Ultra Lights race on choppy lake, new course
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POLSON — The roar of Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association boats reverberated across Flathead Lake on Aug. 21 and 22. The boat races were a surprise for many locals, since there was no advertising before the races.
Although conditions weren’t perfect, whitecaps and rolling waves dotted the lake during the morning and by early afternoon the lake had settled down enough for racing.
The ULHRA organized the races and secured its own venue in approximately three weeks preceding the racing, according to Race Director Forrester B. “Bo” Darling. Darling added that the ULHRA had a three-year deal in Polson, and they were honoring it.
ULHRA officials said they think there is a future in Polson for boat racing.
The races were held with the pits at one of the Salish Point boat launches north of Sacajawea Park instead of where they’d been held previously, at the regatta grounds near the Polson Fairgrounds. The mile and a quarter course was laid out quite a ways north of the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge.
The new location was less protected and more susceptible to wind than last year’s location on the Flathead River.
“We (ULHRA) don’t take wind too well,” Darling said.
In fact, racers didn’t earn points on Sunday because of weather conditions; it was a blowoff.
Points earned for the races were:
UL 11, Kevin Eacret, Power Punch Racing/Ricciardi’s/K&N Engineering, 800 points
UL 14, Paul Becker, Miss 93 Rent a Wreck/Go Navy, 800
UL 00, Wil Muncey, John Howie Steak, 525 points
UL 72, Kayleigh Perkins, Foster Care/TRIAD
Racing Technologies, 300
UL 10, Austin Eacret, Cajun Queen, 300 points
UL 929, Vince Xaudaro, Miss Hyundai Assurance, 0 points
UL 9, Joe Souza, US Army, 0 points
UL 3, Chris Grant, Miss Prilosec OTC/Kelley Excavating & Site Development, 0 points
For more information, see the website www.ulhra.com
