Yesterday we took GP-88 to Two Rivers Yacht Basin for testing on the Bohemia River. The team worked out a few kinks and got to test some improvements to the boat and engine. Everyone is looking forward to the first GP race in Long Sault, Ontario May 29-30.
A look back at some of the highlights of the 2009 season for the Rolling Thunder Racing Team.
GP-88 ran an exhibition at the Wildwood Hydrofest on Sunday. The boat looked great, but upon returning to the pits the crew found a broken rocker and metal shavings in the oil filter. There is not enough time to solve the engine problems before this weekend’s World Championships in Morgan City, La. Tom believes they have identified the cause of the recent mechanical failures and should have them solved for the beginning of the 2010 race season. Good luck to all at Worlds.
GP-88 will be testing this weekend at the Wildwoods Hydrofest. There will be a live webcast of the race on HRTV.
In Beauharnois we broke a rocker in heat 1b and headed home. GP-93 went on to win the ACHA GP Championship. Read more about Saturday at HydroRacer TV.
In St-Félicien GP-88 was 4th in the time trials, got a first and second in qualifying, but unfortunetly finished forth in the final. The boat continues to run well, as seen in this video of heat 1B.
Tom took JS-7 Rolling Thunder to the Eastern Divisionals in Cambridge Maryland last weekend and won the Championship. This video of the final was shot by YouTube user newyorkdigger. We will be leaving for Quebec very early Friday morning.
Updated with better video, you can still see newyorkdigger’s here.
We had a great day of racing in Valleyfield on Friday with a first place finish in heat 1A. Saturday was rainy but we got off heat 2A with a second place finish. Sunday was very windy but conditions were okay for the GPs, unfortunately the blower broke and we were unable to finish the heat. Tom is busy putting another blower on the engine he had replaced for Valleyfield. Leaving Thursday for Waterford, Michigan and another three days of racing.
Syracuse was the site of a very bad crash when Jimmy Shane in GP-7 hit Pierre Meheau in GP-46 who’s boat had died at the end of the race. Thankfully they are both expected to fully recover. GP-88 continued to run very well finishing a close 2nd in the final to GP-93. A few weeks off before Valleyfield.
