Depue crowds always amaze me and this weekend and especially Sunday was no different. They were 12-15 deep from the Depue Men's shelter all the way to the water plant behind the judges stand. With plenty of other spots along the lake filled as well. Well done Depue Men's club.
The U.S. Title Series first National Championship was very successful, thanks to the efforts of our President Todd Brinkman, Susan Sailer and her crew, and of course the Mayor of Depue and the Depue Men's club. Mayor Bryant had the vision of what the lack of boat racing would mean to the city and its people and was not going to let that happen, went to work with Rich Magnusson, a whole group of volunteers and saved the races and a fine show was presented this weekend. I cannot remember the last Nationals that I saw so much side by side racing in my career.
125cc Hydro
Brian Palmquist started the Sunday portion of the Nationals by winning in the 1st heat, came back and won the 2nd heat and then it all came apart for him in the 3rd heat sitting in front of the Judges stand, only to watch as Pete Kelly did exactly what he needed to do in the 3rd heat and took all the marbles home with him. This was Pete's very first National Championship and as he drove the TBR hydro in fine style. Kristi Ellison, driving a boat painted in honor of her husband Richard and son Michael, Purple for the purple heart her husband received for injuries when an car bomb went off, and her son Michaels green for his combat ribbon. Both have served in Afghanistan, and in fact served at the same time over there. Thanks Richard and Michael. God Speed.
Pete
Brian
Kristi
Next up was 1100cc Runabout with a great start the Derek's took the lead in the first heat and took it, while Mike and Julia tried a couple of times to get alongside, Derek continued for the lead. He finished off the other two heats as well with wins. I do not know how Mike coaxes Julia into it, but it is great to have her with us, lots of help for the Thirlby crew. Brittany Wright celebrated her birthday on Saturday and boy did Brian Payn take her for a ride on Sunday. Happy B-Day Brittany!!!!
DEREK GESLER/DERRICK COX
MIKE THIRBLY/JULIA THIRBLY
BRAIN PAYN/BRITTANY WRIGHT
The Title Series was auctioning off 1100R rides to fans all weekend and on Sunday the drawing took place and Teri Floyd and Dave Hoffert took the rides of their lives with Derek Gesler and Mike Thirlby behind the wheels, running side by side for three laps and at speed. Breathless when they came back in, they both had a great day!!!!
250cc Hydro
Can you say classy when you watch Chris Hellsten! Chris won all three heats on Sunday, but not easy as the final heat came about with David Mitchell and Chris who never met in the 4 heats previous, came into the final with 800 points. Chris had that hydro running absolutely flawless and took home the final after David loaded up at the start. It would have been interesting to see the two of them duking it out for sure. Amy Nydahl was in the mix in all three heats to finish off for the podium.
Chris finished 8th in the World Championships held over in Italy earlier this month, while Michael W. Schmidt finished in the 6th spot. Congratulations to both. BTW, Rene Benche, who won the 175 Worlds at Depue last year was the winner with a VRP factory ride.
CHRIS HELLSTEN
DAVID MITCHELL
AMY NYDAHL
350cc Runabout was up next with one of the most exciting heats I have ever seen in a long time with Rich Krier and brother Mike, side by side for 4 laps with Rich eking out a win by half a boat length. Un-real and it had the crowd on its feet the whole way. Rich had brother Mikes help, in repairing that brand new Krier runabout after the collision with Rich and Tim Small on Saturday. Tim's weekend was not much fun for him as he had some problems along the way in this class, but can go home the 125R champ in 2013. Hope that ankle gets better soon Tim.
Rich then went on to win one of the other two heats and the fun part was seeing Brad Burkland who heaved his daughter Baylee in the water after her win in 175H. grab Rich and gave him the heave ho as well.
RICHARD KRIER
MIKE KRIER
BRIAN PAYN
1100cc Hydro came up next and what a show they put on for the crowd. Robby Galleta and Galleta Areator company put up 3K to win, 2K for second, and 1K for third, with 4th through the last finisher picking money as well.
Amy Nydahl won the first heat of Top Hydro and looked to be the driver and boat combo to beat as she was absolutely flying around the Lake Depue course. Doug Hall, trying to chase her down looked faster than before but was unable to catch her. Doug driving a brand new Pugh hydro that Rex Hall, his Father and engine builder picked the boat up on Friday before the nationals and rigged it all day Monday and Tuesday and the drove to Depue to put in the water for the first time. They had some sorting out to do to get it into race trim and many test runs were made. On Friday, Doug won the 500H championship, along with the Gerry Drake Memorial Trophy to add another championship to his many.
On Sunday they had it dialed in and moving!!!!! Doug was flawless in his driving and the Rossi was singing a tune no one else could sing. Amy got out in front in the first heat, but slowly but surely Doug began to reel her in, but Amy took the heat. Later in another heat, Amy got alongside Doug, but again Doug and Rex had sorted out the issues and took the heats for the overall win.
Some real fun for me was watching David Mitchell, one of the finest open cockpit pilots climb into the P-7 entry of Tim Borway, drop the lid and go racing for the first time in a capsule boat and put it on the podium, Congrats David, great job.
DOUG HALL
AMY NYDAHL
DAVID MITCHELL
Well October in July was quite a surprise, but the wind although blowing at times made the water a little rough, no one hit the water over the weekend and everyone went home from Depue, I consider just that statement a successful weekend.
Again, my thanks to all of our competitors who came to support the U.S. Title Series Nationals and enjoyed a great weekend of racing. One of my highlights will be the memory of the crowd on its feet cheering David Everhart in winning the C-Service Hydro Crown. I think the fans at Depue have now adopted him as one of their favorites.
Remember to keep Dan Kirts in your prayers, and after reading Jim's post, it looks like Dan is responding more in the last day or so, Keep it up Danny, we are praying for another win!!!!!!
Ray
The U.S. Title Series first National Championship was very successful, thanks to the efforts of our President Todd Brinkman, Susan Sailer and her crew, and of course the Mayor of Depue and the Depue Men's club. Mayor Bryant had the vision of what the lack of boat racing would mean to the city and its people and was not going to let that happen, went to work with Rich Magnusson, a whole group of volunteers and saved the races and a fine show was presented this weekend. I cannot remember the last Nationals that I saw so much side by side racing in my career.
125cc Hydro
Brian Palmquist started the Sunday portion of the Nationals by winning in the 1st heat, came back and won the 2nd heat and then it all came apart for him in the 3rd heat sitting in front of the Judges stand, only to watch as Pete Kelly did exactly what he needed to do in the 3rd heat and took all the marbles home with him. This was Pete's very first National Championship and as he drove the TBR hydro in fine style. Kristi Ellison, driving a boat painted in honor of her husband Richard and son Michael, Purple for the purple heart her husband received for injuries when an car bomb went off, and her son Michaels green for his combat ribbon. Both have served in Afghanistan, and in fact served at the same time over there. Thanks Richard and Michael. God Speed.
Pete
Brian
Kristi
Next up was 1100cc Runabout with a great start the Derek's took the lead in the first heat and took it, while Mike and Julia tried a couple of times to get alongside, Derek continued for the lead. He finished off the other two heats as well with wins. I do not know how Mike coaxes Julia into it, but it is great to have her with us, lots of help for the Thirlby crew. Brittany Wright celebrated her birthday on Saturday and boy did Brian Payn take her for a ride on Sunday. Happy B-Day Brittany!!!!
DEREK GESLER/DERRICK COX
MIKE THIRBLY/JULIA THIRBLY
BRAIN PAYN/BRITTANY WRIGHT
The Title Series was auctioning off 1100R rides to fans all weekend and on Sunday the drawing took place and Teri Floyd and Dave Hoffert took the rides of their lives with Derek Gesler and Mike Thirlby behind the wheels, running side by side for three laps and at speed. Breathless when they came back in, they both had a great day!!!!
250cc Hydro
Can you say classy when you watch Chris Hellsten! Chris won all three heats on Sunday, but not easy as the final heat came about with David Mitchell and Chris who never met in the 4 heats previous, came into the final with 800 points. Chris had that hydro running absolutely flawless and took home the final after David loaded up at the start. It would have been interesting to see the two of them duking it out for sure. Amy Nydahl was in the mix in all three heats to finish off for the podium.
Chris finished 8th in the World Championships held over in Italy earlier this month, while Michael W. Schmidt finished in the 6th spot. Congratulations to both. BTW, Rene Benche, who won the 175 Worlds at Depue last year was the winner with a VRP factory ride.
CHRIS HELLSTEN
DAVID MITCHELL
AMY NYDAHL
350cc Runabout was up next with one of the most exciting heats I have ever seen in a long time with Rich Krier and brother Mike, side by side for 4 laps with Rich eking out a win by half a boat length. Un-real and it had the crowd on its feet the whole way. Rich had brother Mikes help, in repairing that brand new Krier runabout after the collision with Rich and Tim Small on Saturday. Tim's weekend was not much fun for him as he had some problems along the way in this class, but can go home the 125R champ in 2013. Hope that ankle gets better soon Tim.
Rich then went on to win one of the other two heats and the fun part was seeing Brad Burkland who heaved his daughter Baylee in the water after her win in 175H. grab Rich and gave him the heave ho as well.
RICHARD KRIER
MIKE KRIER
BRIAN PAYN
1100cc Hydro came up next and what a show they put on for the crowd. Robby Galleta and Galleta Areator company put up 3K to win, 2K for second, and 1K for third, with 4th through the last finisher picking money as well.
Amy Nydahl won the first heat of Top Hydro and looked to be the driver and boat combo to beat as she was absolutely flying around the Lake Depue course. Doug Hall, trying to chase her down looked faster than before but was unable to catch her. Doug driving a brand new Pugh hydro that Rex Hall, his Father and engine builder picked the boat up on Friday before the nationals and rigged it all day Monday and Tuesday and the drove to Depue to put in the water for the first time. They had some sorting out to do to get it into race trim and many test runs were made. On Friday, Doug won the 500H championship, along with the Gerry Drake Memorial Trophy to add another championship to his many.
On Sunday they had it dialed in and moving!!!!! Doug was flawless in his driving and the Rossi was singing a tune no one else could sing. Amy got out in front in the first heat, but slowly but surely Doug began to reel her in, but Amy took the heat. Later in another heat, Amy got alongside Doug, but again Doug and Rex had sorted out the issues and took the heats for the overall win.
Some real fun for me was watching David Mitchell, one of the finest open cockpit pilots climb into the P-7 entry of Tim Borway, drop the lid and go racing for the first time in a capsule boat and put it on the podium, Congrats David, great job.
DOUG HALL
AMY NYDAHL
DAVID MITCHELL
Well October in July was quite a surprise, but the wind although blowing at times made the water a little rough, no one hit the water over the weekend and everyone went home from Depue, I consider just that statement a successful weekend.
Again, my thanks to all of our competitors who came to support the U.S. Title Series Nationals and enjoyed a great weekend of racing. One of my highlights will be the memory of the crowd on its feet cheering David Everhart in winning the C-Service Hydro Crown. I think the fans at Depue have now adopted him as one of their favorites.
Remember to keep Dan Kirts in your prayers, and after reading Jim's post, it looks like Dan is responding more in the last day or so, Keep it up Danny, we are praying for another win!!!!!!
Ray
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