SIGNAL FLAG ONLINE #60

CHRYSLER JEEP SUPERSTORES DETROIT APBA GOLD CUP
Race: July 11-14, 2002
Friday July 26 2002

*** QUAKE ON THE LAKE III - PONTIAC MI - THIS WEEKEND!

If you're in the Southeast Michigan area, be sure to attend Quake On The Lake III this weekend July 27 & 28! The five world records set last year attest to the quality of the racing. Classes expected are 1.5 Litre Stock, 1.5 Litre Modified, 2.5 Litre Stock, 2.5 Litre Mod, 5 Litre, Grand National, Grand Prix, Jersey Speed Skiff and Pro Stock, with Vintage raceboats making exhibition runs in the morning. Racing is about noon to 5:30pm.

Admission is just $5 per person (children under 10 are free with an adult, parking is only $4). The Pontiac Lake Recreation Area is a great location, and there is plenty of room for everyone! Gates open at 9am, and pit passes are available to the public (about $10). For safety and insurance reasons the pit pass may only be good until noon when the racing starts. Absolutely no alcohol or open-toed shoes allowed in the pits!

The Pontiac Lake Recreation Area is located approximately one mile North of M-59 and N. Williams Lake Road (enter from Gale Road). It is immediately West of the Oakland County airport.

For more Quake info and directions:

Quake On The Lake is presented by the Waterford Lions, and all proceeds benefit their charities. Come on out, have fun, and feel good about helping others!

*** STILL FINISHING UP THE PHOTO GALLERY FOR GOLD CUP 2002

We've recently posted many great photos of Gold Cup 2002 by SODT volunteers Robert Peters, Dave Mabry, Bob Estabrook and Brian Reed:
http://www.thunderfest.com/photogal/photogal.html#Photo02

And we're not done yet ... Robert, Bob and Brian still have more coming up next week!

*** MADISON RACE ON ESPN2 SATURDAY AT 6:00 OR 6:30 PM (EASTERN)

The recent race in Madison Indiana will be broadcast on espn2 at 6:00 or 6:30 PM on Saturday July 27th. (Eastern time zone)

The Detroit race will be shown Saturday August 10th at 12:00 PM.

*** THIS WEEKEND'S UNLIMITED RACE IN TRI-CITIES WA

Tune to the HydroProp webpage at http://www.hydroprop.com/hydros for all the info from Tri-Cities Washington. Listen for race reports on WORX (http://www.worxradio.com) or the local KONA radio webpage - hopefully HydroProp will link to that.

*** CONGRATS TO LOCAL GNH/UL ROOKIE RACER PING CONFLITTI!

Local GNH/UL rookie Pingree "Ping" Conflitti has been doing great with his UNION DOOZ #58. In Valleyfield he took first place in the Unlimited Lights after completing his mandatory rookie laps just the day before!

In Detroit he placed 6th in the ULs after breaking a prop shaft early in the weekend and was forced to experiment with props to replace the one he'd lost.

Watch for this great looking red, white and blue boat at Quake On The Lake this weekend running in the Grand National Hydro class.

*** CONGRATS TO BETH GILDAY FOR HER RESULTS IN MADISON!
*** STORY FROM JEFF AYLER

Beth Gilday, driver of the S-4 Miss Fury "You Go Girl" finished in second place overall at the 2002 Budweiser Madison Regatta presented by Cruisin' Auto in the 2.5 Litre Stock class.

Also during the 2002 Madison Regatta weekend, Beth Gilday finished in position number 68 out of 269 runners in The Madison Courier 10K race.

Beth, congratulations on your hydro and running finishes at Madison!

*** BATTLE OF THE BANDS 2002

SODT would like to thank all the bands that competed in this year's Battle Of The Bands. First place went to Radiocraft, 2nd to Hardball, and 3rd to Edge Of The Front ... the other participants were Avatar, Drone Fly and Motor City Nuts.

*** UNLIMITED HYDROPLANE SERIES HEADS TO PACIFIC
*** NORTHWEST TRI-CITIES WA (JUL 26-28) & SEATTLE WA (AUG 2-4)
*** (FROM HYDRO-PROP)

The Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series heads for the Pacific Northwest for the Budweiser Columbia Cup (July 26-28) at Tri-Cities, Wash. and the General Motors Cup at SEAFAIR (August 2-4) at Seattle, Wash. After three competitive races in Indiana and Michigan, the series now travels west to the State of Washington, the home state of most of the teams.

"Evansville, Madison and Detroit have all produced successful results," said Gary Garbrecht, Chairman of Hydro-Prop. "Besides having records in attendance at both Evansville and Madison, the Unlimited Hydroplane racing action was very competitive. Some teams have raised the bar and made the stronger teams jobs even more difficult. If the racing we have seen at these first three races is any indication of what we could witness in the Pacific Northwest, the fans are in for a terrific treat."

"The preliminary heats this season have been the most competitive we have seen in many years," continued Garbrecht. "There were six different heat winners (out of a total of eight heats) at both Madison and Detroit and five different heat winners (out of a total of six heats) at Evansville. In fact, this season's percentage of having different heat winners per race is at 77% compared to last year's percentage of 57%."

Practice and qualifying for the Budweiser Columbia Cup at Tri-Cities, Wash. will begin Friday, July 26 with the finals scheduled for Sunday, July 28. Practice and qualifying for the General Motors Cup at Seafair at Seattle, Wash. will begin Friday, August 2 with the finals scheduled for Sunday, August 4.

* Expected Entries: The Pacific Northwest swing should have a plethora of drivers competing, including the defending Tri-Cities winner, Terry Troxell and the defending Seattle winner, Nate Brown. Other challengers include Dave Villwock, Michael Hanson, Mark Tate, Mitch Evans, Steve David, Mike Weber, Jimmy King, Ken Muscatel and Greg Hopp.

* Washington State Locals: Seven of the Unlimited drivers live in the state of Washington including: Dave Villwock, Auburn; Mitch Evans, Chelan; Michael Hanson, Bonney Lake; Nate Brown, Preston; Ken Muscatel, Seattle; Greg Hopp, Everett; and Terry Troxell, Gig Harbor.

* O'Doul's National High Points Update: Dave Villwock and the Miss Budweiser head for the second half of the season as the current leader in the O'Doul's National High Points Championship. Villwock (with 466 points) seeks his sixth drivers' championship and 22nd World Title for Bernie Little's Miss Budweiser. Michael Hanson currently occupies second with 379 points followed by Terry Troxell with 376 points. Rounding out the top five are Nate Brown with 327 points and Mark Tate with 326 points.

* Terry Troxell to Defend at Tri-Cities: Terry Troxell heads back to Tri-Cities as its defending champion after he secured his first career Unlimited Hydroplane victory there last year. Troxell will defend his title while on an impressive roll with three consecutive second place finishes this season. Troxell also has won two preliminary heats this season.

* Nate Brown to Defend at Seattle: Last year at Seattle, Nate Brown captured his first career Unlimited Hydroplane victory. That win catapulted him towards an additional victory at the season-ending race at San Diego. Brown entered this season as a favorite to challenge for the championship and has produced significant results. In addition to being the top qualifier at all three races, Brown was victorious at Madison. Brown seeks a successful defense of his Seattle title and will attempt to be the top qualifier at every race this season.

* Mark Tate Impressive in Return to Unlimiteds: Mark Tate has made an impressive return to the Unlimited Hydroplane ranks this season. Tate, coming off a strong performance at the Gold Cup where he won two preliminary heats, will attempt to add his 13th career victory on the West Coast.

* History of Tri-Cities, Wash.:
- 2002 marks the 37th consecutive year of Unlimited Hydroplane racing at Tri-Cities.
- First race was held in 1966 and was called the Atomic Cup.
- It was renamed the Columbia Cup in 1976.
- 1966 Atomic Cup was won by Bill Brow driving the Miss Budweiser. In fact, this was team owner Bernie Little's first career victory with Miss Budweiser.
- The 1969 race was historic because it took place on the same day that man landed on the Moon.
- The first Tri-Cities victory by a turbine-powered boat was in 1984 by Chip Hanauer in the Atlas Van Lines.
- 1989 Tri-Cities race was won by Mitch Evans in Ed Cooper Sr. & Jr.'s Coopers Express. This is the only win for the Cooper's and is the last win by a non-turbine powered boat in the Unlimited ranks.
- Chip Hanauer has won Tri-Cities a record seven times.
- The legendary Bill Muncey won Tri-Cities five times.
- Dave Villwock leads active drivers with three Tri-Cities victories.
- Last year, Terry Troxell secured his first career victory at Tri-Cities and the 18th career win for team owner Fred Leland.

* History of Seattle, Wash.:
- SEAFAIR is celebrating 52 years of Unlimited Hydroplane racing on Lake Washington.
- In 1950, the Seattle based boat Slo-Mo-Shun IV won the APBA Gold Cup race in Detroit and earned the right to defend the title on home waters.
- First Seattle race was in 1951 and was won by Lou Fageol in the Slo-Mo-Shun V.
- Seattle has hosted 14 APBA Gold Cup races.
- Bill Muncey won Seattle a record nine times.
- Muncey also won Seattle a record four consecutive times (77-80)
- Chip Hanauer has seven career victories at Seattle.
- Dave Villwock has five wins at Seattle including three consecutive 1998-2000.
- Miss Budweiser has won Seattle 14 times including its first in 1969.
- Last year, Nate Brown secured his first career victory at Seattle and the 2nd for team owners, the Ellstrom family.

- Brian Reed
- SODT Internet Committee Chairman

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All contents Copyright © 2002 Spirit of Detroit THUNDERFEST, except where noted.
All Rights Reserved.

Written by Brian Reed.