Nationals brings winners and Champions

Final event for the season a thriller

By Jim DeFord

MARSING, Idaho (September 3, 2005) — Twenty-four teams showed up for the 2005 USSBA Nationals on a beautiful day at this historic track. Only four left as winners. Four more left as USSBA Champions. As it turns out the same four that won their respective races also left as 2005 USSBA Champions.

Stock Class
The stock class has been very competitive this season and today’s race would prove no different. The Father/Son of Jack & Jack Bright have been the ones to beat all season long when they ran hot of the trailer with their new boat and engine combo. Steve and Brenda Rice have been dogging the Bright’s all year and they came into the Nationals a virtual tie at 1900 points each.

In qualifying, Steve Rice in the #13 Superstition ripped off a 66.112. However the Brights in the #169 Rock Chucker qualified quicker with a 65.334. Chris Sandovahl was not left sleeping and followed Jack and Jack closely with a 65.686 in the #101 Remembrance machine.

In eliminations, Sandovahl spun out, recovered and picked up the course again from the beginning, running a controversial 78.162. The race was delayed for a few minutes as the officials met for a decision. The racing resumed quickly and it was finally decided that Chris ran a clean lap according to the 2005 USSBA Rule Book.

However it would be for naught as Rice and Bright both ran faster laps with Steve running a 66.097 and Jack piloting around this rocky course with a 65.950.

In their final runs both teams would run faster laps with Rock Chucker pulling his fast time of the day at 65.608.

Superstition pulled their final ace from their collective sleeves with a smokin’ 64.835 and took home the coveted Stock Class, 2005 National trophy.

For the 2005 USSBA Stock Class Championship it was #13, Superstition, with Steve Rice as the driver and Brenda Rice as the navigator winning this well fought battle. Congratulations to you both! Congratulations to all the Stock Class teams who made this class an excellent season of racing to follow. You left us on the edge of our seats every race weekend.

Super Modified
The Super Modified Class has been the absolute hot spot in the 2005 USSBA racing season. With a total of seventeen boats racing over the course of the season and thirteen running at the Nationals, the racing doesn’t get much better than this.

What can you say? The Peterson brothers have been hot all year. They came into the final race 120 points ahead of Roberts/Yancey and it would take a big fall to knock them off the top spot, though many have tried all year long.

Bernin’ H20 was clearly the fastest boat of the day in qualifications with a 55.855, but Kelly Morris in the #51 machine ran a respectable 56.575 taking the #2 spot. Ty Applegate, running in Super Modified’s and SuperBoats this weekend was third with a 57.004 lap. Fourth was Brad Roberts in the #60 Squirt with a58.156, fifth was Patrick Sumrall at 60.184. The #6 spot was earned by John Gray, #7 was Dale Yeager.

The last qualification position was well earned by Kyle Patrick after punching a hole in his pump in the first round with a large rock. The crew hauled the boat across the river to Marsing to have the hole welded and Kyle successfully qualified in Brad Roberts’ boat.

In the finals it was Peterson, Morris, Applegate and Roberts making it to round two with Morris and Peterson running very close times. It was Morris vs. Peterson in the final round with Trevor smoking the course with a 55.734 obliterating Morris’s fast time of 56.116.

That left the Peterson brothers with the National trophy and the USSBA Super Modified Championship for 2005. Both trophies were well deserved and a benchmark for the 2006 competitors to hit.

Group A-400
It’s been Mathews vs. Hendrickson this season and the Nationals would prove no different. The only race not won yet this season was at the first race at Marsing. Baze/Dunning took that race but have not appeared since.

Dave Pfeiler is still getting up to speed in his sweet looking boat, but was no match for these two as they dominated the qualifications and eliminations.

The Mathew’s #67, Dancin’ With The Devil has just been smooth as silk all year. Starting conservatively and finishing with his hair on fire, Sean and Erikka have been flawless.

Doug Hendrickson has always been there, but just a tick or two of the clock behind. They have been fun to watch in 2005.

Mathews took the final round with a smokin’ 53.773 against Hendrickson’s best time of the day at 55.317.

That crowns Sean Mathews and Erikka McPeak USSBA’s 2005 Group A-400 Champions and National winners.

SuperBoats
Tom Nelson and Laura Ensminger came to the Nationals with a five-race sweep, looking for #6. However, there are some folks out there that would like to end that sweep and take the National trophy.

And it was close all day.

Dean Lautenschlager and Jason Hibbard ran head to head with Tom and Laura all day and were clearly in a class by themselves as Rice/Healy and Applegate/Neilson were several seconds off the pace today and could never muster a challenge.

Dean’s #4 machine took the fast time in qualifying today and when it came down to the eliminations there was some drama to unfold.

It seems that Nelson sucked up some rocks and did some damage to the pump. As they tried to repair the pump using parts from other boats, Dean did not run as scheduled and used his five minutes delay as authorized by the 2005 USSBA Rules. That incredible sportsmanship allowed Tom to reassemble his pump and run a tense lap against Deana and Jason for the National Trophy.

It was the Piranha machine that made it around the track, pump in place, to beat Dean for the National and 2005 USSBA SuperBoat Championship.

A fitting end to a well fought season in all classes. The sportsmanship is second to none. See you all in 2006!