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Following the Regatta wash-out of 2015, the die-hard hydro fans of Madison, Indiana are ready for a rumble on the river and the running of The Indiana Governor’s Cup this Independence Day weekend. The Wild Bill Cantrell Race Course will return to its traditional 2.5-mile layout (Update course will be 2.89 miles in length) which runs under the new Madison/Milton Bridge. Although the fleet, only 8 boats in depth, is slight, it is rather top-heavy with contenders: The U-5 Graham Trucking, U-27 Dalton Industries, U-9 Jones Racing, and U-21 Payne West Insurance are all ready to give the U-1 Miss Homestreet Bank a run for the money on her home waters. The U-7 Porter Racing II, U-11 Peters & May, and U-99.9 Miss Rock will also be vying for all the money, marbles, and chalk this weekend on the wild and wooly Ohio River.
Not Racing in Madison are the U-3 Cooper Express, U-14 Centurion Racing, U-18 Bucket List Racing, U-22 Webster Racing, and U-96 Elam Plus as of this posting. Don’t select these boats this week!
With boat count set at eight confirmed hydroplanes the racing will likely be divided into two sections per heat with four boats per race. As always the Ohio River will inflict its customary attrition on the field. You can’t beat the river; you simply hope to survive it. Who will survive this coming 4th of July weekend in Madison, Indiana is anyone’s guess.
HydroDan’s Three 2 Think About:
Home Cooking: Reigning 2015 champion Jimmy Shane will begin the defense of his National Points crown in front of all 13,000 owners of the The U-1 Miss Homestreet Bank / Miss Madison. If running on his home water is not motivation enough, perhaps running for his brand-new sponsor will be.
Old Hull, Still Hope: Over the previous two seasons, J. Michael Kelly and the U-5 Graham Trucking have given the Miss Madison camp all they could handle. Perhaps the biggest gut-check for Ted Porter’s team going into the season is that the ex Bud T-6, the primary U-5 hull for the last several years, is not race ready. Mr. Porter has readied the ex-Bud T-5 for relief duty this weekend. Let no one say that the back-up U-5 can’t compete: After all, this is a boat with a proud Budweiser lineage and many race victories under its transom.
Sweet Home… Indiana?: H1’s only Alabama-based team enters its sophomore season with a race-ready and finely-tuned boat in the U-27. Wiggins Racing looks to improve upon their solid rookie campaign in which the 27 team and hard-charging Detroiter Cal Phipps captured a 3rd in National High Points. It appears the sky is the limit for the hard-working and dedicated Wiggins Racing outfit.
Posted on: Jun 29 2016 04:23 PM UTC
Edited on: Jul 01 2016 02:20 PM UTC
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