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CHRYSLER JEEP SUPERSTORES DETROIT APBA GOLD CUP
*** ANOTHER STELLAR DAY IN DETROIT - GOLD CUP 2002
Another Gold Cup race has come and gone. The weather this year
was the best in recent memory .... hardly a cloud seen all week
and Sunday started with no wind and a river like glass. The
wind picked up in the afternoon but it was aimed downriver so
it didn't affect the water much and helped cool everyone off.
Really really wonderful.
Each year I spend 5 days on-site including my internet setup
work and helping wherever else I can. On Saturday evening
I'm so tired that I don't know how I'll make it through Sunday
... then race day arrives and the level of excitement goes up,
I'm energized, and it's over all too soon. Can we do it again
next weekend?
*** ESPN2 COVERAGE OF THE GOLD CUP RACE
The Chrysler Jeep Superstores Detroit APBA Gold Cup race will be
televised on ESPN2 on Saturday, August 10 at 12:00 PM (EDT).
*** COMPLETE TIMING AND SCORING REPORT FROM SODT
A complete breakdown with lap times, speeds and position for
every lap of the Jersey Speed Skiff, Unlimited Light and
Unlimited heats. Note that official times for the Unlimiteds
come from Hydro-Prop... our times are strictly for reference
(and backup to HydroProp's system). Thanks to Roger Woz and
the whole SODT Timing and Scoring crew!
2002GoldCupResultsSunday.pdf
*** DAVE VILLWOCK WINS 5TH GOLD CUP!
(Detroit, Mich.) - Dave Villwock piloted the U-1 Miss Budweiser
to victory today at the Chrysler Jeep Superstores APBA Gold Cup
at Detroit, Mich., the third race of the Budweiser Unlimited
Hydroplane Series. Villwock secured his 38th career Unlimited
victory and 133rd for team owner Bernie Little. The win also
marked Villwock's 5th Gold Cup and 14th Gold Cup for Little.
Villwock, timing the start perfectly in lane one, took the lead
at the first turn and never looked back. The battle behind
Villwock was heated with Terry Troxell in the U-99 Fox Hills
Chrysler Jeep and the defending Gold Cup Champion Michael Hanson
in the U-9 Tubby's Grilled Submarines battling for the second
position during the first few laps. Troxell was able to separate
himself from Hanson but could not catch Villwock.
Troxell ended up finishing in second with Hanson in third.
Rounding out the top five were Steve David in the U-6 Oh Boy!
Oberto in fourth and Mark Tate in the U-2 Miss Trendwest in fifth.
"The Detroit River is always very challenging and this year it
showed its teeth again," said Villwock. "The River owed me for
last year's rough ride and we are ecstatic to bring the Miss
Budweiser team another Gold Cup victory. We definitely missed
Bernie being here in Detroit and we really wanted to win this
one for him."
Little was released from the hospital in Louisville, Kent.
earlier today and returned to his home in Lakeland, Fla. in time
to hear his son, Joe, give him a play-by-play description of the
final heat and to describe his 14th Gold Cup victory.
"Each year Bernie sets three goals for the team; to win the
first race of the season, to win the APBA Gold Cup and to win
the championship," continued Villwock. "So far we are on track
to make Bernie very happy."
"It will be a challenge all season long to win with the
increased competition," continued Villwock. "We are just
fortunate to get two early wins under our belt. Our main goal is
to win the championship and the points we have gained at these
first three races are very important for us in attempting to
accomplish that goal."
* Thrilling Heat Action at Gold Cup
The eight preliminary heats at this year's Gold Cup produced
some of the most thrilling and competitive races this season.
Six different drivers produced heat victories with Nate Brown,
Michael Hanson, Steve David and Terry Troxell each winning one
heat while Dave Villwock and Mark Tate won two a piece.
* O'Doul's High Point World Championship Standings
With his victory today, Dave Villwock increased his lead in the
O'Doul's National High Points Championship standings. Villwock
leads the championship with 466 points over Michael Hanson with
385 points and Terry Troxell with 370 points. Nate Brown
currently sits in fourth with 327 points and Mark Tate has 326
points.
* Troxell Continues Podium Streak
Terry Troxell finished second at today's Gold Cup, the third
consecutive time this season that Troxell has finished in second
place. Troxell also added a heat victory and currently sits in
third place in the points standings, only 15 points out of
second place.
* Chrysler Jeep Superstores APBA Gold Cup Results:
Did Not Make Final:
Next stop on the Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series is the
Budweiser Columbia Cup at Tri-Cities, Wash. on July 26-28.
*** FIRE HER UP!
Saturday, 10:00 AM - A group of fifteen or so people approached
the UL-15 Happy Go Lucky/Freddie's Club pit area and started
checking out the boat and the blown motor. The UL-15 is set up
in the roostertail turn of the Unlimited pits, the only UL not
over on Belle Isle. As the team talked with the fans, one
gentleman stepped forward, laid $50 down on the table and called
out "Fire her up! I want to hear her run" The team was waiting
for an opportunity to meet the request when the gentleman
returned and laid a second $50 on the table. "I said fire her
up!" A few minutes later, the pits were alive with the sound of
Poppa Hopp's thundering UL-15.
*** AUTOMOTIVE GOLD CUP "DASH" - THE UNLIMITED LIGHTS
1st UL-110 Beach Grille - Randy Haas
The AGC was an outstanding race to watch! At the start the
UL-110, the UL-15, the UL-23 and the UL-38 were solid on the
line and formed a wall that the UL-72 could not penetrate.
Having no place to go for position, he pulled back at the start
and didn't make up the distance during the five lap Automotive
Gold Cup race. The UL-38 popped out around the outside and took
the lead out of the first turn with UL-23, UL-110 and UL-15
right there. By the time the group came out of turn 2, it was
the UL-110 taking the lead which he wouldn't surrender. The
UL-38 and UL-15 continued to duel until the end, with UL-38
taking second place. UL-23 had a very rough boat ride and UL-72
was able to overtake him. Right behind the UL-72 was a solid
running UL-929. UL-40 and UL-58 dueled until the UL-40 pulled
back into the pits prior to the end of the race.
*** RESULTS OF THE UNLIMITED LIGHTS FINAL
Sunday, 2:48 PM - Phil Bononcini and the UL-72 Budweiser/Pocket
Mechanic team win Detroit!
In the final, we had a battle royale between Phil Bononcini in
the U-72 Budweiser/Pocket Mechanic and Cal Phipps in the UL-10
Post Bar. The Wiggins Racing Team's return to the Unlimited
Lights was clearly a strong one as the battle for first in the
final was immediate and harkened back to the side-by-side solid
racing of the UL-10's former pilot, Charley Wiggins. Cal Phipps
can drive and was right there with Bononcini forcing him to hold
every turn and they were jumping turns as the two battled.
Randy Haas and the UL-110 was in the hunt, but couldn't catch
the front runners. Behind the UL-110, there was a fierce battle
for fourth between the UL-929, the UL-38 and the UL-15. In the
end, the UL-38 would pass the UL-929 and the UL-15 would fade
back into the pack. A great, fan pleasing race!
Congratulations to the UL-72 team and welcome back Wiggins
Racing!!
Sunday, 2:29 PM - Your unofficial finish for the final...
- Brian Reed
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All contents Copyright © 2002 Spirit of Detroit THUNDERFEST, except where noted.
Written by Brian Reed.
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