Dave Villwock Repeats As Seafair Champion
Steve David, driving the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto stayed in position to challenge for more than two laps, but hit what he described as a “huge roller” in the North turn of the third lap.
Courtesy: ABRA Media Relations
When it came time to choose lanes for the winner take all final of the Chevrolet Cup at Seafair, Dave Villwock had a scant 25 point lead over Steve David and JW Myers. They turned out to be big points, as they gave Villwock the opportunity to choose the inside lane, and the advantage he used drive the U-16 Ellstrom Elam Plus to a lead off the first turn and maintain it throughout the five lap final.
Villwock, who won the 2008 Seafair Race in a controversial finish, left no doubt this time as he drove away from the competition to score a convincing victory.
David, driving the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto stayed in position to challenge for more than two laps, but hit what he described as a “huge roller” in the North turn of the third lap. The boat nearly went over and made a very hard landing. From that point on, David said he felt the engine going away.
“That was all it had left on the last lap,” Said David. “I couldn’t use all the throttle and I was just trying to finish”
David did manage to finish, but was passed by Jimmy King in the U-3 Grandview on the Lake, JW Myers in the U-37 Hoss Mortgage Investors, Jeff Bernard in the U-5 formulaboats.com and Kip Brown in the
U-17 USNW Express, who finished in that order.
David finished 6th in the Oberto. J Michael Kelly, the consolation final winner was the trailer boat in the final heat and finished 7th.
Villwock scored his 10th Seafair victory in 17 tries, his 59th career victory, and called the race course typical for Seattle .
“We were two and three feet off the water the whole time,” said the winning driver. “We hit huge holes in both turns, and I thought one of them had cost me the lead. But I managed to pedal it down and keep going fast. I know Steve hit some too, and after the one in the North turn I didn’t see him again.”
Earlier in the day ABRA chairman Sam Cole and Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani of Qatar signed the contract that makes the November 12 event in Doha , Qatar official.
Next race for the ABRA is Thunder on the Ohio in Evansville , Indiana August 21-23.
