Madison Regatta
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Madison Courier, Madison, Ind. •
29
Talented drivers in Limiteds could have future in H1 By DAVID CAMPBELL Courier Staff Writer
Cal Phipps and Jon Zimmerman are just the latest in a series of drivers to make their Unlimited driving debuts in recent years. Since the 2003 season, J.W. Myers, J. Michael Kelly, Jeff Bernard, Brian Perkins, Kip Brown and Mike Webster, all highly-decorated drivers in Limited ranks, have graduated to the top level with varying degrees of success. But there are still more young drivers who could break through the glass ceiling to make their marks on the sport and several could be here before you know it. Here is a list of five highly-skilled drivers who could step into an Unlimited hydroplane within the next few years.
Kayleigh Perkins
The 21-year-old younger sister of current U-21 Miss Albert Lee driver Brian Perkins, Kayleigh has been getting her fair share of press over the past three years and for good reason. She is a tough competitor and a proven winner. The knock on Kayleigh has always been that she is not strong enough to handle the Kayleigh Perkins big Unlimiteds, but she has had more than her share of success at the
UNLIMITED NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
NATIONAL CHAMPION BOATS Year, boat, owner and wins in (parentheses) 1946—Tempo VI, Guy Lombardo (2) 1947—Miss Pepsi, Walt, Roy and Russell Dossin (6) 1948—Such Crust, Jack Schafer (2) 1949—My Sweetie, Dodge, Gregory and Schoenherr (7) 1950—My Sweetie, Horace Dodge Jr. 1951—Miss Pepsi, Walt and Roy Dossin (5) 1952—Miss Pepsi, Walt and Roy Dossin (3) 1953—Gale II, Joe Schoenith (1) 1954—Gale V, Joe Schoenith (4) 1955—Gale V, Joe Schoenith (1) 1956—Shanty I, Bill Waggoner (3) 1957—Hawaii Kai III, Edgar Kaiser (5) 1958—Miss Bardahl, Ole Bardahl (4) 1959—Maverick, Bill Waggoner (5) 1960—Miss Thriftway, Willard Rhodes (4) 1961—Miss Century 21, Willard Rhodes (4) 1962—Miss Century 21, Willard Rhodes (5) 1963—Miss Bardahl, Ole Bardahl (3) 1964—Miss Bardahl, Ole Bardahl (4) 1965—Miss Bardahl, Ole Bardahl (4) 1966—Tahoe Miss, Bill Harrah (4) 1967—Miss Bardahl, Ole Bardahl (6) 1968—Miss Bardahl, Ole Bardahl (4) 1969—Miss Budweiser, Little and Friedkin (4) 1970—Miss Budweiser, Little and Friedkin (4) 1971—Miss Budweiser, Little and Friedkin (2) 1972—Atlas Van Lines, Joe Schoenith (6) 1973—Pay ‘n Pak, Dave Heerensperger (4) 1974—Pay ‘n Pak, Dave Heerensperger (7) 1975—Pay ‘n Pak, Dave Heerensperger (5) 1976—Atlas Van Lines, Bill Muncey (5) 1977—Miss Budwesier, Bernie Little (3) 1978—Atlas Van Lines, Bill Muncey (6) 1979—Atlas Van Lines, Bill Muncey (7) 1980—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (5) 1981—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (6) 1982—Atlas Van Lines, Fran Muncey (5) 1983—Atlas Van Lines, Fran Muncey and Jim Lucero (3) 1984—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (6) 1985—Miller American, Fran Muncey and Jim Lucero (5) 1986—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (3) 1987—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (5) 1988—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (4) 1989—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (4) 1990—Miss Circus Circus, Bill Bennett (6) 1991—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (4) 1992—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (7) 1993—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (7) 1994—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (4) 1995—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (5) 1996—PICO American Dream, Fred Leland (6) 1997—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (5) 1998—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (8) 1999—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (6) 2000—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (6) 2001—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (1) 2002—Miss Budweiser, Bernie Little (3) 2003—Miss Budweiser, Joe Little (2) 2004—Miss Budweiser, Joe Little (2) 2005—Miss Elam Plus, Ellstrom Family (3) 2006—Formulaboats.com II, Ted Porter (1) 2007—Miss Elam Plus, Ellstrom Family (4) 2008—Oh Boy! Oberto, City of Madison (1) 2009—Oh Boy! Oberto, City of Madison (1)
NATIONAL CHAMPION DRIVERS Year, Driver, Boat wins in (parenthesis) 1946—Guy Lombardo, Tempo VI (2) 1947—Danny Foster, Miss Pepsi (6) 1948—Dan Arena, Such Crust (2) 1949—Bill Cantrell, My Sweetie (7) 1950—Danny Foster, Such Crust/Delphine X (2) 1951—Chuck Thompson, Miss Pepsi (5) 1952—Chuck Thompson, Miss Pepsi (3) 1953—Lee Schoenith, Gale II (1) 1954—Lee Schoenith, Gale V (4) 1955—Lee Schoenith, Gale V/Wha Hoppen Too (1) 1956—Russ Schleeh, Shanty I (3) 1957—Jack Regas, Hawaii Kai III (5) 1958—Mira Slovak, Miss Bardahl/Miss Burien (3) 1959—Bill Stead, Maverick (5) 1960—Bill Muncey, Miss Thriftway (4) 1961—Bill Muncey, Miss Century 21 (4) 1962—Bill Muncey, Miss Century 21 (5) 1963—Bill Cantrell, Gale V (0) 1964—Ron Musson, Miss Bardahl (4) 1965—Ron Musson, Miss Bardahl (4) 1966—Mira Slovak, Tahoe Miss (4) 1967—Billy Schumacher, Miss Bardahl (6) 1968—Billy Schumacher, Miss Bardahl (4) 1969—Bill Sterrett, Miss Budweiser (4) 1970—Dean Chenoweth, Miss Budweiser (4) 1971—Dean Chenoweth, Miss Budweiser (2) 1972—Bill Muncey, Atlas Van Lines (6) 1973—Mickey Remund, Pay ‘n Pak (4) 1974—George Henley, Pay ‘n Pak (7) 1975—Billy Schumacher, Weisfield’s (2) 1976—Bill Muncey, Atlas Van Lines/Ms. Everett (2) 1977—Mickey Remund, Miss Budweiser (3) 1978—Bill Muncey, Atlas Van Lines (6) 1979—Bill Muncey, Atlas Van Lines (7) 1980—Dean Chenoweth, Miss Budweiser (5) 1981—Dean Chenoweth, Miss Budweiser (6) 1982—Chip Hanauer, Atlas Van Lines (5) 1983—Chip Hanauer, Atlas Van Lines (3) 1984—Jim Kropfeld, Miss Budweiser (6) 1985—Chip Hanauer, Miller American (5) 1986—Jim Kropfeld, Miss Budweiser (3) 1987—Jim Kropfeld, Miss Budweiser (5) 1988—Tom D’Eath, Miss Budweiser (4) 1989—Chip Hanauer, Miss Circus Circus (3) 1990—Chip Hanauer, Miss Circus Circus (6) 1991—Mark Tate, Winston Eagle/Oh Boy! Oberto (3) 1992—Chip Hanauer, Miss Budweiser (7) 1993—Chip Hanauer, Miss Budweiser (7) 1994—Mark Tate, Smokin’ Joe’s (2) 1995—Mark Tate, Smokin’ Joe’s (4) 1996—Dave Villwock, PICO American Dream (6) 1997—Mark Tate, Close Call (1) 1998—Dave Villwock, Miss Budweiser (8) 1999—Dave Villwock, Miss Budweiser (6) 2000—Dave Villwock, Miss Budweiser (6) 2001—Dave Villwock, Miss Budweiser (1) 2002—Dave Villwock, Miss Budweiser (3) 2003—Dave Villwock, Miss Budweiser (2) 2004—Dave Villwock, Miss Budweiser (2) 2005—Steve David, Oh Boy! Oberto (1) 2006—Steve David, Oh Boy! Oberto (0) 2007—Dave Villwock, Miss Elam Plus (4) 2008—Steve David, Oh Boy! Oberto (1) 2009—Steve David, Oh Boy! Oberto (1)
Unlimited Lights level. Perkins, a native of Black Diamond, Wash., won the 2007 Unlimited Lights Hydroplane Racing Association National Championship when she was just 19-years-old and last year she won an ULHRA record five-straight races to open the season while cruising to her second drivers title in three years. Her nine career wins are fourth all-time in ULHRA history, 11 behind all-time leader Greg Hopp. The Lights are roughly six feet shorter and two feet narrower than an Unlimited and weigh 3,000 pounds less but the boats are otherwise very similar. Several drivers have made successful jumps from the Lights to the Unlimiteds including Mark Weber, Mike Weber, George Stratton and Brian Perkins.
Brandon Kennedy
Before he was legally old enough to drive to a race, Brandon Kennedy was already winning hydroplane races. In 2008, Kennedy became the youngest person ever inducted into the American Power Boat Association Hall of Champions when he earned the honor at the age of 15. Since his debut, the native of Bear, Del., has dominated the 1.5-Litre circuit. He was the High Point champion in the division in 2007 and won both the Summer Nationals and Eastern Divisional race in 2008. Last season, he was both the Eastern and North American champion.
Dan Kanfoush
A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., Kanfoush has been a champion at both the 1-Litre and 2.5-Litre classes. Kanfoush had a terrific run in the 2.5-Litre Over 200 Scents
class, winning three-straight High Points championships including a dominating run in 2006 when he did not lose a single heat en route to the title. In 2007, Kanfoush moved to the 1-Litre class and has been just as dominate. He won the Eastern, Western, North American and World titles in 2008 and the Eastern, Western and Summer Nationals last season. In 2008, he set the 1-Litre straight-away speed record over one kilometer with a scorching run of 111.634 mph.
Marty & Elizabeth Wolfe
A veteran National Modified and Grand Prix driver, Marty Wolfe has won several championships at both levels. He was the 2007 National Mod champion and won the Grand Prix titles in 2008 and 2009. Wolfe is not the only driver in his family. His sister Elizabeth Wolfe is a accomplished pilot on her own and finished Elizabeth Wolfe second to Kayleigh Perkins in the Unlimited Lights season opener a year ago — the first time females occupied the top two positions on the podium in that class. Elizabeth Wolfe is expected to compete here at Madison in Marty Wolfe the National Modified class.
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