Steve David Appointed Interim H1 Hydroplane Chairman

[Serious News]

The executive committee of the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series announced Saturday the return of one of the winningest drivers of all time – Steve David – naming him the interim chairman. David, 60, retired at the conclusion of the 2013 season after a 25-year racing career. He was a past American Power Boat Association (APBA) President from 1996-98, and vice president from 1992-96.

“We are bringing back a true champion who has a passion for hydroplane racing, understands the importance of a strong governing body and is also a standout businessman,” said Charlie Grooms, vice chairman of H1 Unlimited, speaking on behalf of the H1 team owners and race sites. “Steve’s place in racing history didn’t end last year when he retired. His commitment to bettering H1 has grown into a well-crafted plan to keep fans, race teams, sponsors, race sites and the media actively engaged in this sport. He is tasked with continuing to grow the sport and ensure its financial success.”

As a driver, David amassed 18 wins, six Drivers’ Championships, and four National High Points Championships while racing for the Oberto/Miss Madison team (2001-2013), T-Plus Engine Treatment (1992-99) and ARC Construction (1988-91). He is a six-time inductee into the APBA’s Hall of Champions and is an inductee into the APBA Honor Squadron.

“We have a 100-plus year legacy in Unlimited Hydroplane Racing,” David said. “This is both something to respect but also a harness of sorts, which requires that we adjust and adapt to ensure we’re not just part of motorsport history, but also relevant and exciting for future generations.”

David has several thriving real estate business based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He is also a sought-after public speaker who has helped some of the world’s largest real estate brands through his “Life Lessons at 200 MPH” program. His is also a past board member of both the Florida Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.

“I’m honored to join a team of dedicated business professionals who are not only committed to the sport but also have a depth of business knowledge to change what must be changed, and enhance what is already great about our sport,” added David.

Outgoing H1 Unlimited Chairman Sam Cole informed the H1 Executive Committee he was stepping down from his position earlier this week. Cole said he will remain active in the sport.

“I appreciate the opportunity of serving H1 these past 10 years and wish nothing but success as they chart the future,” Cole said. “I would like to thank the officials and volunteers for their countless hours, dedication and support over the last decade.”

Adds Grooms, “The H1 Committee, on behalf of the owners, sponsors, drivers and crews will be forever thankful for Sam’s dedication, hard work and sacrifice on behalf of the H1 family for the past 10 years. He will be hard to replace. Sam was responsible for expanding our international footprint with the addition of the Oryx Cup in Doha, Qatar and securing national network TV coverage of races.”

Mike Denslow, H1 Committee race site representative: “We wish Sam well as he steps down and welcome Steve David back into the H1 family. The energy and expertise Steve brings will help cement our relationships with current race sites and we’re hopeful we can add more sites in the future.”

The H1 tour is currently racing in San Diego, Calif. at Bayfair. Racing concludes Sunday on Mission Bay

http://www.h1unlimited.com/2014/09/h1-chairman-cole-retiring/

[Serious News]

Dear fans:

With my first race behind me as interim chairman, I wanted to share with you some steps I’m recommending to the Board to improve our racing. Before I do,, let me congratulate Ted Porter and his team on an exciting victory in San Diego, In the future, I want the victory celebration to begin the moment the checkered flag is flown, not 30 or 45 minutes later.

As for our governance of the sport, we have to do better.

I am recommending to the Board that they adopt policies that will address:

#1. A no harm, no foul interpretation of any rule violation

#2. What the fan saw on the water is how the awards will be given, unless a foul is blatant and immediately obvious.

#3. Penalties for technical violations and non blatant driving infractions will be given out the following week. The penalties will be either point reductions and/or penalty lane assignments at the next race, no more large monetary fines. We must keep the money in the teams budgets, not in the H-1 coffers.

#4. As you saw this weekend, we will strive to put all video and still images that form the basis of an official call on our H-1 communication platforms.

#5. If no video nor images are available, our official reasoning will be posted within 24 hours after the race.

We’ve got a long road to go to improve the sport, and we will make continual improvements and adjustments as necessary to improve the show and the fan experience. We will get there.

Let me also say that I back our chief referee 100%. It is a thankless job, and it takes courage. In Brain we’ve got the right person. Under the current rules his decision in the final was the correct one.

And finally, the Chairman of this sport governs the business end of things, while the officials conduct the race. I’ll do my best to urge rules that make officiating as transparent as possible, as easy as possible and the racing as great as possible.

Our “tent” is big enough for everyone who has constructive input, and we welcome your comments. You will not always agree with my decisions, or the Boards, or the referees. Such is the nature of humans. I can only assure you we’re all giving it our best every time.

Steve David

http://www.h1unlimited.com/2014/09/a-message-from-steve-david/

[Ratickle]

They could not have picked a better person to head up the organization. Congrats:hurray:

[Serious News]

From last year in San Diego.

San Diego last hydro stop for Steve David

One of the most popular drivers in the history of Unlimited Hydroplane race will retire after Sunday’s finale to the 2013 season on Mission Bay.

Steve David told his crew Thursday night of his decision to stop racing after 36 seasons – and 518 race wins and 12 national championships in a variety of classes – in powerboat racing.

The 59-year-old Floridian has spent the past 23 years racing Unlimited Hydroplanes with 18 race wins, including three on Mission Bay.

The oldest national champion in the 109-year history of the sport and the oldest active driver on the Thunderboat tour will be seeking his seventh national driver’s title – and fifth boat title for the Oh Boy Oberto hull owned by the city of Madison, Ind. – this weekend.

David opens the final stop of the seven-race tour with a 43-point lead on Jimmy Shane.

This weekend’s racing will be held on the 2 ½-mile Bill Muncey Memorial course between Fiesta Island and East Vacation Isle. The program starts Friday with practice and qualifying and continues Saturday with the first heats in addition to races for limited class hydroplanes and drag racing boats.

Two more rounds of Unlimited heats will be held Sunday leading up to the five-lap championship of the Bayfair weekend.

“The title will go to which of us wins on Mission Bay Sunday,” said David, who is the defending champion of the San Diego stop.

“It’s time,” David said of his decision to retire. “This is the right time to go. I’ve told myself for the past five or six years to go when I saw it was time.

“To me, it’s fitting that the run is ending here on the course named for Muncey. I always respected the man and what he did for our sport.”

Since the death of Muncey and the retirement of Chip Hanauer, David has been the sport’s leading ambassador. The now retired Dave Villwock might have won more races (a record 67) and titles than David, but the reigning champion won more friends.

The retirements of David and Villwock in less than a year will leave a huge void in a struggling sport that has been losing ground to other forms of motorsports for the past five decades.

“I don’t know what the future holds for Unlimited Hydroplanes,” said David earlier this week. “The fans that see us, love us. Thirty-foot boats traveling at 200 miles an hour is quite a spectacle. But we’re no longer on television and we lack the backing we once had.

“What’s made it great the last decade is my association with the people of Madison and the Oberto crew.”

David, who was also the president of the American Power Boat Association from 1996-98, has been mentioned as a possible future Commissioner of Unlimited Hydroplane racing.

David the driver is hoping his last race will not be a repeat of his championship-clinching, 2012 win on Mission Bay.

Although he crossed the finish line first and accepted the checkered flag, David’s Oh Boy Oberto was disqualified more than an hour after last year’s race when the official computer data showed his turbine-powered boat violated the sport’s fuel consumption rule.

“I was enraged,” David says now of the disqualification. “All our on-board computers and data said we hadn’t violated the rule. And our data is better than the organization’s.”

So David’s team appealed the decision and won – both the protest and the race. Weeks after the racing, the Unlimited Hydroplane Commission sent out a one-paragraph announcement that the disqualification was over-turned and that David won both the race and the championship.

“That really left a sour taste in my mouth,” David said of the experience earlier this week. “It wasn’t about anyone on the outside of the sport. It was an unjust situation. My team knew it. If they had taken a hard look at our data right after the race, it would never have ended like it did.

“Hopefully we won’t have a disqualification and appeal problem like we had last year. The public deserves to know who won the race before they leave the site.”

And before David leaves the sport.

David goes into the season finale leading Jimmy Shane (who ran second in San Diego last year) by 43 points.

David has won two of the first six races this season with three runnerup finishes. He has also led qualifying in all but one event. “We are budgeted to be consistent,” said David.

Shane, meanwhile, has driven the Graham Trucking boat (which is also the last of the famed Miss Budweiser hulls) to three wins and two runnerup finishes.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/sep/13/motorsports-unlimited-hydroplanes-david-retiring/

[Ratickle]

Last Year in San Diego...

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