Deck2Deck.us: Fantasy Unlimited Hydroplane Racing

The H1 fleet, after running relatively unscathed in Madison, suffered three blowover accidents at the Detroit Gold Cup. The banged-up fleet heads to Tri-Cities, Washington and the 2.5 mile aqua super-speedway that is the Columbia Cup Race Course. Out is the U-22 Matrix Systems after its near-catastrophic blowover at the end of the back chute at the Gold Cup. Out also is the U-13 Spirit of Detroit, as owner Dave Bartush has withdrawn his entry until mechanical issues tormenting the team are resolved. Returning are the U-11 Peters and May and the U-88 Degree for Men, following substantial repairs to address damage caused by their own blowovers. Joining the fleet will be the experimental U-18 Bucket List Racing Team, The U-21 Hapo Credit Union / Albert Lee Appliance, and the U-99 Leland Unlimited II. In all, a full complement of 13 of the worlds fastest race boats will gather for this weekend’s addition of the Hydro Wars. Can anyone run down the U-1 Spirit of Qatar 96 and U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto for H1 supremacy? Ladies and gentlemen, let’s go Deck2Deck boat racing!

HydroDan’s Three to Think About — Tri-Cities

On the Upswing:

Mechanical gremlins plagued the U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing in Madison. However, in the only heat in which it made an official start, it won! In Detroit the U-37 showed significant gains by running consistently all weekend and capturing a solid third-place podium finish in the Gold Cup final. The 37 camp appears poised to continue their progression as hot shoe J. Michael Kelly is proficient at securing inside lanes and may have the best-cornering hull in the fleet. Should the Plumbing Boat continue that trend on the Columbia, Kelly may have something for the rest of the fleet in TC.

May Surprise:

The U-9 Jones Racing Team and Driver Jon Zimmerman have taken incremental steps during the first two races of the season. The 9 has consistently started and finished every heat it has entered this season without penalty or violation. The reworked sled also displayed respectible competitiveness as it garnered a forth-place finish in the Gold Cup final. The team’s competitive-but-conservative approach may be the antidote fantasy owners desire at this stage of the season. Although lacking in top-end speed, look for the all-white U-9 to be a point-collecting dark horse this weekend.

Buyer Beware:

Both the U-88 Degree for Men and the U-11 Peters and May hulls have shown upper second-tier quality and ability. However, given that both teams are coming off blowover accidents in Detroit, a red flag has been raised for fantasy owners. Aside from the gremlins that may lurk between the ears of Scott Liddycoat and J.W. Meyers, both hulls are also vulnerable to mechanical setbacks following blowover-related damage and subsequent repairs. Fantasy owners may want to think twice before selecting these boats on blowover rebounds.