1999 Jaspers Engines & Transmissions
Indiana Governor’s Cup
Ohio River, Madison, Indiana, July 4, 1999

Hanauer Celebrates 60th  Career Win, Takes Miss Pico to Victory in Madison
Villwock Uninjured in Flip on First Lap of Final, Retains Points Lead

(Madison, Indiana)---Chip Hanauer moved another step closer to the legendary Bill Muncey’s all-time career victory record taking his 60th career win here in the Jaspers Engines & Transmissions  Indiana Governor’s Cup.

Driving the U-100 Miss Pico, Hanauer grabbed the lead on the original start of the final heat. The heat was stopped when top rival Dave Villwock in Miss Budweiser flipped entering turn one. Villwock was uninjured. 

On the restart, Hanauer again took the lead on the start and pulled away to score his second victory in four 1999 Ralph’s Unlimited Hydro’s Thunder Tour events. 

“We got a good start and never looked back,” said Hanauer, who celebrated his 45th birthday on Thursday.  “I didn’t really see what happened to Dave (Villwock). 

Hanauer’s 60th career win moves him to within two wins of the late Bill Muncey’s record 62 victories.

Finishing second was Mitch Evans in the U-20 Appian Jeronimo, followed by Nate Brown in the U-8 Llumar Window Film.  

After early season disappointments, Evans sees his team improving. “The team is really working hard and we’re finally coming around,” said Evans.

Next stop on the 1999 Ralph’s Unlimited Hydros Thunder Tour will be the Chrysler Jeep American Power Boat Association Gold Cup in Detroit, July 8-11.

Unlimited Hydroplane Championship Final:

July 4, 1999 - Madison, IN -- The Miss Budweiser flipped in the first turn at the start of this afternoon's championship final setting the stage for a dramatic finish in Madison, IN.  With driver Dave Villwock unhurt and the U-1 race boat back in the hydroplane pits, the fans on the beach were left with hopes for an exciting re-start featuring four very evenly matched unlimited hydroplanes and four very hungry drivers. 

Steve David put himself out the hunt early by jumping the gun which would have left three contenders -  but Nate Brown had already hooked and spun out exiting the final turn for the start. 

Brown eventually re-started but was a lap down when he officially made his start and his timing could not have better for the race fans as he was now situated in the middle of the competitors running their second lap. Chip Hanauer in Miss PICO stayed away from the confusion by staying out in front and led the remaining laps of the Jasper Engines & Transmission regatta.  Mitch Evans in the U-20 "Appian Jeronimo held close to the rooster of the PICO and easily took second place.

 The Championship Final of the Jasper Engines & Transmissions Indiana Governor's Cup is currently re-scheduled to 4:45 pm due to a race stoppage of the 4:10 final event.  Dave Villwock, driver of the Miss Budweiser flipped in the first turn at the start of the race.  Dave is fine and they are currently bringing the Miss Budweiser back to the pits. 

Unlimited Last Chance Heat Results:
 

Unlimited Lights Championship Final: - Un-official Results!
 

Unlimited Heat 3B Results:
 

Unlimited Heat 3A Results:

Heat 2C:

Rookie Greg  Hopp continues his "dream season" on the Unlimited Hydros Tour as he captured another 400 points and the checkered flag in today's Heat 2 racing.  Mitch Evans in the Appian Jeronimo kept just behind Hopp's rooster tail for one lap and then settled back to second place.  Mike Weber, driving Ed Cooper's Master Tire, took third.
 

Heat 2B:

Chip Hananuer took an easy victory in Heat 2B and Miss Madison now has hope for making the Championship Final in today's Jaspers Engines Indiania Governors Cup in Madison, IN.  The Miss Pico easily took the first place spot and the Miss Madision captured second place points as the U-10 YORK International did not make the start of the event.  According to U-10 team owner Kim Gregory, "We have no clue what happened.  There was no power to starter but all the batteries were up."   The U-10 crew was busy working on the problem as the next heat of racing begins at 2:30 pm.
 

Heat 2A:

The Miss Budwesier repeated their earlier performance today, capturing another checkered flag in Heat 2A.  Steve David in the U-2 Unlimited Hydro named "Jim Harvey's Motorsports" gave a good chase but driver Dave Villwock was able to add an additional 400 pts to his national point standings.

 Results - Heat 1C:

The Miss Budweiser and the Jim Harvey's Motorsports Unlimited Hydroplanes hit the mark this morning in Heat 1C with the U-10 YORK International just a second behind.  Miss Budweiser had control of the race course by the end of first turn and continued to pull away from the U-2 driven by Steve David.  Driver Mark Weber was assessed a one lap penalty prior to the start of the race for hitting a buoy during the five minute warm up period.

Results - Heat 1B:

In the second heat of racing today, Chip Hanauer took the lead by the first turn and easily led the way around the course the remaining two laps.   The battle however was for second place through laps one and two as Greg Hopp in the U-15 "Marian Travel Inn" and Mike Hanson in the U-9 entry "Jones Racing" kept it side-by-side through the first two laps.  Hopp finally was able to pull away taking second place and Hanson third.

Results - Heat 1A:

Nate Brown and Mitch Evans had all the makings of a boat race this morning during the first heat of racing in Madison.  The U-8 Llumar Window Film crossed the start line just barely ahead of the U-20 Appian Jeronimo.  Out of the first corner, Evans had the lead and though Llumar Window Film challenged the entire first lap, Appian Jeronimo pulled away, first by a rooster tail on lap two and then by several boat lengths on the final lap.  The local favorite, Miss Madison, held onto third place and Master Tire driven by Mike Weber finished fourth. 

Notes: The U-20 Appian Jeronimo was assessed a monetary fine for going into the exit turn on lap two too tight and then pushing the U-8 to the outside marker.

Revised Race Schedule:

Unlimited Testing: 9:00 to 10:45 am
Opening Ceremonies: 10:45 - 11:00 am
Unlimited Heat 1A: 11:00 am
Unlimited Heat 1B: 11:20 am
Unlimited Heat 1C: 11:40 am
River Open: 11:50 - 12:50 pm
Heat 2A: 1:00 pm
Heat 2B: 1:20 pm
Heat 2C: 1:40 pm
5 Litre Final: 1:50 pm
Vintage Boats Final Run: 2:10 pm
Heat 3A: 2:30 pm
Heat 3B: 3:00 pm
Unlimited Lights Final: 3:10 pm
Unlimited Last Chance: 3:30 pm
Unlimited Final: 4:10 pm
 

Unlimited Qualifying Results - Day Two:

Madison, IN -- Nine of the 11 Unlimited Hydros in the pits at Madison, IN have qualified for tomorrow racing competition.  Lead qualifier after the two rounds today remains to be Dave Villwock in the Miss Budweiser, followed by Chip Hanauer in the Miss Pico.  The Las Vegas based YORK International moved back into the third spot with a speed of 151.133 mph this afternoon.
 
 

SATURDAY:

Unlimited Light Heat 2B:

Madison, IN -- The Alamo Unlimited Light tried to run away with today's heat of racing but the Earl's Performance Product hydro driven by Charley Wiggins stayed just off his transom on the first lap and within the rooster tail the last two laps of Heat 2B.  Randy Haas took third in the Miss CompAir - Coleman Engineering race boat and Jerry Hopp was fourth in the UL 15 Sedam Contracting.

Unlimited Lights Heat 2A:

Madison, IN -- Phil Bononcini led the way around the race course in the second round of heat racing in the Unlimited Lights class in Heat 2A.  Cal Phipps, driving the Bad Frog Beer UL-23 hit the start line first but it was the UL-72 Pocket Mechanic by the first turn and there was never contention for the win.  Bad Frog Beer finished second and Steve Kuhr in his beautiful "Irishman" suffered engine trouble as did Mike McCormick in the UL-32 "Steinhardt Heating & Air" entry.
 

Unlimited Lights Heat 1B:

Bo Schide in Ned Allen's UL-16 "Alamo" crossed the start line first and never looked back during Heat 1B this afternoon.  In the hunt behind Schide was Cal Phipps in the UL-23 "Bad Frog Beer" entry owned by Bob Larimore after passing the Miss CompAir - Coleman Engineering entry driven by Randy Haas.   Haas kept Phipps close during lap one and then brought him wide on the final turn.   The strategy didn't pay off however as the UL-110 coasted to a stop near the end of lap two. The DNF on the Haas entry gave Steve Kuhr in his UL-317 "Irishman" third place points. 
 

Unlimited Lights Heat 1A:

Drivers from Seattle, WA and Gadsden, AL led the way for three laps of Unlimited Light racing today in Madison.  UL-72 driver Phil Bononcini utilized lane one to his advantage and maintained the leads through the turns with Charley Wiggins in the UL-10 Earl's Performance Products dicing with Pocket Mechanic on the straight-aways. On the third and final lap Wiggins managed to find the advantage and led throughout the final lap taking the checkered flag. Jerry Hopp brought UL-15 boat "Sedam Contracting" in for third place points and Mike McCormick finished fourth with his "Steinhard Heating & Air Conditioning" hydro.

 12:30 pm: Qualifying continues in Madison, IN at the 1999 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Indiana Governor's Cup.  Up on the schedule today is heat racing featuring the 5 Litre limited inboard hydroplanes and the popular Unlimited Lights. 
 

Unlimited Light Heat Draw:

1A: UL-72, UL-15, GNH-32, UL-10
1B: UL-110, UL-16, UL-23, GNH-317

2A: UL-72, GNH-32, UL-23, GNH-317
2B: UL-15, UL-16, UL-110, UL-10

FRIDAY:

Unlimited Hydroplane Qualifying Results Day One:

As the sun set on Madison, IN, three Unlimited Hydros have yet to qualify for the 1999 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Indiana Governor's Cup.  Dave Villwock in Miss Budweiser again posted the fastest qualifying time at 159.207 mph and Chip Hanauer in Miss PICO was in second at 152.729 mph. 

The story in the pits however was Mark Weber in the  U-10 YORK International who posted the third fastest time at 150.969 but received a N-2 violation for having the exceeded 110% RPM limit. 

"They were 2/10ths over the acceptable level" explained UHRA race officials, "they were just barely over."

The local community owned Unlimited Hydro, Miss Madison, did not make it onto the water today but will be ready for testing at 9:00 am tomorrow when the race course opens. 

The vintage Miss Madison (actually the former Savair's Mist) was also on the water  today with Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum Director  Dave Williams behind the wheel. The vintage Miss Madison replica and three other vintage Unlimiteds are in Madison for the making of a major motion picture set in part during the 1971 Gold Cup.