1998 Texaco Cup at Seafair
Lake Washington, August 9, 1998

TEXACO CUP AT SEAFAIR
LAKE WASHINGTON, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 1998

Seattle, WA, Sunday August 9, 1998, 6:00 p.m. - - Controversy once again stalked the running of the Texaco Cup Unlimited Hydroplane Race on Lake Washington here today. In the end, it was Dave Villwock and Miss Budweiser emerging victorious before a near record crowd.

At the start of the final heat, Mitch Evans in U20 Appian Jeronimo was pushed to the outside of the seven boat field and then disqualified for cutting across the field at the entrance to turn one.

With Evans, who had won three straight heats earlier, out of the competition Villwock battled past Mark Evans and the U100 PICO American Dream and came home an easy winner.

The disqualification of the Jeronimo was the boat's second straight, and caused both the driver and crew to voice more than a little displeasure. Other drivers and unlimited hydroplane officials said the violation by Mitch Evans was clearly evident. He was previously disqualified for a similar incident at the Kelowna British Columbia race last week. His bad luck streak started today in heat 2b when a his boat lost its wing going into the first turn.

Budweiser's win was the fifth of the year for Bernie Little's team.

Earlier in the day, U2 driver Steve David was involved in a spectacular flip at the start of Heat 3B. Rescue workers quickly removed David from the badly damaged Jim Harvey hull and after going to Harborview hospital for x-rays, David returned to the pits at the end of the day with only a broken toe.

Finishing third in the final was U8 Llumar Window Film with U14 driven by Ken Muscatel finishing fourth.

The next stop on the Ralph's Unlimited Thunder Tour presented by Las Vegas will be Labor Day, September 6th in Madison, Indiana.

HEAT 1A 11:00 A.M. 
U# BOAT DRIVER SP. PTS. 
U1 MISS BUDWEISER DAVE VILLWOCK 136.882 400 
U9 GRAHAM TRUCKING MIKE WEBER 131.721 300 
U14 TVETEN’S R.V. MART KEN MUSCATEL 129.392 225 
U2 FREDDIE’S CLUB STEVE DAVID 125.829 169 
U19 CHAPLIN’S BELLEVUE VOLKSWAGEN pres. EASTER SEALS JERRY HALE DNS 0 

FAST LAP: #2, MISS BUDWEISER, DAVE VILLWOCK, 140.975 

HEAT 1B 11:25 A.M. 
U# BOAT DRIVER SP. PTS. 
U20 APPIAN JERONIMO MITCH EVANS 140.558 400 
U8 LLUMAR WINDOW FILM NATE BROWN 136.036 300 
U16 MISS E-LAM PLUS JIMMY KING 134.340 225 
U100 PICO AMERICAN DREAM N. MARK EVANS 131.283 169 

FAST LAP#1, U20 APPIAN JERONIMO, MITCH EVANS 144.738 

SEATTLE RECORDS: 

COMPETITION LAP: 155.207, KELLOGG’S FROSTED FLAKES, MIKE HANSON, 1993 

HEAT 2A 1:00 P.M. 

U# BOAT DRIVER SP. PTS. 
U19 CHAPLINS BELLEVUE VOLKSWAGEN presents EASTER SEALS JERRY HALE 123.841 400 
U1 MISS BUDWEISER DAVE VILLWOCK 103.124 700 
U14 TVETEN’S R.V. MART KEN MUSCATEL 95.925 450 
U16 MISS E-LAM PLUS JIMMY KING 79.321 394 
U9 GRAHAM TRUCKING MIKE WEBER DNS 300 

NOTE: 1 LAP PENALTY WAS ASSESSED ON U1, U14 AND THE U16 DUE TO JUMPING THE GUN. 

FAST LAP#2, U1, MISS BUDWEISER, DAVE VILLWOCK, 148.362 

Heat 2A revised because the laps had to be refigured due to the one lap penalty assessed as above 

HEAT 2B 1:25 P.M. 
U# BOAT DRIVER SP. PTS. 
U20 APPIAN JERONIMO MITCH EVANS 138.496 800 
U2 FREDDIE’S CLUB STEVE DAVID 133.679 469 
U8 LLUMAR WINDOW FILM NATE BROWN 120.251 525 
U100 PICO American Dream N. MARK EVANS 117.044 338 

FAST LAP: #1 U20 APPIAN JERONIMO, MITCH EVANS, 143.101 

HEAT 3A 2:20 P.M. 
U# BOAT DRIVER SP. PTS. 
U1 MISS BUDWEISER DAVE VILLWOCK 138.200 1100 
U16 MISS E-LAM PLUS JIMMY KING 135.197 694 
U14 TVETEN’S R.V. MART KEN MUSCATEL 133.579 675 
U19 CHAPLINS BELLEVUE VOLKSWAGEN presents EASTER SEALS JERRY HALE 122.197 569 
U9 GRAHAM TRUCKING MIKE WEBER DNS 300 

FAST LAP#1, MISS BUDWEISER, DAVE VILLWOCK 142.498 

HEAT 3B: 2:45 P.M RESCHEDULED TO 3:30 DUE TO U2 ACCIDENT 
U# BOAT DRIVER SP. PTS 
U20 APPIAN JERONIMO MITCH EVANS 141.716 1200 
U100 PICO American Dream N. MARK EVANS 138.083 638 
U8 LLUMAR WINDOW FILM NATE BROWN 124.466 750 
U2 FREDDIE’S CLUB STEVE DAVID DNS 469 

FAST LAP#1, U20 APPIAN JERONIMO, MITCH EVANS, 147.173 

RECORDS: COMPETITION LAP: 155.207, KELLOGG’S FROSTED FLAKES, MIKE HANSON, 1993 

6 MI HT. 150.890, WINSTON EAGLE, MARK TATE, 1993 

UNLIMITED FINAL HEAT RESULTS 4:40 P.M. 
U# BOAT DRIVER SP. PTS 
U1 MISS BUDWEISER DAVE VILLWOCK 135.715 1500 
U100 PICO American Dream N. MARK EVANS 130.095 938 
U8 LLUMAR WINDOW FILM NATE BROWN 125.233 975 
U14 TVETEN’S R.V. MART KEN MUSCATEL 122.224 844 
U19 CHAPLINS BELLEVUE VOLKSWAGEN presents EASTER SEALS JERRY HALE 118.066 696 
U16 MISS E-LAM PLUS JIMMY KING 103.293 789 
U20 APPIAN JERONIMO MITCH EVANS DSQ 1200 
FAST LAP#1 U1 MISS BUDWEISER, DAVE VILLWOCK, 144.086 
10 MI HEAT RECORD: 141.776, WINSTON EAGLE, MARK TATE, 1991 

*  *  *

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1998

Seattle, Washington, August 8, 1998, 5:30 p.m. - - Nine closely matched unlimited hydroplanes headed by Dave Villwock in the Miss Budweiser concluded qualifying on Lake Washington today to set the field for Sunday's Texaco Cup at Seafair.

Although Villwock remained the top qualifier with an average speed of 156.508 around the two-and-one-half-mile course, Mitch Evans in the Appian Jeronimo twice posted faster times only to have them disallowed by Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association Officials for exceeding the N-2 limit of over reving the rear portion of the of the T-55 Turbine Motor.

Evans dazzled the huge crowd on the shores of Lake Washington with laps of 158 and 157 miles-per-hour only to find out later that both times had been disallowed.

Nevertheless the field remained tightly bunched with Villwock at 156.508, M. Evans at 154.400 and Jimmy King in Miss E-Lam Plus at 151.343

Right behind was Nate Brown in Llumar Window Film at 148.656, Mark Evans in Pico American Dream at 145.413, Steve David in Freddie's Club at 143.618 and Mike Weber in Graham Trucking at 143.098.

Yesterday's qualifying was marred by a rollover crash by Lindsey Emmons in the U11 owned by Mike and Lori Jones. Emmons from nearby Kent, Washington was sent to Harborview Medical Center for precautionary tests after complaining to onsite Seafair medical staff of a sore neck. Early testing at the hospital showed that Emmons' x-rays were clear but medical personnel decided to do further testing and keep him at the hospital overnight for observation.

Emmons arrived at the pit area this afternoon visiting with team members and answering questions from interested media and fans. He reports being in good shape and with no pain beyond what a normal ride brings. The question then is, what does a normal ride feel like if he is comparing it to a wipe out at 120 mph?

Testing begins tomorrow, Sunday at 10:00 a.m. with Heat 1A starting at 11:00 a.m. the Texaco SeaFair Cup Championship is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. after all heats and the provisional heat are run.

UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS AS OF 2:00 P.M. 

U# BOAT DRIVER SPEED 
U1 MISS BUDWEISER (T-5) DAVE VILLWOCK 156.508+ 
U20 APPIAN JERONIMO MITCH EVANS 154.400+ 
U16 MISS E-LAM PLUS JIMMY KING 151.343+ 
U8 LLUMAR WINDOW FILM NATE BROWN 148.656+ 
U100 PICO American Dream ‘98 N. MARK EVANS 145.413 
U2 FREDDIE’S CLUB STEVE DAVID 143.618 
U9 GRAHAM TRUCKING MIKE WEBER 143.098+ 
U19 CHAPLINS BELLEVUE VOLKSWAGON presents EASTER SEALS JERRY HALE 137.151+ 
U14 TVETEN’S R.V. MART KEN MUSCATEL 136.400# 

+DENOTES INCREASED SPEED 

#INDICATES NEW QUALIFIER 

RECORDS: 

LAKE WASHINGTON QUALIFICATION LAP 2 MI COURSE 162.543, MISS BUDWEISER, CHIP HANAUER, 1995 
WORLD QUALIFICATION LAP 2 MI COURSE: 165.975, MISS BUDWEISER, CHIP HANAUER, 1993 IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA 

(Reprinted from UHRA.com)

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