Press Releases - Industry
News
The South Dakota visitor
industry encompasses a wide variety of attractions, hospitality establishments
and historical places. In this section you'll find the latest offerings and
news from our industry partners.
ULHRA: Countdown to Chamberlain-Oacoma
Jun. 16, 2008
CHAMBERLAIN,
S.D. – Race #3 in the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association 2008
series is four weeks away (July 12 & 13) and teams are busily preparing for
the start of what has been dubbed "The Gauntlet". The
Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge at Chamberlain-Oacoma,
South Dakota kicks off 5 races in 5 weeks; the most aggressive scheduling in
ULHRA history. Not only will "The Gauntlet" go a long way
toward determining the Unlimited Light and Thunderboat
series champions in 2008, the first three races will decide the 14 boat
Unlimited Lights lineup for the Graham Trucking Cup at Seafair
in Seattle,
August 1st through 3rd.
The first
River City Racin' event is the first major hydroplane
race ever conducted in South Dakota,
and the entire state has taken notice, from the Governor's office on down.
Chamberlain-Oacoma are two
communities that border the Missouri River where it's crossed by Interstate
90.....the main easterly route out of Seattle.
It'll take race teams based in the Seattle area
about 20 hours of on-road driving time to get there; roughly the same amount of
time as driving from Seattle to San Diego CA.
Because of the
new points program initiated by ULHRA's Board of
Directors in support of ULHRA race sites in 2008, there are significant
"participation points" available to teams that race ULHRA
exclusively.
Because of
those extra points teams that have not yet raced in 2008 can still race their
way into the field of 14 at Seattle by competing
well at South Dakota, followed by Polson, Montana and Tri Cities WA. With 5 consecutive races
"The Gauntlet" is no sprint; it's a marathon. Taking care of
racing equipment and keeping parts together will be the top priority for all of
the teams and particularly those teams that would be "on the bubble"
for entry into the Seattle race.
Popular Kayleigh Perkins just turned 20 years of age. She
already is the first woman in major hydroplane racing with a race victory,
beating fellow female racers Ashley Force, Melanie Troxel
and Hilary Will (NHRA) and Danica Patrick (IRL) to
the top of the podium with her victory at Silverdale WA
in 2007, followed by the Team and Driver championships in 2007. Today,
Ms. Perkins and the UL-72 Miss Boat Electric lead Greg & Jerry Hopp and the UL-15 Graham Trucking G.T. - Happy Go Lucky by
125 points going into South Dakota.
The two teams split the first two races with Perkins winning at Phoenix in April and Hopp
successfully defending his 2007 victory at Richland WA, last
month. 625 points back of Perkins in third is Paul Becker and the UL-14 Miss
Critical Logic which has competed in nine heats this season and
finished second in each one.
A dozen or
more Unlimited Lights teams are expected for the Pepsi Racing Power Cup
Challenge next month in South Dakota, with a
couple more teams expected to be added for the Anderson Radio Broadcasting
"Radio Waves Regatta" on picturesque Flathead Lake MT
at Polson, July 19 & 20. Then the Graham Trucking Thunder Cup at Tri Cities WA follows on July 25, 26 & 27 with what may
well be a record turnout of Unlimited Lights teams as they all try to eke out
enough points to qualify for the race in Seattle. "The
Gauntlet" concludes with Silverdale Thunder at Silverdale WA,
August 9th & 10th.
For more
information on the ULHRA, drivers and teams go to www.ulhra.org Event information and
advance tickets to the Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge can be found on www.rivercityracin.org
http://www.travelsd.com/newsroom/pressreleases/industry.asp?id=457