|
No. 1
U-1 – HomeStreet Bank / Miss Madison
Driver: Jimmy Shane – Havre de Grace, MD
Out is Oh Boy! Oberto as sponsor of the defending national champion and in is another Seattle based sponsor in HomeStreet Bank. Back in the cockpit is three-time defending driver champion Jimmy Shane who after flirting with leaving the team realized there is no place like Home…Street. There is little reason to think that Shane won’t four-peat in 2016. Although some crew turnover has occurred it appears the Miss Madison (0706) is still the cream of the H1 crop.
No. 2a
U-5 – Graham Trucking
Driver: J. Michael Kelly – Puyallup, WA
The 2015 season proved to be a deck-2-deck slugfest for the U-5 with the likes of the U-1 Miss Madison. J. Michael Kelly missed capturing the Nation Title by a narrow 1,100 point margin. The Porter Camp announced it will promote the ex-Bud Beer Wagon T-5 (9601) to primary hull duty as last year’s primary hull, T-6 (0001), undergoes structural repairs as the season commences. Although the hull change may produce a slight drop in performance, the Graham Trucking entry will still be plenty capable of podium finishes and heat victories.
No. 2b
U-27 – Wiggins Racing
Driver: Cal Phipps – Detroit, MI
The maiden campaign for Milt and Charlie Wiggins on the H1 circuit proved fruitful as the brand new Gadsden, Alabama based team captured third place in nation high points. Wiggins Racing generally increased the hulls performance (0717) and consistency over previous years when prepared by Our Gang Racing. The Motor City’s own Cal Phipps will again assume driver duties for Wiggins Racing who will strive to better his repeat of third place in National High Points.
No. 4
U-21 – PayneWest Insurance
Driver: Brian Perkins – Seattle, Wa
The Go Fast Turn Left Racing Team returned to the H1 circuit in 2015 following completed repairs to their badly broken race boat produced by a violent flip during the final heat of the 2014 Columbia Cup. You could say that 2015 was a tale of two seasons as Brian Perkins gave great account of himself with a 4th place finish in TC and a podium in Detroit; however, at Seattle and San Diego the 21 failed to make the final heat. Look for the performance of the 21 (0721) to be on the upswing as the GFTL Camp looks to deal a blackjack in 2016.
Posted on: Jun 30 2016 06:24 PM UTC
|