Full Event Schedule Counters Mother Nature

Unlimited Hydroplane Racing is many things.  Sport.  Art.  Science.  As fans, we connect by way of the competition.  We revel in the beauty and style of these magnificent machines.  Many of us don’t really grasp why these boats can go as fast as they do, seemingly creating a full rap sheet of violations to many of Newton’s laws.

While Unlimited Hydroplane Racing is all of these, it is also an activity that relies on the elements.  Mother Nature consistently smiles on our sport/art/science, but at times she has, well, other ideas.  Reference the disappointing weekend in Madison.

First, let’s set the scene with the news from H1:

Spotlight: High Water Cancels Madison Regatta.

The worsening flood conditions along the Ohio River have forced H1 Unlimited and the Madison Regatta to cancel this year’s Lucas Oil Indiana Governor’s Cup Race.

With high water rising above the entire pit area along Madison’s riverfront, officials had little choice but to cancel the event after monitoring the situation for the past three days and seeing the river jump from a projected 29-foot crest to more than 34.4 feet this morning and approaching 36 feet later in the day.  Normal conditions range between 18-24 feet.

“We had held out hope these past three days that the rain east of here would subside and the river levels would fall,” said Sam Cole, Chairman of H1 Unlimited.  “We had created contingency plans for launching the boats but the rising water wouldn’t allow for any other option.”

“Our teams and the Madison Regatta organization were prepared to do their parts, but the weather and the Ohio River were not cooperative,” Cole added.

With the entire region under Flash Flood warnings the past three days, swift currents, considerable debris and unfavorable forecasts prevented a postponement until Monday officials pointed out.  The river is expected to crest this afternoon and then only drop a half foot by tomorrow.  “We were prepared to race at 29 feet,” said H1 Unlimited Chief Referee Mike Noonan, but instead of dropping, the River has raised another 10 feet since Friday, making racing impossible.”   The event will not be rescheduled in 2013 and will resume one its normal July 4 weekend dates in 2014.

“This saddens us greatly,” Cole stated. “We wanted to race for our fans and for Madison. There is always a possibility, but none of us could have predicted the water levels and debris that have made this a challenging decision.”

“Although we did our best with an Open House provided by all of our teams along the riverfront yesterday and now today, there is no substitute for racing.  But this has been beyond everyone’s control and all we can do is look forward to an exciting race next year.”

The H1 series resumes next weekend in Detroit for the APBA Gold Cup race.

The show must go on.

This is a stark reminder that while race organizers are expert planners and know our sport/art/science (sorry, but I’m starting to like that) better than anyone, we are collectively still at the mercy of Mother Nature.

What do we do?

Well, nothing really.  My observation being shared today is actually an endorsement of the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing format.  It is the ultimate race experience, but the race is only a part of the overall “festival” that surrounds the actual racing.

Here’s just a few quotes from the H1 “Around the Sport” section:

• 1 – Miss Madison Racing:  Great fireworks show along the Ohio River in Madison!
• 100 – Leland Unlimited:  Well, no running today. The parade was awesome and the people of Madison really liked the new paint job by Central Coast Airbrush!  Well done Eric!  Thank you to the great people of Madison who …
• 11 – Unlimited Racing Group:  The crowds have come out to see the boats!
• 14-Centurion Racing:  The parade tonight was amazing. I got to drive the hauler while the crew, owner and driver rode on the boat laid down flat.  The people of Madison are the best.  Saturday the boats will…
• H1 Unlimited:  There will be a drivers autograph session at 11:45 am EDT.  When it concludes, we will go live with streaming from the Start/Finish tower and get their thoughts and plans…
• Race Site: Madison Regatta:  ATTENTION!!!  All gates are open to the public free of charge…  The unlimiteds are parked along Vaughn Dr. and trailers are open for everyone to see…  and fireworks and air show are also on schedule!

You can see that while Mom prevented us from enjoying a race, there were still many activities to enjoy.  Many included the boats, drivers, and teams.

To read more about the breadth and depth of activities – in addition to the actual Unlimited Hydroplane Racing – see the distinction between “race schedule” and “event schedule” on our Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Schedule page.  You’ll find an array of activities on the various race location web sites ranging from scholarship pageants to street dances to waterball fights – and much, much more.

Are ancillary activities as good as a race?  Of course not.

Was Madison still a pretty cool weekend for fans of Unlimited Hydroplane Racing?  Absolutely!

It is comforting to remember that although we have a sport that relies on the sweet attitude of Mother Nature, we have race organizers who know how to hit an Unlimited Hydroplane Racing fan’s sweet spot – even without a race.

UHR Dave