Villwock Close to Taking Fifth

Dave Villwock of Auburn, Wash., defending unlimited hydroplane champion, needs only to qualify today and finish a heat Sunday to clinch his fifth championship and the 21st for Bernie Little’s Miss Budweiser boats.

Thirteen boats, a record number for a San Diego race, are already at Mission Bay for the start of today’s testing and qualifying, but only 11 drivers were on hand Friday. Two regulars, Mark Weber and Jimmy King, were in Detroit, still awaiting a plane to San Diego.

“That’s one reason we decided to wait until [today] to qualify and not run any heats until Sunday,” said Gary Garbrecht, chairman of the Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane series. “We didn’t want to start until we gave everyone a chance to get here. Bernie [Little] is having trouble too. He’s got his own plane, but with the hurricanes in Florida, we don’t know if he’ll get here or not.”

Villwock, also a five-time winner at San Diego, leads the national points race with 738. Weber is second with 588, followed by Greg Hopp, 556; Steve David, 479, and APBA Gold Cup winner Mike Hanson, 439.

The unlimiteds are the showcase event of the San Diego Bayfair Festival of Racing, which includes Laughlin Formula Ones, unlimited lights, National Jet Boat Assn. drag boats and, for the first time, offshore powerboats of the Pacific Offshore Racing Assn.

“We are also planning several displays of respect for those fallen countrymen and their families, who were innocent victims of a brutal, cowardly attack,” said Jim Kidrick, Bayfair president and a former Navy combat pilot. “This is clearly a moment for us to band together as we commence the healing process.”

This will be the 34th year of unlimited hydroplanes in San Diego. The first race was in 1964. Little’s Miss Budweiser won its first race at Mission Bay two years later, with Bill Brow driving. Since then, the Florida beer baron’s boats have won 13 times.

In five races this year, there have been five winners--Villwock at Evansville, Ind.; David at Madison, Ind.; Hanson on the Detroit river; Terry Troxell at Tri-Cities, Wash.; and Nate Brown on Lake Washington in Seattle.

“We never expected parity like that,” said Garbrecht, who is partners with Little in Hydro-Prop, the series organization. “We set out to make the competition closer and give the fans a better show, but I’m pleased with the way our first year has gone.”

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Hydroplane Facts

Sunday’s entries, with drivers:

U-1: Miss Budweiser, Dave Villwock

U-2: Miss Trendwest, Scott Pierce

U-3: Vacationville.com, Mitch Evans

U-6: Oh Boy! Oberto, Steve David

U-8: Lumar Window Film, Jimmy King

U-9: Skyway Park Bowl & Casino, Mike Hanson

U-10: Miss Diamond Lil’s, Mark Weber

U-15: Miss EMCOR, Mike Weber

U-16: Miss Elam Plus, Nate Brown

U-20: Golden Nugget Casino, Jerry Hopp

U-25: Silver Dollar Casinos, Ken Muscatel

U-99: Miss Znetix II, Terry Troxell

U-100: Miss Znetix I, Greg Hopp

POINTS STANDINGS

1. Dave Villwock: 738

2. Mark Weber: 588

3. Greg Hopp: 556

4. Steve David: 479

5. Mike Hanson: 439