Crowd Finds Diversion in Hydroplane Races

Jim Kidrick’s thinking that a lot of San Diego and Southern California boat enthusiasts would welcome a day of boat racing as a diversion from their grieving over last Tuesday’s terrorist attacks was proved right Sunday.

“I know we did the right thing, for the right reason,” said Kidrick, president of the San Diego Bayfair and a 21-year Navy combat pilot, after an estimated 75,000, more than were here in the last five or six years, lined the shores of Mission Bay and jammed Fiesta Island to watch the unlimited hydroplane race. “You could see it on the faces of our fans, they had a chance to enjoy themselves and I think they saw a hell of a boat show. It was a great crowd.”

Nate Brown, in Miss Elam Plus, upset national unlimited hydroplane champion Dave Villwock in Miss Budweiser in a stirring five-lap championship race.

The fans were rewarded with one of the most competitive days of hull-to-hull racing seen on the 21/2-mile Bill Muncey in many years. All six heats had close racing, a vast change from the last few years when Miss Budweiser would sometimes lap rivals in a three-lap heat.

Villwock clinched his fifth championship before his first race when Mark Weber, his only challenger, got swamped by a rooster tail in the first heat and finished fourth. Weber’s only hope of winning would have been to win every race, including the final. Almost immediately, the Miss Budweiser crew unfurled a large banner proclaiming their boat as the 2001 world champion.

A huge “21” on the banner signaled the 21st national title for owner Bernie Little.

Brown, 1992 unlimited hydroplane rookie of the year from Preston, Wash., scored his first victory last month in Seattle and Sunday became the only two-time winner of the six-race 2001 season.

“Nate was perfect in the finals, he hit the starting line right on the nose,” said an elated Erick Ellstrom, owner of Miss Elam Plus. “He hit the line going full throttle, at full speed-zero-zero. The racing was so close today, the start was more important than usual and our boat was completely ahead of everyone.”

Brown, who started in Lane 5, with Villwock in Lane 6, never gave up the lead. Mark Hanson, the APBA Gold Cup winner, was Brown’s first challenger, but he couldn’t hold the pace and gave up second place to Villwock on the third lap.

In the third heat race, Villwock had run down Hanson just a few feet from the finish line and the cheering throng apparently expected to see a repeat performance. But Brown turned up the throttle and answered Villwock with a 25-foot-high rooster tail streaming behind his boat. Villwock could not close the gap.

Hanson finished third and Mike Weber fourth, followed by Jimmy King, Ken Muscatel and Mark Weber. Brown averaged 147.963 mph for the 121/2-mile race.

Gary Garbrecht, whose leadership as commissioner of the unlimited hydroplanes has helped create parity in the sport, was elated.

“I think the racing proved my point in using an inverted start. Villwock was on the outside, but Brown was right beside him, and they finished first and second,” he said. “I think we had a successful program, particularly after cramming a three-day into two after calling off Friday’s events for the Day of Remembrance.”

Curiously, two of the year’s five winners-Steve David in Oh Boy! Oberto and Terry Troxell in Znetix II, failed to qualify for the final.