|
Last year there were some truly exciting moments, including one of the most hair raising flips in ULHRA history. With weather causing the races to postpone on Saturday, everyone was geared up for an intense day of racing on Sunday. Running neck-and-neck (leading, actually) in the final heat, Paul Becker’s UL-14, Miss Critical Logic, caught a gust that sent her cart wheeling through the air. Pirouetting an almost perfect 360 degrees, the boat landed hard, but upright. Becker remained calm, even informing his crew via radio that he was OK. He then extricated himself from the cockpit, and was sitting on the engine cowling when the rescue personnel arrived. As it turned out, “OK” was just a bit optimistic; Paul had suffered a broken ankle and a compressed vertebra. The hull was also badly broken, but both would mend. To paraphrase an old adage, “You can take the pilot out of the plane but you can’t take the airplane out of the pilot.
This year’s Silverdale Thunder event is expected to draw some of the ULHRA's top drivers — including Kayleigh Perkins, who became the first woman to win in 2007 and again in 2008. Her 2008 victory at Silverdale Thunder was her fourth. She averaged 94.817 in the final heat, compared to 93.192 for second place Greg Hopp and put herself back into the lead in National Drivers Points.
Hopp is also scheduled to return to Kitsap waters this year, along with Paul Becker and 12 other Unlimited Lights. In addition we will have the supercharged G-Thunderboats and Lighter the Lights. .
The weekend's festivities will include a first annual boat show, main stage entertainment for families during the day and headliner bands in the evening. There will also be plenty of street vendors and more food that you can eat.
The Boat Show is set to open Friday at 5 p.m., followed by the beer garden and a performance by Cold Note starting at 6 p.m.
The opening ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, with races starting around 11 a.m. The pits will open to the public at various times to meet the drivers and autographs, but a pit pass is required.
Pit passes are $4 if purchased online before the event; $5 if purchased the day of the event. Children 8 years old and younger are free.
|
