Deck2Deck.us: Fantasy Unlimited Hydroplane Racing

Race fans, are you still with us? Bayfair seems far in the distance, and even the final order of finish at San Diego has been settled for some time. But the 2012 season ain’t over yet! The sixth and final stanza of this epic poem is about to take place in Doha, Qatar with the UIM World Championship Oryx Cup on the line.

The top ten boats in the national points race have been shipped safely to the Persian Gulf and are now being readied at the pits along Doha’s Corniche. Thanks go out to Mr. Dave Holley and the Peters & May company for handling the fleet with such care!

Fantasy players should recall that because this is a UIM World Championship race, there will be an extra flight of heats. In Detroit, where the similarly-formatted 4-heat-plus-final Gold Cup draws a large field of entrants, heats are broken up into A, B and C sections. In Doha, the Oryx Cup’s ten-boat field will likely be spread over just A and B.

Make sure to lock your fantasy pick by Thursday night in the United States, because racing begins Friday in Doha with the final heat set for Saturday (Arabia Standard Time).

Three to Think About — Doha

High Points Contenders: Throw A Blanket Over ’Em…

The reversal of the penalty on the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto in San Diego means that the Sausage Boat leads the second-place U-1 Spirit of Qatar 96 by 652 points. 652 is less than the points up for grabs in two heats of racing, and you can be sure that the battle will be fought hard as soon as qualifying begins. If you have either of these two boats left in your arsenal, you know what to do. No matter who earns the U-1 distinction for 2013, it is a safe bet that Steve David and Dave Villwock will deliver players a pile of points this weekend.

…But Make It A Big Blanket!

We hope you didn’t forget about Jimmy Shane in the U-5 Graham Trucking! Though many are focused on the two veteran drivers trying to seal the national points deal, this is actually a three-way race. Jimmy bested the field in accumulated points at Tri-Cities and Seattle, and came in second to Steve David in San Diego. Also consider: Dave Villwock has out-pointed Jimmy Shane at only two races this season, and not since the U-96 Gold Cup victory in July. Heading into Doha, young gun Shane trails Dave Villwock by only 172 points and will surely look to exploit any opportunity to gain on him. If Shane is put in one or more heats without facing the U-1 and U-6, watch for his points total to creep up and possibly eclipse his elders. If you still have the 5 in your quiver, draw your bow and take aim.

See The Future

Is your fantasy season already done? It’s frustrating when the fickle finger of fate chooses another to win your league, but even if you’re numerically out of the running for 2012, you should pay close attention to this weekend’s Oryx Cup. Due to the H1 schedule change for 2013, the same boats currently in Doha will remain there for another running of the race to open the 2013 season in February. With team shops on the other side of the globe and a finite supply of parts and labor, what you see at January’s Oryx Cup may closely resemble what you see at February’s Oryx Cup. This situation also puts the boats left stateside at a distinct disadvantage for the national points race in 2013, but with plenty more time in the shop for major hull work. Canny fantasy hydro heads will know that accumulated season points aren’t the focus of this game, and the ten-boat field in Qatar will not affect your ability to gain big points from a dark horse selection that may have missed this calendar year’s Doha races.

Jon Zimmerman in the 9 representing!! Way to go Jon, Mike and Lori Jones! You brought home my 4th West Seattle Fantasy Hydroplane Racing Title!! 4th title in 8 years!! Hoohoo!