2011 Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Championship
61st Lucas Oil Madison Regatta, round 1 – July 1-3
For immediate release
Monday, July 4th, 2011
U-96 SPIRIT OF QATAR’S VILLWOCK SPINS OUT
OF MADISON REGATTA AS STEVE DAVID TAKES WIN
· Villwock faces race against time to rebuild U-96 for Detroit
MADISON (USA): Dave Villwock lost his chance of winning the 61st Lucas Oil Madison Regatta, when he spun out of the final of the first round of the Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Championship on the Ohio River on Sunday.
The U-96 Spirit of Qatar driver was sidelined, only for defending champion Steve David to crash into his stricken hydroplane at high speed. Race officials discussed the incident at length and David, the hometown boat driver, was eventually declared the winner. Neither racer was injured in the spectacular incident.
Villwock was on course to break Bill Muncey’s record of 62 race victories when he hit a patch of rough water, spun out three laps into the final and came to a stop. Judges ruled that because Villwock spun out, he was disqualified, handing David the dramatic victory. Kip Brown finished second and Scott Liddycoat was third.
“I know I got kind of small in the cockpit when the boat came around,” said Villwock, anticipating a possible collision. “Unfortunately, we both came out wrecked, kind of like the last lap at Talladega or Daytona.”
Earlier in the day, Brown, David and Villwock had won their respective heats, setting up the showdown in the final. The next three heats were cancelled because of a collision involving an unlimited hydroplane and a rescue boat on the course.
With the APBA Gold Cup set for next weekend in Detroit, the two teams with damaged boats will be working feverishly to get them repaired.
Villwock expects his boat to be repaired in time for next weekend’s APBA Gold Cup in Detroit, but David may have to rent a backup boat to compete in the second round of the H1 series.
Villwock had clinched the first heat of the Air National Guard Series on Saturday, in a series of races where Brown also earned his first Unlimited heat race victory. The U-96 Spirit of Qatar driver clocked an average speed of 129.144 mph to comfortably beat Brian Perkins in U-21.
“It doesn’t really matter if you get a first or second in these preliminary heats,” said Villwock. “You get a first or second, you get enough points to make the final. Making the final is what matters.”
The Washington State-based driver had also set the pace in Friday’s qualifying session with an impressive 147.710 mph tour on the Ohio River. He managed to edge defending champion Steve David, who clocked 141.813 mph in Oh Boy! Oberto.
Ends
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Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@googlemail.com and www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).
Or
Steve Montgomery, Tel: + 1 206 618 8382, E-mail: scm@montgomerymarketing.com and Gregg Mansfield, E-mail: gregg.m@h1unlimited.com.
www.qmsf.org
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