The Unlimited Lights - 2006 in Review

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

(1) TASTIN'-N-RACIN', Issaquah, WA

The 2006 edition of the Unlimited Light Racing Series had its traditional kick-off on historic Lake Sammamish, near Seattle, Washington. Most of the major players from 2005 were on hand to resume competitive battle. These included Jerry and Greg Hopp's MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1), the ULHRA National Championship team for 2003-04-05, and Joe Frauenheim's MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72), the second-place finisher in National Points for those same three years.

When the roostertails subsided after the Final Heat on Lake Sammamish, Thunder Valley Racing's MISS RED DOT CORPORATION (UL-40) and driver Brian Perkins emerged victorious. It was the first-ever race win for both the UL-40 team and for Perkins. Taking advantage of two boats jumping the gun and the improved performance of his veteran craft, Brian outran the Paul Becker-chauffeured MISS CRITICAL LOGIC (UL-14) over the finish line, 91.790 miles per hour to 83.554.

The 2006 Tastin'-N-Racin' race featured an event record of twelve Unlimited Light teams along with the largest fan turnout in the event's 10-year history.

(2) LES REGATES DE VALLEYFIELD, Valleyfield, Quebec

Michael Flaherty and MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72) come from nearly two roostertails behind at the start of the final lap to score a sensational win at the 2006 Regates de Valleyfield on Bay St. Francois. Flaherty overcame a late start for the victory over Greg Hopp and MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1).

Flaherty drew even with Hopp in turn-one of the last lap while both drivers were lapping slower boats. Flaherty raced side-by-side with Hopp down the backstretch and deck-to-deck through turn-two. Then, at the exit pin, Hopp's boat hooked and briefly went dead in the water. Greg was able to re-fire and finish second.

As a result, after two races on the 2006 Unlimited Lights Racing Series tour, Flaherty had a slim 146-point edge over Hopp heading into race number #3 at Detroit the following weekend. Paul Becker and the UL-14 were third, 841 points behind, followed by Vince Xaudaro (UL-929), Brian Perkins (UL-40), and Bob Estes (UL-33).

(3) O.J. MULFORD SILVER CUP, Detroit, MI

After experiencing difficulty at Issaquah and Valleyfield and after overcoming two days of mechanical gremlins at Detroit, Greg Hopp came through when the chips were down on the Detroit River.

Greg and MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1) dominated the Final Heat of the O.J. Mulford Silver Cup, outrunning second-place Ken Brodie II in GP-50 RACING (UL-555). Brodie overcame a 5-second handicap at the start to take the runner-up position. The delayed start was because Brodie's boat ran an oversized supercharged engine. Third-place went to Brian Perkins in the MISS RED DOT CORPORATION (UL-40). However, because the UL-555 was a non-compliant UL Invitee, Perkins' Thunder Valley Racing Team earned second-place points in the Final Heat.

The O.J. Mulford Silver Cup is the oldest and most prestigious trophy in Unlimited Light racing, first contested in 1946. The original winner was Lou Fageol, owner/driver of the Gold Cup Class SO-LONG, JR., powered by a 404 cubic inch Fageol bus engine. SO-LONG, JR. is the forerunner of all Unlimited Light and Grand Prix Class hydroplanes competing today.

(4) HAPO COMMUNITY THUNDER CUP, Tri-Cities, WA

Greg Hopp made it two wins in a row on the 2006 ULRS tour with a victory at Kennewick-Pasco-Richland on the Columbia River.

Following lengthy delays due to high winds and a couple of accidents in the Atomic Cup Unlimited hydroplane race, Hopp and MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1) grabbed the inside lane before the start and led from wire-to-wire over Michael Flaherty and MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72). Hopp averaged 109.664 miles per hour to Flaherty's 107.139 over the 3-lap/5-mile Final Heat distance. Bob Estes checked in third at 97.406 with MISS GRAHAM TRUCKING (UL-33).

With the victory by Hopp, coupled with his number #1 qualifying spot at better than 119 miles per hour, the Hopp Racing Team had a perfect 1240 point weekend. That erased Flaherty's 446-point advantage at the start of the weekend and vaulted Hopp into the top spot with a margin of 252 points at the half-way point of the 2006 Unlimited Light season.

(5) GRAHAM TRUCKING CUP, Seattle, WA

After going winless in his two most recent starts (at Detroit and the Tri-Cities), Michael Flaherty bounced back with a clear-cut victory on Seattle's Lake Washington with MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72).

Flaherty secured lane-3 and crossed the starting line even with Al Carstensen and MAACO OF BREMERTON (UL-6) in the Final Heat. Carstensen stayed within a few boat lengths for about a lap before gradually slipping to a couple of roostertail lengths behind. However, it was a career best second-place finish for Carstensen, partner Kerry Beynon, and the BCS Racing Enterprises team. Greg Hopp and MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1) took third.

As a result of Flaherty's victory, the UL National High Points lead held by Greg Hopp was shortened to 158 points with three races remaining in 2006.

(6) QUICKSILVER REGATTA, Silverdale, WA

In boat racing, one can expect the unexpected. And the unexpected is what occurred at Silverdale, Washington, off Puget Sound, west of Seattle, at the north end of Dyes Inlet.

Rookie Ryan Mallow made a shambles of oddsmakers' predictions, driving MZ. ZIP FIZZ (UL-19) to first-place ahead of the favored Michael Flaherty and MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72). The ZIP FIZZ entry ran astonishingly well--better than anyone had previously seen--and kept lengthening its lead to more than two roostertail lengths in the Final Heat.

National Points leader Greg Hopp had a miserable day at Silverdale when MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1) threw a propeller blade and failed to finish the Final Heat. This reduced Hopp's lead over Flaherty to a mere 104 points with two races remaining on the 2006 ULRS tour.

(7) SAN DIEGO THUNDERBOAT REGATTA, San Diego, CA

Rebounding from his misfortune at Silverdale, Washington, where he failed to finish due to mechanical difficulty, Greg Hopp was back in his familiar first-place a month later on San Diego's Mission Bay with MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1).

Hopp had a virtually perfect weekend. He established a new UL speed record in qualifying at 126.528 miles per hour and then proceeded to win all three of his heats. Meantime, Michael Flaherty and MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72) qualified third, took first and second in his preliminary heats, and then failed to finish the Final. As a result, the 104-point advantage that Hopp had going into San Diego expanded to 621 points.

Still, with 1640 points up for grabs at the season finale in Port Angeles, Washington, quite a race remained for the title.

(8) STRAIT THUNDER REGATTA, Port Angeles, WA

With the National Championship on the line, the traditional season-ender at Port Angeles provided great competition for the fans. In the final analysis, Ryan Mallow won the battle but Greg Hopp won the war.

The rookie Mallow, who had surprisingly won at Silverdale earlier in the season, did it again at Port Angeles with MZ. ZIP FIZZ (UL-19). Mallow took advantage of two teams (UL-1 and UL-72) jumping the gun in the Final Heat and zipped to victory. Al Carstensen took second with MISS VICTORIA EXPRESS (UL-6), followed by Paul Becker with MISS CRITICAL LOGIC (UL-14) and Wil Muncey with POWER PUNCH (UL-83).

Hopp in MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE/HAPPY GO LUCKY (UL-1) and Michael Flaherty in MISS BOAT ELECTRIC (UL-72) were both fractions of a second too early for the start. The resulting one-minute penalties added to their times relegated them to fifth and sixth respectively at Port Angeles.

The Hopp Racing Team finished the year with 9186 National High Points. This compared to 8125 for MISS BOAT ELECTRIC and 6674 for third-place MISS CRITICAL LOGIC. This was Greg Hopp’s second straight driving title and Hopp Racing’s fourth consecutive team title. For the fourth year in a row, the UL-72 team took second-place in the Unlimited Light Racing Series final standings.