Rivalries Heat Up As Seafair Race Approaches
With the difference in first and second place points in every heat equaling 100, Dave Villwock now has to hope he draws Steve David in as many heats as possible in the upcoming Albert Lee Cup at Seafair and is able to get the Spirit of Qatar to the finish line ahead of team Oberto.
Courtesy: H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series Media Relations
As Dave Villwock in the U-96 Spirit of Qatar approached the checkered flag in the final heat of the Lamb Weston Columbia Cup, officials were announcing a one lap penalty for a lane change that would snatch the victory from the perennial top qualifier and give the trophy to the defending national high point champion, Steve David in the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto.
The loss of position and points put Villwock 370 points behind David in the 2010 high points chase with two events remaining and did nothing to cool the rivalry between the two front runners in the high points chase.
With the difference in first and second place points in every heat equaling 100, Villwock now has to hope he draws David in as many heats as possible in the upcoming Albert Lee Cup at Seafair and is able to get the Spirit of Qatar to the finish line ahead of team Oberto.
Asked about having the points lead, David said, "It's better to be ahead than behind. We really just need to keep doing what we've been doing and not have a problem like we had last year in Seattle, which cost us a lot of points."
At Seafair in 2009, David was in a close battle with Villwock in the final heat when the U-1 hit a big hole in the North turn and began to lose power. Villwock went on to win and David finished sixth, giving up much of the high point lead he had enjoyed coming into the event.
Commenting on the task ahead, Villwock said, "We just have to hope we get the chance to race the U-1 and beat them. If we are in separate heats and both winning, we don't gain anything. The pressure is on now. We can't afford to finish anywhere but first in any heat the rest of the season."
The H1 Unlimited fleet will move into the Stan Sayres Pit Area on Lake Washington in Seattle on Thursday, with testing and qualifying for the Albert Lee Cup at Seafair set for Friday. Racing begins on Saturday, with the final heat scheduled for 4:40pm PDT on Sunday.
