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USSBA Race Recap
Thrilling Racing: Thousands of Fans!
An estimated crowd of nearly 10,000 enjoy a great day of
racing
By Jim DeFord
PORT ANGELES, Washington (September 18, 2011) — The
Washington State Patrol, on a fly-over of the Sprint Boat
Arena
(as I am going to call it) at the newly built Extreme Sports Park, which
will eventually have several types of activities such as Rock Crawling in
addition to the Sprint Boat racing, estimated the crowd to be 8,000 at 1pm
and fans were still streaming in. Traffic was backed up 3 miles to the next
main arterial coming in from downtown Port Angeles.
The sport, sanctioned by the United States Sprint Boat
Association, has not seen crowds of this size since they held races in
Spokane back in the 1990's.
At another beautiful facility in St. John, Washington, at the
Webb's Slough sprint boat racing track, they draw fans of 3,000-4,000 into
their tiny little wheat farming community. Both tracks will be scheduling at
least two races in 2012.
Dan Morrison, owner of the Extreme Sports Park, also owns an
excavating company that dug the Webb's Slough track. In a telephone
interview this morning Dan said, "We learned a lot from what Matt and Amanda
(Webb) have done right to promote their track and the sport. It is my main
goal to get these fans that were at our race yesterday to also head down to
Webb's Slough and enjoy the racing at that track."
"Matt and Amanda," Dan continued, "have continued to improve
their facility over the years and it has become the example of how to run a
track successfully in this sport. They have created a fan base that comes to
their track for every race. As our sport grows, we hope to expand that fan
base for the good of the sport, in addition to the success of both tracks."
The continued success of Webb's Slough and ESP would also
translate to the track in Albany, which has been on the schedule for four
years, and to East Wenatchee, which has held three races since its
inception.
Because of the success of the Webb's Slough track the SPEED
channel's Lucas Oil sponsored show, On The Edge, has filmed at Webb's
Slough for the second year in a row. Lucas Oil also sponsors several boats
in the USSBA Racing Series.
The weather was forecasted for a week in Port Angeles to be cold (57°) and
rainy. It ended up being 63° and partly sunny! A great day for racing. The
weather-gods cut a hole in the rain pattern and set us free! (It was raining
Sunday morning after the race.)
There was a feeling of electricity Saturday morning when I
arrived at the track. Maybe it was my breakfast, but it really felt to me
that something special was going to happen here.
It did. It was RACE DAY!
By Noon, the fans in the seating areas behind me, as I shot
photos of these amazing racers, were packing in shoulder to shoulder! They
were cheering EVERY boat that raced! They were standing and pumping their
fists for the local Sequim and Port Angeles racers. Some were calling
friends and neighbors telling them to come out. And they did.
After the race was over there were still fans trying to get
in.
The racing was spectacular. A few crashes and rollovers and
some very exciting, very close racing between Sequim's TNT racing team and
Wrangell, Alaska's Jolly Rogers Racing team.
There was a Coast Guard flyover during the multi-national
anthems and multiple radio-controlled helicopter drones filming the races
from the most wild angles you could ever imagine. Kudos to the
Roswell Flight Test Crew for
appearing both at Albany and ESP. We look forward to seeing your videos.
Thank you everyone in Port Angeles that helped at ESP.
Super Boats
Attrition through the season had only left two Super Boats
running, and one of those only runs part time. Wicked Racing's Dan Morrison
and Cara McGuire had already secured the class title, but that never slows
Dan and Cara down. They came to the inaugural race here to win, run hard and
put on a good show for the mass of fans who came to watch these boats race.
Also running was Juan Castillo, but he could never get his
boat up to speed for whatever reason and never made the 120% cut.
Dan and Cara took this race easily and put on a great show.
He ran an exhibition lap after the class runs and checkered flag run was
complete to try and get a 35-second lap, but ended up on the beach in front
of the beer garden who all jumped to the feet cheering as the Wicked Racing
boat came to a safe, gentle sliding stop.
Congratulations to Dan and Cara for claiming both the class
championship and the National Finals for the Super Boats.
Group A-400
Wicked Racing's Doug Hendrickson and Hannah Macke came into
this race with an 82 point lead over TNT Racing's Paul and Josh Gahr. All
they needed to do is safely qualify and they would win the Championship.
But, this is the National Finals. And this is the inaugural
race here. And none of these racers came here to protect their points lead.
The came to race and to race hard.
But, Doug was off his game for some reason and had three
DNF's in row! Unheard of for one of the most experienced racers in the
sport. But, it happens. That's racing.
Doug and Hannah did finally qualify, but it was Paul and Josh
taking the pole. With their qualification that secured the 2011 class
championship. But, this story is not over yet!
Fat Buddy's Scott Saxton and Frank Farrand qualified second
with Twisted Racing's Wayne and Nichole Brown qualifying third ahead of the
points leader.
The finals were very close with everyone in the 43-45 second
range. All capable of taking this race.
Wayne and Nichole DNF'd in the 4-cut while Hendrickson
finally picked it up and ran the quick lap of the session leaving Scott and
Frank on the trailer.
Paul and Josh were out first and ran their quick lap of the
day at 43.201 beating Doug and Hannah's 4-cut time by nearly 2-tenths.
Hendrickson then brought it out and was on it. He was running
very hard and looked to be on the fast run of the day and then WHAM!
Fifty feet before the finish line the Wicked boat was
beached. Very odd since it was a straight run to the finish line.
What had happened is that the main drive-line between the
engine and the jet pump snapped, shooting pieces 100 feet in the air and
Doug unable to control the boat to the finish line. Timing and scoring did
report that the splash from Doug's boat stopped the time at 41 seconds and
change. Amazing!
So, the local favorite, Paul and Josh Gahr took home the
National Finals trophy and the first win at the Extreme Sports Park. The
crowd was on their feet!
Super-Modified
Second year racers and current points leader of the Jolly
Rogers Racing Team Eric Werner and Jana "Banana" Horton came into this race
with a 32 point lead over veteran racers Lori and Scott Ackerman who pilot
the Two Pump Chump boat. The Slip Stream Racing team of Rick Henderson
stands third with TNT's Dillon and Tim Cummings on their heals in fourth and
fifth.
Essentially all Eric and Jana had to do was qualify well and
the 2011 class championship would be theirs. But, they came to win.
Canada's Cory Johnson and Gary McNeal could play the spoiler
as they always run very fast and hard. They are not in the points chase, but
nothing slows Cory down.
Almost nothing.
On his first run Cory ran hard and fast right off the
trailer. Coming to the finish line they hit several wakes which set their
boat sliding into the bank and the tires.
(See
the video here)
The hard crash broke the pump housing and ended their day.
They did qualify first as no one else could match or beat their time.
As qualifying continued it became a battle between
Werner/Horton, Cummings/Cummings, Cummings/Fuller and Hughes/Haskey.
Ackerman, like Hendrickson, was not on his game today and along with
Jensen/Jensen/Powell/Usselman and Johnson/McNeal would be out in the 8-cut
with Dillon and Teri Cummings leading the way into the 4-cut.
In the 4-cut, Dillon stopped it up another notch keeping all
his times in the 39-second range and running a 39.333. Werner pulled a
39.920 with Tim Cummings and Mike Fuller, along with Dennis Hughes and Matia
Haskey running on the 40-second range.
This setup a head-to-head match between the reigning class
champion and the new class champion vying for the National Finals trophy!
Werner and Horton were first out and set the course on fire
with a 38.822! The crowd leapt to its feet as the Navy F-18 pilot and his
navigator ran what was probably the best lap in their careers.
Dillon and Teri then came out and had just a couple of minor
errors that would only let them clock in at 39.748, nearly a second off the
pace. That placed not only the class championship to Eric and Jana but also
the National Finals trophy!
You could not have ordered a better ending to the 2011
season. Great racing in front of a sellout crowd.
See you all in 2012!
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USSBA Race Recap
Sizzler in Tangent!
Crashes, fires and tight racing
By Jim DeFord
TANGENT, Oregon (September 11, 2011) — Yes. The Albany track is located
in Tangent, just a few miles sout h
of Albany. Phoenix International Raceway is also not located in Phoenix.
It's in Avondale. So there.
It was quite the race day at the Field of Dreams. We had some
spectacular crashes, scary fires, one boat ventured under the fence for a
special visit for a few fans and some incredible racing! Again, the
Super-Modified class was the star of the day with battles for trophies and
championships. Mix all that together and the racers are right on the edge.
And sometimes they go over that edge.
As we have a quick turnaround this week, this will be short
and sweet. Let's get to it!
Super Modified
Eric Werner and Jana Horton lead the Super-Mod class over
Lori and Scott Ackerman coming into this race. Cory Johnson would try and
play spoiler with Henderson, 2010 champ Dillon Cummings, his Dad, Tim,
Dennis Hughes, Jerimy Brewer and the #22 of Miller/Booth all wanting to play
today.
Dillon and Tim have been double-teaming the #99 boat all
year, and most of last year. While they struggled with various engine issues
early on in the season they stuck in there picking away at every point they
could and currently sit fourth and fifth in the standings going into the
National Finals this weekend in Port Angeles.
Today, their motor was dead-on and they were racing hella
fast along with Dennis Hughes Henderson, Miller, and Powell.
At the end of the day the big battle was between Johnson,
Werner, both Cummings and Hughes. Cory and Dillon never ran a lap over
60-seconds all day while Eric and Tim gradually ventured into the sub-60
second territory.
It
was second-place Lori and Scott Ackerman who had a disappointing day. After
a spectacular nose-over-tail crash, Lori did not get back in the boat and
Scott could only qualify ninth. That was the first time they have not
qualified in the top eight since they have been racing.
In the 8-cut Hughes and Powell were eliminated while
Henderson and Miller DNF'd. In the 4-cut everyone was under 60-seconds but
it was Eric and Cory under 58-seconds eliminating the Cummings by less than
a second.
Eric came out in the finals and ran a 58.505. Ran a pretty
good lap. Maybe left just a little on the table. Cory then came out and
ripped off a 58.415 beating Eric by 0.090 seconds! Not sure if we can even
blink that fast! WOW! That was a sight to see.
Eric and Jana head to the National Finals at the Extreme
Sports Park in Port Angeles this Saturday to see if they can seal the deal
and claim the championship in Eric's sophomore season and Jana's rookie
season. That will be fun to watch. Eric holds a 126 point lead over Scott.
Group A-400
July's winner, Kyle Patrick was hot and fast right off the
trailer leading the way in qualifications. Doug Hendrickson was right there.
Ready to pounce. Scott Saxton, Paul Gahr, Wayne Brown were also in the hunt.
Jack Bright has been attempting to mount a comeback of sorts
having qualified in Paul Gahr's boat at St. John and then borrowing a
Tsunami Racing boat that he calls "Rock-Nami." Unfortunately, that boat was
not rocking this weekend and Jack would fail to qualify.
Kyle pulled a 59 in Q2 and then in Q3 slowed right at the end
of the run. The motor just went flat and further investigation revealed
metal in the oil so Kyle's day was done.
Points leader Doug Hendrickson then started running in the
59's and no one else could touch him. In fact he was the only successful run
in Q4.
Scott Saxton provided some hot entertainment with two fires.
One was due to the gas cap being loose which sloshed fuel into the engine
bay. He spun out onto an island the fuel hit the headers causing an alarming
fire that partially engulfed Scott's helmet and around his shoulders.
A caveat on this one is that when he spun on the island the
boat landed and spun directly on the fire extinguisher! The quickness of the
safety crews and their response immediately with another fire extinguisher,
in addition to pulling the driver and navigator quickly from the boat
saved them from any injury whatsoever.
The eliminations were all Hendrickson with Paul Gahr being
the closest in the 65-second range. So, Hendrickson took this win and now
hold an 82-point advantage over Paul Gahr going to Port Angeles.
Super Boats
There were only two Super Boats playing today. Dan Morrison
ran a lap in the 55's and then missed a turn. He did not run the other two
qualifiers. Lee Rice was running in the mid-60's and then ran into
mechanical difficulties. Dan then ran a 55.430 in the final and claimed the
win.
Dan clinched the Super Boat Championship at Webb's Slough on
August 27th.
USSBA Race Recap
A track too tough to tame - For some
Super Mods the class of the day
By Jim DeFord
EAST WENATCHEE, Washington (August 14, 2011) — Weather
was warm, sunny and just enough breeze to refresh at the Thunder Swamp
sprint boat track in East Wenatchee, Washington. A perfect day for racing.
The day started out with an awesome display of various regional and national
flags by the Tillicum Riders Drill Team from Cashmere, Washington, on the
side of the hill next to the track. As the anthems played, the appropriate
flags rode down the hill. Nicely done!
They played the Canadian Anthem and then Tracia Eberly Johnson, of the Jolly
Rogers Racing Team, sang an absolutely incredible, emotion-filled rendition
of the Star Spangled Banner that left many of us with patriotic tears
welling in our eyes.
The Super Modified class was the class of the day to watch. An epic battle
between Eric Werner, Scott Ackerman, last month's winner, Dennis Hughes and
the Cummings' teams was shaping up quickly. There were eighteen Super-Mod
teams battling for the podium and only three would make it.
The track had been opened up thanks to Prazer Construction. It is still very
tight and has more turns than any other track in the USSBA Racing Series.
The teams say that with its six islands, it's alot to memorize. Some did.
Many did not.
Thunder Swamp has proven that in the USSBA Racing Series it is a track too
tough to tame. The first race here there were 62 DNF’s. The second race over
50. This race there was “only” 30 or so.
Discussing the issue with several teams provided a variety of answers but
the most common were the number of islands. “There are six islands here and
more turns than the other tracks.”
Really.
Thunder Swamp has 6 islands and 13 turns. Webb’s Slough has 6 islands and 13
turns. Albany has 6 islands and 15 turns (hmmm). Marsing had 7 islands and
12 turns. Port Angeles is still being designed.
Kick that theory out.
The other answer that made the most sense was the angle of the turns to the
islands. The turns are at much sharper angles than the other tracks. And
with similar angles at each island it’s easy to get lost while pulling
3-7g’s at 50-80mph. Go figure.
As mentioned earlier, the track was widened after the first race here last
month. At first look, most approved of the changes and some mentioned that
in some spots it was too wide.
However, as the race progressed, the track was not too wide. This is still,
and will remain, a driver’s course. What the heck does that mean?
Finesse. And sometimes, going slower to go faster. Okay, is this the Algebra
of Racing? Kinda. If driver X enters turn R at speed T…
On a track such as Thunder Swamp and also Webb’s Slough, in certain
configurations, it takes finesse, smoother and slower entries into the
corners and hard-throttling out of the corners through the apex for max
speed in the straights and the approach into and through the next corner.
It’s a very fine line and if you miss it by just a millimeter, bad things
are going to happen.
And one of the biggest wrongs of the weekend was Doug Hendrickson’s
miss-by-a-millimeter that took him and Cara on a wild ride. Cara was briefly
under and was totally soaked.
“Everything here happens so fast,” Doug said. “Just one wrong guess at this
track and it all goes wrong.”
And it did.
Doug went over an island and into the next channel. Not a hard crash, but it
DNF’d him right out of the eliminations. Nevertheless, the second-place
finish still leaves Doug in first place and looking strong to take his third
400-class championship.
And now to the racing…
Super Boat
Due to motor failures on several teams there were only two Super Boats
entered this weekend. Dan Morrison from the Wicked Racing Team and Juan
Castillo in his first appearance of the year. Juan is a longtime Sprint Boat
racer but does not race the series on a regular basis.
While Dan was pulling laps in the high 50 to low 60-second range, Juan was
buried on the 80-second range. However once it came to eliminations an odd
rule would surface resulting in a complete change of events.
In the 4-cut Juan DNF’d due to a driver error and it looked sure than Dan
would easily win this race. However, the belt on his fuel pump broke and he
DNF’d. The USSBA rules state that multiple DNFs are a tie, and being there
were only two boats in this race, we had a tie for first place.
And with that first place finish Dan and Cara with the Wicked Racing team
take a near insurmountable lead in the points for the Championship in the
Super Boat class.
Group A-400
With only four boats entered in this class the qualifying rounds became a
battle of who would make it to the 4-cut.
Doug Hendrickson and Cara McGuire of Team Wicked were clearly the class
leader and qualified first, but had three DNFs. Paul and Josh Gahr of TNT
Racing qualified second and with two DNFs which is pretty unusual.
At the first race Team Gahr had no DNFs while it seemed that everyone is all
classes were DNF’ing right and left. It was Josh who boasted this fact on
Facebook and it would come back to bite him this weekend.
Scott Saxton and Frank Farrand were this while Team Brown in the #18 racing machine qualified fourth as they headed into the eliminations.
And then it got, well…weird.
First out was Brown. DNF. Second was Saxton. DNF. Here comes Gahr. 73.739.
Definitely not a fast time, but Paul and Josh were saving it for the finals.
Then comes Hendrickson and McGuire, subbing for Hannah Macke.
DNF.
Everyone in the class DNF’d out except for TNT Racing’s Gahr team and now he
has no one to race with. Paul did run the other two runs, though it is not
required and goes home with his second first place trophy from Thunder
Swamp.
2010 class champ Doug Hendrickson still holds a 32-point lead over Gahr
headed to Webb’s Slough on August 27th.
Super Modified
Qualifying had the top five teams nose to tail. They were all racing very
hard on the newly widened track.
They all tip-toed the first run just to get the feel of the new track and
its mounded islands that created a tunnel-like effect. But, it was soon
clear that was not going to hamper these teams as they blasted from turn to
turn.
Eric Werner and rookie navigator sensation, Jana Horton, in the Jolly Rogers
boat flew to the top of the ladder with smooth, fast and consistent runs
that kept getting a tick faster every time.
And then there was last month’s winner here, Dennis Hughes and Matia Haskey
in the Overkill machine, Lori and Scott Ackerman in the Two Pump Chump and
both Cummings teams that were also increasing in speeds as they headed into
the elimination rounds.
Just a little out of range were crowd favorites Amanda Vestal and Nichole
Heaton in their pink, Vindictive boat, Reichert/Reichert and
Henderson/Henderson round out the top 8.
There were 18 teams running in 16 boats in this class. Not too far out of
the top 8 were Brewer/Lollar, Jensen/Jensen, Healy/Bernard, Cook, Hassell,
And Domoe Sleeman into the next 5 boats through 13th place.
It was Eric Werner who top the field with a 61.894, followed by Hughes at
62.996, Ackerman at 63.560, 2010 Champ Dylan Cummings at 64.950 and Tim
Cummings at 66.135. In the 70’s were Vestal Reichert and Hendersen as the
field entered the elimination rounds.
Tim Cummings DNF’d in the 8-cut and then the shared boat had mechanical
issues causing Dylan Cummings to not be able to start. Reichert also DNF’d
and Vestal timed out at 73-plus seconds.
Werner ripped off a 63 and no one came close than two-seconds. In the 4-cut
Werner pulled a 64. Ackerman a 68, Henderson a 70 and Hughes could not start
due to mechanical issues, so that took Werner/Horton and the Ackerman’s into
the finals.
Ackerman went out and ran hard. Maybe a bit too hard and he got tied up
going a bit deep into a few corners. Scott ran a 66.480, their second
fastest time of the day.
The Jolly Rogers machine then took to the track and smoked a 63.157 that
secured the first place trophy and Werner’s second at this track. Eric also
won the inaugural event here in the Super Modified class in 2010.
Werner Horton hold a 38 point lead going into the next even on August 27th
at Webb’s Slough.
USSBA Race Preview
Championship battles heat up as teams return to the Slough
Warm and Sunny in the forecast!
By Jim DeFord
ST. JOHN, Washington (August 20, 2011) — One thing
that will not happen next weekend is rain. The first race was a bit wet, but
summer has finally made it into the
Northwest
and it's looking to be 100% sun and in the 80's. Bring your sunscreen,
awnings and head to the Slough which always hosts an incredible event. It's
not just a race at Webb's Slough it is an event. Be there!
As the teams return to what has become the favorite stop in
the series, the Super-Modified and Group A-400 championships become more
intense. We witnessed an incredible race for the top spot in East Wenatchee
last week between points leader Eric Werner and Scott Ackerman, now in
second place just 38 points behind. This is Scott's home track and he always
races well here. Eric loves Webb's Slough and should also do well.
But, they also need to remember they have some excellent
racers, including the 2010 champion hot on their heels so they better keep
an eye on their mirrors! Oh well, boats don't have mirrors. But, if they
did, they'd see Henderson, Dylan Cummings and the amazing all-female team of
Amanda Vestal and Nichole Heaton all racing hard and ready to pounce at a
moments notice.
In the 400 class Doug Hendrickson still holds the lead, but
DNF'd out of the eliminations the last three races. One mechanical and two
driver errors leaves Paul Gahr Jr just 32 points back. Gahr is starting to
taste championship flavors and will certainly bring his A-game to the
Slough. Hendrickson is determined to put these issue behind him and get back
on track and bring the big trophy home. Canadian Scott Saxton is in third at
just 92 points out of the first.
Campers can start arriving Thursday. If arriving Thursday,
camping is $20. If arriving Friday or Saturday it's $15. You can also snag
you fave Slough Gear online at the
Webb's
Slough website in addition to gathering more information about the
weekend's activities.
Tickets can be purchased online, at many sponsor outlets (see
website) and also at the track. Tickets purchased at the track are cash only
please. Yes, there is an ATM at the track.
The Show & Shine is Friday night 5pm-8pm in downtown St.
John. This is a great time to meet the teams, see the boats up close and
have some fun!
On race day the gates open at 9am. Qualifying starts at 10.
Eliminations start around 2pm. Pets are encouraged to stay home, but
responsible pet owners can bring them into the camping area ONLY. NO PETS
ALLOWED AT THE TRACK! Do not bring your ATV. You will not be able to use it.
Bring your coolers, but they will be inspected for outside alcohol. This is
a family event.
Please visit the vast array of incredible food vendors and
pop on over for a beer at St. John's infamous beer garden. It's always a
party in the beer garden. Responsible alcohol consumption will be
encouraged.
See you at the track!
USSBA Race Recap
Okay. It was Talladega...USSBA Style!
Super fast rotation takes its toll
By Jim DeFord
ALBANY, Oregon (July 23, 2011) — In the race preview
I'd likened the Albany track to the huge NASCAR track in Talladega, Alabama.
If we were to name a rotation Talladega, today's rotation was it. With four
nearly complete laps around the outside and a few trips to the inner part of
the track this has to be the fastest (in speed) rotation in the USSBA's
modern history.
Many of the boats flat-footed the entire rotation. It was
fast and mean with some mechanical issues rearing their ugly heads and
denying several racers a trip to the eliminations and finals.
The first boats out on the track were pulling 80-second laps.
They were going so fast it looked and felt like a 40-second lap!
We could not have asked for a more perfect day for racing. As
the rest of the U.S. is sweltering in a horrible heat wave, the Pacific
Northwest weather-gods greeted us with a mid-80 degree day and not a cloud
in the sky.
Super Modified
The battle for the podium in this class this year has been
Werner/Horton, current points leader, Ackerman/Ackerman, running a very
strong second and Henderson/Henderson, just 118 points behind the leader.
Then we have Brewer/Lollar, a surprise 4th place in the current standings,
running well and a possible spoiler. Just a mere 44 points behind Brewer is
the all-girl team of Vestal and Heaton who, when they have a running engine
have become one of the teams to beat in 2011.
Dennis Hughes, the winner at Thunder Swamp missed the Albany
event and Cory Johnson who DNF'd out at the same event are mired in 11th and
9th places, respectively. The chances of them coming back to battle for the
podium are slim, but they can certainly be the spoiler as they are the only
first place winners this season.
At Albany, actually Tangent, Oregon, it was Johnson leading
the field into the eliminations. 2010 champion, Dillon Cummings, was second,
but suffered engine issues for the second race in a row and would not be
able to continue along with Tim Cummings, who qualified fourth. That placed
Werner second, followed by Ackerman and Henderson, with Hines, Miller,
Brewer and Jensen close on their heels.
In the eliminations it was pretty clear it would be Johnson
vs. Werner with Ackerman on the other 4-plus seconds off the pace in the
8-cut.
Things then got interesting...
Henderson had mechanical issues and scratched. Ackerman
missed turn and DNF'd. Werner came out and was running a smokin' hot lap
until the mechanical gremlins bit his a** once again. This time it was the
battery shorting out and killing the ignition on the way at full-song to
finish line. Fortunately it was a fairly mild spin in the channel and
nothing serious.
So, at the end of a weird day, it was Cory Johnson and Gary
McNeal who claimed the really big trophy.
Group A-400
Paul Gahr was the winner at the last race at Thunder Swamp in
East Wenatchee. Unfortunately , the leaders were in the 68-69 second range
and Gahr could only manage the low 70's along with Saxton-Farrand. As the
race defender at East Wenatchee, look for Gahr to be at the front when we
return there August 13th. Paul and his son hold a strong second place, just
38 points out of first place.
Saxton/Farrand were still further out, obviously lacking in
power on this huge track with a fast time in the 73-second range.
Doug Olson became a major player when he pulled a 69 in Q2.
He has won were before and was looking strong to be there in the
eliminations rounds until clipping and island and flipping over in the water
in Q3, sinking his boat in the 3-foot deep channel.
Doug did not start in Q4 and there was a huge contingent of
several teams helping Doug clear his engine of water to prepare for a
possible run at the eliminations. Though he attempted the 8-cut, the engine
was not a happy-camper and gave up at the first corner. We just hope they
did not hydraulic the motor.
So then it was Kyle Patrick vs. Doug Hendrickson. A battle we
have seen several times over the years.
In the 8-cut it was Kyle at 68.930 and Doug at 69.010. 4-cut
it was Doug at 68.220 and Kyle at 69.210. Up to this point Kyle's fastest
run had been 68.340 in Q3 with Doug's fastest time being 67.460 in Q2. The
finals were looking to be a head-to-head screamer!
Kyle was out first but could only manage a 69.390, his
slowest run in the eliminations round. Doug was out next and waved off,
having sucked up some moss what was a huge factor the entire day.
Clearing the clog in the grid, Doug and Hannah were off! And
then all hell broke loose. All of a sudden the boat careened wildly into the
bank, but they were able to continue. Or so it seemed. Every time Doug
punched the throttle the the boat lunged and he was unable to control it at
all.
What happened is the intake grill, located in the bottom rear
of the boat, had come loose at the rear and then sucked, directly into the
pump, a huge pile of moss.
That ended up being the end of the day for Doug and Hannah
and a victory lap for Kyle and Alex.
Later talking to Kyle, he could hardly contain himself. "That
as the first time Alex got to hold the checkered flag." That was an
obviously proud Dad, more happy for his daughter than for the today's win.
Earlier in the day, after the qualifying rounds, Alex and
Kyle were in the announcing booth for an interview. USSBA Announcer, Bill
Lundun asked Alex about the morning's runs, including their off track
experience.
"I was shaking," Alex said. "Because you were scared?" Bill
asked. "No. It was awesome!"
All you have to do is look at the smile on Alex's face as she
holds the checkered flag to understand.
Super Boat
Lee Rice's Screamin' Eagle is one of...no...The most radical
boat in the series. It's a super-charged, 409ci Buick. Straight headers.
When this boat runs, your ears bleed and you smile. It's a wonderful thing.
Unfortunately the blower was in the shop so Lee and his Tsunami Racing team
put together the Blown Banana for this race. Yet another methanol breathing,
blown dragon from their shop.
But, about about halfway through the first run, it got ugly.
Smoke was pouring from one of the headers and then an internal explosion. A
cylinder exploded and destroyed the head taking Lee out of the race.
That immediately left Dan Morrison and Cara McGuire the
winner of the race once they crossed the start line in Q2. But, it sure did
not slow Dan down.
I was shooting photos on the track near the beer garden
during Q3 when Dan came around through the infield towards the beer garden
and sent us all running! We were sure he was going off the track. The boat
was literally against the bank, skittering along and then eventually back
into the channel.
Congratulations to this weekend's winners and we will see you
at the next race:
August 13, 2011: East Wenatchee, Washington.
USSBA Race Preview
Mash it to the floor and hold on!
Enough of the squiggly rotations, let's have some speed!
By Jim DeFord
ALBANY, Oregon (July 17, 2011) — The USSBA Racing
Series has a wide variety of tracks on the schedule as we move into the
second decade of the
21st century. The tight and twisty Thunder Swamp, which just produced two
first time winners! Congratulations to Paul and Josh Gahr for their first
checkered flag of their career in the A-400 class in the Live Wire boat.
In the Super-Modified class we had the smoothest boat of the
weekend at the Swamp and also the first checkered flag of their career to
six-year veteran Dennis Hughes and rookie navigator, Matia Haskey. It was
awesome to watch Dennis and Matia breeze through the über-tight course in
East Wenatchee where others struggled and DNF'd all day.
We have Webb's Slough in St. John, Washington. A great
facility and a well designed track that can host speed or tight and gnarly.
The first race in June was tight and gnarly.
A brand new facility is being built as I type this in Port
Angeles, Washington. The yet to be named track is being engineered and
designed by Dan Morrison who is also the owner of the Extreme Sports Park.
The facility will also host extreme 4x4 rock crawling and other extreme
sports events including the USSBA Racing Series.
This Saturday, July 23rd, the Field of Dreams, located
south of Albany, Oregon will host its first race of its fourth season in the
sport.
Albany is the USSBA's Talladega. In the NASCAR series their
track in Talladega, Alabama is the biggest, fastest track in their racing
series. Screaming fast! Several closed course track records were run at
Talladega.
We don't do restrictor plates. We do speed!
Albany is hella fast and will showcase the work that the
teams have done to their engines in the off-season to make them even faster.
Super-fast boats such as Lee Rice and Dan Morrison will finally be able to
stretch their legs and get up to 100 mph on the long straights. There may
also be some sleepers out there that have not been able to show their speed
in the 2011 season.
The grass has been mowed. The track has been manicured and
the channels cleared of debris.
The Field of Dreams is ready for some SPEED!
For directions to the track
click here. Note that the track is
actually located in Tangent, Oregon, a couple miles south of Albany proper,
directly off I-5.
Do not miss this race!
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USSBA Race Recap
A hot time in the old town
And a champion crowned!
By Jim DeFord
ST. JOHN, Washington (August 27, 2011) — I started my day about 5:30.
Walking outside the motel room to enjoy the sunrise and a smell in the air I
did not recognize. Definitely not unpleasant. Just different. And then it
hit me.
Freshly cut wheat. Awesome!
It’s been a late harvest I am told in one of the largest wheat producing
places on Planet Earth. Another cool summer has pushed harvest time later
than normal. Webb’s Slough even plans their races dates around planting and
harvest to ensure the most people in St. John and the surrounding
communities can make it to the two races they have held here now for five
years.
Yes five years. And it gets better every single year. Track improvements.
More grass. Better roads in and out of the track. Webb’s Slough rocks.
Summer finally made it to the northwest and by the end of the day we were
sweltering, and smiling, under a 95-degree, blazing sun. The racing was
equally hot, so let’s get to it.
Super Boats
There were four boats in what is regarded as the top class of the series.
Points leader, Dan Morrison and Cara McGuire of Wicked Racing have been
clear of the field in speed after Cory Johnson exploded his motor in the
first race of the season. No one has been able to bring it to the table to
match Morrison’s speed.
But, this weekend, Lee Rice and Marvin Wright were sure going to give it a
hell of a try in their super-charged Screamin’ Eagle of the Tsunami Racing
team. Darrin Hartwig and Steve Fowler in the Hi-Tech Redneck boat came
close. Real close, but could not muster the speed, went up on an island on
their last try and became the first victim of the 120% qualifying rule. Juan
Castillo also joined that club.
With the lower number of boats in the two top classes the 120% rule was
adopted to ensure the competing boats were not just peddling around the
track for the cash. Now they have to race hard or they don’t place well.
Boats in the Super Boat and Group A-400 classes, to make it into the
elimination rounds, must qualify within 120% of the fastest qualifying time.
If they do not then they place 8th place and below. Their run still counts
as a qualified run if they made a clean run, and they do get the qualifying
points, but they will not be able to race in the eliminations.
So into the eliminations went Dan and Lee. Lee was running some of the
smoothest, fastest laps I have seen him run in some time. And with that
blown motor and super loud, make-your-ears-bleed straight headers, they had
the fans on their feet and rockin’!
Dan was pulling 49-second laps while Lee was running in the 50’s looking
into the finals. But, the Screamin’ Eagle suffered a trashed throttle cable
and would not be able to run the final. Everyone was bummed.
That gave Wicked Racing’s Dan Morrison and Cara McGuire the win and clinched
the 2011 USSBA Super Boat Championship.
The quote of the day goes to Lee Rice. I visited his pits after the race as
he was signing autographs for the kids. I gave him a thumbs up and he looked
up with a huge smile. “We had fun today didn’t we?” Quite a contrast to the
frustrating start of the season here at St. John on an extremely tight
rotation that did not suit his boat at all. It was great to see this very
longtime Sprint Boat racer have so much fun! The crowd certainly enjoyed the
show.
Group A-400
Paul Gahr Jr. and Josh Gahr, in the TNT Racing Live Wire boat comes into
Webb’s Slough with twin wins at Thunder Swamp in East Wenatchee feeling
pretty confident. Just 32 points behind 2011 Champion Doug Hendrickson and
Hannah Macke, they look good to make up some points if they pull this one
off.
Likewise does the Canadian machine of Scott Saxton and Frank Farrand. They
are not too much further back and have been racing hard and impressive. With
Wicked Racing’s Doug and Hannah struggling this year with a couple of off
track excursions and late race DNF’s his quest for the championship may be
dampened here at Webb’s Slough.
At the last race in East Wenatchee Doug and sub-navigator Cara McGuire went
rolling over and island and submarined the boat in Thunder Swamp muck and
mire. The boat was full of mud and water when into the engine. Will it be
ready just two weeks later?
And then there’s Hendrickson’s bitter rival, Kyle Patrick, who has missed
two races and out of the hunt for the championship, but wouldn’t mind
spoiling Hendrickson’s championship party.
In qualifying, Psycho Racing’s Kyle and daughter Alex Patrick were fastest
from Q2-Q4. Hendrickson was running very consistent 52’s while Kyle had no
problem running high 51’s. In Q3 Kyle only ticked Doug by a mere .021 of a
second and that was Doug’s only venture into the 51’s during qualifying.
Saxton and Gahr both struggled in the 55’s, 56’s and even into the 57’s, and
Saxton double DNF’d so they were not having the best of days but would make
it into the eliminations rounds. Doug Olson and Andy Gilder were also
battling what would eventually be third through fifth places.
Rookie team Twisted Racing’s Wayne and Nicole Brown have been running well
and learning as they race against the best. Looks for them to be a
formidable opponent and headed to the podium in the future.
In the eliminations Gahr and Saxton DNF’d in off track excursions while it
was all Wicked vs. Psycho for the top spot on the podium. In The 8-cut Kyle
pulled a 51.7 and Doug a 52.6. In Q4 it was again Kyle the fastest at 52.1
with Hendrickson picking it up with a 52.3!
In the final elimination run the Patrick team was out first and ran a smokin’
hot 50.905! Their fastest time of the day by far. This was getting
exciting!!
With Doug and Hannah’s boat kinda popping a bit a seeming to be just a bit
off-song, no one was sure if they could pull this one off. Kyle and Alex
looked good to have this in the bag.
Oh contrar!
Doug and Hannah navigated through this course in Wicked fashion and ripped a
wild 50.381 beating Kyle and Alex by just .524 seconds!
Doug and Hannah now lead Paul and Josh by 60 points, gaining 28 this race as
the teams move to Albany on September 10th.
Super-Modified
Bill Lundun, the USSBA official announcer, calls them the Flying Canucks.
Some of the racers might have some other names for them. Either way, Cory
Johnson and Gary McNeal are, without doubt, the most feared team in the
USSBA. No matter what they drive, they win.
Super-Modified. Won it.
Super Boat. Won that too. Haven’t yet raced the 400 class. Yet.
Though they are not running for any championships this year, they will win
races. Right off the trailer these guys rip and tear any track they are on.
Tight and twisty or wide and fast. Cory and Gary will teach them all a
lesson.
All through the 19-team class qualifying runs Cory and Gary never ran above
49 seconds! The rest of the best were lead by points leader Eric Werner and
Jana Horton in their Jolly Rogers boat followed by closest rival Lori and
Scott Ackerman in Two Pump Chump.
Dennis Hughes and Matia Haskey were third, Dillon and Teri Cummings fourth,
the second year team Jerimy Brewer and Presley Lollar an impressive fifth,
followed by Tim Cummings and Henderson to make up the top eight in this
amazingly competitive class.
As the teams entered the eliminations it was still Cory and Gary out there
running super fast, though they never ran faster, and didn’t have to, than
in the 50-second range. Werner only managed a 53, along with Hughes while
Ackerman and Cummings were running 54’s. Tim Cummings managed a 59 and
Brewer and Lollar DNF’d on what was looking to be a very fast lap. Obviously
they had it right on the edge.
In the 4-cut Cory led Dennis and Scott while Eric clipped a shoal and ran
aground, DNFing for the day. The Ackerman’s time didn’t muster the cut so it
was Johnson/McNeal vs. Hughes/Haskey.
Cory and Gary pulled another 50-second run and Dennis and Matia pushed hard
but could only run a high 52 with the Canadians taking the top spot on the
podium in the Super Modified class.
It’s a super tight battle for the Super Modified championship! Eric Werner
and Jana Horton lead Lori and Scott Ackerman by just 32 points as the teams
head to the fast track in Albany.
A great day of racing at Webb’s Slough as they close their fifth season with
the USSBA Racing Series.
All the teams head to the Field of Dreams in Tangent, Oregon, between Albany
and Corvallis on September 10th. Be there!
USSBA Race Recap
Whacky race rules the Swamp
By Jim DeFord
EAST WENATCHEE, Washington (July 9, 2011) — The
Thunder Swamp is now getting a reputation for producing some of the most
unusual
races in the history of the United States Print Boat Association.
The inaugural event last summer produces 62 DNFs on this very
tight, demanding course. The second race produced a mere 51 DNFs, an
extremely unusual race disqualification, several boats flying through, over
and around the spinout pool, one boat taking out the water valve cover,
smashing the side of the Super Boat yet, still taking home the win.
The weather was race perfect. Gorgeous sunny skies. Warm
temperatures and a nice, gentle breeze as opposed to the near
hurricane-force winds we had last year. Now we know why people live in these
cities that hug the Columbia River.
Through the day, gliders were being launched on a regular
basis from nearby Pangborn Airport with the surrounding mountains in the
background on a stellar, clear Northwest day. The beauty was breathtaking.

As was the racing!!!
The fans that came, arriving later than what we are usual to,
but arriving in impressive numbers nonetheless, were treated to some wild
and whacky racing that had them on their feet and very vocal.
Many expressed their displeasure of the 711 Screamin' Eagle
Super Boat of Lee Rice and Marvin Wright being disqualified for mistakenly
entering the launch area, rather than the spinout pool after an unfortunate
DNF.
Lee and Marvin pilot one of the most radical boats in the
USSBA Racing Series. They run a 409 cubic inch, monster that is supercharged
and just itches to be let go. They run straight headers. This baby is
make-your-ears-bleed loud and fast and is a crowd pleaser whenever it
appears
Unfortunately
today, its appearance was measured in mere seconds. Rules are rules and it's
just one of those racing things. With boats going this fast over this very
small course, stuff will happen.
But that surely was not the end of the action! DNFs galore.
Boats hopping over islands and continuing on in successful runs. Boats
hitting an odd shoal near the spinout pool and exiting in most unusual ways.
Many times involving dirt and one instance with an 8" plastic pipe that was
shattered like a potato chip.
Super Boats
Three teams but only two real Super Boats played in the Swamp
this past weekend. 2010 Super Boat defending champions Cory Johnson and Gary
McNeal blew up the Super Boat motor at Webb's Slough so the double-teamed a
400 class boat to at least qualify this weekend.
Once Lee and Marvin were disqualified, it was a walk in the
park for Wicked Racing's Dan Morrison and Cara McGuire. But, let it be know
they did not hold anything back!
They went out racing hard no matter what. They also played
around with setups and got the boat to handle pretty good on this tight,
little track. Dan's boat is notorious for horrible handing on a course such
as Thunder Swamp, but nosing down the boat proved to be the answer.
But, even then they flew through the spinout pool and smacked
an 8" PVC pipe, shattering it into tiny bits and crunching the rear,
driver's side of the boat a bit.
Not even that slowed them down and they still raced it to the
limit and beyond with a gentle pirouette a couple of turn from the finish
line on a hot-to-trot run.
They decided to pack it in after that upside-down excursion
and took the checkers on an ATV around the track celebrating their second
consecutive win.
Group A-400
Four boats were playing this weekend in the A-400 class.
There was one team with a perfect race weekend in this class and it was not
the 2010 champion.
TNT Racing's Paul Gahr Jr. and his son, Josh Gahr in the Live
Wire machine completed the weekend without a misstep and walked home with
the trophy and prize money.
Boats making it into the top eight were: Werner/Horton,
Hughes/Haskey, Henderson/Henderson, Hines/Carreia, Brewer/Lollar,
Vestal/Heaton, Ackerman/Ackerman and Powell/Usselman.
Wayne Brown, in the Twisted Racing machine, racing his first
race, DNF'd out, but had one helluva fun time. He walked away smiling and
ready to rock and roll.
For the 2010 A-400 champ? Not so much.
Wicked Racing's #01 boat with Doug Hendrickson and Hannah
Macke walked away a bit frustrated with three DNF's out of five runs. Though
they did have the fastest run of the group, they DNF'd on the first
qualifying run and ended their win streak at seven.
In the 8-cut, it was Saxton and Farrand with a 2-plus second
lead over the Gahr's. With Paul and Josh seemingly losing their breath in
the eliminations after running 62's in the qualifying rounds and now running
mid 65's, the Fat Buddy team of Saxton and Farrand were looking pretty good
for taking the win after their barrel roll earlier in the day!
UPDATE: Later talking with Paul Gahr at Albany, two
weeks later, he explain that in the 4-cut he did not "lose his breath." Once
Hendrickson DNFd then Paul and Saxton were both automatically in the 2-cut
as they were the only boats left. Therefore, Paul was playing it safe and
saving it for the final run of the day. Once Saxton DNF'd after Paul's run,
the trophy was his!
But, they DNF'd and they race day was over. Paul and Josh get
to take home their very first place trophy! Paul later mentioned that he had
a pile of third place trophies and this would definitely move the others out
of the way to make room for the big one.
Super Modified
The Super Mod class was the hottest class of the day to
watch. Eric Werner and Jana Horton were screaming fast all day. They were
head-to-head with the Super Boat times until Morrison ripped off a 56 second
run and this class was clearly faster than the 400-class all day long.
At the end of the day it was Werner/Horton, in their Toyota
FJ Cruiser inspired Voodoo-Blue, Jolly Roger machine that was consistently
at the top of the class with Dennis Hughes and Ms. Haskey right just a tick
away.
And then it was Scott and Lori Ackerman and Brewer/Lollar
that snuck into the fray after Werner/Horton had a technical faux pas of
their kill switch tripping right at the start of the first elimination run.
All humans within 3-square miles sighed when we saw the blue #146 sitting
still right past the start line.
Race Announcer, Bill Lundun, said, "I think he waved-off..."
Unfortunately a racer can only wave off a start for a clogged pump. Eric and
Jana restarted the engine and ran an incredible lap. But, after the
start-fault it was not enough to make it to the next round of eliminations.
It was then Hughes, Ackerman, Brewer and Powell. Powell
DNF'd, Brewer timed out and then Ackerman DNF'd in final round with a well
deserved first win going to Dennis Hughes and Ms. Haskey!
All the teams work long and hard to win. That's really what
it's about. Winning.
Dennis has had some tough times through this still horrendous
economy—as many of us have had—and it's an absolute thrill to see him work
through it and stake his claim with his new navigator for their first win,
the biggest trophy and prize money!
Congratulations to Hughes/Haskey, Gahr/Gahr and
Morrison/McGuire for their big trophies this weekend.
See you at Albany!
USSBA Race Recap
It was wetter at The Slough
2011 season kicks off with a sloshy, but exciting start!
By Jim DeFord
ST. JOHN, Washington (June 18, 2011) — Webb's Slough has never looked
better. The hard work that Matt & Amanda Webb and The Slough Crew put into
this track was never more evident. The grass was gorgeous! There's a bunch
of new trees more organization than ever and the event ran as smooth as
ever. A huge thanks to everyone that makes racing at Webb's Slough possible.

The track rotation was an über-tight, twisty, gnarly pretzel
that caused many teams grief as they struggled to make it smoothly through
the tight portion of the layout. There was only one fast part in the middle
of the run where the fast boats could really stretch their legs. That being
said, there were plenty of DNFs and off-track adventures that resulted in a
grueling five-hour qualifying session additionally hampered by several rain
showers.
But, that did not dampen the fan's excitement! A large crowd
was there for some hard racing and they got what they came for.
Super-Modified Class
In qualifying it was Cory Johnson, Eric Werner, Dennis
Hughes, Scott Ackerman and defending champion Dillon Cummings in the top
five. Rounding out the boats making it into the 8-cut were Amanda Vestal,
who ripped off a stunning Q4 run after three consecutive DNFs and qualified
sixth. And then it was Tim Cummings and Brewer.
In the eliminations it was Hughes, Henderson, Vestal and
Cummings out in the first round and Ackerman and Dillon Cummings out in
round two leaving Cory Johnson and Eric Werner set to battle.
Cory and Gary's fastest time was in the 53's while Eric had
only ran a 56.3. Eric and Janna Horton were out first and ran a sweet lap
and their fastest time of the day at 55.276. Cory and Gary came out and
pulled off their second fastest time of the day at 54.011 taking home the
first trophy of the season.
Group A-400 Class
The A-400 class has been one of the closest run championships
over the last few years and again all six boats were nose to tail with the
top four running within two seconds of each other. It was 2010 Champion
Wicked Racing's team of Doug Hendrickson and Hannah Macke taking P1, but by
just a hair! Psycho Racing's Kyle Patrick and daughter Alex we just a
hundredth and change off the time set by Hendrickson. Doug pulled a 57.135
with Kyle at 57.147! It doesn't get much closer than that.
Olson/Gilder ran a 58.505, qualifying third with
Gahr/Eldridge at 59.511. Barger/Lacey and Saxton/Farrand rounded out the six
boats that ran in this class.
In the first round of qualifications Barger had mechanical
issues and did not start. Hendrickson ran a 58.177, Olson a 58.444, Gahr a
58.646 and Saxton a 59.770! Very, very close! Kyle Patrick came out of the
gate ready to take down the 2010 Champ, but missed a corner and DNF'd and
the crowd was audibly disappointed, but the fun was not over yet.
Gahr and Eldridge both DNF'd in the second round and it was a
Doug vs. Doug match. This was not their first head-to-head battle and so far
Hendrickson has not yet lost against Mr. Olson. With Olson and Gilder up
first and he ran his fastest time of the day at 58.303. Hendrickson and
Macke were up next and also ran their fastest time of the day at 56.472
taking home the Webb's Slough trophy.
Super Boats
Four boats entered this unlimited class and only one would
come out the other side. Defending Champion and hard to beat unless he
crashes or breaks Cory Johnson and Gary McNeal were screaming fast right off
the trailer. They run their boat nose down and loose. It looks wrong but
runs so right at the hands of Johnson/McNeal and on this day it would be no
different.
Where many struggled through the tight turn five, Cory ran
through there faster than anyone. He ran his fastest time of the day in Q4
at 50.560. The next closest boat was Wicked Racing's Dan Morrison and Cara
McGuire at 53.304, but they were struggling as their boat does not like
these tight rotations.
Morrison/McGuire were "cowboying" it through the majority of
the track but the one are where they could open it up that boat was hella
fast and looks to be the fastest, torquiest (and no, that is not a real
word) boat in the series. Time will tell on that one.
Lee Rice and Marvin Wright were also having similar problems
as their boat cries speed with an estimated horsepower near 1,000 with that
gnarly supercharger. Hartwig/Fowler were just trying to qualify and stretch
their legs a little as it had been some time since the Hi-Tech Redneck boat
had seen any racing.
In qualifications Johnson was running 51's without much
effort, Morrison ran a 57 in round one and then a 54 in round two. Lee Rice
did manage his fastest time of the day and a nice run at 56.534 but it would
not be fast enough. Hartwig shored his boat in round and was done for the
day.
So that left Morrison vs. Johnson. Dan and Cara ran their
second fastest time at 54.744 and then it was Cory's turn. After several
minutes in the pits, Canada's Liquid Courage boat was scratched with a large
pool of oil in the bottom of the boat and evidently catastrophic damage to
their methonal breathing motor.
Morrison/McGuire took the win and the trophy after a very
tough day at the track.
See you at East Wenatchee!
USSBA Pre-Race News and Information
Are you ready to get Wetter? Wetter is always
Better at Webb's Slough
2011 season kicks off with a bang!
By Jim DeFord with Scott Ackerman
St.
John, Washington (June 11, 2011) — The anticipation is thick. The teams
are ready. Are you? St. John is ready. The track is ready and looking better
than ever as Matt and Amanda Webb and their dedicated crew have been making
even more improvements to what is the most beautiful racing facility
currently on the USSBA schedule.
Weather is currently forecasted to be in the low to mid-70's.
Absolutely perfect for racing. The cooler the weather is the more horsepower
the engine generate and not to mention is just way more comfortable for the
drivers and navigators
in their firesuits.
The Two Pump Chump, OverKill and Fat Buddy racing teams and
been busy promoting the sport and the St. John races. Here are just a few
places they have been in the "off" season: Three days at the Spokane Boat
Show, Lind Parade and Combine Derby, East Wenatchee Parade, Palouse
Networking Alliance and this weekend at Northern Quest Casino, a new primary
sponsor for Webb's Slough. Whew! That's a pretty busy off season!!! Oh! But
wait, there was also Whiskey Dicks, Village Tavern and the St. John Stock
Show!! Wow! Someone has been very busy!
What's new at The Slough? (Grab some popcorn!) 40 new trees,
a new top coat of gravel. Many new sponsors and welcoming the dedicated
sponsors that have been with us for five years! Campsite and track is
greener than ever! There will be new, cool Webb Slough merchandise, some new
food vendors (Webb's Slough already had the best track food and now it will
be even better!).
A new TV crew from Salt Lake City will be onsite, recording
the race. Webb's Slough is also negotiating to bring Lucas Oil back for
another session for even more television exposure on SPEED and other
channels. The Salt Lake crew will be recording June 16th through the 19th!!
For more information on camping, tickets, etc. visit the
Webb's
Slough Website. Also don't forget to visit
and "like" the
USSBA and
Webb's Slough Facebook pages.
And Vanessa says: Big Beatle: Stomp it! I have
no idea what that means, but it was in the press stuff that Scott sent me!
So.....If you were on the fence whether to come to the race
next weekend: Get off the damn fence! Come see the most amazing form of
motorsports you have ever seen in your life. If you're already a fan: We
love you and and look forward to seeing you on Saturday, June 18th. Gates open
at 9am. Racing starts at 10am. Here are
directions the the track.
See you all there!
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