Shanon's Flip at Loch Haven

[John Howe]

I think I found the race in question on Youtube, but I`m not sure.

Is this it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJH24Y3_Y9c&NR=1

[BROCCOLI]

The John Howe clip is a must see.

[DiGia54D]

I think the PHANTOM is Charlie Gonyea.

[ricochet112]

Helmets....

We don't need no stinkin' helmets!

I think all runabout heats for next year should have "hurdles" on the back stretch

[MGallagher]

That is great stuff!!! Bottom fins woo hoo!

[David_L6]

Yes, that's the right answer. I think it's called a "break in continuity". The camera shows the Mustang from the rear as it enters the narrow alley on the right wheels. Then the camera angle switches to the front and shows the Mustang exiting the alley on its left wheels. But your brain tricks you. You see the same geometric shape entering and exiting the alley and you think everything is normal. I must have watched this scene 007 times or more and never realized the error.

With the photos above, our three-dimensional brains are studying two-dimensional pictures trying to make sense of it. Your brain tricks you.

I remember the scene but never noticed that he went in on the right wheels and exited on the left wheels....

[Sean Augustine]

enough already

OK, here's what really happened...

Saturday morning, my wife wanted to head to Woolrich with the girls. She said something about a shopping trip (personally, I think it was a drinking trip considering all those involved). So, I was left to my own devices to get to the pits from the campground.

Given the options of Aileen's scooter (Harley Davidson - very sweet ride) or Heather's bike (Wal-Mart Roadmaster), I chose the bike because it was more efficient for my size.

I was on the road to the pits when a white Ford Explorer with PA plates came careening around the corner ON TWO WHEELS, and ran me off the road and into a port-a-potty.

When the driver stepped out to see if I had scratched his vehicle, it was none other than Shanon Bowman. When I asked him what would possess him to operate a vehicle in such a manner, he muttered something about James Bond and the dash for cash. He then sped off spraying gravel in my face.

Fast forward to Sunday's dash.

The start was crowded, no question. Joel Weigel, prepared for such a situation, was caught in the spray and was consulting his nav-system for updated directions to the first turn. This is why he didn't see the bumpy water heading into the turn.

The bumpy water forced Joel's boat into Ian Augustine's boat which caused Ian to remark,"HOLY COW, WHAT WAS THAT!". Ryan Runne, outside of Ian in the turn, thought Ian was speaking to him, and moved closer to Ian so that he could hear him better.

Shanon, already on "two wheels" (see paragraph 4), saw his half-lane turn into a quarter-lane, and was thus caught in the combined spray of Ian and Ryan. Alas, Shanon might have still made it had he updated to the nav-system in Joel's boat.

Shanon, now thoroughly lost, failed to maintain proper vertical order (sky > driver > boat > water) and ended up inverted. His boat, at this point, was still intact.

Suddenly, an over-zealous Lock Haven local (reports have this mystery fan as possibly Brandin Glenn) with a hacksaw, swam onto the course and sawed the sponson off of Shanon's boat. He was last seen running through the carnival shouting, "HOW 'BOUT THIS SOUVENIR?!".

Mark Ritchie, clearly the runaway favorite, was so far in the lead that he had time to photograph the entire incident from his boat on the back stretch. He didn't photograph the fan sawing the sponson off of Shanon's boat because the pack was now exiting the first turn and Mark had to get his motor restarted and get back in the race.

The reason why Mark ended up off the podium was because his crew chief remembered to put the memory card in his camera but forgot to put gas in his boat. Mark said he would fire his crew chief but had already fired himself three times this year.

As a side note, Jeff Thompson, the eventual winner, kept sticking to the buoys because someone had told him there was a golden ring he had to grab in order to claim the cash (kind of like the old merry-go-rounds).

Glad I could clear this up for everyone.

Sean

PS - Heather said I look like a dork on her bike.

[14J]

Finally the truth comes out, thanks Sean!

[Brian10s]

Heather said I look like a dork on her bike.

And the winner of the most accurate statement ever written in the history of Hydroracer goes to . . . Commander Obvious Also, I think that is the most Sean has typed since the infamous "swizle stick incident" of '03 (try looking that up in the backpages of HR - it's a great read).

Seriously, I feel the blame has to rest 100% on Mark Richie's shoulders. If he had not taken this awesome, once in a lifetime, absolutely great, sequence of pictures, what would we be talking about for 4 pages after Lockhaven?

Cooler-bobbing - the real reason everyone goes to Lockhaven.

[acr924]

Sean, that's almost as good as the magic bullet theory.

But, I heard that Ryan literally bit Shannon's sponson off. "...with my face." I think was the correct quote.

[L. Allen]

Tell us another story Uncle Sean!!!

[Cameraboy]

Lane? What lane? Things aren't always as they appear. Nobody on the race course had a problem with either of those first turns. If you want clearly defined lanes .....GO BOWLING!

were drivers looking for a lane or Elaine?

[les]

Ummmm....

Heather said I look like a dork on her bike.

Sean, I'm not so sure it was the bike...