Deck2Deck.us: Fantasy Unlimited Hydroplane Racing

Deck2Deck recently spoke with J.W. Myers, driver and co-owner of the U-11 Peters & May.

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Do you anticipate having a different feeling in the cockpit now as a part owner of the 11?

This is a two-geared response. It’s kind of a double-edged sword. I have in the past run boats that were on very tight budgets so we had to run conservatively. It may feel similar to that as co-owner as far as conserving as best you can. At the same time, we are here to go racing and race hard. But as an owner, I just won’t know until that first heat.

What race course do you think is best suited to your driving abilities?

Believe it or not, Detroit. I love that track. It is asymmetrical, so you really have to focus on boat setup and that is something I really enjoy doing. You have to methodically run the boat, intelligently run the boat because of the complexity of the course. You have to focus on keeping a decent line when you run in Detroit.

What course do you anticipate will be best suited for your new hull and equipment this season?

We simply just don’t know yet, but we have geared up for the short tracks since we will see a short track in Madison, and shorter courses in Seattle and Doha. The rumor is that the new Texas course may also be on the shorter side, so we have focused on that a bit.

What race is most significant for you to win at and why?

Seattle is probably the most publicized race, but I would chose the Gold Cup. The complexity and the challenge of it and the fact that it takes a total crew and team effort to win there, not to mention that 100 year old trophy.

Who do you think benefits the most from the race for lanes and the new starting procedure?

Racers, as opposed to old men that don’t want to race that hard.

As a follow up, who stands out in your mind as a great dicer for lanes other than yourself?

Jeff and Mike are good at it. Dave has his moments of creativity too. Cal Phipps is a dark horse when he gets his chances to drive.