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Traction Products, Inc.
Weismann Marine, LLC.
Aug 04, 2008
Jean Theoret and Miss Beacon entered the last three races as the boat to beat. And if Lady Luck was on our side, we coulda, woulda, shoulda have had three more wins!
The Gold Cup in Detroit, Mi. started great, with a 1st in Heat 1A, and a 2nd in 2A. But in Heat 3A, Jean was way out front when another hydropane flipped over. The race was called, and all points earned were thrown away.
In the
minds of many teams and racers the water was rough, it was windy but the wind
didn't cause the flip, and the organizers should have let the racers race. And
judging by the pace we had in the rough water,
Miss Beacon coulda won this
race!
In the
Tri-Cities race in Washington, Miss Beacon was again in top form. Cruising to a 2nd
in both Heat 1B and Heat 2B, and in a great race winning Heat 3A, Jean Theoret
was ready for the final race.
Click here to view the video of Heat race 3A
After getting a poor start on the inside lane and crossing the line in 5th, Jean accelerated past everyone and opened up a huge lead. Listen to the video as the announcer jinxes Jean Theoret and the Miss Beacon grinds to a halt on the next to last lap and doesn't finish!
Miss Beacon definately woulda won this race!
Click here to view the video of the final race
Check out the damage the boat sustained when the prop chucked a blade and took out the engine, but fortunately not the gearbox!
Then this past weekend in Seattle for the famous SeaFair, Miss Beacon was back and ready to race after a tremendous effort by the team lead by Scott Rainey to repair a 12 foot section of the hull in less than a weeks time.
Jean was off to a flying start, winning Heat 1C, finished a calm 2nd in Heat 2B and winning Heat 3A! It was thought that this race would not suit the Miss Beacon hydroplane, but it was clear that Jean was having no trouble with the course or the water conditions.
Heat 1C report from Hydroinsider.com
If people were
wondering whether the U-37 Beacon Plumbing was ready to go after suffering
extensive damage in Tri-Cities, the question was answered in Heat 1C at Seafair.
David Bryant in the U-10 started in lane two and had boat speed on Theoret, but
Theoret was inside and got the jump.
Theoret settled into a 7 boat length lead. By the second lap, Bryant had closed
the lead by half, but then fell back in the far turn. Theoret held on from
there.
Theoret was on his way to winning the Tri-Cities race when the boat threw a prop
and damaged the boat. "We seriously damaged the boat in Tri-Cities," said U-37
owner Billy Schumacher.
The Schumacher Racing team worked nearly around-the-clock during the week
between races. The work paid off. "15 guys put in 100 hours," said U-37 driver
Jean Theoret. "Just did a great job."
"He (Bryant) kept pushing me, trying to make me make a mistake," said Theoret.
He didn't and Theoret racked up the heat win and 400 points in his first outing
at Seafair 2008.
In the final round the trouble started before the green flag for Jean Theoret. As the boats battled for the inside lane, Jean and the other two top boats, U-1, and U-6 came off plane. The cameras were focused on Jean, and not the other boats, but it was clear all three were off plane at some point. And the argument is whether or not Jean was off for more than 5 seconds. The U-1 certainly was, and supposedly so was U-6, but not the U-37 Miss Beacon.
When the green flag fell, Jean left the field to win the race!
And this is were the controversy really begins.
Jean and his crew did not know they were penalized until after they celebrated the win on the dock! The announcer did not know, the flag crew did not know! But U-1 pilot Dave Villwock knew that Jean was penalized on the second lap, then the first lap, then before the green fell, according to three different interviews of the driver. How could he know if no one else knew?
And it gets stickier.
GM actually withdrew their sponsorship of the Seafair before the race weekend and Boeing took over. Boeing is a sponsor of the U-1 Hydro. Furthermore there was a $50,000 charity donation to be awarded to the Ronald McDonald fund IF U-1 won.
If you care to spend the time, there are numorous blogs written by Hydroplane fans complaining about this twisted turn of events and how people view the Officiating and the outcome of the race. See below for blog links.
The Miss Beacon lodged an appeal, but it is now offical, only the U-37 boat was penalized and the U-1 was declared the winner. However Billy and Jane Schumacher have filled a formal appeal with the ABRA which is under review this week- stay tuned!
Miss Beacon without a doubt shoulda won this race too!
Summary of Final report from Hydroinsider.com
SEATTLE, Wash. -
It's moments like these that drive fans on the shore crazy. One boat can nail
the start and outrun everybody to the finish line, but then still lose the race.
But rules are rules, and the officials decided Jean Theoret and the U-37 Beacon
Plumbing team was "off plane" in the score up period and hit him with a
one-minute penalty.
It was a classic match-up and story-line going into the finals at the Chevrolet
Cup at Seafair.
Dave Villwock in the U-1 had won three heats, Jean Theoret in the U-37 won two
heats, and Steve David in the U-6 won two. After the dust settled, it was
Villwock making it a perfect weekend, winning all three heats and the Chevrolet
Cup.
As the boats ran the course before the final, several boats slowed down running
dangerously close to going off-plane (slowing so that water flows over the
sponsons). If you do that for more than five seconds, you can be penalized. That
happened to Theoret, who - despite getting the checkered flag and crossing the
finish line first was penalized, opening the door for the U-1 and Dave Villwock,
who finished second, but was declared the winner.
The fight for the inside lane meant boats were doing the run-up early and
slowly. Theoret grabbed lane one, Villwock lane two, and David in lane three.
Theoret hit the turn first and came out first. Villwock had to move out a bit in
the last turn of lap one and the U-37 took advantage, stretching the lead out.
Villwock ran second and made a run at Theoret several times, narrowing the gap
twice to within a boat length, but couldn't overtake the Canadian.
Theoret got the checkered flag and the crew celebrated on the shore. But Theoret
was penalized and that gave the win to Villwock.
A lot of boats were going slow in the run-up. "I was going the same speed as
everyone else," said Theoret. "Why am I getting penalized?"
"It was a big disappointment," said Theoret.
Final Race Video viewed by the Schumachers
Blog - Villwock on referrees
Blog - Final results are in, without escaping controvery
U-37 owners Billy and Jane Schmacher interviewed at KIRO-TV studios
Chief Referee Mike Noonan reviewed the tape at the KIRO-TV studios in Seattle and says he stand by the call.
Mike Noonan, Chief Referee, on KIRO-TV
KIRO-TV Are you sticking by your call? Did you make the right call?
Noonan: "Yes, sir. I am"
Later, Billy and Jane Schumacher were at the KIRO studios to view the same tape. Their words speak for themselves.
Billy & Jane Schumacher on KIRO-TV:
Jane: "That's a horseshit call. He knows it, too."
Billy: "It's bad for the sport. If that decision stands, Bye Bye."
On the Unlimited Hydroplane series website on race weekends, you can get the races streamed to you on your computer - www.abrahydroplanes.com
Check out Miss Beacon's website for more pictures and information about this great boat and team - www.U-37.com
