Steve David's U-1 Oh Boy Oberto championship Unlimited Hydroplane will be the favorite to repeat as the circuit's champion in 2009. (Photo courtesy ABRA) (The Spokesman-Review)
Steve David and Dave Villwock head into Sunday's final rounds of hyrdoplane racing in Tri-Cities with fresh of victories in Saturday's heat races. Both will have good starting positions as the Columbia Cup continues to narrow the field to this afternoon's finale.
Courtesy: H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series Media Relations
The two top qualifiers for the 2010 Lamb Weston Columbia Cup were drawn into seperate sections of the first heat and each used first lane choice to take the inside and cruise to an easy victory.
Steve David qualified second in the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto which gave him first lane choice in Heat 1-A. David trailed Nate Brown in the U-17 Miss Red Dot at the start, but took the lead coming out of the first turn and led the rest of the way.
"Nate made a great start, he schooled me on that one," said David. "But the boat ran great and we didn't have to use everything we had, which is a good thing. We would like to save something for the final."
Brown finished second with Brian Perkins in the U-21 Miss Albert Lee Appliance finishing third.
Villwock led Heat 1-B from start to finish, with the finish coming a little early. Dr. Ken Muscatel's U-25 Superior Racing dropped into a hole in the first turn of the final lap and spun violently. The race was stopped and Villwock, who was approaching the finish line, was declared the winner.
The U-25 suffered extensive damage and has withdrawn from the event.
J Michael Kelly in the U-7 Graham Trucking was second and Cal Phipps placed third in the U-13 Spirit of Detroit.
Order of finish
Heat 1-A.
1. U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto Steve David 400
2. U-17 Miss Red Dot Nate Brown 300
3. U-21 Miss Albert Lee Appliance Brian Perkins 225
4. U-22 Matrix Systems Mike Webster 169
5. U-57 Formulaboats.com Mark Evans 127
U-5 Formulaboats.com Jeff Bernard DNF
Heat 1-B
1. U-96 Spirit of Qatar Dave Villwock 400
2. U-7 Graham Trucking J Michael Kelly 300
3. U-13 Spirit of Detroit Cal Phipps 225
4. U-37 Miss Peters & May Jon Zimmerman 169
5. U-100 Fleury Auto Parts Greg Hopp 127
U-25 Superior Racing Dr Ken Muscatel DNF
Motorsports correspondent Doug Pace keeps up with motorsports news and notes from around the region.
