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Article published Jul 15, 2007
Wind wreaks havoc, but power boat races move on
By DAVE WEIDIG
Staff Writer
LICKING TOWNSHIP - The "summer breeze, makes me feel fine" lyrics of Seals and Croft didn't exactly apply to the Modified Outboard National Championships on Saturday at Dillon State Park.
With over 20 mph winds whipping around Dillon Lake on an otherwise beautiful July day, not only did the course have to be changed, but an afternoon delay pushed back the racing to nearly dark last night and into this morning.
Not to worry. Families and racers from all around the country still filled the beach area and enjoyed the camaraderie out of the water as they waited to compete on the lake. Up above, hundreds of fans waited patiently on the terrace overlooking the water.
"We had to move the course about a quarter of a mile west, to Lee Shore," explained race director Mike Marshall of Dresden. "The hydroplanes are affected a lot by the wind, while the runabouts are affected by the (choppy) water. We'll race up until about 8:30 tonight (Saturday, when the winds died down) and start up again 7:30 Sunday morning.
"Hey, it's the nationals. To complete them is very important."
The winds moved in about 10:30 a.m. Saturday. "We were still able to race, but then they shifted to due west, which changed everything," Marshall said. "This is unusual for Ohio. We had three straight mini-cold fronts come through, not enough to give us rain but still give us the wind."
For the first time, the American Power Boat Association (APBA) selected Dillon for its national championships, and a record 252 boats from some 20 states and Canada showed up for testing and tuning Wednesday and Thursday, and racing on Friday and Saturday.
There were 10 boats from California alone as well as two trailer loads from Louisiana. Other states represented, in addition to Ohio, were Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Tennessee.
"We probably had about 400 spectators on the hill, even on a Friday afternoon, and probably 400 this morning," Marshall said.
Boats ranged from 12-cubic inch motors to the screaming 50-cubic inch Modified hydroplanes that will reach over 90 mph on the straights. There were Stock/Junior hydroplane classes, as well as the Modified outboard hydroplanes and racing runabouts.
In some classes, there were even three generations of racers. Power boat racing is considered a hobby by most, a hobby entire families experience for a lifetime.
In one division, 71-year-old George Stillwell went up against 18-year-old Valerie D'Agostino of Bowie, Md., a student at North Carolina-Wilmington who will be transferring closer to home at Towson University. She's defending national champion in the AX Super Hydro class.
"My dad and brother are both national champions; my dad won three national titles one year," D'Agostino said. "I'm just carrying on the tradition.
"It's like a separate life. I've probably been home like only two days this summer. But I don't mind it."
Jillian Davids of Webster, N.Y. and her dad, Jared, were also on hand. The elder Davids won a pair of national titles this weekend.
George Luce of Long Island, N.Y. and his 15-year-old son, James, came to Dillon for the first time and are coming off a memorable 2006. "We both made the Hall of Champions last year as father and son, and that's only happened once before," said a beaming George Luce. "It was a huge honor.
"It was a real special season last year. We both set world speed records.
"It's fun racing, and working on the motors is fun, too," James Luce said. He normally runs a little over 50 mph, but got to test one of his dad's boats that went over 70 mph.
"I started racing when I was 23, but I slowed down when I got married and the kids came along," said George Luce, who has two sons and two daughters. "When James got involved, we started doing two races a year, three races a year. Now, this is our second or third full season."
George was still smiling Saturday afternoon, despite being in an accident that ripped the bottom out of his boat, plus the wind delay.
"Sure you race hard and try not to do anything unsportsmanlike, but racing is only a small part of it," he said. "It's getting together with all these people and helping each other out. It's an extended family, to be sure. You go home and know people from all over the country.
"This a great park and lake," he said of Dillon. "One of the best we've ever raced on."
Friday's first day of racing produced four fairly big accidents, which Marshall attributed more to hard driving than lake conditions. Saturday's conditions produced four minor mishaps.
"People drive harder here; it's the nationals," Marshall said. "When they come here, they come here to win. Some of them bring their boats out only once a year, for this."
Veteran racer Brian Palmquist of Illinois, C Modified Hydro national champion, was involved in a serious accident with Eric Vanover on Friday. Palmquist broke his collarbone and suffered serious arm injuries. After being taken to an area hospital by local emergency personnel, he was then transported to Riverside Hospital in Columbus to undergo surgery on his arm.
Marshall praised the Falls and Licking Township response units for their work throughout the races. "It was the best fire, rescue and dive units I have ever seen, at any race, anywhere," he said.
Wind wreaks havoc, but power boat races move on
By DAVE WEIDIG
Staff Writer
LICKING TOWNSHIP - The "summer breeze, makes me feel fine" lyrics of Seals and Croft didn't exactly apply to the Modified Outboard National Championships on Saturday at Dillon State Park.
With over 20 mph winds whipping around Dillon Lake on an otherwise beautiful July day, not only did the course have to be changed, but an afternoon delay pushed back the racing to nearly dark last night and into this morning.
Not to worry. Families and racers from all around the country still filled the beach area and enjoyed the camaraderie out of the water as they waited to compete on the lake. Up above, hundreds of fans waited patiently on the terrace overlooking the water.
"We had to move the course about a quarter of a mile west, to Lee Shore," explained race director Mike Marshall of Dresden. "The hydroplanes are affected a lot by the wind, while the runabouts are affected by the (choppy) water. We'll race up until about 8:30 tonight (Saturday, when the winds died down) and start up again 7:30 Sunday morning.
"Hey, it's the nationals. To complete them is very important."
The winds moved in about 10:30 a.m. Saturday. "We were still able to race, but then they shifted to due west, which changed everything," Marshall said. "This is unusual for Ohio. We had three straight mini-cold fronts come through, not enough to give us rain but still give us the wind."
For the first time, the American Power Boat Association (APBA) selected Dillon for its national championships, and a record 252 boats from some 20 states and Canada showed up for testing and tuning Wednesday and Thursday, and racing on Friday and Saturday.
There were 10 boats from California alone as well as two trailer loads from Louisiana. Other states represented, in addition to Ohio, were Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Tennessee.
"We probably had about 400 spectators on the hill, even on a Friday afternoon, and probably 400 this morning," Marshall said.
Boats ranged from 12-cubic inch motors to the screaming 50-cubic inch Modified hydroplanes that will reach over 90 mph on the straights. There were Stock/Junior hydroplane classes, as well as the Modified outboard hydroplanes and racing runabouts.
In some classes, there were even three generations of racers. Power boat racing is considered a hobby by most, a hobby entire families experience for a lifetime.
In one division, 71-year-old George Stillwell went up against 18-year-old Valerie D'Agostino of Bowie, Md., a student at North Carolina-Wilmington who will be transferring closer to home at Towson University. She's defending national champion in the AX Super Hydro class.
"My dad and brother are both national champions; my dad won three national titles one year," D'Agostino said. "I'm just carrying on the tradition.
"It's like a separate life. I've probably been home like only two days this summer. But I don't mind it."
Jillian Davids of Webster, N.Y. and her dad, Jared, were also on hand. The elder Davids won a pair of national titles this weekend.
George Luce of Long Island, N.Y. and his 15-year-old son, James, came to Dillon for the first time and are coming off a memorable 2006. "We both made the Hall of Champions last year as father and son, and that's only happened once before," said a beaming George Luce. "It was a huge honor.
"It was a real special season last year. We both set world speed records.
"It's fun racing, and working on the motors is fun, too," James Luce said. He normally runs a little over 50 mph, but got to test one of his dad's boats that went over 70 mph.
"I started racing when I was 23, but I slowed down when I got married and the kids came along," said George Luce, who has two sons and two daughters. "When James got involved, we started doing two races a year, three races a year. Now, this is our second or third full season."
George was still smiling Saturday afternoon, despite being in an accident that ripped the bottom out of his boat, plus the wind delay.
"Sure you race hard and try not to do anything unsportsmanlike, but racing is only a small part of it," he said. "It's getting together with all these people and helping each other out. It's an extended family, to be sure. You go home and know people from all over the country.
"This a great park and lake," he said of Dillon. "One of the best we've ever raced on."
Friday's first day of racing produced four fairly big accidents, which Marshall attributed more to hard driving than lake conditions. Saturday's conditions produced four minor mishaps.
"People drive harder here; it's the nationals," Marshall said. "When they come here, they come here to win. Some of them bring their boats out only once a year, for this."
Veteran racer Brian Palmquist of Illinois, C Modified Hydro national champion, was involved in a serious accident with Eric Vanover on Friday. Palmquist broke his collarbone and suffered serious arm injuries. After being taken to an area hospital by local emergency personnel, he was then transported to Riverside Hospital in Columbus to undergo surgery on his arm.
Marshall praised the Falls and Licking Township response units for their work throughout the races. "It was the best fire, rescue and dive units I have ever seen, at any race, anywhere," he said.
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