Heat 2A here in Evansville turned out to be a barnburner as the U6 Oh Boy! Oberto driven by Steve David and the U13 Graham Trucking driven by J Michael Kelly dueled side by side as both boats needed the points to be able to get into the winner take all final. The first boat on the water was the U6 as Steve David needed to garner the points that were lost from yesterdays running of heat 1A. The U50 Spirit of the Navy driven by Brian Perkins and U7 formulaboats.com driven by Mike Allen, who had trouble as he tired to get the fire lighted in the Lycoming power plant were also in the heat, as well as Greg Hopp in the U100 mirageboats.com
Winds from the west caused a little chop as the boats scored up for the start of the heat. With 1 minute to the start the U6 parked it in lane 1 with the 7 in 2 and 13 in 3 50 in 4 and the 100 in lane 5. In the first turn it was Oberto in front coming down the backstretch with the 13 and 5 close by. Pulling down the front it was the 13 charging hard in second and 5 in third, 4 to the 50 and 100 rounded out the field. David stretched it out to about a 7 boat lead in lap two as the 13 and 5 fought deck to deck for second, Kelly hanging it out in the outside lane keeping the 5 inside of him was able to handle the boat even though he had some strain in his arms.”It was running good and I was pushing hard but it was hard to steer through the turns. I had to get out of the throttle when I went into the turns. We changed the rudder and adjusted the skid fin. I was catching the Oberto in that heat, I had plenty of power” stated JMK. The U7aquired a one-lap penalty for jumping the gun at the start of the heat. Coming down to the wire it was Steve David first, J Michael Kelly second and U50 Spirit of the Navy third. After the running of the heat it was noticed that the lucky number 13 sustained a little damage to the left side of the boat.
Heat 3A will go down as a heat that had thrills from start to finish. The start of the heat saw the U13 struggling to get on plane before the start and J Michael Kelly sitting in the west turn as the rest of the field was coming around for the start. Continuing to try and breathe life out of the engine compartment, Kelly finally got it started enough to get it into the infield on the back stretch.
Coming out the first turn, it was U37 Beacon Plumbing and the U10 Ahearn Rental deck to deck down the backstretch. On lap to it looked from my angle on the beach that the U10 encroached on the U37 as David Bryant pushed Theoret into a buoy. The officials thought so also and gave the 10 a one-lap penalty. It was Beacon, formulaboats.com Ahearn Rental in that order. JMK was a did not start do to the waves coming over the deck and putting the fire out.
With the withdrawing of the U3, U100 and U25, this allowed the U13 Graham Trucking into the final as a traler boat. “Not the way we want to get in, but hey we will take it” comments Dave Bartush owner of the U13. “No pressure on me, all I have to do is bring the boat in one piece” kelly said with a smile.
In the final cat and mouse games were afoot as the U37 Beacon Plumbing parked in lane one. The others followed suit and J Michael Kelly took about lane 4 coming down the back stretch some went and the U13 lost power and JMK watched the rest of the heat from the best place in the house.
Next week its upriver to Madison, Indiana where the Fourth of July weekend sets the mood for the running of the annual Indiana Govenors Cup.