Saturday, September 01, 2007
Some thoughts during the downtime ...
It’s 2 weeks to the 5 as I sit down to write this. What can we expect in San Diego? Has this season lived up to its billing? Are the Unlimiteds in good shape as we prepare to close out 2007? What kind of changes can we look forward to as the off-season is almost upon us?
There are several points to consider – pro and con – about the state of Unlimited Hydroplane racing. The sport has been pronounced on its death bed several times in recent years, but somehow it’s managed to survive and there have been some encouraging developments worth noting.
One of the first things that comes to mind is the leadership of the sport, meaning Sam Cole. Cole apparently has convinced both race teams and race sites that this sport can make a comeback. How else can you explain that only three years ago this sport was bitterly divided as to its direction (thank you, Mr. Garbrecht – may he rest in peace). Not to mention the announcement by Joe Little that 2004 would be the last year for Budweiser’s participation in Unlimited Hydroplane racing, and all of Hydroplanes, Inc., was up for sale at the end of the year. The outlook wasn’t too pretty. Sam Cole was well known to the sport’s participants – he had a history that translated into being able to be trusted. I’m not sure that the hard core, long-suffering fans held out a lot of high hopes as the 2005 season dawned, but they were still willing to show up, as they always did.
New race teams appeared to start 2005, including Chad Sanderson, whose sponsor was Ted Porter of Decatur, IN based FORMULABOATS.COM. I lived and worked in Fort Wayne, IN, which was only a 25 minute drive north and it was kind of neat to see an unlimited hydroplane appear occasionally in that town, or in Auburn, IN where Sanderson was from. Detroiter Dave Bartush also made the jump by purchasing one of Kim Gregory’s two hulls and was the surprise - or shock, whichever you prefer – of the year by pulling off an upset victory in the Gold Cup. Speaking of Gregory, he was so impressed by the direction he saw the sport heading in that he contacted Joe Little and purchased the T-3 Budweiser hull for 2006. Rookie Jean Theoret was hired by Bill Wurster as the new chauffer for LLUMAR WINDOW FILM, and all the winningest driver in Grand Prix hydroplane history did was score two victories and be named the ABRA Rookie of the Year.
The sport was becoming more competitive, no doubt about that. Some new young guns were on the horizon for the sport, too. No offense to some of the veteran drivers, but even they would admit the sport needed to get some of the “graybeards”, as Steve David has admitted, moving on and get some of the newer fans excited about the younger drivers such as J. Michael Kelly. 2006 saw the return of Unlimited Hydroplane legend Billy Schumacher return to the sport, now as a new owner after purchasing Bill Wurster’s team. Billy’s name returned to the Gold Cup, adding an owner’s title to his two driving wins. Chad Sanderson sold his interest in his racing team to sponsor Ted Porter, who wowed the racing community by purchasing both the T-5 and T-6 Budweisers from Joe Little. And all they did was capture the national championship, including a victory at Valleyfield by Rookie of the Year Mike Allen. So the outlook for 2007 looked very promising.
Freedom Racing decided to order a brand new boat for this year after that disastrous fire destroyed their previous entry. The city of Madison, IN, decided that after some 20 or so years (I forget, I know it was built in the 80’s) it was time for a brand new boat. I won’t recap what’s been going on this season because it’s been well chronicled. However, this isn’t to say there aren’t concerns. I realize I’m going to get some darts thrown in my direction for some of the things I’m about to say, but I’m just giving my opinion.
I salute the ELAM team for their drive and determination to excel in this sport. Unless a modern-day miracle happens, there’s no way they’ll lose the national championship when San Diego becomes history. BUT – if they dominate the fleet in 2008 like they have this year, the sport will head into a downward spiral again. Is it their fault they’re so better prepared than everybody else? Nope, not at all. They’re not spending Budweiser dollars, either, but they’ve been extremely committed. A lot of that comes from Dave Villwock. I admit I’m not a fan of his because I think he’s a poor sport and whiner when he loses, but I don’t take anything away from him as a wizard with boat setup and propellers. Nevertheless, my opinion remains the same – domination in a 6 event sport will be eventual death.
Now, there are some encouraging things to look at. It appears that serious discussions have been and are still going on to secure more race sites. This is very badly needed, and everyone knows it. I was in the media business for over 30 years until a stroke retired me three years ago. Thank God I never lost my voice or faculties – I’m truly blessed. But to get to my point – 6 races do not a series make. With 8 there’s an outside shot. Ten is the ideal number that I believe a television package could be put together. To get there, attendance needs to continue to climb at all races. Not just for the race sites’ sake, but to make an impression on potential sites. We need to get to 8, then to 10. Detroit’s attendance was better this year, and from what I can tell most of the other sites are reporting similar results. That’s definitely good.
The snag in all this – again, my viewpoint – is that there are some teams, while wanting the sport to grow, seem to not regard Evansville, Madison, and Detroit important enough to get ready for. “BUT JIM!”, you protest, “DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IT COSTS TO PULL THE BOATS ALL THE WAY EAST WITHOUT A SPONSOR?”. I’m not saying it’s a walk in the park. But every year it’s always a guessing game – how many will be in Evansville? 8? 9? Whew, a few more decided to come, so we have 11. Think about that – do you realize how hard that is for the sponsoring committee to sell for a potential event title sponsor? If I had a business and knew virtually nothing about the sport, I have to justify the expense - am I sponsoring a sport that is professional or just some high speed hobby?
As for sponsors for the boats to come east, God Bless Ken Muscatel and Fred Leland. While I don’t know the details, it wouldn’t surprise me that some members of the race site committee dig into their contacts and line up sponsors – which they have a great chance of doing as long as they know for sure teams are coming. I’m sure Evansville and Madison are the same. This strategy of starting your season at the fourth race of the year doesn’t bode well for a professional look. Teams need to prepare for Evansville as their first race like the top tier teams do, not Tri-Cities. The Kansas City Royals can’t lay back and start their season in mid July because it suits their plans and financial outlook. This sport has to have a firmer commitment from all teams to be ready to go. Both Leland and the doctor seem to always have someone more than willing to put their logo on their boats – why can’t the rest of the fleet sit up and take notice? It can be done, if only they try.
There are other things I could comment on, like trolling at the start and a few other things, but I’ve gone on long enough for now. Despite the ELAM’s dominance, I’m encouraged by OBERTO winning in Seattle. I’m encouraged by David Bryant and the job he’s doing in the U-10. Dave Bartush’s crew has really put together a fine boat for J. Michael to drive. Also the emergence of Jeff Bernard, and other good looking young guns like Brian Perkins. There’s already talk of perhaps two new teams joining the field next year. So while Sam Cole has a few issues to address, the unlimited fraternity, as well as the fans, have a lot to be hopeful for and I believe the right guy is in the right position.
Talk to you in a couple of weeks …
