Deck2Deck.us: Fantasy Unlimited Hydroplane Racing

Hello Race Fans! Yes, it was only a few weeks ago that the final race of 2012 season was run on Doha Bay, but ladies and gentlemen, the new 2013 season is about to take place! In the first of an eight-race card, the UIM World Championship Oryx Cup will again be at stake.

The top ten boats in the national points standings from last season remain in the Persian Gulf and are now being readied in the pits along Doha’s Corniche. However, the Ellstrom Racing hull sustained major damaged in the last stanza and last year’s U-1 bearer (the current U-96) appears to have been given “out-of-commission” status.

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

HydroDan’s Three 2 Think About:

Race Format: Fantasy players should recall that because this is a UIM World Championship race, there will be an extra flight of heats (heats 1 through 4) broken up into A and B sections. Although it is early in the season, you may want to consider using one of your top bullets in order to collect maximum points.

Numbers Game: Nate Brown’s U-17 is renumbered the U-95, and the U-9 is still the U-9 but is running with Red Dot backing which has migrated from the U-17 team. Since the Oh Boy! Oberto hull won the National Points Championship in 2012, the Madison sled will race as U-1 in 2013. Accordingly, 2012’s U-1 (Ellstrom Racing / Spirit of Qatar) reverts to U-96. Per Deck2Deck rules, scoring is associated with current U-ID number only, and not team ownership, sponsorship, driver relationship, or any other affiliation.

Anyone’s Race: In four races on Doha Bay there have been four different winning drivers: In 2009 the U-7 with J. Michael Kelly at the wheel; 2010 the U-96 and Dave Villwock; in 2011 the U-7 with Scott Liddycoat; and in 2012 the U-5 and Jimmy Shane. This year will it be a Steven David year in the U-1, a Kip Brown year in the U-95, or perhaps a Jon Zimmerman year in the U-9? We will find out soon enough. Let’s go boat racing!