Deck2Deck.us: Fantasy Unlimited Hydroplane Racing

EDIT Friday August 1: The U-17 has taken up the U-21 designation for Seafair. U-21 is the Our Gang Racing hull driven by Jeff Bernard. If you intend to select this boat, you must choose U-21, not U-17! This is a last-minute switch by these race teams.

Western Washington boat racers will compete for hometown bragging rights as the H1 Unlimited tour arrives in Seattle for the Albert Lee Cup at Seafair. While Indiana-based hulls have lately been formidable and the Martini & Rossi Trophy has remained in that state for five of the last six years, most of the current drivers are based west of the Cascade Mountains and Seafair is their chance to race for friends, family and their community. After last week’s demolition derby on the Columbia, how will the boats look after this week of repairs? And will complaints about Dave Villwock’s driving style result in changes on the water, or in the cockpit? All our questions will be answered on Lake Washington’s Ted Jones Race Course this weekend!

All Patched Up: The U-6 Oberto and the U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing have undergone repairs this week after their strike in Heat 3B of the Columbia Cup. While the Miss Madison crew, with assistance from the Peters and May camp, restored the boat to allow Jimmy Shane to take first in the final, the Beacon Plumbing suffered more serious damage and withdrew. Hull work this week will ensure that both boats are in the Stan Sayres Pits this weekend; perhaps not so patched up is the relationship between Shane and 37 chauffeur Dave Villwock after their collision. Deck2Deck players should expect fast qualifying times from each, and pay close attention when they go head-to-head in heat racing.

We Come Running: Representing Les Schwab Tires and Red DOT on the West Coast swing, U-9 driver Jon Zimmerman showed the hustle of his tire center sponsors with fast speeds and two heat victories in Tri-CIties. Moreover, Zim kept his nose clean and steered clear of the trouble that jinxed many boats on the Columbia. This consistency led to a second place finish in the final, but – much more importantly for Deck2Deck players – the highest accumulated points for the weekend, besting the U-6 by nearly 100 points. Watch for the Jones Racing camp to build on this success at Seafair and deliver solid performance again.

The Wreck Report: Deck2Deck players sometimes miss last-minute news and select a boat that has withdrawn for a particular race. With a shortened season in 2014, this can be a fatal blow to one’s fantasy hopes. The Deck2Deck boat pick tool lists all boats that are registered with H1 this year, but the following hulls should be avoided in Seattle since you won’t see them on Lake Washington this weekend: U-3 Cooper Racing (registered but only for an exhibition run in Evansville); U-21 Go Fast Turn Left Racing (season is finished after a violent wreck at the Columbia Cup).

On the other hand, several boats suffered recent damage or withdrew early in Tri-Cities, but have indicated that they will appear in Seattle. Among them are the the U-1 Graham Trucking, U-6 Oberto, U-12 Miss DiJulio, U-17 Our Gang Racing, and the U-37 Beacon Plumbing.

Remember that you can adjust your pick until Saturday morning. That provides enough time to review Friday afternoon’s qualifying performance before committing.