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The second stanza of the H1 Unlmited season will play out this weekend in Seattle: it’s time for Seafair and the Albert Lee Cup. The Seafair format offers three preliminary heats, and a new schedule places the first two heats on Saturday. Just 3A, 3B, and the final occur on Sunday. KIRO 7 has dropped local live television coverage in favor of a post-race wrap-up show on Sunday evening, so the best way for H1 fans and Deck2Deckers to cheer on their teams is in person, on Lake Washington!
A contingent of eight boats should arrive at Stan Sayres Memorial Pits by Thursday, but with one change since last weekend: Out is the U-3 Cooper’s Express, which headed back to Posey County, Indiana after an impressive showing at the Columbia Cup. Filling this slot is the Ellstrom family’s U-16, sponsored in Seattle by the Oberto Sausage Company and wearing Italian red and green stripes on its white decks. With competition from Seafair’s considerable airshow and one less section of racing than in Tri-Cities, boat teams must make the most of their limited time on the water to dial in boatride and score points.
Likely participants in Seattle are: U-1 Homestreet Bank, U-9 Les Schwab Tires, U-11 J&D Hydraulics, U-12 Graham Trucking, U-16 Ellstrom’s Oh Boy! Oberto, U-21 Payne West Insurance, U-99.9 Carstar powered KISW Miss Rock, and U-440 Bucket List Racing. Boat participants are subject to change.
Three 2 Think About:
Grahammy Awards: U-12 driver J. Michael Kelly gave Rob Graham a thrill on the Columbia by delivering the first-place hardware to his boss via lane four in the final. Graham is batting .1000, winning his first race since stepping up from sponsor to owner. In Seattle, the team is likely to improve upon its performance in the 2016 Seafair final, where it finished fifth due to penalties. No matter who wins the Albert Lee Cup this time, fantasy players should expect the U-12 to generate podium points.
Go Thrash, No Time Left: U-21 driver Brian Perkins went for an unexpected spin in the restart of Columbia Cup Heat 1A when his rudder came loose. With significant damage to the bottom of the boat, Go Fast Turn Left Racing broke camp early and headed back to their Maple Valley shop. The thrash was on, and at the time of this post, the team is wrapping up their round-the-clock repair efforts and is expected to appear in time for Friday qualifying. Their hard work and dedication mean that the 21 will remain an option for fantasy players looking to fill in a second pick in Seattle.
HomeStreet’s Home: The U-1 is based in Madison, Indiana and already had its hometown race at July’s Governor’s Cup; now it’s time for Jimmy Shane to impress the sponsor as the National Points leader pulls into Seattle, headquarters for HomeStreet Bank and enthusiastic hydro supporter, CEO Mark Mason. JMK’s victory in Tri-Cities and Andrew Tate’s impressive performances in heat racing are proof enough that Shane can take nothing for granted in Seattle. The first appearance of the Ellstrom’s fast U-16 will also maintain the pressure applied last weekend by the U-3. Still, fantasy players looking for reliable points this week can safely turn to the U-1 for an influx. Even with his third-place finish in the Columbia Cup final, Shane still walked away with top points at 1,805.
Posted on: Aug 03 2017 05:31 PM UTC
Edited on: Aug 03 2017 05:37 PM UTC
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