19 Wolfeboro, NH Vintage 9/26-9/27 Kingston, NH PRO, Stock, Junior
REGION 7 8/15-8/16 Rising Sun, IN OPC 9/5-9/6 Oshkosh, WI PRO, Modified, Stock, Junior 9/19-9/20 Superior, WI OPC 9/19-9/20 Beloit, WI Special Event, PRO, Modified, Stock, Junior
REGION 2 8/15-8/16 9/19-9/20
Rideau Ferry, CN Vintage Redwood, NY
Modified, Stock, Junior
REGION 3 9/12-9/13 Mays Landing, NJ Inboard 9/19-9/20 Roxbury, NJ Inboard 10/3-10/4 Wildwood Crest, NJ Inboard
REGION 4 8/8-8/9 Hampton, VA Inboard 8/8-8/9 Leonardtown, MD Vintage 8/22-8/23 Wilson, NC PRO, Modified, Stock, Junior 9/4-9/6 Wheeling, WV Vintage 9/26-9/27 New Martinsville, WV Special Event, Inboard, PRO, Modified, Stock, OPC, Thunder Cat Junior 10/4 Ocean City, MD Offshore
REGION 5 7/31-8/2 St. Cloud, FL Offshore 10/3-10/4 Ft. Myers, FL Offshore 10/23-10/25 St. Petersburg, FL Offshore 11/13-11/15 Tavares, FL Vintage 11/20-11/22 Englewood Beach, FL Offshore
REGION 6
REGION 8 8/8-8/9 Crane Lake, MN OPC 9/12-9/13 Forest Lake, MN OPC
REGION 10 8/15-8/16 Oak Harbor, WA 8/22-8/23 Eatonville, WA 8/29-8/30 Pateros, WA 8/29-8/30 Lewiston, ID 9/6-9/7 Grants Pass, OR 9/12-9/13 Spanaway, WA 9/12-9/13 Castle Rock, WA 9/19-9/20 Yelm, WA 9/26-9/27 Manson, WA
Vintage, Inboard Inboard Endurance, OPC, Junior PRO, Modified, Stock, Junior Vintage, Inboard, Inboard Endurance Jet River Racer Outboard River Racer Vintage, Inboard, Inboard Endurance PRO, Modified, Stock, Junior PRO, Modified, Stock, Junior Inboard, Inboard Endurance, OPC
REGION 11 8/29-8/30 Nicolaus, CA 10/10-10/11 Lathrop, CA 10/16-10/18 Antioch, CA
REGION 12
Special Event, Vintage, Inboard, PRO, Modified, Stock, OPC, Junior COR, Vintage, Inboard, Modified, Stock, OPC, Junior Special Event, Vintage, Inboard, Stock, OPC
8/9 Port Huron, MI Offshore 8/8-8/9 Long Beach, CA Special Event, Inboard,Inboard 8/8-8/9 Indian River, MI Stock, Thunder Cat, Junior Endurance, Stock, OPC, Junior 8/15-8/16 Zanesville, OH PRO, Modified, Stock, Junior 9/18-9/20 San Diego, CA Special Event, Inboard, Inboard Endurance, PRO, Modified, 8/22-8/23 Celina, OH Vintage, Inboard Stock, OPC, Unlimited, Junior 8/22-8/23 Detroit, MI Inboard, OPC, Unlimited 10/23-10/25 Parker, AZ Special Event 8/29-8/30 Dayton, OH Modified, Stock, Junior REGION 14 9/12-9/13 Grass Lake, MI Stock, Junior Knoxville, TN OPC 9/12-9/13 Hillsdale, MI PRO, Modified, Thunder 9/4-9/5 Cat, Junior REGION 15 9/19-9/20 Big Rapids, MI Stock Outboard, Junior 9/19-9/20 Orange, TX OPC, Junior
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This Date in History W
ith boat racing making its way back to Detroit on the Detroit River August 22 and 23, let’s take a look back to the to the 2010 race when Team Typhoon won the highly coveted Gar Wood Trophy.
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// THIS DATE IN HISTORY /////////////
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Rockey Stone Memorial Kilos & John Myers Memorial 1/4 Mile Devil's Lake Lincoln City, Oregon
SEPTEMBER 26-27, 2015 PLEASE PREREGISTER by Sept. 22st at 503-233-4753 ON-SITE REGISTRATION Sept. 25th from 4-6:00PM DRIVERS MEETING 7 a.m. SHARP Sept. 26th and 27th CLASSES All UIM, Inboard, PRO, Stock and Modified
Y
Outboard, J-Classes, Inboard Endurance, and Special Events ENTRY FEE: $175 ($150 with preregistration) REGION 10 RECORD RUN $60 ($50 with preregistration) This event may be cancelled due to circumstances beyond the control of the race committee. If you have plans to travel far, or if you have any questions, please contact Allen Thorsen at 503-939-5072 or Laureen Thorsen at 503-250-0756
Rockey Stone, 1954. Photo by Carver & Swanson
PLEASE REFER TO THE RACE CIRCULAR FOR UPDATES TO THIS INFORMATION!
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PROPELLER
YOU MAKE THE CALL
Have you noticed that our Association is full of clever and witty people? Hey, let’s just say it… we have more than a few wise guys and smart alecs. Well, here’s your chance to put those skills to good use. Not only will you get recognition for your special “talent”… if your caption is deemed to be the funniest, it will be featured in next month’s Propeller, and just might win a prize. Go to the Social Community and begin submitting your witty captions. You can also upload your own images that might be featured in an upcoming You Make the Call caption contest! Remember that we’re a family organization… so please keep it clean.
Last Months Winner
“They told me to paddle, but I told them ‘winners don’t paddle.” - Travis Kauth THIS MONTH’S PHOTO:
////// WIN AN APBA PRIZE PACK
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“
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Our relationship with Oberto has been phenomenal in every way.
”
ROOSTER-TALE
// ROOSTER-TALES: ////////////////////
For over 40 years, Art “Oh Boy” Oberto has been a fixture at Unlimited hydroplane races. Walking around with his distinctive white suit and multi-colored hat, Oberto has always had a smile — and a multicolored pen and beef jerky samples — for every fan he has encountered.
Now 85 years old, Oberto doesn’t get around as well as he used to and he’s as apt to be riding in a golf cart as he is walking. But with the partnership between his Oberto Sausage Company and the Miss Madison Racing Team coming to an end this season, Oberto felt compelled to come to Madison to say good-bye. “Art will personally make Madison as well as several other races this year and I think it’s Art’s way of saying ‘Thanks’ and it’s our chance to say thank you to him,” Miss Madison President Charlie Grooms said. “I can’t let this transition happen without the city and the fans and those who really appreciate what Art has done, and his family and his company, for this team to say thanks. My real hope is that when we all see Art, we can say ‘It’s been a great ride, it’s been wonderful and hopefully we’ve made you a champion as well.’” Oberto began sponsoring Unlimited hydroplanes in the 1970s and had a successful stint with Jim Harvey’s Harvey Motorsports team in the late 1980s but didn’t achieve the big time until hooking up with the Miss Madison in 2000. The two entities, who had never achieved much success on their own, teamed to
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become a powerhouse. In 16 years of competition, Oberto and Miss Madison won 17 races and five National High Point Championships. “Their story is much like ours. We once were very much an also-ran and they were an also-ran as well in this sport,” Grooms said. “Circumstances and the partnership have made it such that we’re both now multiple champions.”
Art Oberto stepped away from day-to-day operations of his company several years ago but still retains a large chunk of the ownership. And Grooms said that while Oberto understands his company’s desire to end the sponsorship, he himself couldn’t just leave the Miss Madison team hanging in 2015. As a result, he decided to sponsor the team personally. “Art has elected to make sure that we transition smoothly, that we transition as he would want it. So he ponied up, he wrote a big check,” Grooms said. “He said ‘I want this thing to transition the way that I want it. It’s been too good. If the company has other priorities, that’s fine.’ Obviously he still owns the company. He doesn’t run the company on a day-today basis, but he wants the company to succeed and he appreciates what they do and their goals. But by no means was he going to let this just go away.”
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he is.” He also hopes that fans will take a moment to thank the man who has meant so much to the team and the community.
“He just wants to interact with the people of Madison and thank us and I think that’s best accomplished by being on the river bank. You won’t be able to miss him,” Grooms said with a smile. “He doesn’t hide and he wears stuff that doesn’t make him easy to miss. As Larry (Oberto) said, ‘Dad is coming and let dad be dad. He’ll do it for you.’ We’re going to let Art be Art, we just hope the people come up and say ‘Thanks and we wish you well and thanks for getting us to this point and we’ve got it from here.’ “Our relationship with Oberto has been phenomenal in every way. It’s been longterm, they’ve given us all of the ample resources we needed, on the beach as well as on the race course. They should be applauded for that.”
Arriving Madison on Wednesday, Oberto stayed for the race. Grooms said that he and his team will “parade him everywhere we can and let him be the rock star that
Art Oberto’s ‘Thank You’ tour starts in Madison WRITTEN BY // DAVID CAMPBELL MADISON COURIER
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// SPOTLIGHT ON ///////////////
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Spotlight On:
Pell Lake, WI WRITTEN BY // DONNY ALLEN
Many in the Midwest brushed off the
cobwebs, thawed out after the winter and fired up engines for the first time of the year at the Central Divisionals in Pell Lake, WI on May 14th and 15th. Seven different classes had the required eight entries to earn spots in the finals at the 2015 Nationals in Wakefield, Mich. ASR, BSR, CSH, CSR, 302SSH, 20SSH and 25SSR were the seven contested classes that had finals spots on the line. After a slow start to the day, all 44 heats of racing were finished up on Saturday.
Dana Holt was the big winner of the weekend taking both the BSR and CSH Divisional victories. CSH was the largest class of the weekend, requiring elimination heats to get the field down to 12 boats. Holt took his first heat win and doubled down on that win to take the overall victory in the final. A fast Tim Sidor took second and Joe Pater rounded out the top three. Holt repeated the feat by taking the overall victory in BSR with his Hot Rod powered BSR. Richard Hearn and Brian
Trolian rounded out the top three.
CSR was one of the best races of the day with rough water conditions coming into play for the large utilities. Dean Sutherland, Joe Pater and Ryan Burdick all swapped spots multiple times with Burdick nailing a couple starts and thus securing a spot in the finals over Sutherland and Pater.
The ever competitive 302SSH proved again why it’s such a great race to watch from the beach. Stephen Lisius picked up where he left off last season, driving hard and getting great starts to take the crown. Fellow Michigan native Elek Hutchinson put up a good battle, but didn’t have enough to compete with Lisius. Michelle Snyder rounded out the top three. 20SSH over the course of the weekend was a battle of attrition. With Dana Holt and Joe Pater proving to be the fastest boats of the weekend, it seemed as though one of the two would take the win. Low and behold, both turned out to be gun jumpers in heat two. Thomas Allen, returning from a multi-year hiatus
took the overall victory and the spot for Wakefield over Elek Hutchinson, who again came in second with Donny Allen rounding out the top three.
ASR proved to be a battle of engine manufacturers with several sidewinders and OMCs partaking in the fun. Richard Hearn, piloting the ASR of his injured son Grant, took the overall win with consistent and legal starts over the OMCs of Jeff Scheffler and Bill Pavlick. The final qualifying class of the weekend was 25SSR which was won by Chuck Zolkoske. His Mercury powered and beautiful looking runabout outclassed the field as he past several boats to take the title over Mike Affholter and Ryan Burdick.
Other non-qualifying divisional winners included Tracy Trolian in BSH, Stephen Lisius in ASH, and Brent Walburn in DSH. Rod Terzinski took the 750cc runabout North American Championship and Cody Olson won both JR and JH. AXH was won by Rylan Chew and AXR was won by Cole Olson.
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Inside The Cockpit
// 16
// INSIDE THE COCKPIT //////////////////
Featuring:
PROPELLER
JIM FOX
WRITTEN BY // LEE THOMPSON, BAY CITY TIMES
>
Jim Fox sees the Bay City River Roar from a unique perspective.
As the 18th-year race coordinator – who has been a part of the 28th-year event since its inception – Fox knows the annual American Powerboat Association race inside and out, forward and backward, upside and down. So when the nearly 50 race teams converge on Saginaw River this weekend – with testing Friday, trials on Saturday and finals on Sunday – Fox gets another chance to experience a few of his favorite things. Here’s a glance at a handful of items the lifelong race enthusiast has an appreciation for at the River Roar. The starting line
“The anticipation of dropping the flag is certainly neat. Standing behind the boat and getting washed down isn’t that much fun. But there’s the countdown from 20, the flag is up and the anticipation is high. Even though I’m not in a boat, the adrenaline gets going.” The closing laps of a race
“Moreso when (his son Jay Fox) was racing, I really looked forward to the end of the race. So many things can go wrong in those last few laps. When I think about those teams out there, and the wives on shore crossing their fingers for the finish, that’s when I remember what it means.” The camaraderie among the teams
“The friendships that are built over the years are special. Whenever you have an issue in the pits with an engine or with the equipment, anyone who has a suggestion is there to give you a hand and get you on the water. That’s a great aspect of the sport.”
The skill of the drivers
“People used to talk about Bill Seebold as a great driver and I’d think ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’ But when I saw him race, I was impressed. He definitely knew how to get around a race course. The guys who run up front are fun to watch. Seeing them get around a corner, make a move, duck around the outside... you can tell they’re the good ones.” The challenge of Saginaw River
“That’s what makes Bay City famous. It’s still the biggest race in the country, so -- yes, it’s a challenge – but most like it. Everybody wants to win the Bay City River Roar, I know that. With all the wave action, the back-and-forth on the seawalls, it creates a really sloppy mess.” The sound of a good Roar
“I certainly do love the roar of the engines. When the F1s take off, there are a few more decibels than the others and that adds to the thrill of it. That horsepower is exciting.” The thrill of the spill
“I like watching a flip or a blowover or a rollover as much as the next guy. The worst thing about it is there is usually some boat repair work to be done... I don’t mind seeing a wreck, as long as everyone is OK. And Bay City is usually a good place to see a wreck.” The Bay City part of Bay City River Roar
“The No. 1 thing I love about River Roar is providing a weekend of entertainment for Bay City, and sharing the love of boat racing.”
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CATEGORY CORNER STOCK OUTBOARD WRITTEN BY // JEFF BREWSTER, STOCK OUTBOARD CHAIRMAN
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My family and I are coming off the huge high of showing race fans at the H1 Unlimited race in Madison, Ind., that they too can get started in boat racing. Through the insight of Region 12 Commissioner David Hale and the help of H1 Chairman Steve David we have been able to help each other promote our sport in more ways than ever imagined. We really had no idea what to expect when we arrived in the pit area. When it took almost three hours to unload our boats and set them up as we answered countless questions from the curious race fans, we could tell our six hour trip from northeast Ohio was already worth the trip. So many were excited to realize that these little boats were where our top drivers like Jimmy Shane and J. Michael Kelly had
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started their careers and they could easily do the same.
When you see a spectator family with a young child at the races, take a few moments to offer the chance for the child to sit in your boat. Some will shy away, but most will have the thrill of a lifetime to have a seat in a real race boat. To make this more realistic, show them how to squeeze the throttle and turn the steering wheel. Most importantly offer to put on a helmet. This gives the child a more realistic feel, a great photo opportunity for the parents and the joy of seeing those chubby cheeks through the face shield that is caused by that huge smile.
It was wonderful to see all of our Inboard and Unlimited friends from all over the country that we normally only get to see at
Working Together
the national meeting. We were constantly reminded of what a huge family we all are and if we all work together as one, we can accomplish so many of our goals. Most importantly, our much needed increase in membership which can happen through hard work and showing our race fans that they too can become a great addition to our family.
// CATEGORY CORNER //////////////////
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Junior Classes >
WRITTEN BY // PATRICK GLEASON, JUNIOR JUNIOR CLASSES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
Columbia Outboard Racing Association hosted the first North American Championship for the Junior Classes at Cullaby Lake, on the Oregon Coast near Seaside Oregon. Gorgeous weather and strong fields in all four Junior Classes made for a great weekend of racing.
The Olson and Pavlick families made the long trip from the Midwest to the left coast, and their efforts and long driving did not go unrewarded: Cody Olson took home first place honors in JH, while brother Cole won AXH. In the runabout classes, Kierra Marquard bested the field in JR, while Cole Olson was victorious again in AXR. Congratulations to all the winners and those who participated in this great event!
Next up for many of our racers are the National Championships in Wakefield, Mich. Another strong field is expected, and by the time this article is published, we will either be right in the middle of Nationals week, or Nationals will have just completed. I look forward to seeing lots of good racing in the Junior Classes, and having the opportunity to meet many of you in Wakefield. Here’s to hoping we have a great Nationals with good, close safe racing by all contestants.
MODIFIED OUTBOARD >
North American Championship
Age is only a Number
WRITTEN BY // TOM SUTHERLAND, MODIFIED OUTBOARD CHAIRMAN
The next time that you are at a race, look around and take notice of the diversity among your fellow racers. We have students, lawyers, doctors, machinist, retirees and whoever and whatever, old and young, all racing on the same course, where the amount of money that you may or may not spend to compete doesn’t determine who wins or who loses.
Over the years boat racing has been, for me, a great way to escape or ignore reality. Competing is everything. What other sport, besides croquet or something similar can participants with a 50 year or more age spread compete against each other without anyone having an advantage or disadvantage because of age. If you are on the older side of the spectrum, as long as you have some Advil for Monday morning, it doesn’t get any better.
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JASON ASLAKSON
Local hydroplane driver participates in hometown race WRITTEN BY // GRANT CLARK, FOR THURSTONTALK.COM
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Some of Jason Aslakson’s first memories of life are visiting his grandparent’s house. The couple lived on Black Lake. The house’s backyard nearly spilled right into the water. So, each summer when it was time to watch the Black Lake Regatta, Aslakson always had the best view.
These just weren’t boat races to him. It was an annual gathering of family and friends. “It was our Christmas,” Aslakson said. “Every year that was the one date we would circle on the calendar.” For nearly four decades, boats have competitively raced over Black Lake’s
usually calm waters. Aslakson can’t remember ever missing the event.
This year, however, the 40-year-old Aslakson is going to experience the races from a significantly different vantage point than years’ past. Aslakson will no longer be among the spectators. Instead the Tumwater resident will be driving his own hydroplane as part of the 38th Annual Black Lake Regatta & 2015 APBA Western Divisionals.
Black Lake’s 1.25-mile course has been the site for nearly 40 national records – and several world marks – the most of any lake in the United States.
“The water’s calm, there’s not a lot of wind coming through,” said Jim Codling, an APBA official, about the course. “It all sets up perfectly for faster times.” Aslakson will drive in the 2.5 Liter Stock Hydro division, one of 13 classes that will compete over the two-day event. This will mark Aslakson’s first time competing on Black Lake. He started his driving career a week after last year’s Regatta by racing in Oak Harbor.
“It was just something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Aslakson, who lived on Black Lake until recently moving to Tumwater a few weeks ago. “I’ve always been passionate about it. It took me a little bit
longer to get into the game than other drivers. I just decided it was the right time to make the move.” Once Aslakson decided to turn fandom into a reality all he needed to do was determine which class of boat he wanted to buy. Prices helped out with that decision.
“The 2.5 stock is relatively cheaper than other boats,” Aslakson said with a laugh. “I didn’t want to bankrupt my son’s college fund. So, we went with the 2.5. Plus they don’t get up to 150 miles an hour. Maybe we will build up to those.
“This is really the race we’ve been looking forward to,” Aslakson said. “We will have a ton of friends and family members out watching. Hopefully, we have some kind of home course advantage.” The highlight for the last six years at the Black Lake Regatta is always the Grand Prix West classification.
“They’re the biggest, fastest and loudest boats around,” said GPW president Larry Linn about the 25-foot limited hydroplanes with sport 1,500 horsepower. “They fire those motors up and people come running.” Grand Prix West has made a habit out of breaking world records on Black Lake
since the class was included in 2010.
Shockwave Racing’s GP-17, owned by Olympia’s Rick and Shawn Bridgeman, set a world record average lap speed of 116.129 mph in 2010.
The record lasted four years until the Scott Pierce-owned GP-55, driven by Jamie Nelson, bettered the mark at last year’s Regatta, covering the course with a 116.84 average lap speed. Shockwave Racing captured the overall title for the two-day event last year with a pair of second-place finishes over the two heats.
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PROPELLER
SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT! SUBMIT YOUR PICTURES FOR A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED IN NEXT MONTH’S PROPELLER Junior Classes drives head up to the starting line at tghe Black Lake Regatta in Olympia, Wash.
PHOTO BY // GLEASON RACING PHOTOGRAPHY
IN PICTURES... Aaron Salmon catches a littler air in the NM-4 at the Black Lake Regatta in Olympia, Wash. PHOTO BY // JULIE SPARROWGROVE
Katelyn Shaw patiently waits for her heat to start at the 16th Annual Quake on The Lake in Waterford , Michigan for the Inboard Nationals. PHOTO BY // MELIA KOERNER
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Andrew Tate flies down the stragtaway at the Inboard Nationals, Quake on The Lake 16 in Waterford, Mich. PHOTO BY // RAY DONG
Tammy Wolf comes out of the corner at the Bay Roar on The River and head into the stragtaway. PHOTO BY // PAUL KIMIEL
// IN PICTURES ////////////////////
Kierra Marquard hits the straightaway hard at the Black Lake Regatta in Olympia, Wash. PHOTO BY // GLEASON RACING PHOTOGRAPHY
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Quake on The Lake 16 race chairman Mary Anne Wilson talks to the local ABC affiliate about the Inboard Nationals in Waterford, Mich. PHOTO BY // RAY DONG
Seattle Outboard Association Commadore Daren Goehring teaches his niece Jordan a little bit about boat racing
U-7 Graham Trucking driver Jesse Robertson is interviewed after one of his heats at the Madison Regatta. PHOTO BY // RAY DONG
Mark Proffitt celebrates his first place finish at the Bay City Roar on The River. PHOTO BY // PAUL KEMIEL
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Kelly’s battle to claim the Indiana Governor’s Cup
r e t a W h g u Ro CAMPBELL, WRITTEN BY // DAVID MADISON COURRIER
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> Like most people, J. Michael Kelly wasn’t sure if the water conditions would allow racing on Sunday, July 5, 2015 at the Madison Regatta. But in the end, he sure was glad it did.
Kelly pulled away from chief rival Jimmy Shane on the first lap of the final heat and never looked back, steering the U-5 Graham Trucking to a dominating win in an abbreviated Indiana Governor’s Cup Sunday at the Madison Regatta.
racing Friday and Saturday, H1 Unlimited officials didn’t make a decision to race until noon on Sunday and the shortened scheduled allowed for no more than three boats on the water at the same time in two sets of preliminary heats. Because only five boats were going to compete, the race did not count for National High Points although it was an official race.
Of the 11 teams that showed up in Madison that weekend, only five opted to run on a day when heavy debris littered the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. Kelly and his teammate Jesse Robertson made up two-fifths of the field. “We didn’t even think we were going to get to race,” said Kelly, who won the Governor’s Cup for the second year in a row. “To get on the water and go back up our victory from last year is pretty cool. We almost didn’t make the final. We were thrashing pretty good up until the last minute ... they thrashed and I owe my crew a big thank you. It’s a pretty special victory.” After high water wiped out Unlimited
“We crossed the start/finish line at about the same time but he (Kelly) had a little bit more speed on me,” Shane said. “Unfortunately he had the inside lane and we couldn’t make up the disadvantage. I think if we could have beaten him going down to the first turn, we would have had a better shot but it just didn’t go that way.”
Robertson, driving the U-7 Graham Trucking II, stayed out of trouble and picked up an easy third place after both Tom Thompson and rookie Patrick Sankuer Jr. were unable to start the final. It was Robertson’s first podium finish in his first appearance at Madison. “I’ll take it for sure. First time here, third place, I couldn’t ask for much more,” Robertson said. “Friday and Saturday we were crossing our fingers and luckily today we were able to get out there. It was a little late, but better late than never.”
Shane, driving the hometown U-1 Oberto/Miss Madison, and Kelly each won their first preliminary heats with ease and Shane scored an exciting win in a head-to-head matchup in Heat 2A when he trailed Kelly for two and three-fourths laps before scoring a last-second come from behind win at the line.
Although neither Thompson nor Sankuer started the final, both were happy with their weekends.
A broken throttle cable aboard the U-11 Peters & May ended Thompson’s first heat after one lap, but he made up for it with a close win over Robertson in Heat 2B by Continued on Next Page
Kelly’s Graham Trucking boat nearly blew over in that heat when he hit a large roller in turn one and went airborne. He was able to recover control of the craft and bring it home, but the front canard wing broke in the near-accident and Kelly thought his day might be over. “The way the wing was it was unsafe to drive, so my guys thrashed to give me a boat that would be safe,” Kelly said. “Normally we have a lot of time between heats and there just wasn’t time for that.”
A second expected close dual between Kelly and Shane in the final never materialized. Kelly, who had lane one, got through turn one first and Shane stayed right on his hip. But going through the second turn, Shane hit a hole of his own and the loss in momentum allowed Kelly to pull away.
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just over a second.
The victory was not only Thompson’s first heat win after 60 tries in the Unlimited ranks, but also the team’s first heat win since Detroit in 2011 and just the second ever.
“This team works really hard,” Thompson said. “We had some issues to start the first heat and that didn’t go well, so to come back and win the second heat, it worked out great.”
But with the good comes the bad. Thompson hit a large piece of driftwood at the start of the final and rather than risk more damage, he pulled back into the pits. It was the only significant damage caused by debris on the day. “It is what it is. We hit something out there and I knew when I hit it and I knew I didn’t want to do more damage,” Thompson said. “So I called in and (crew chief Scott Raney) said just bring it in.” Sankuer faced an uphill battle all afternoon. A 25-year veteran in the Limited ranks, Sankuer was making his first ever appearance in an Unlimited. With no testing time, he was able to squeeze out a second and a third place in
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preliminary heats but opted to stay out of the veteran’s way in the final.
“It was a great learning experience. I just wish we could have done it in testing instead of in an actual race,” said Sankuer, who completed his rookie qualifications and is now a qualified driver. “The debris was definitely a concern but I’ve got to tell you, the water was actually really nice. You get beat up a little in the turns, but I didn’t think it was all that bad. I did see a few things out there but all in all, it was fine.”
The victory was the sixth of Kelly’s career and his fifth in the past five races dating back to Madison last season. It was also the 17th for owner Ted Porter, who tied Fred Leland for 10th on the all-time list.
“It’s pretty special. I’m just thankful that we were able to get on the water today,” said Kelly. “It was a few long days not even knowing if you were putting on a race. Luckily we were able to get out there and put on a show which the fans deserved for sticking around with us. Thank you to the fans and I hope they had a good show. I’m excited to watch the races on TV and see it from a different perspective.” Shane said even though the race carried no points ramifications, he still wanted to win the Cup for the boat’s home fans. He’s looking forward to having another shot next year.
Because of the lack of testing time, no official qualification session was held. Instead, the top qualifying award was given to the fastest competition lap, which was Kelly in the final at 144.701 mph. His winning average speed was 141.818.
“We still pushed it pretty hard, but we didn’t have our best propeller, we didn’t have our best rudder and we didn’t have our best stuff on the boat knowing that we didn’t want to mess it up for what’s ahead,” Shane said. “We wanted to win this race for the fans and hopefully next year the river cooperates and we can get it done.”
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A
PB A 15
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REGION ROUND UP // 28
// REGION ROUND-UP /////////////////
REGION 3
Racing in Region 3 is in full swing! We kicked off with a fantastic event at Greenwood Lake where 73 boats were in attendance! This made for the largest boat count that we have seen in quite some time. Although Mother Nature tried to put a damper on our fun, we were able to run the larger boats on Saturday and complete 32 heats on Sunday, thanks to Tom Thompson and his amazing team of Chrissy and Barron.
The 1.5 litre stock class seems to be making a comeback this year with three new boats/drivers hitting the 1 mile record course. The class was dominated by Region 3’s Ciara McClure in the T-1. John Shaw and Matt Henning experienced some engine difficulty in the T-5 leaving them on the trailer for the weekend. Sam Ewancio made her appearance in the T-314, “Irrational,” and older cousin Courtney Stewart brought back Kenny McMullen’s old “Hostile Takeover” as T-720 “Hang’n Loose.” Alexis Caputo made her debut on the race course in her T-20 “Day Dream.” Also present were Kevin Gunther with the T-16, “Miss Mast and Mallet” who brought home four 2nd places, and Kevin Smith’s T-26 “Dream Weaver.” The 2.5 stocks were split into two flights. John Shaw piloting Willard Wilson’s, “Lil Lectron” almost had a perfect weekend except for a gun jump during Saturday’s qualifier, but had a quick fleet of boats behind him. Returning from retirement was the S-69 “Busted Prop Racing” driven by, none other than, Johnny Dooche himself. The boat looked great as Johnny/ Tom worked out the cobwebs and showed that it is going to be a front runner this season. Al Thompson’s S-92 also showed that it has a lot of speed and that Al plans to keep it right side up this year. Gene Defalco/Howie Schnabolk were also in attendance with the S-1 “On the Edge,” as was Frank Beck who returned after taking a few years off with his S-53 “Fast Times” with Katelyn Shaw driving. Doug Martin
with the S-33 “Keen’s Sunday Money” and Dale Hernandez with the S-93 rounded out the field. Due to John’s lack of timing, Dale who experienced much difficulty getting to the event, took home a heat win.
Other Region 3 2.5’s competed for CBF points in a new class recognized by ACHA and CBF as Formula 2500. Doug Rapp’s CS-78 came out fast winning the qualifier, however, Mike Grendell blew over on the front stretch in the final. Bobby King driving the CS-242 finished with a 5th and 2nd for the weekend and Karson King in the CS-25 “H8 Cancer Racing” finished with a 3rd and 4th for the weekend. Other contenders were Tyler Kaddatz, S-519 “Ahh Sum Secret,” Jim Benson S-518, and Remy LeBlanc, CS-99. Many thanks to all of our northern friends who made the trip down to support this event. The Y boats put on a great show with deck to deck battles between Andrew Tate in the Y-4 “Nauti Bouy” and John Shaw in Y-35, “Plum Crazy.” Andrew was able to edge out John for the first three heats, but a bad start gave John the win for Sunday’s final. Kathleen Maurer’s Y-16 showed that it is ready to be a top contender this year taking home two 3rd’s and a 4th and Keith McMullen in the Y-80 was able to fix some mechanical issues to finish with two 3rd’s and a 4th as well. Unfortunately, mechanical issues continued to plaque Jim Davis’ Y-444 and Joe Sovie’s Y-44. Ten 5-litres battled deck to deck for bragging rights. Due to time restraints, they were only able to get in one day of racing, but the show was fantastic. Jimmy King in the E-2 showed that the repairs after Stuart were complete as it finished with the win in the first qualifier, however, a broken prop kept it from finishing the final. Tom Pakradooni’s E-816 with Keith McMullen discovered that they had some bugs that needed to be worked out, as did Bertrand Dulude in the E-48 and Brandon Kennedy driving the “Big Bird” E-30. Wheeler Baker’s E-54 “White Trash” and Eddie Thompson’s E-35 were strong competitors from Region 4 each taking home a 1st and a 2nd for the
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weekend. Paul Barber, filling in for Derec Smith in E-1300 showed that that boat can fly (luckily, he was able to bring it back down!) Also in attendance were Doug Rapp’s E-79, Tom English’s E-75 and Richard Hineault’s H-2. It was fantastic to see the National Mod class return with a strong showing in Region 3. Brandon Kennedy driving the NM-30 “Big Bird” for the Budget Buster Racing team wowed the crowd with his near record. Final results showed that although over the current record, his time was a hundredth of a second short of establishing a new record! Something tells me, that Brandon will be hungry for that record at the upcoming races. Home town racer, Doug Havell had his NM-230 on the water and finished with a 2nd and 3rd for the weekend. Also in attendance were the NM-100 driven by Tony Black, NM107 driven by Chris Owen, and NM-247 driven by Steve Kuhr.
The flat bottoms had a strong showing at Greenwood Lake totaling 29 boats! As usual, the skiffs put on a heck of a show and were the largest class in attendance. The JS-40 driven by Pat Dender experienced some mechanical difficulties in the qualifier and was purchased by a new team so remained on the trailer for the rest of the weekend. JS-24 “BAZINGA!” took home it’s first win of the season and rounded out the weekend with two 3rd’s and a 4th, Warren Brown, who threatened retirement, could not stay away and finished with a 2nd place in the qualifier before tanking the engine in the final, cutting its weekend short. Crowd favorite, JS-99 was plagued with a few penalties and finished with two 3rd’s, a 2nd, and a 6th. Rob Garrantano’s JS-11 finished 4th in his qualifier, but fixed things for Sunday where he finished with two 1st places. Greenwood Lake’s president, Jay Hardy, finished with two 5th’s and a 3rd for the weekend and walked away with a new hull! Also present were Dave Savage’s JS-135, John Waltz’s JS-75, Jimmie Stewart’s JS-721 and JS-1, Keith Gunther’s JS-23, and Bob Presley’s JS-9.
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Twelve Pro Stocks were in attendance. Bob Zabady’s PS-555 with Jody Clauss driving took home a 1st place for its’ first heat but a blown engine prevented it from having a perfect weekend. John Brinton’s boat, PS-997 was unable to finish its’ qualifier due to a forgotten throttle linkage and Jeff Clauss driving the PS-29 blew the engine ending its’ weekend. Others in
REGION 6
News from the Brew Crew: Jim Brewster is out of the big crash house, now in the touchup garage. Whew, close call for Jim, with a sudden medical problem a short time ago, Joan and crew spent an enormous amount of time watching and waiting, with a lot of moral support coming in. Well, patience by the patient’s family paid off, Jim made it! To top it off, Joan and Jack had celebrated their one millionth anniversary (whoops, not that many, really!) the same week! Condolences are in line for Debi and Dutch Squires, who recently lost Debi’s mom.
Want a nice finish to your vintage wooden craft? Go no further than Marine Services Unlimited, Dave and Scott Wrzesinski, in Houghton Lake, Michigan. The father / son duo exhibited a couple of their restoration projects at the recent Algonac, Michigan antique boat show, winning prizes and accolades galore! Including, best of the show! Great job, guys, no surprise to this writer, as personal experience knows their quality as craftsmen and persons! Congrats are in order for the Bay City Roar, as they survived a miserable wet and windy weekend just off Michigan’s Saginaw Bay with a great Sunday of racing, with Tim Seebold victorious in F1 tunnel boats, and Make Proffitt crowned F2 National Champion. Tim kind of backed into the win, but not really, Rob Rinker missed a commitment buoy
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Attendance were the PS-14 of Parks Jones, PS-86 of Eric Tolnes, PS-99 of Jonathon Freniere, PS-122 of Dominic Cournoyer, PS-721 of Sebastian Leboeuf, Mike Smith’s PS-24, Paul Reid’s PS-201, and Dale Hernandez with the PS-514. Five of the six SE’s competing represented Region 3. Jeff Clauss and Park Jones competed neck and neck all weekend
requirement, and Tim, being hot on young Rob’s heels, was next in line when the Judge (aka, referee) rendered his verdict: Rob out (back to 4th place, still pretty darn good), Tim wins for the 7th time on the treacherous waters of the Saginaw River! Congrats, too, for Inboard Eastern Divisional National Modified Champs Tom Newman and Tony Black! Also, a “Keep at it” for Kathleen Mauer, as she finished a very close runnerup in the 1-litre Mod class. For Marty Hammersmith (Y-4), stuff ’s happen, there’s the National’s coming up (at this writing)!
Races coming in August: First up, Indian River, Michigan, for the Top’O’Michigan Marathon National Championships! Outboarders galore challenge the tough course over two days of endurance racing. Just go up I-75 to about exit 312 or 315 or so, go into town, go to the park, the pits and starting are there. Want to see action? Well, go to the Inn Between (the place by the bridge in town on old US 27), get out on the deck, wave on the participants as they roar right thru town heading for distant Cheyboygan! Wave at ‘em as they come back, too! August 8-9, check the ads in Propeller mag! Inboard racing: Celina is on track, moving right along, only 21 days or so until the green flag flies to begin competing for the Ohio Governor’s Cup (August 22-23! The cup will be awarded as usual to the best overall point racer, provided there are enough competing boats in their class! Last year was very, very close, this year
with Jeff taking home two 1st’s and Parks taking home two 1st’s. Hanna Clauss flew in from Arizona to drive her dad’s SE-30 and Tom Richmond was present with his SE-99. Jim Clauss’s SE-34 improved each heat and JT Brinton’s SE-97 was consistent each heat. All teams left with their gear intact. WRITTEN BY // KATELYN SHAW
should be no different! Plenty of Vintage craft on display and running on the waters, too! Action starts each morning with Hydro Hot Laps, Celina has full days of racing, always! Outboards: Dayton Record Runs go off August 28, 29, 30 at Eastwood Lake in Dayton! Huge entry count, races run all the time, records are set and reset in Dayton! Be there!
Unlimiteds: Detroit has come back! August 22-23 for racing action, Unlimited Hydros are back in town with a new date and new drivers! Congrats to Patrick Sankuer on his debut in Madison, and many will root for Region 6’s Cal Phipps, Jimmy King, and some of our adopted Region 6’rs, like Mike Webster and Jimmy Shane! Coupled with the Grand Prix’s from Canada and Formula Tunnel Boats, should be, heck, it will be a great show! September: Rocky Fork committee is still working hard on their race, September 19 and 20.
Don’t forget New Martinsville, Westbygod Virginia, September 25-26-27, three days of records, OPC, and Inboards! (I know, the pits are in Region 4, but the fast half of the racing is on the Region 6 side of the Ohio River!!!!). Sherron and Sam Winer are running the show, and with three days, there will be a show! The setting is special, one of those valley views’ which ought not be missed! All classes are eligible for ¼ mile record runs, so tune it up, boys and girls, there’s some racing for all that weekend! WRITTEN BY // DON (ELI) WHITNEY
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REGION 10
For most clubs in Region 10, August is the just past the midpoint of their racing season. The exception to that is Tacoma Inboard Racing Association, who just gets away from the dock. Ana Cappelletti, TIRA’s Commodore, tells us what’s going on with her club: “Tacoma Inboard us getting geared up for our upcoming races at Pateros August 29th and 30th with Tim Hamilton and Julie Porter spear heading the event. The town of Pateros is excited to see us come back and we are looking forward to patronizing their businesses and putting on a great show for all of our spectators and some great weather! Then following a couple weeks later at Spanaway on September 12th and 13th the race committee is working on putting together a great race for all to enjoy! See you all there! “ Seattle Inboard and Seattle Drag and Ski is also in the swing of things, as they prepare for their second annual Oak Harbor race. Jim Codling brings us up to date with their doings, past, present and future: “That time of the month again as we roar towards the biggest inboard race in our area: Black Lake!
Chairman Shawn Waters got the little creek folks back into racing once again, but for a much smaller amount than in the old days, but maybe it will be a start for us, let’s hope, We need all the sponsors we can gather. Seattle Drag and Ski has contracted the large lot across the lake from the starting line, and hopes that the move will lead to more people there, better vision and much more sponsor interest. All spectators will be directed there, NOT to Evergreen Shores as in the past. Another problem has cropped up with the current loss of the Pump Tech crane which was a great help with the GP boats. Pump Tech’s insurance company has put an end to hydroplanes, at least for now. We are all working on the problem.
Please support the pre registration at Little Creek Hotel and more important, book your room there. It might well be the future of this long time event. The Manson race and the Oak harbor events are on schedule and rolling along. Oak Harbor with some prize money and parades and all sorts of things planned there, along with new seating for another 2500 people. Come see the massive new Ness 90 ton crane I cooked up for this one...wow !
More on Julie Porter’s Manson event next month, the small Chelan area town is primed for the 2nd year event. See you all soon!” Both of these groups count on seeing a healthy level of participation from our Region 10 Vintage participants. Ron Morrison has the latest news from our strong group of Vintage enthusiasts:
“The Region 10 2015 Vintage season’s real start came at Soap Lake, June 13-14, after mom nature prevailed at an earlier planned Vintage event. The Vintage boat count was impressive with 16 hydros and 1 OPC rig signed in to run, plus 2 display rigs; this may be a record for Vintage participation at a region inboard regatta.
The Calypso boat name has a storied history in the northwest. The legacy has now passed along to Vintage with three of the four John Forbes Calypso hulls restored and active in Region 10’s Vintage Division. The newest returnee is the oldest, the first, Calypso I. Don Kelson has completed its rebuild and gave it a first go at Soap Lake. The trailer for this boat is a time classic too. The photogs were unable to get that good three-boatsin-action photo-op however; they’ll have other chances. Another back in the water highlight occurred with new owner Brian Gordon rechristening the former Hasty Humbug as Lil Hasty and getting finishes in three of the four heats. Good News-Bad News: Doug Brow has been struggling to get the Vita Milk rig going. At Soap Lake he did, that’s the good news. Running however, the motor
did not like it and put a rod through the side of the block; that’s the bad news. And, on to luck or good fortune. Wes Gray’s Wee Who arrived, turn one, heat one, only to have its whole shaft and prop assembly come out, and proceed into the deep. Fortunately not too deep, the lake’s no deeper than 16 feet. The divers, after several attempts, discovered the shaft stuck in the soft bottom with the shiny chromed propeller facing up like it was intent on being seen and taken home, which Wes did.”
Seattle Outboard’s schedule is in its “light” portion in July, with the only event being held in Soap Lake. With an early July PRO Nationals date, and Nationals for SO, MO and J all taking place at the end of the month, many racers in our region are on the road during July, which makes for some small participation numbers for July. August begins to heat things up again though, with SOA’s “New Folks In Boats” driving School and the Smilin’ George Henley Memorial Regatta at Silver Lake in Eatonville, WA. One event SOA does have some great success at is their participation in Seattle’s Wooden Boat Festival held in early July. Carla and Dave Salmon once again spearheaded this effort, which featured a healthy number of SOA member’s boats on display, and lots of opportunities to show the public who we are and what we do. Around 30 people were signed up at this event for our Driving School at Eatonville. Thanks again to Carla and Dave for their tireless efforts in making this important event for SOA run smoothly! Finally, by the time you are reading this, the Unlimiteds will be front and center in Region 10, with Tri Cities hosting APBA’s Gold Cup, and the Seafair regatta with F1 Champboats the first weekend in August. Our Grand Prix West racers are excited to be a part of Seafair again, and it’s great to see them as a support class to the Unlimiteds. Yep....we race it all in Region 10!
WRITTEN BY // PATRICK GLEASON, RON MORRISON, ANA CAPPELETTI, JIM CODLING
PROPELLER
REGION 11
Salt Spring’s “No Cheating” Regatta has come and gone in grand fashion on a beautiful California weekend of 13-14 June . It was not only beautiful weatherwise but the reservoir had ample water for the layout of a one mile course that saw close to 90 entries on the weekend. 20 SSH had the most entries with 7 boats on Saturday and Sunday and six for the “third day.” The next highest number of race boats was registered by the Sport C class with 7 on Saturday and six on Sunday, followed ASH, CSH, SST 45, 45SS all of whom launched five to seven boats each day. To add to the excitement, throw in some OSY 400, ASR, and the Nor Cal 400 boats and you have all the makings of what turned out to be a very successful race put on by the East Bay Boat Club.
Steve Wilde, the leader of the “Wilde Bunch”, along with Stuart Ford as race director, Daniel Wilde, assistant race director, Jean MacKay Schwartz. Chief Scorer, Karl Bishop as Assistant Risk Manager and Gloria Crim as Chief Referee teamed up to put all the pieces together to make a lot of boat racers happy to get `out on the water and do their thing. Vicky Wilde opened the East Bay Café, offering morning snacks and fresh coffee, as well as coordinating the Saturday night spaghetti and meatball feed with the help of EBBC members and friends.
The 20 SSH boats hit the water in good numbers on both days and the results showed podium finishes for David Hale, RJ West, David Biagi and Chris Madewell over the weekend. It is worth noting that the “top dogs” West and Casey Wright, who finished well up in the standings, were driving the new West-built Composite Craft hydro. Another note: On Sunday, David Biagi finished with a 1st and Chris Madewell finished right behind him with a 2nd. On Saturday Biagi finished with a 3rd ahead of Madewell’s 4th; and, on the “3rd day” it was Biagi
// 32
(2nd) followed by Madewell with a 3rd. Madewell is Biagi’s son-in- law. David has taught Chris everything he knows about boat racing . But I’d bet that David hasn’t taught Chris everything that David knows… yet! West also drove his Composite Craft 45 boat to 1st place finishes in SST 45 and 45 SS in every heat that he raced during the weekend. There is a new kid on the block by the name of Colin Cross who did a bang up job on Sunday by finishing in a close second behind West in SST 45. Gilbert Solis had a lock on third in both classes on Sunday while Warren West sandwiched in a 2nd place behind RJ and ahead of Solis in 45SS.
The “Wilde Bunch” also found time to squeeze in some racing when not working their fingers to the nubbins during the races. Steve garnered podium finishes in ASH as did Daniel and Pamela. This is a challenging task when one considers that they were running with Tony Lombardo who was piloting Jean MacKay-Schwartz’s # 84 boat. The Sport C boats generated a bit of excitement on both days when Steve Walde and Bobby Joe Finkbohnner battled it out for 1st place honors: Walde 1st on Saturday and Finkbohnner 1st on Sunday. Mike “Mike Big” Biglow, after a lengthy lay-off, notched a 3rd on Saturday (followed by Banducci racing his first full event since August of 2013), Ricky Ciandro and a much improved rookie , Justin Noack completed the field . On Sunday, Noack moved up in the standings followed by another newbie, George Stewart, who is really getting used to the boat now.
Looking forward on the Region 11 calendar we see that all R11 active clubs are diligently putting together the myriad of pieces for three more regattas: one each for NCOA, EBBC, and DBRA. Julian Rucki is cracking the whip for NCOA’s race at Lake Minden on 29 & 30 August; Steve Wilde is steering EBBC toward completion of their Mossdale Quarry
Regatta on 10 & 11 October. And, Gloria Crim is working like crazy with the Antioch River Town Jamboree committee to have Delta Thunder VI ready to roll on the weekend of 17-18 October .
Speaking of MS Crim, she has stepped up like a real trooper to take the helm of our region since the tragic and sudden loss of our longtime Chairman Bill Boyes. She has firmly vowed to work very hard to carry on the business at hand and to assure everyone at any level of our racing organization that we will rise from our set-back to follow through to a successful 2015 season! Anyone wishing to offer counsel and/or support is invited to contact Gloria at polarglo@hotmail. com. She is quick to acknowledge the substantial training and encouragement she received as Vice Chairman working under the guidance of Bill Boyes. She also wishes to send out her sincerest gratitude to those in the racing family who have already pitched in to help during the difficult period of transition. The “torch has been passed” and Region 11 is in good hands!
It isn’t too late to start preparing for the Sport C North American Championship race scheduled for Delta Thunder VI on 17. Jolly Waite plans to bring a Sport C boat up from Fontana, in Region 12. Mike White is rumored to be coming down from Sedro Woolley, WA to run with our big dogs. Betty Smith, Chairman of the Rivertown Jamboree Committee is making an offer that will be hard to refuse: Her Committee is hosting a breakfast on both racing days plus free self-contained camping in the pits. Check your circular for test times. WRITTEN BY // FRANCESCO LUIGI BANDUCCI
// REGION ROUND-UP ////////////////////
PROPELLER
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