U-13 Spirit of Detroit will be titled, “Miss Detroit Yacht Club” for the APBA Gold Cup Race in Detroit this year. “We could not possibly be more proud than to carry the DYC burgee and we look forward to bringing the Gold Cup back to the Club for a big celebration on July 11. The team and I are going to give it all of our effort to make this a very special event for the Yacht Club and the entire Detroit area.”, said Cal Phipps, U-13 driver.
It is traditional for the Detroit Yacht Club to sponsor an unlimited team for the Detroit event. The Miss Detroit Yacht Club won the coveted Gold Cup with the U-10 which was owned by Kim and Debbie Gregory in 2004. That was the 100th anniversary of the oldest active trophy in motorsports. The DYC was founded in 1868 has played a major role in the rich history of hydroplane boat racing and the Gold Cup event. Hydroplane pioneer, Gar Wood, was a past Commodore of the Detroit Yacht Club.
In 2005, David Bartush (of Bloomfield Hills, MI) purchased what is now known as the U-13 from the Gregorys, received delivery in the Gold Cup pits and promptly won the Gold Cup in his first unlimited race ever. The Spirit of Detroit team did not race in 2008 but instead moved its operations from Seattle to its current location near the Detroit River. “We are rebuilding this team to be highly centered around the community and resources of Detroit and this great State of Michigan. Our owner, driver and the majority of our crew are all from the Detroit area and we intend to present ourselves as competitive and proud ambassadors of our sport, our City and our State to the rest of the United States and abroad”, said the team manager, Scott Allen.
The Unlimited Hydroplane race season begins in Madison, Indiana July 2-4, continues in Detroit July 9-11, Tri-Cities, Washington July 23-25, Seattle, Washington August 6-8 and then concludes in Doha, Qatar for the Oryx Cup International Championship November 18-20. The Spirit of Detroit race team is seeking sponsor support for all race events. The team contact for sponsorship and promotional opportunities is Paul LaMarre III, (419) 260-9985, paul@detroitunlimited.com or Scott Allen, (248) 841-3656, scott@detroitunlimited.com.