A major event this month for boat racing will be held on Saturday, March
13th. ULHRA and the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum are hosting the second annual Marine Motorsports Safety Seminar. It has plenty of information for racers around the world so while those not based in the Pacific Northwest cannot attend in person, everyone can watch this program live here on this website; thanks to ULHRA Video. Details to connect will be on the home page of www.ulhra.org on the morning of March 13th. The seminar begins at 10:00 AM Pacific time (1:00pm Eastern time) and will run for several hours.
Most of the material being presented impacts racers around the world. There are some special elements for racers who can attend such as pre-season race boat inspection and details on new regulations in the State of Washington.
Last year, as an example, new information on radios and antenna provided teams with increased range and more such information will be provided on March 13th. Radio communication is particularly important as a safety concern. There are some race sites such as San Diego CA and Tri Cities WA where crew members in the "Radio Corral" could be up to a mile away from their drivers when the race boat is at the opposite end of the course. With Unlimited Light and G-Class Thunderboats racing at speeds in excess of 150 mph, losing radio contact with one's race driver is a critical safety concern.
13th. ULHRA and the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum are hosting the second annual Marine Motorsports Safety Seminar. It has plenty of information for racers around the world so while those not based in the Pacific Northwest cannot attend in person, everyone can watch this program live here on this website; thanks to ULHRA Video. Details to connect will be on the home page of www.ulhra.org on the morning of March 13th. The seminar begins at 10:00 AM Pacific time (1:00pm Eastern time) and will run for several hours.
Most of the material being presented impacts racers around the world. There are some special elements for racers who can attend such as pre-season race boat inspection and details on new regulations in the State of Washington.
Last year, as an example, new information on radios and antenna provided teams with increased range and more such information will be provided on March 13th. Radio communication is particularly important as a safety concern. There are some race sites such as San Diego CA and Tri Cities WA where crew members in the "Radio Corral" could be up to a mile away from their drivers when the race boat is at the opposite end of the course. With Unlimited Light and G-Class Thunderboats racing at speeds in excess of 150 mph, losing radio contact with one's race driver is a critical safety concern.
This seminar will also feature a group of divers and rescue personnel answering a variety of questions from the audience about safety issues and what actually takes place during a rescue. There will also be information provided on "Black Box" technology. In 2009 Unlimited Light hydroplanes raced with these data recorders. The seminar will discuss what kind of data was retrieved and for what purpose it can be used.
For those in the northwest who would like to attend this safety seminar it will again be held at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum at 5917 S 196th St, in Kent WA, just south of Seattle.
Spring Training is just ahead. The annual pre-season testing session for ULHRA racing teams along with the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum vintage Unlimited hydroplanes will be held on Thursday, April 15th on Lake Washington in Seattle at the Stan Sayers pit area. Unlimited Lights, G-Class Thunderboats and Lighter than LIGHTS teams use this one day test session to prepare for the upcoming ULHRA season, which begins two weeks after Spring Training on April 30th, May 1st & 2nd at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix (Chandler) AZ. Joining the ULHRA contingent will be the southern California based Cracker Box series, plus this event is a joint promotion with the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. As it is for ULHRA, the Lucas Oil Drag Boats will have their season opener at Firebird the same weekend and both series will alternate use of Firebird Lake as has been done three times previously. This year there's a difference. There will be testing for hydroplanes and drag boats on Friday, April 30th and two days of racing, May 1st & 2nd. Plus, for the first time ULHRA Video will not only webcast live the hydroplane races, the drag boats will also be web streamed live here on this website.
One other feature at Phoenix will be the inaugural ULHRA Race Driving Program where you can go through the testing procedures it takes to become certified for racing a hydroplane with an enclosed safety capsule. You'll also have the opportunity to drive a ULHRA hydroplane on the Firebird course. It's sort of a "try it before you buy it" idea. That's different from when J. Craig Fletcher acquired his UL-13 team in 2005. He first bought the team and then gained experience and ultimately earned his first victory at Polson MT in 2008. Also that weekend in Phoenix will be the first ever ULHRA Race Driving School. For those in the northwest who would like to attend this safety seminar it will again be held at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum at 5917 S 196th St, in Kent WA, just south of Seattle.
Spring Training is just ahead. The annual pre-season testing session for ULHRA racing teams along with the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum vintage Unlimited hydroplanes will be held on Thursday, April 15th on Lake Washington in Seattle at the Stan Sayers pit area. Unlimited Lights, G-Class Thunderboats and Lighter than LIGHTS teams use this one day test session to prepare for the upcoming ULHRA season, which begins two weeks after Spring Training on April 30th, May 1st & 2nd at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix (Chandler) AZ. Joining the ULHRA contingent will be the southern California based Cracker Box series, plus this event is a joint promotion with the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. As it is for ULHRA, the Lucas Oil Drag Boats will have their season opener at Firebird the same weekend and both series will alternate use of Firebird Lake as has been done three times previously. This year there's a difference. There will be testing for hydroplanes and drag boats on Friday, April 30th and two days of racing, May 1st & 2nd. Plus, for the first time ULHRA Video will not only webcast live the hydroplane races, the drag boats will also be web streamed live here on this website.
The school begins with "capsule training" on Thursday night in Phoenix with classroom instruction on Friday followed by an opportunity to test drive a ULHRA hydroplane on Firebird Lake. The cost for the school is $350.00 and will include certification of capsule training. Veteran drivers must go through capsule training on a regular basis and many competing at Firebird Lake can be expected to update their training. Dave Stahl, "The Car Guy" on ULHRA official radio station KCBQ AM1170 in San Diego CA has been invited to participate in the school and capsule training, and broadcast his show from Firebird Lake. Now that the motorsports season is underway Stahl's Southern California Off Road Radio Show has shifted its time slot and can be heard each Sunday from 6pm to 8pm Pacific time. For those not in Southern California you can listen on the web each Sunday by logging on to www.kcbq.com.
