1997 Bayfair Bill Muncey Cup
Race Results
Unlimited First Heat Results
1A (3 laps, 7.5 miles)
1. Mark Evans, Wenatchee, Wash., PICO American Dream,
150.173
2. Mike Hanson, Madison, Ind., DeWALT Tools, 148.286
3. Nate Brown, Preston, Wash., Deja Vu, 139.488
4. Jimmy King, Richmond, Mich., Miss E-Lam Plus, 138.179
5. Ken Muscatel, Seattle, Wash., Computers & Applications, 129.321
DNS--Mike Jones, Sumner, Wash., Miss Exide (Fast Lap--Evans, 2nd, 154.586)
1B--(3 laps)
1. Mark Tate, Canton, Mich., Close Call, 145.198
2. Steve David, Pompano Beach, Fla., Harvey Motorsports, 139.902
3. Mark Weber, St. Clair Shores, Mich., Miss Budweiser, 133.264
4. Brian Reynolds, Olympia, Wash., Llumar Window Film, 114.886
5. Mitch Evans, Chelan, Wash., Appian Jeronimo (hit buoy, penalized a lap)
DNF--Jerry Hale, Hayward, Calif., Miss Vons (Fast Lap--Mitch Evans, 2nd, 148.773)
SAN DIEGO-- Mark Tate, winless in seven previous races on the JASPER THUNDER TOUR presented by LAS VEGAS for unlimited hydroplanes, charged past series leader Miss Budweiser and won the first preliminary heat of this weekend's Bayfair Bill Muncey Cup on Mission Bay Saturday afternoon. His Close Call Phone Card hydro thus pulled to within just 563 points of Mark Weber's Bud, which suffered throttle problems after qualifying fastest and leading early in the heat.
The other section was won in solid fashion by the Bud's other principal challenger, defending series champion PICO American Dream, driven by Mark Evans. Two more preliminary heats and a winner-take-all final are scheduled for Sunday's wind-up day.
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Unlimited Lights First Heat Results
1A (3 laps, 5 miles)
1. Dennis Macy, Garden City, Mich., The
Menace, 87.023
2. R. Scott Schatz, Fontana, Calif., ECI III, 80.254
3. Doug Brow, Sea-Tac, Wash., Pocket Mechanic (1 minute penalty for interference)
DNF-- Dave Bender, El Dorado, Calif., B & B Racing (Fast Lap--Brow, 3rd,
94.132)
1B (3 laps)
1. Randy Haas, Toledo, O., Miss LeRoi,
101.220
2. Bo Schide, Dayton, O., Alamo, 100.948
3. Cal Phipps, Detroit, Mich., Miss LeRoi II, 97.364 (Fast Lap--Haas, 1st,
102.788)
In the Unlimited Light Racing Series preliminary heat, it was the Summer of '96 all over again, with last year's rookie of the year, Dennis Macy, and last year's ULRS driving champ, Randy Haas, receipting for wins in the respective sections.
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Unlimited Second Heat Results
2A (3 laps, 7.5 miles)
1. Mark Weber, St. Clair Shores, Mich., U-12 Miss
Budweiser, 153.495
2. Mark Tate, Canton, Mich., U-10 Close Call, 150.256
3. Steve David, Pompano Beach, Fla., U-2 Harvey Motorsports, 141.892
4. Jerry Hale, Hayward, Calif., U-99 Miss Vons, 138.322
5. Brian Reynolds, Olympia, Wash., U-8 Llumar Window Film, 121.551
DNS--Ken Muscatel, Seattle, Wash., U-12 Computers & Applications
(Fast Lap--Weber, 2nd, 155.699)
2B (3 laps) -- Halted by first-lap accident involving Miss E-Lam Plus.
2B (re-run) (3 laps)
1. Mark Evans, Wenatchee, Wash., U-1 PICO American Dream,
151.621
2. Nate Brown, Preston, Wash., U-4 Deja Vu, 149.720
3. Mike Hanson, Madison, Ind., U-6 DeWALT Tools, 143.683
4. Mitch Evans, Chelan, Wash., U-19 Appian Jeronimo, 142.443
DSQ--Jimmy King, Richmond, Mich., U-16 Miss E-Lam Plus (accident halted original
heat)
DNS--Mike Jones, Sumner, Wash., U-9 Miss Exide
(Fast Lap--Evans, 2nd, 155.406)
SAN DIEGO-- A spectacular, airborne launch over a rival's wake sent Jimmy King and the Miss E- Lam Plus some 50 feet in the sky above Mission Bay Sunday afternoon before he and the three-ton unlimited hydroplane crashed, transom first, and luckily landed right-side-up in the first turn of Heat 2B of the Bayfair Bill Muncey Cup. King was unharmed in the accident.
The incident interrupted what otherwise appeared to be a rip-roaring start, with five boats abreast. The re-run heat was more of the same, with Mark Evans and the defending national champion PICO American Dream finally outgunning Nate Brown in the Deja Vu for the victory. Evans, with two heat wins, has 800 points for the event and continues to narrow the O'Doul's high-point race for the season championship.
With rival Mark Tate (Close Call) in the outside, or pace boat, position, Mark Weber wheeled the Miss Budweiser inside of him and secured a roostertail-length victory in Heat 2A. The victory helped make up for a third-place finish in Saturday afternoon's first heat, caused when the Bud's canard failed to work properly. Steve David was home third in the Harvey Motorsports.
Heading into the third heat, set to begin at 3:05 p.m. (PDT), Miss Budweiser has 9,755 points, Close Call 9,092 and PICO 9,060.
Due to the accident, the winner-take-all final has been moved back to 4:45 p.m.
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Unlimited Lights Second Heat Results
HEAT TWO (3 laps, 5 miles)
Seven boats scheduled to run together. The field will be minus Dennis Macy's UL-445 hull, beset by motor woes. George Stratton's UL-125 Wild Fire is repaired following some serious rudder bracket damage incurred during Friday testing.
1. Bo Schide, Dayton, O., Alamo, 101.148
2. Randy Haas, Toledo, O., Miss LeRoi, 100.194
3. George Stratton, Las Vegas, Nev., Wild Fire, 99.415
4. Doug Brow, Sea-Tac, Wash., Pocket Mechanic, 89.253
5. Dave Bender, El Dorado, Calif., B&B Racing, 88.363
6. Scott Schatz, Fontana, Calif., ECI III, 82.025
DNF-- Cal Phipps, Detroit, Mich., Miss LeRoi II
(Fast Lap-- Schide, 1st, 101.518)
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Unlimited Third Heat Results
3A (3 laps, 7.5 miles)
1. Tate, Close Call, 151.358
2. Weber, Miss Budweiser, 148.947
3. David, Harvey Motorsports, 144.270
4. Hale, Miss Vons, 134.052
5. Reynolds, Llumar Window Film, 126.225
DNS--Jones, Miss Exide (Fast Lap--N/A)
3B (3 laps)
1. Mark Evans, PICO American Dream, 149.191
2. Hanson, DeWALT Tools, 148.073
3. Brown, Deja Vu, 147.251
DNS-- Muscatel, Computers & Applications; Mitch Evans, Appian;
(Fast Lap--Evans, 1st. 150.524).
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Unlimited Final (5 laps, 12.5 miles) Results
1. Mark Evans, PICO American Dream, 149.588
2. Mark Tate, Close Call Phone Card, 148.838
3. Mark Weber, Miss Budweiser, 144.796
4. Nate Brown, Deja Vu, 141.777
5. Mike Hanson, DeWALT Tools, 135.832
6. Jerry Hale, Miss Vons, 130.711
DNF-- Steve David, Harvey Motorsports
(Fast Lap-- Evans, 2nd, 150.348).
SAN DIEGO -- Mark Evans and his PICO American Dream continued their late-season charge in the JASPER THUNDER TOUR presented by LAS VEGAS for unlimited hydroplanes Sunday, churning away from chief rivals Mark Tate in Close Call and Mark Weber in Miss Budweiser to record his fourth straight victory.
"I feel the momentum, I feel the energy," cried a victorious Evans, who became the first non-Budweiser driver since Chip Hanauer (Miller American) in 1985 to win four straight among the world's fastest raceboats. Evans now has the lead for the O'Doul's national high-points driving championship, 9,860 to 9,792 for Tate, and PICO is fast closing the once seemingly insurmountable gap between itself (9,860 points) and the Bud (10,280 points).
Weber, the replacement driver for the injured Dave Villwock, finished third behind Tate as a throng of some 150,000 roared its approval. The tour continues next weekend at Lake Mead, Nev., with the Las Vegas Cup.
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Although George Stratton of Las Vegas won his second straight Unlimited Light Racing Series event in the Wild Fire, Bo Schide of Dayton, Ohio, and his Alamo clinched the season title for the ULRS with one race remaining.
(UHRA)