THUNDERFEST: SIGNAL FLAG ONLINE

SIGNAL FLAG ONLINE #18

CHRYSLER JEEP DETROIT APBA GOLD CUP July 8-11, 1999
Friday May 14th 1999
*** IN THIS ISSUE:
* The 2nd Annual Hydrofest Extravaganza
[Webmaster note: This is THE party of raceweek! The news team from WDIV TV 4 will be on-hand for live highlights.]
* Jim Clary depicts Bill Cantrell's "MOST EXCITING RACE" on canvas. Limited edition prints will be available. Jim has also been recently commissioned by ALAMO corporation.
*** 2ND ANNUAL HYDROFEST EXTRAVAGANZA!
After the course closes on Saturday, July 10, plan to keep the excitement going next door at the Roostertail Catering Club for the party of all race parties, the 2nd annual HYDROFEST! Your chance to hob nob with the who's who in boat racing.
Happy and William Rands so graciously will serve again as the Co-Chairs of this fundraising extravaganza. William Rands is an Executive Director for Thunderfest, an Honorary Member and is involved as a sponsor and volunteer crew member with Fred Leland's boat teams.
The HYDROFEST committee meets monthly and is busy soliciting items for the live and silent auctions, selling corporate tables and planning all the logistics. Items can be donated by calling the Thunderfest office at 800.359.7760. We are looking for anything from dinner gift certificates, to extravagant vacations and sporting memorabilia.
Proceeds from the party will benefit race site improvements and will be split with Special Olympics, Michigan. We are thrilled to be working again with Jim Simpson of the Wertz Warriors, a fundraising arm of the Special Olympics, Michigan.
This one-of-a-kind party sold out quick last year so call Thunderfest at 800.359.7760 today to reserve your ticket now.
*** "HIS MOST EXCITING RACE" - Jim Clary Begins 2nd Painting!
According to the late Wild Bill Cantrell, the 1949 Gold Cup Race was the most exciting and the most memorable of all the races in his entire career.
Race enthusiasts were treated to a grand spectacular during that Saturday, July 2, 1949, Gold Cup Race, and Jim Clary will be offering us a spectacular capsule of that race day as portrayed in his next work in the "Century of Hydroplane Racing on the Detroit River" series. This is the 2nd of 4 annual paintings in the limited edition series.
If you can imagine the sound, fury and excitement of the famous MY SWEETIE driven by Wild Bill Cantrell; SKIP-A-LONG driven by Stanley Dollar; SUCH CRUST driven by Dan Arena; and TEMPO VI driven by Guy Lombardo, all screaming around the Belle Isle turn, you will have some idea what Clary has in store for us.
The late afternoon shadows beneath the Belle Isle bridge, and the old waterfront buildings and city skyscrapers in the distant haze present the perfect background for the bright and colorful blur of the near neck-and-neck boats which are dashing by in the foreground.
It was 92 degrees that day as spectators squeezed along the Belle Isle Bridge railing to watch MY SWEETIE capture the Gold Cup and the fastest average speed (92.402) for three laps of the 2.5 mile course. How do we know it was 92 degrees that day? We know because as part of the research for this work, Clary acquired the hour-by-hour weather data provided by the National Climatic Weather Data Center in North Carolina. The research is where all the work and fun is according to Clary, who strives to freeze every detail of the time into his paintings.
On the other hand, Clary does not work alone. He has enlisted the help of Bill Smith, of Henry H. Smith and Company, Algonac; APBA Historian Fred Farley; Joe Fruenheim, Issaquah, WA (who has refurbished TEMPO VI); Danny Foster; John Polacsek, Dossin Museum, Belle Isle, Detroit; Fred Alter and Tom McInnes.
All four drivers of the famous boats depicted will be hidden in the work. But this time, Jim will not reveal where they are hidden. It will be up to us to find them.
The second print will be ready in May. Thunderfest is busy planning a special unveiling and exciting contest (to be announced soon!) for the second print in June. Look for all the party plans in the upcoming issue of the newsletter. A photo of the second print will be printed in the June issue of the newsletter. If you would like to order the first or second print, please call the Thunderfest office at 800.359.7760.
*** ALAMO & ARTIST JIM CLARY TEAM UP!
Who would have thought the little blond river rat always in trouble in school for drawing race boats would turn out to be the prolific marine artist who work is collected around the world?
His sketches of the forties and fifties era hydroplanes were the first artwork he accomplished. How fortunate we are to have the opportunity to collect the work of this artist so dedicated to the history of hydroplane racing.
Evidently other patrons both private and corporate have become aware of his expertise as well. Jim is happy to announce that ALAMO owner Ned Allen and the ALAMO Corporation has commissioned him to create a painting of their unlimited light, ALAMO. The sleek yellow boat was the high point winner on the circuit in 1998. The work will serve to capture the prominence that Ned Allen, driver Bo Schide, and the Alamo Corporation have attained in powerboat racing.
The painting will portray the ALAMO dashing around the Roostertail turn during the 1998 race on the Detroit River, and will be unveiled during the ceremonies at the 1999 Gold Cup.
- Brian Reed (Volunteer WebMaster: http://www.thunderfest.com)