7/7

Arch rivals from past Yellow boat-Red boat wars have joined forces. Michael Flaherty piloted the red Miss Boat Electric in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 only 83 points separated the two boats. The Mikes Hard Lemonade/Happy Go Lucky had 8794 points with Greg and Jerry driving and Michael's boat had 8711 points (no bonus points back then, points earned on the race course). As it turned out the Red boat out scored the Yellow boat in heat points, but the Yellow boat out scored Michael in qualifying points. So the end result was a very narrow Hi-Point Championship by Hopp Racing Team.

Tough competitors through the years and strong friendships built. Michael has been invited to share the driving of the yellow GP-15 Fleury Auto Parts/Happy Go Lucky/PumpTech with Jerry Hopp at Black Lake this weekend. Michael got a chance to drive the 6 time National Champ at Evansville last summer as a Grand Prix. Michael was very much impressed with how much faster the Grand Prixs are than the less powerful UL boats. At Evansville Greg Hopp sent the all time fastest single engine automotive powered inboard hydroplane record at 132.846 miles an hour on the Evansville 2 mile Unlimited Hydroplane race course. The Yellow boat also holds the 468ci supercharged engine Kilo Straight Away record at 161.980mph. Michael is excited to drive such a quality race boat as the GP-15.

Black Lake will be the second 1 1/4 mile record course that the biggest, fastest, loudest inboard hydroplanes on earth will compete on this year. David Warren with the GP-329 established the record at 95+mph at Moses Lake this year and wasn't even pushing his boat. There will be 6 or 7 Grand Prixs at Black Lake and all of them are capable of upping the record. This race is also the Western Divisional Championship for all of the other inboard classes. The action should be hot and heavy with many records on the line as well.

This will be the last chance to see the monster super-loud Grand Prix blower boats run in the NW this summer as they are not invited to Tri-Cities or Seafair. The Grand Prixs have made a real comeback this year with over 20 boats earning competition points in the U.S.A. and Canada. This should be a great weekend.

4/2

Snohomish Easter Parade

GP-15 FLEURY Auto & Truck Parts/Happy Go Lucky also sponsored by PumpTech and Graham Trucking will be featured in the Snohomish Easter Parade. The parade starts at 11am Saturday April 3rd. The supercharged 1400hp record holding Grand Prix Hydroplane will be on display at Chuck's Seafood Grotto right after the parade along with the Seafair Pirates. Grand Prix Hydro's are the biggest, fastest, loudest of the inboard hydroplanes.

 GP-15 Fleury Auto & Truck Parts

Hopp Racing 6 time ULHRA National Champion, and holder of every speed record in this hydroplane class is also a 2 time winner of Region 10 Grand Prix Hydro, and currently a big part of the new Grand Prix West Hydroplane Racing Association.  The GP-15 also holds the Kilo record for Grand Prix's at 155.182mph.  We are "Proud" to announce a new sponsor.  It's Fleury Auto and Truck Parts.  They are located at 13303 Highway 99 south in Everett.  Their phone number is 425-335-0554.  For your auto and truck part needs see Fleury.  They have been around for years!!  See the "Yellow Rocket" sponsored by Fleury this Saturday 4/3 in the Easter Parade in downtown Snohomish.  Say hi to the crew, and meet Jerry and Greg Hopp at Chuck's Seafood Grotto 1229 1st street Snohomish after the parade.  The boat will be on display out front along with the Seafair Pirates.  Come see the World Record Holder in Snohomish this weekend.  See you there!!

GRAND PRIX WEST HYDRO’S SET TO RACE

AT PAPA CASINO’S MOSES LAKE REGATTA

March 7, 2010  (Seattle WA)  The Grand Prix West Hydroplane’s announced today they’ll be roaring into Moses Lake’s 6^th Annual “Papa’s Casino Presents The Moses Lake Regatta at Connelly Park” April 24^th & 25^th 2010.

 The Moses Lake event will host the American Power Boat Associations (APBA) inboard hydroplane class commonly known as the Grand Prix West (“GPW”). As in the past and more often known as the “Grand Prix’s”, these boats thrill race fans with their super-charged big block deck to deck spectacles and ear splitting thunderous roar which literally can be heard for miles around. The Grand Prix Hydroplanes with be competing at several events with the H1 Unlimited Hydroplanes for the 2010 season.

The roar of finely-tuned race engines will once again echo across the Moses Lake desert when the American Power Boat Association (APBA) Inboard Hydroplanes return for the annual Papa's Casino Presents Moses Lake Regatta at Connelly Park. As in years past, headlining the competition will be the thundering ‘Grand Prix’ boats.  However, this year, they will compete under the auspices of their own organization, ‘Grand Prix West’ (GPW), assuring not only closer competition and increased boat-count, but added excitement and spectacle.  Expect at least six, and possibly more, of these largest, fastest, and loudest of automotive-powered hydroplanes (see attached entrant-list, and team-profile pages).  

Grand Prix’s (GP’s) feature supercharged big-block engines producing as much as 1500 horsepower, and the 24-26 foot craft attain speeds in excess of 150 miles-per-hour in the straight-a-ways with lap averages approaching 130 mph.  Long a premier class on the east coast of North America, ‘Grand Prix West’ is the first club to organize GP racing on the west coast and consists mostly, but not exclusively, of west coast teams.  This new club also boasts enthusiastic membership from the Midwest, and even one team from the deep South. 

The Moses Lake Regatta will be one of the first races under the GPW banner, though most of the participants have long competed together within the APBA and other organizations.  2009 saw a sneak preview when the GPW boats were invited to run in conjunction with the turbine-powered Unlimited Hydroplanes at the prestigious ‘Thunder on the Ohio’ in Evansville, Ohio.  Garnering rave reviews, the GPW boats not only provided most of the “thunder”, they earned a probable return engagement.  Then, in a fitting end to the boat-racing season, the class gathered for the Lake Chelan, Washington Inboard race. Once again they provided a healthy portion of the excitement, including the return-to-competition of famous boat-racer Mark Evans. 

While 2010 is GPW’s inaugural year, and Moses Lake is its inaugural race, expect great things from this organization.  Plans are in the works for races throughout the country.  An east-west championship-style race is in the discussion stage that, if successful, could present a participant-field the size of which has not been seen in decades.  Organized Grand Prix racing has invaded the west coast and the thunder is rolling.  Don’t miss it.

For additional information visit; www.gpwracing.com 

12/20

Latest update on Larry Garcia's GP-99 project. Larry's boat has been moved inside of Hopp Racing's shop at Harvey Airfield in Snohomish Washington. Hopp Racing Team is helping Larry, Dave and crew get Larry's boat ready for the 2010 season. The first group of pictures were taken in July when his boat first arrived at "The  Shop" Since then Larry purchased a Jones capsule and Greg and the boys are helping him fit it. Getting real close to glue time. Looks cool. The hull is a reconditioned hull Larry bought from Ken Brodie