The race for the national championship for H1 Unlimited Hydroplanes gets underway this weekend when the swift fleet competes on the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities Water Follies HAPO Columbia Cup.
The giant hydroplanes, about 30 feet long and capable of speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, qualify Friday with racing Saturday and Sunday.
Leading the list of contenders will be the winner of last year’s race in the Tri-Cities and the reigning three-time national champion, the U-1 Miss HomeStreet Bank driven by Renton’s Jimmy Shane. He is one of only two drivers in the history of the sport to win four national titles in a row. The boat is owned by the citizens of Madison, Indiana, while Shane will be looking for his 15th career race victory.
The U-9 Les Schwab from Seattle is a definite threat to win the HAPO Columbia Cup. Driven by Michigan resident Andrew Tate, last year’s Rookie of the Year, the team was the winner of the Indiana Governor’s Cup earlier in July, a shootout competition that featured four of the hydroplanes, including the Miss HomeStreet Bank. A veteran competitor in the smaller limited-class hydroplanes, Tate earned his first career victory in an unlimited last year in Seattle.
Another top contender will be Bonney Lake’s J. Michael Kelly and the U-12 Graham Trucking team that was purchased during the offseason by long-time boat sponsor Rob Graham. In a career that started in 2000 as the Miss Budweiser, the boat, which is now based out of Milton, has collected three national championships and 23 race victories, including last year’s American Power Boat Association Gold Cup.
Also in the thick of things will be the U-16 Oberto, the newest boat on the unlimited circuit. It will be campaigned by the Ellstrom family of Seattle, which has been in the sport since 1994 and has won a total of 23 race victories and two national championships. The driver will be J.W. Myers of Burien, who returns to racing after being out of the sport for the past five seasons.
Other unlimited hydroplanes include the U-11 Miss J&D’s with Tom Thompson of Cambridge, Md., at the controls; the U-21 Payne West Insurance with Brian Perkins of North Bend driving; the U-3 Grigg’s Ace Hardware with Jimmy King of Wales, Mich., in the cockpit; the U-99.9 Miss Rock with Greg Hopp of Lake Stevens driving; and the Bucket List Racing entry driven by Dustin Echols of Sultan.
The unlimited hydroplanes have been racing on the Columbia River at the Tri-Cities since 1966, and during that time the event has proven itself to feature among the fastest and most competitive racing during the season.
For an updated schedule and ticket information, go to the Tri-Cities Water Follies website.
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