Yesterday GP1 driven by Grant Harrison of Australia won the 2012 UIM GP Hydroplane World Championship on Lake Karapiro in New Zealand. American driver Marty Wolfe came second in GP-93 Renegade. There is an article and video about the race on LuvMyBoat.com. We will have more video from the Johnson-Wolfe Renegade team when they return from New Zealand.

We have the live stream out of New Zealand on Hydroplane Quebec. GP-93 driven by American Marty Wolfe goes into the final day of racing leading the points. Having posted the second fastest hot lap and winning his heat race.

Lake Havasu, Arizona will come alive this April with the sound of thundering Grand Prix hydroplanes during the 1^st Annual Havasu World Cup. There will be a one mile course set up in the protected waters of Thompson Bay right in front of the host hotel, The Nautical Beachfront Resort. Scheduled during Spring Break weekend April 6-8, huge crowds, along with 80 degree weather, will witness the East vs West Grand Prix Shootout.  On Friday April 6, after the open testing has concluded, the “Holiday Motorsports Dash for Cash” will take place. It will include the six fastest boats in lap times in the Grand Prix class.  These boats will be invited to compete in a one heat shootout for $3,000 dollars that afternoon.

Twelve Grand Prix boats have already confirmed their participation for the East vs West shootout!  The eight West Coast teams include GP-5, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 35 & 329.  The four East Coast teams include GP-10, 50, 93 & 777.  Plus, there are additional Grand Prix teams showing interest in this event. This will be the largest gathering of Grand Prix boats anywhere in the world, in over a decade.

This APBA sanctioned event will start Friday April 6 with seven hours of open testing for all classes from 9am till 4pm.  Heat races on the one mile course are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, with the possibility of additional morning testing on Sat. and Sun.  Other classes scheduled to be in the event are 1 litre, 2.5 stock, 5 litre, and Super Stock. Additional classes may include 350, Cracker Box, and Grand National Endurance.

We welcome all ACHA teams, including the Hydro350 class, to come and enjoy the free testing day on Friday, and racing all weekend.  Kelly Shane from Havre de Grace, MD will be in attendance taking advantage of testing her new 350 hydroplane, and she will also race in the 5 litre class.

Lake Havasu City is located in Western Arizona residing in the Chemehuevi Valley along the Colorado River, west of the Mohave Mountains.  Lake Havasu has been voted as one of the top 5 places in the world for Spring Break, and has numerous marine-related activities throughout the year which include Poker Runs to boat parades, and other sanctioned events.

Major sponsors for this event include:  Trafficade, El Centro Motors Ford/Lincoln, Lake Havasu Convention & Visitors Bureau, DSM Events & Budweiser.  Additional sponsor and host resort is the Nautical Beachfront Resort http://nauticalinn.com/. This beautiful resort which boasts 139 beachfront suites is located right on the race course making walking distance to and from the pits a breeze. There are blocks on rooms for this event so book your stay ASAP!

The goal for creating the Havasu World Cup is to showcase the largest gathering of Grand Prix boats in the world for a weekend in April. We understand and respect the goals of the GPW and the ACHA organizations, and applaud them both in their efforts to support and promote the Grand Prix class. At the Havasu World Cup we are offering good times, great weather, good people, and the most exciting gathering of Grand Prix boats anywhere in the world. So come join us for the “East vs West shootout” in the desert and come on in, the waters fine!!

Stay tuned for more information on this exciting event, which will be announced on HydroplaneQuebec.com over the next few months.

Photo: Pierre Langevin

Chuck Woodruff joins the Grand Prix class

Denis Bourbonnais – Journal Saint-François

The Canadian Hydroplane Association (ACHA) leaders were hoping to disclose the identity of the new owners of the two available Grand Prix boats before Christmas time.

Last Thursday, half was completed when the General Director of the Valleyfield Regatta, Michel Poirier, announced the partnership agreement with the former racer Chuck Woodruff.  The Jensen Beach resident becomes the heir of the GP-55 “My Way” which Mike Weber campaigned in 2011.  Weber remains as main driver of the boat which will sport the number GP-45 for next season.  The name is still to be confirmed.

Charles “Chuck” Woodruff is well known by the fans that followed the activities of hydroplane racing in the 70’s, 80’s and the 90’s.  The legendary rookie reached celebrity status not only for his multiple World and North American titles, but for the number of accidents he had during his career.  A lot of people will surely remember his spectacular 360° blowover in the 7 Liter “Project 7” at the Valleyfield regatta in 1984.

Archive Photo: Pierre Langevin

The dare-devil style driver admits to be lucky for the fact that he survived all these crashes, even if his body still carries aftermaths.  Hydroplane racing fans will first remember all his good performances and the helm of the 6 Liter “Buckeye Kid” and with the “Southern Seven” in the 7 Litre class.  Woodruff also drove the GP-991 “Physical Therapy”, property of Bo Adams back in 1991.

Now retired from the pleasure boat sales business, the 64 year old American wants to give back to the sport he always loved. “It is remarkable what ACHA has achieved over last couple of years, and I am proud to be part of the revival of the Grand Prix class” he said to the JOURNAL during a phone call.

Chuck Woodruff took his last start at the wheel of a hydroplane in 1994, and he wasn’t able to resist and came back into the hydroplane racing world now as a team owner.  He will team up with his fellow Floridian, Bill Tetro, who comes into the ACHA circuit with another hull, the S-45 in the 2.5 Litre class.  It is a Henderson Hull built four years ago and will be driven by his son, William Tetro.

The assembly of the engines of the new Grand Prix team has been awarded to Huey Newport with the assistance of Mike Endres. “Everything should be ready by the end of January.  We will be testing the boat during a demonstration at the Stuart, FL Regatta on April 14-15”, revealed Chuck Woodruff.  The team will be based on the East coast, probably in Syracuse or Ogdensburg, NY.  A second driver will be hired to replace Mike Weber at the events he won’t be able to attend.

For those who follow the path of the Grand Prix boats, this Henderson hull built in 2008 changed owners for a fourth time.  After Patrick Haworth drove it for Huey Newport (GP-777 The Crush), George Kennedy (GP-25 Shameless) and Mike Weber (GP-55 My Way) who became the driver-owner of this hull in 2011.

Now that the GP-55 found its new owner, the Valleyfield Regatta now has to find who will take the ex “ADF Diesel” GP-46 from Pierre Maheu.  Who will succeed the retired champion of the Grand Prix class?  The race is open!

PRESS RELEASE: Nov 10^th 2011

It is with great pleasure that  Acceleration on Water Ltd would like to announce the confirmed entry of the American Grand Prix Hydroplane Race team  “ Johnson – Wolfe Racing GP93 Renegade “ for the 2012 UIM Grand Prix Hydroplane Championship at  Lake Karapiro, Cambridge New Zealand, February 3-4-5^th.  Johnson-Wolfe Racing will line up against fellow American J Mike Kelly who will drive Peter Knight Snrs ‘The Boss’. Both teams will be in New Zealand in time to race at pre World event at Lake Taupo, January 28-29^th, giving both teams time to test the New Zealand waters before the UIM GP Worlds at Lake Karapiro the following weekend.

Acceleration on Water and NZ Grand Prix Hydroplane Drivers Club would like to welcome on board Peters & May the recently appointed UIM approved Marine Transport Provider who will ship the team from Long Beach to Auckland New Zealand.

New Zealand Grand Prix Hydroplane Drivers are excited at the opportunity to race against two well known and excellent racers from the USA, in the words of Waverley Annihilator hydroplane kingpin Warwick Lupton, “the boys have got pretty hyped-up about these Americans coming, and they’ve gone way over the top”.

The “boys” are, of course, usual Annihilator teammates David Alexander and Ken Lupton – and Chris Picard will also be in there this season with a revved-up Annihilator 1.

Lupton himself, of course, will be defending his World UIM GP Hydroplane title in the Annihilator Race Boat against the American visitors, and still to be confirmed Australian entries and his own Waverley teammates, and current EC Griffith Cup holder Otorohanga’s Scott Coker ‘Fair Warning’.

Johnson – Wolfe Racing team Manager Elizabeth Wolfe writes on behalf of the team

“Since winning the Canadian and American championships in 2009, the team has had some significant obstacles.  Two major accidents in 2010, with significant damage to both the boat and the driver, as well as a devastating illness in 2011 have made the last two seasons a big challenge for the team.  But, after refreshing, rebuilding, and getting everything in shape (including Marty, the driver) we are back in action and ready to compete at the World’s in New Zealand.  Crew Chief, Randy Wolfe, believes that the team is in a good position to win the championship.

The crew making up the trip to New Zealand includes: Marty Wolfe Driver and Engine Builder, Randy Wolfe Crew Chief, Elizabeth Wolfe Team Manager, Pat and Paul Palm Crew, and Jeff and Dennis Johnson owners of Trafficade and the boat.

The team is currently thrashing to get a winter’s worth of work done in 30 days in order to get the boat from Chicago to the west coast to get on a freighter for the long slow trip over.  Not only are they rebuilding two engines, and getting all the general maintenance done, they are also retrofitting the trailer to fit all the spare parts and tools that typically live in the tow vehicle.

Johnson Wolfe racing with GP93 Renegade is incredibly excited for the opportunity to run against the competition on the other side of the world.  We look forward to some great racing, and plan to show the Australian and New Zealand teams how the Americans get things done! ”

It’s a big year for the relatively small hydroplane community.

Defending world champion Warwick Lupton will be looking to keep his title at the UIM World GP Hydroplane Championships at Lake Karapiro on February 3-4-5, and then have a crack at taking the 100th running of the EC Griffith Cup against the best Australia can offer, also at Lake Karapiro on March 3-4.

Watch for further announcements and event up dates on www.accelerationonwater.co.nz www.hydroplane.co.nz www.wolfengines.com/racing www.petersandmay.com

The Crush will become the GP-101.

Ghislain Marcoux and Daniel Mercier to team up in a new Grand Prix team.

By Denis Bourbonnais

The worst kept secret in boat racing was revealed to the public last Thursday at La Maison Des Régates in Valleyfield.

Daniel Mercier will make a long awaited come back as owner of a Grand Prix hydroplane in 2012 and Ghislain Marcoux will be at the wheel, all this, in a partnership with Les Régates de Valleyfield.

The future GP-101 Groupe ABS Racing Team will take over the GP-777 The Crush hull that Bert Henderson drove to a 2nd place in the 2011 GP ACHA Championship. Huey Newport and his Crush team will sport a brand new state-of-the-art Henderson hull next season.

Daniel Mercier, who already has a Grand Prix Championship under his belt from 1996, also won the prestigious Grand Prix of Valleyfield in 2001 with driver Jeff Richards in the GP-101 Pavages Chenail Racing, his last year as an owner before an 11 years hiatus. Dan has worked on his comeback for 2 years now. The businessman and engineer, originally from St-Timothée near Valleyfield, showed a serious interest in coming back at the beginning of the year and an agreement was recently made between him, and Michel Poirier, the Valleyfield Regatta director.

Many drivers wanted to drive for Daniel and the 45 year old entrepreneur has finally chosen the 2011 H-350 Champion (2010 5 L. Champion) Ghislain Marcoux. “I’ve seen and studied Ghislain this summer at the Valleyfield Regatta and I was very impressed,” said Mercier. “His always smiling face and non-aggressive attitude will represent our team very well also,” said the drag racing competitor who had success since the last 10 years on the asphalt quarter mile.

Daniel will still race his A-Fuel dragster and Pro-Mod cars but will try to organize his busy schedules to make as many hydro races as possible. The gear head will prepare 2 engines, one already on hand from Marty Wolfe and Ghislain’s current team members will do maintenance of the boat, trailer and motors.

After the fall of the GP class in 2001, Dan who has hydro racing in his blood, knew he’d come back to his first love one day. “I’ve raced on the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series of NHRA, been to many Nascar races but Hydroplane racing still is the most wonderful motorsport in the world. The professionalism showed by ACHA for the last few years has brought me back to the sport. The number and quality of the hulls on the circuit is great,” said Dan. For Dan, Ghislain Marcoux is a “winner” and they want to succeed as soon as possible. Ghislain will have restrictions to follow, like every new driver to the class and the new points system is good for consistent teams. “We don’t want to follow the parade; we’d like to be in front of it. We’ll try our best. ”

The end of the El Diablo.

The newest Grand Prix pilot on the circuit, Ghislain Marcoux did not take a lot of time to win on the hydroplane circuit. In his first 3 years in the sport, he’s been Champion twice, 5L in 2010 and H350 this season.  Since the first time he tried a hydroplane, he’s been dreaming to one day drive a Grand Prix.

“Grand-Prix hydro is the pinnacle, it’s what is giving thrills and shivers to spectators,” said Marcoux, also a former GP-444 Export ‘A’ Inc.’s crew. The 39 year old entrepreneur had one fear, that he could not make it alone to the Grand Prix class. “I needed a partner and when I heard that Dan showed some interest in me, I contacted him and the rest is history,” he said. Ghislain and Dan share the same goal, to win. “I’ll have at least 8 restrictions to follow in the first 2 or 3 weekends and starting from the outside won’t be a disadvantage as long as I can finish all my races and be as consistent as we can. A championship isn’t an impossible task for a first year team but the competition out there is strong.”

Questionned about the first confrontations on the water against his friend and business partner Marc Théoret, Ghislain sees no problems. “80% of the drivers on the circuit are friends. Often, I’ve helped my competitors by handing them some equipment; I want to beat them on the water, not on the trailer.”

Ghislain had the chance to test his new ride in Wildwood, NJ on October 1st, and loved the experience.  “A Grand Prix engine is so powerful, everything is happening so fast, it was like my first laps ever in a hydroplane. It’s a completely new style of driving,” said the driver who will have to adjust his seat to be more confortable.

Obviously, it’s with regrets that Ghislain and his team are putting an end to the El Diablo era. In only 2 years, the team has left its mark on the circuit. “The boat was very popular, mostly with young ladies. It’s sad but we have to move forward and go on with a new challenge,” said Ghislain.