Hydroplane Veterans and Rookies In Strong Field for Chevrolet Cup at Seafair

SEATTLE, WA (July 28, 2004) The 2004 Gold Cup winner Nate Brown, National High Points leader Steve David, and defending Seafair and National High Points champion Dave Villwock, will head a strong contingent of at least 10 Unlimited Hydroplane drivers and teams vying for the 2004 Chevrolet Cup at Seafair on Seattle’s Lake Washington, August 6-8.

Strong finishes in the first two events of the 2004 Budweiser Hydroplane Series in Madison, Indiana and Detroit, Michigan, site of the APBA Gold Cup July 16-18, have given David, driver of the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto, a scant three point lead in the O’Doul’s National High Points over Villwock, who won the 2003 driver’s high point championship.

Brown, of Preston, Washington, won the Chrysler Jeep Superstores Detroit APBA Gold Cup on Sunday, July 18th, while subbing for injured driver Mike Weber of Dawsonville, Georgia in the U-10 Miss DYC. Weber will continue recovering from back injuries suffered at Madison, and Brown will again pilot the U-10, racing as Miss EMCOR/York Heating and Air in Seattle.

Three boats with damage sustained in previous races will be repaired in time for Seattle. Erick Ellstrom, owner and crew chief of the U-16 Miss Elam Plus, reports damage his boat suffered at the APBA Gold Cup will be repaired well in advance of the Seattle race and expects the bright orange hydroplane to be 100% for driver Terry Troxell of Gig Harbor, Washington. Bill Wurster’s U-8 Llumar Window Film needs extensive repairs following it’s last race, but will be ready for driver JW Myers on time, and Ken Muscatel’s U-25 will be ready to race for Seattle sponsors Silver Dollar Casinos and KISW.

Tom D’Eath, newly appointed Chief Operating Officer of Hydro-Prop, the sanctioning body of the event, said, “This is a very strong, exciting field, even better than we had for the Gold Cup in Detroit. This is a race with tremendous tradition, great sponsors, huge crowds, and it’s a chance for us to work with the management of Seafair, who are among the best in the world at staging events of this size. Seafair is always a great event, and we are very proud to be part of what will be a great show on Lake Washington.”

D’Eath also announced that the format for the Chevrolet Cup at Seafair will feature blind draws for all heats, clock starts, and no assigned lanes. This means boats will be randomly grouped, with drivers “fighting for lanes” at the start of each heat of racing.

Brown’s reaction to that news was, “Sweet! Real boat racing all day! This puts a little more pressure on the driver, but it’s the way we all came up through the ranks of boat racing. The drivers prefer it, and the race before the race adds a tremendous element of excitement for the fans.”

Three rookie drivers will try to qualify for competition at Seattle by running a series of laps during testing and time trials under the watchful eye of Hydro-Prop officials. Outboard national champion J Michael Kelly, a 25 year old from Puyallup, Washington, has been given the driver’s seat in Jim Harvey’s U-2, the newest boat in the fleet, but will have to qualify as a driver at Seafair. Two new drivers, Steve Hook and Vince Xaudaro, will attempt to qualify in the U-99, Miss Beacon Plumbing and the U-00, Skyway Park Bowl and Casino.

A possible eleventh entry could come from Terry Martin of Hermiston, Oregon, owner of the U-20. His driver, veteran inboard racer Dick Lynch, would be a record fourth rookie if he were to qualify and compete at Seafair.

Following the Chevrolet Cup at Seafair, the Unlimited Hydros will race in the Budweiser Bluewater International Hydrofest presented by Citizens First at St Clair, Michigan, August 20-22. D’Eath also has plans to include an Unlimited Hydro exhibition at a vintage race boat event he is organizing for Lake George, New York in late September.