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A great day of and for racing was had along the water and shore of Lake Depue, with the USTS Nationals sponsored by the best crew in boat racing The Depue Men’s Club. The first day of racing was enjoyable, speedy, and great fun for the thousands of fans who lined the shoreline.
Our first class up this day was C Racing Hydro in the Antique division with great racing with Justin Gibson taking the first heat, with Jay Walls Sr. taking a second and the 2nd and 3rd heats were mixed up as Justin jumped the gun in a heat and Jay picked up a win, with David Everhart in the mix for points. In the end Jay Sr. took home his first division title of his career with Justin and David filling out the podium.
Later in the day, his sun JJ and friends Everhart and the great Duke Johnson engineered a Lake Depue bath for Jay Sr. Great job guys and congrats to a fine man for his first champtionship.
Jay
Justin
David
Next up the K=Pro’s hit the water with 2 rookies Bradley Dygert and Rex Bayer running with 4 young women in the 3 heats of K-pro. Congrats to Mackenzie Hellsten as she showed the way to the checkered flag in all three heats. She started in the 5th position in the last heat to ensure a non jumping of the gun and methodically worked her way to the front to finish off 3 heat win final which is very difficult to do in any class. Bradley, one of our rookies had a great run this weekend after a fine job at Constantine last weekend, put on a repeat performance for the 2nd over all, with Brianna Payn driving a steady good pace finished 3rd.
We are grateful to know that Lyndsy McGrarath was back at the race course after a quick trip to St. Margaret’s hospital as her boat broached on the backstretch, sending Lyndsy out the side board of her hydro. A little whiplash and bruised up, but mobile, grateful.
MaKenzie Da
Bradley
Brianna
Next up came the 125R with JJ Walls B Electric entry and Tim Small in the Ed Provini entry trading heat wins in the first two. Now came the all important 3rd heat with the drivers coming out of the corner coming for the start, Small stumbled as it loaded up for an instant, but Tim grabbed the wheel and got the motor to unload immediately and came up on the outside for the start. As they headed to the first turn, Tim sidled up alongside JJ and they both hit the turn with Tim coming out of the first turn for the lead. David Jones, who had unfortunately jumped the gun in the first heat was a factor in the other two and got by JJ in the 3rd heat to secure a podium finish as well. Once Tim got out of the first turn he was never headed as he took two firsts and a second overall.
Tim
JJ
David
The second half of the program came up with 700R starting us off with a bang. As they were heading off to the backstretch for the start, Derek Gesler headed across the middle and promptly had the right hand chine dig in and went butt end over tea kettle with the boat doing a couple of barrel rolls and tossing Derek unceremoniously into the drink. Fortunately and gratefully Derek was okay and hauled in by our great safety director, Fred Mason. After that, can you sit back in wonderment at the kind of year that Andrew Thirlby is having???? Andrew completed his 7 champtionship run in a row with 3 heat wins in convincing fashion, with one heat starting in about the 6th spot to find himself out front at the exit of turn one. The 3rd heat with already to heat wins in the book, looked to be one of those epic boat races, as Jared Gryskiewicz ran side by side with Andrew until that big 700 of Jared’s gave up the Ghost. Andrew went on to a 3 heat win by a wide margin.
Poppa Mike, Andrew’s father took home the 2nd spot with a steady run during the 3 heats, while Jared picked up enough points with a 2nd in one heat and a 3rd in the other to finish on the podium as well.
Andrew
Mike
Jared.
Next up came the C-Service Runabouts with JJ Walls finishing out front by good margins in the first two heats, while Justin Gibson finishing a second and third to come to the 3rd heat. Jack Campbell the III driving a great race picked off the 3rd heat, but the real trouble for JJ started in the earlier heats as the motor had a noticeable miss in it, only to really manifest itself with a 4th place finish in the final heat to give Justin Gibson who drove a very methodical and effective 3heats the win by 31 points, with 1000 points to 969.
Justin
JJ
Jack
Last but not least was the 500H category with the Gerry Drake trophy in addition to the USTS National title. Can you say that Rex, Doug Hall’s Dad came prepared, why yes you can as Doug reeled off 3 straight heat wins by wide margins. We started off with 6 500H, but the gremlins took their toll as in the last heat, Doug and Jim Wright of the Wright Roofing team were the only two standing and Doug ended up winning the last heat as Jim jumped the gun, but running well in the other two heats took home enough points to take the 2nd spot over Ike Yoder who took the 3rd spot.
Doug
Jim
Ike
All in all a good safe start to the 2015 USTS Nationals and looking forward to pick up the speed and intensity on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to all of our turn judges, barge personnel, our inspectors, Todd, Big Pal, and Sue Sailer our chief scorer, and ever thanks to our fans who were out in droves today and looking forward to those big supportive crowds, Saturday and Sunday.
Big thanks to Steve Solario, Pres. Of the Men’s Club and Mayor Eric Bryant for being able to put together a plan with high water and the ability to make it work, THANK YOU!!!!!
Ray
Our first class up this day was C Racing Hydro in the Antique division with great racing with Justin Gibson taking the first heat, with Jay Walls Sr. taking a second and the 2nd and 3rd heats were mixed up as Justin jumped the gun in a heat and Jay picked up a win, with David Everhart in the mix for points. In the end Jay Sr. took home his first division title of his career with Justin and David filling out the podium.
Later in the day, his sun JJ and friends Everhart and the great Duke Johnson engineered a Lake Depue bath for Jay Sr. Great job guys and congrats to a fine man for his first champtionship.
Jay
Justin
David
Next up the K=Pro’s hit the water with 2 rookies Bradley Dygert and Rex Bayer running with 4 young women in the 3 heats of K-pro. Congrats to Mackenzie Hellsten as she showed the way to the checkered flag in all three heats. She started in the 5th position in the last heat to ensure a non jumping of the gun and methodically worked her way to the front to finish off 3 heat win final which is very difficult to do in any class. Bradley, one of our rookies had a great run this weekend after a fine job at Constantine last weekend, put on a repeat performance for the 2nd over all, with Brianna Payn driving a steady good pace finished 3rd.
We are grateful to know that Lyndsy McGrarath was back at the race course after a quick trip to St. Margaret’s hospital as her boat broached on the backstretch, sending Lyndsy out the side board of her hydro. A little whiplash and bruised up, but mobile, grateful.
MaKenzie Da
Bradley
Brianna
Next up came the 125R with JJ Walls B Electric entry and Tim Small in the Ed Provini entry trading heat wins in the first two. Now came the all important 3rd heat with the drivers coming out of the corner coming for the start, Small stumbled as it loaded up for an instant, but Tim grabbed the wheel and got the motor to unload immediately and came up on the outside for the start. As they headed to the first turn, Tim sidled up alongside JJ and they both hit the turn with Tim coming out of the first turn for the lead. David Jones, who had unfortunately jumped the gun in the first heat was a factor in the other two and got by JJ in the 3rd heat to secure a podium finish as well. Once Tim got out of the first turn he was never headed as he took two firsts and a second overall.
Tim
JJ
David
The second half of the program came up with 700R starting us off with a bang. As they were heading off to the backstretch for the start, Derek Gesler headed across the middle and promptly had the right hand chine dig in and went butt end over tea kettle with the boat doing a couple of barrel rolls and tossing Derek unceremoniously into the drink. Fortunately and gratefully Derek was okay and hauled in by our great safety director, Fred Mason. After that, can you sit back in wonderment at the kind of year that Andrew Thirlby is having???? Andrew completed his 7 champtionship run in a row with 3 heat wins in convincing fashion, with one heat starting in about the 6th spot to find himself out front at the exit of turn one. The 3rd heat with already to heat wins in the book, looked to be one of those epic boat races, as Jared Gryskiewicz ran side by side with Andrew until that big 700 of Jared’s gave up the Ghost. Andrew went on to a 3 heat win by a wide margin.
Poppa Mike, Andrew’s father took home the 2nd spot with a steady run during the 3 heats, while Jared picked up enough points with a 2nd in one heat and a 3rd in the other to finish on the podium as well.
Andrew
Mike
Jared.
Next up came the C-Service Runabouts with JJ Walls finishing out front by good margins in the first two heats, while Justin Gibson finishing a second and third to come to the 3rd heat. Jack Campbell the III driving a great race picked off the 3rd heat, but the real trouble for JJ started in the earlier heats as the motor had a noticeable miss in it, only to really manifest itself with a 4th place finish in the final heat to give Justin Gibson who drove a very methodical and effective 3heats the win by 31 points, with 1000 points to 969.
Justin
JJ
Jack
Last but not least was the 500H category with the Gerry Drake trophy in addition to the USTS National title. Can you say that Rex, Doug Hall’s Dad came prepared, why yes you can as Doug reeled off 3 straight heat wins by wide margins. We started off with 6 500H, but the gremlins took their toll as in the last heat, Doug and Jim Wright of the Wright Roofing team were the only two standing and Doug ended up winning the last heat as Jim jumped the gun, but running well in the other two heats took home enough points to take the 2nd spot over Ike Yoder who took the 3rd spot.
Doug
Jim
Ike
All in all a good safe start to the 2015 USTS Nationals and looking forward to pick up the speed and intensity on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to all of our turn judges, barge personnel, our inspectors, Todd, Big Pal, and Sue Sailer our chief scorer, and ever thanks to our fans who were out in droves today and looking forward to those big supportive crowds, Saturday and Sunday.
Big thanks to Steve Solario, Pres. Of the Men’s Club and Mayor Eric Bryant for being able to put together a plan with high water and the ability to make it work, THANK YOU!!!!!
Ray
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