For the Reporter
Covington’s Jimmy Shane has been the most dominant H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series driver over the last two seasons.
The two-time defending national high point season champion has won 12 consecutive heat races – 17 of the last 18 – including the season-opening race July 3 at the MainSource Bank Indiana Governor’s Cup Madison (Ind.) Regatta on the Ohio River.
Shane, driver of the U-1 Miss HomeStreet Bank, is going to have his work cut out for him when he tries to make it four race wins in a row at the HAPO Columbia Cup on the Columbia River this weekend.
Qualifying and testing begin Friday. More qualifying and testing plus the first set of preliminary heats are Saturday with the remaining heats and the winner-take-all championship final on Sunday.
“J. Michael Kelly in the U-5 Graham Trucking has been Shane’s top competition to date, and the U-5 crew has been working on the T6 hull, a faster hull and set up, for the races out west,” said H1 Chairman Steve David. “Even though Kelly might be Shane’s number one nemesis, Brian Perkins in the U-21 PayneWest Insurance and rookie Andrew Tate in the U-9 Les Schwab were right in the thick of the fight.”
Perkins and Tate finished third and fourth, respectively behind Shane and Kelly in Madison.
Tom Thompson in the U-11 Peters & May placed fifth but did not finish the final heat. The boat lost a propeller going into the backstretch early in the championship heat causing damage to the turbine engine. Co-owner and crew chief Scott Raney will have the boat ready for HAPO Columbia Cup.
One of Shane’s main competitors, the U-27 Dalton Industries driven by Cal Phipps, will not make the two races in the Northwest after a spectacular blowover crash in the championship heat in Madison. Phipps was running in second place when the accident occurred. Phipps was not injured in the accident.
Co-owner and crew chief Charley Wiggins will repair the U-27and have it ready for the UAW-GM Spirit of Detroit Hydrofest presents the APBA Gold Cup (August 26-28) on the Detroit River.
Even though Phipps will be missing, Jimmy King in the U-3 piston-powered, Allison-engined team sponsored by Griggs presents Miss Ace Hardware will make its first appearance of the season to give the Miss HomeStreetBank some added competition.
“Even with Shane on this hot streak, we have had some great deck-to-deck battles over the last few years,” David added. “We have nine confirmed H1 Unlimited Hydroplane teams at this time ready to race this weekend on the Columbia River, and they should provide more of the same excitement.”
For information on the H1 boats and the series, go to H1Unlimited.com.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
