1995 Texaco Star Mart Kansas City Hydrofair
Unlimiteds Are Back
KANSAS CITY (June 18) -- After a year's hiatus, the unlimiteds were back in the Show Me State and back at Smithville Lake, just north of Kansas City, for only the second time. Many witnesses to this exciting event call it, arguably, the best race of recent years and some insist there has never been anything like it.
With a new lane-choice formula invoked for the first time -- with first-heat winners given last choice and thus being relegated to outside lanes for the second heat -- no less than seven DIFFERENT boats won the seven heats (including the provisional) leading up to the winner-take-all final. Not only were the blue ribbons shared by many teams, but the racing was as close and deck-to-deck as anyone might imagine.
Late in the day, as a strong breeze began to pummel the lake's waters, Hanauer admitted to serious discomfort. It developed that, while bouncing over a high roller in Detroit two weeks previous, he had suffered injury to rib and back muscles (apparently still tender from a couple of serious mishaps suffered in 1994). Rather than fight the choppy water in lane one, Hanauer opted for a lane farther outside. Steve David jumped at a chance to put his T-Plus Engine Treatment on the inside -- and then led practically from wire-to-wire to annex an upset victory in the Texaco Star Mart presents Kansas City Hydrofair. Special kudos went to owner Jim Harvey and his T-Plus crew for their efforts since Detroit, where the boat wound up tossing a propeller with near- disastrous consequences to the hull.
A couple of taped-and-battered boats, Smokin' Joe's and the Miss Budweiser, also damaged by buffeting waves, were able to run two-three in the T-Plus wake.
(Reprinted from the URC Electronic Thunderletter No. 29 September 28, 1995)