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It was the third stop of the H1 Unlimited Racing Series, which features the fastest race boats in the world.

The event was dominated by Jimmy Shane, 35, of Covington, Washington, during most of the day, winning each of his preliminary heats driving Miss HomeStreet and being the fastest qualifier. But, in the winner-take-all final, he found himself caught behind the others at the start and could never catch up.

The start instead belonged to Peabody, 42, of Kent, Wash., and J. Michael Kelly in Miss Tri-Cities, his teammate on the Strong Racing Team and a friend since they were in grade school together. Kelly, 42, of Bonney Lake, Wash., held the lead through most of the heat but his boat received damage to its rear wing and Peabody was able to get past him during the final lap.

The victory was the first in Peabody’s career driving in the H1 Unlimited Racing Series. The victory also gave his team its second one-two finish of the season. Kelly was the winner in Guntersville, Alabama, while Peabody placed second. The Strong Racing Team is new to the H1 Unlimited circuit this season.

Kelly finished the final in second place, followed by Shane in third, and in fourth was Jamie Nilsen of Gig Harbor, Wash., driving J&D’s. Nilsen won one of the preliminary heats earlier in the day, his first heat victory of the season. Dave Villwock, 67, the sport’s greatest champion, finished in fifth place driving Miss Beacon Plumbing.

The H1 Unlimited Racing Series would typically continue with an event in Seattle, but that race was canceled earlier in the year because the Covid-19 pandemic prevented the planning necessary to hold the event. The next race on the schedule will be held in San Diego on September 17 to 19.

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Driving Miss HomeStreet, Shane not only was a convincing victor in both of his two heats but was also the event’s fastest qualifier.

Also winning preliminary heats on Saturday were J. Michael Kelly, 42, of Bonney Lake, Washington, the driver of Miss Tri-Cities, and Andrew Tate, 31, of Canton, Michigan, the driver of Graham Trucking.

Racing will continue on Sunday with two more sets of preliminary heats and a winner-take-all final heat.

The H1 Unlimited Racing Series features the fastest race boats in the world, capable of speeds approaching 200 miles per hour.

Dave Villwock in Miss Beacon Plumbing (left) races side by side with Andrew Tate in Graham Trucking.

The event on the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities is the third stop on the 2021 campaign. Shane, the winner of the Gold Cup three weeks ago in Madison, Indiana, won his first heat at an average speed of nearly 147 miles per hour, won his second with a nearly identical performance, and in the process turned in the day’s fastest competition lap of nearly 155 miles per hour.

His best run of the day came during his qualification attempt, when he drove Miss HomeStreet to 163.203 miles per hour.

The day’s closest race came in Heat 2A when Kelly crossed the finish line just ahead of Tate and had the best heat average, finishing with a speed of nearly 152 miles per hour. In the day’s first heat, the two drivers finished in reverse order, with Tate claiming the victory.

Dave Villwock, 67, of Monroe, Washington, the sport’s greatest champion who has made a comeback appearance this season, led the field in the early stages of that first race, but later was disqualified for violating the fuel-flow limit.

Jimmy Shane in Miss HomeStreet (right) has the inside lane against Corey Peabody in Pinnacle Peak Consulting (left) and Jamie Nilsen in J&D’s.

Driving Miss Beacon Plumbing, he later finished second behind Shane in Heat 2B.

The day of action turned out to be busier than originally scheduled. Time for testing
and qualification attempts was originally set for Friday, but the course had to be closed all day because a thick patch of weeds growing from the river’s bottom had covered an area on the racecourse about the size of a football field.

Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers who worked late into the night to remove the weeds, the course could be opened for racing on Saturday morning.

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The boats will careen across the water at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, giving those lining the shores of the Columbia River the “Greatest Show on H-2-O.”

The event is the third on this year’s schedule. Race winners so far have included J. Michael Kelly, 42, of Bonney Lake, Washington, who drove Miss Tri-Cities to victory at the Guntersville Lake Hydrofest in Guntersville, Alabama.

Defending national champion Jimmy Shane, 35, of Covington, Washington, was the winner three weeks ago in Madison, Indiana, when he drove Goodman Real Estate presents Miss HomeStreet to his career fifth Gold Cup victory.

Shane will be in the cockpit of a different boat this weekend. His Miss Madison Racing Team will compete in the Tri-Cities with its newer hull, the Miss HomeStreet, a craft that was built in 2018 and that won the 2019 national title. Shane and the boat stand as the reigning champions because the entire 2020 season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kelly will be a fan favorite at the event. He won the most recent race held in the Tri-Cities and is now driving for a team owned by Vanessa and Darrell Strong, who live in the community and who purchased the hydroplane last winter. Though they have sponsored boats in the past, they are now in their first year as owners in the H1 Unlimited Racing Series.

The Strong Racing Team started the 2021 season in a big way, not only by winning its first race, but also by having its other boat place second and also be the fastest qualifier at the Guntersville event. That boat, Pinnacle Peak Consulting, was also purchased by the Strongs last winter and will be driven by Corey Peabody, 42, of Kent, Washington.

The current leader in the national points race for drivers is Andrew Tate, 31, of Canton, Michigan, who will be driving Graham Trucking. He was the national champion in 2018 and is now driving the boat that was runner-up in the standings in 2019 and that won that season’s last three races, including the most recent race in the Tri-Cities. Tate finished second in the APBA Gold Cup race in Madison.

Also sure to get some attention by the fans attending the event on the Columbia River will be Dave Villwock, 67, of Monroe, Washington, who will be driving Miss Beacon Plumbing. While he is among the oldest to ever drive an H1 Unlimited hydro in competition, he is also the sport’s all-time most successful competitor. With 67 career race victories, Villwock has won more races than any other driver in history, and with 10 titles, has also been the sport’s national champion more than any other driver.

The Miss Beacon Plumbing is owned by Sharon and Kelly Stocklin, who will also enter a second hydroplane named Bucket List Racing. Driven by Dustin Echols, 41, also of Monroe, the boat battled gearbox issues at the Guntersville race and sat out the Gold Cup. The team hopes to have those issues resolved by this weekend.

Another boat that has seen mechanical and structural issues so far this season has been J&D’s, which is driven by Jamie Nilsen, 36, of Gig Harbor, Washington. The boat did finish fourth in the Gold Cup but was forced to miss much of that event because of damage caused when the craft hit debris in the water while traveling at over 150 miles per hour.

Making its first appearance on the H1 Unlimited Racing Series this season will be Griggs presents Miss Ace Hardware, a boat that is based in Evansville, Indiana. Driven by Jimmy King, 60, of Memphis, Michigan, the hydroplane is the last to still use a V-12 Allison engine, a powerplant built for World War II fighter planes that was commonly used in the sport from the late-1940s until the mid-1980s.

Also providing a sound from the past for the fans in the Tri-Cities will be exhibition runs by several of the old hydroplanes from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Kent, Washington.

Most of today’s boats on the H1 Unlimited Racing Series are about 30 feet long, weigh more than three tons, and (except for the one) are powered by Lycoming gas turbine engines.

Skimming across the water at breathtaking speed, throwing spray high into the air, the boats will achieve average lap speeds of about 150 to 160 miles per hour.

Nothing compares to the unique visual beauty of watching the H1 Unlimited hydroplanes live. Testing and qualifying is scheduled for Friday with racing action on both Saturday and Sunday that will culminate with a winner-take-all final heat on Sunday afternoon.

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