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View Full Version : From Steve David, The Chairman's Corner H1



Serious News
10-06-2014, 12:16 AM
Friends,

Regarding the Schumacher/Vilwock return to Doha, let’s all catch our collective breaths for a moment.

Your enthusiasm, either pro or con is definitely acknowledged. Let me take you back in time to another driver who was under heavy scrutiny. In fact he was told in no uncertain terms: “Mess up again, and you’ll be watching from outside of the pits for a long, long time”.

This Driver was penalized at Detroit and wiped out 5 buoys, lane encroachments in TriCities, the same in Seattle and San Diego. In fact he cut off so many boats at San Diego, that the Madison (Frosted Flakes) driven by Mike Hanson won from the trailer position. Drivers said “The guy’s a nut”, another said “we have a problem child who needs removed”. Four drivers told the chief referee that they wouldn’t race with him again. That Driver went to the 1993 Honolulu race thinking it was his last. Well, he won Honolulu, and set world records for the fastest lap and the fastest final heat in the history of the sport. The records still stand.

That Driver is your current H-1 Chairman.

I think I have more deck to deck laps against Dave Vilwock than any current driver. We’ve collided (Madison), crashed each other(Evansville) , and said lots of unkind things to and about each other for over 20 years. I know him.

I spoke with Dave on Tuesday of this week. We talked about a lot of things. One of them was my sharing the same concern that many of you have. Dave has his arguments about what happened. That said, we both clearly understand that whatever his belief, he is now on the same bubble I was in 1993. One mess up at Doha and he’ll be on the beach for a long time.

What do I hope for? That he drives the best race of his life: Clean, fast and safe. I also hope that we have the greatest race we have ever had, and that at the end of the day 10 boat are safe and sound, 10 drivers are safe and sound, and the winner won on the water, fair and square. I can guaranty you that we’re all going to give it our very best, and that includes the Schumachers and Dave.

Thanks gang.

Steve

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

Ratickle
10-06-2014, 11:12 PM
Steve is a lot more of a diplomat than myself. Good for the sport!!:USA:

Ratickle
10-07-2014, 08:17 PM
Steve was responding to the slight uproar caused by this notification:

Some of the questions fans have been asking about the future of Shumacher Racing’s 37/21 will be answered today when the boat leaves Seattle for Jacksonville, Florida and an appointment with the Hoegh Delhi for the trip to the 2014 Oryx Cup UIM World Championship in Doha November 20-22.

Billy Schumacher says the boat will again wear the 21 number in Doha and will be driven by Dave Villwock, as the team races on while their appeal of a penalty issued at San Diego Bayfair is heard by an appeal board appointed by chairman Steve David.

Schumacher says, “We feel we have a good chance of having the penalty overturned, based on the H1 Unlimited rule book. In the mean time, we are proceeding with plans to race in Doha.”

Schumacher is also quick to defend his choice of drivers in the wake of penalties against the team and driver in the last three races.

Schumacher says, “I support Dave 100%. For drivers to be talking about how they don’t want to race against one of the greatest hydroplane drivers in the history of the sport is ridiculous. The other side of the story doesn’t always get a lot of attention and that has been the case with Dave on the calls in Tri-Cities and Seattle.”

Schumacher added, “Dave works on the boat every day. It was out of balance and he fixed it. He’s great with fiberglass. He’s a great welder. He can build anything – skid fins, propellers, you name it. How many drivers can say that? There are a lot of advantages to having Dave Villwock on our team and I can’t believe the treatment he’s getting.”

As for the ownership of the team, the long rumored sale to Beacon Plumbing owner Bill Cahill still has not been completed and Schumacher expects to continue as owner at least through the Oryx Cup.



In combination with the perception of the other teams caused by these issues:

http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23744

Serious News
10-30-2014, 11:26 PM
Dear Friends:

When I first came aboard as Chairman about 4 weeks ago, I promised you transparency and honesty in everything we do. As further proof of that commitment, I have included below the results of the Appeals Panel findings.

This was in regards to the technical violation issued at San Diego to Schumacher Racing U-37/21. Included below you’ll find their determination.

As you read this, please keep in mind that innovation in racing is paramount to improvement. It is our belief that this device was a recent application and should in no way cast a shadow on the previous successes of the team or their team members. We also want to make it clear that we take the rules seriously at H-1 and our technical team will continue to be vigilant and keep the natural urge of teams to improve, in check.

One other note: There are some folks who ask why we restrict N-2 (Engine rpm) and fuel flow (4.1 GPM). If we go back in time there were surplus T-55 turbines that could be bought in some instances for $3,000 as military surplus. With some work they could be massaged into good race engines. With no restrictions on N-2 or fuel flow it was not uncommon for some teams to destroy several engines per season. This was usually a “hot section explosion” As parts became more scarce, and thus more expensive, it was clear we had to do something to keep the racing as affordable as possible. A race ready engine can now exceed $120,000.

A Shaft turbine is a jet engine. But instead of using thrust to move the vehicle forward, that thrust is directed against a series of “fans” that are connected to a shaft running thru the center of the engine. That shaft connects to a V drive, which in turn connects to the prop shaft. The more air and fuel you combust the more power you produce. However, if you combust too much air and too much fuel, the internal pressures and Exhaust gas temperature (EGT) rises to a point where metal fatigue sets in. As the “fan blades” expand they may stretch to a point where they tag the inside liner of the burner can and result in a catastrophic failure.

In the Chinook helicopter application, these engines were run (mostly) at a maximum of 102% of rated RPM (N2). In Unlimited Hydroplanes we use to run these at over 120% and along with the high fuel flows, the carnage set in. (That containment blanket you see wrapped around the hot section is to keep the explosion contained, however some of our catastrophic failures sent parts flying thru the hull and elsewhere). We now restrict the engine speed to 110% of rate RPM, (app. 16,800 RPM) and lowered the fuel flow to 4.1 gallons per minute (GPM) to give longer life to the engines. With care, a well assembled and maintained T-55 can run an entire season.

I also wanted you to know that we have opened the door to alternative engines. Whether it’s other turbines, automotive or airplane power, our doors are open. Whatever power someone wants to run, we welcome them. However much noise you want, however much horsepower you want, we’re open for business.

It’s a fresh start here at H-1 and I am glad you’re aboard. We will continue to learn from our mistakes, we will race hard and fair. And I want you to know that the integrity of this sport is at the top of my list. We’ve a way to go, but we’re getting there, and this appeal process is further evidence of our commitment.

Take care,

Steve



The appointed appeal panel met on October 8 and discussed the subject of the
appeal. Each point in the “Restated Appeal of Robert Catipovic” was discussed
and its relevance determined.

Point 1 questions the sanction period, which, according to the APBA circular was
October 12 – 14, 2014. Since this violation occurred on October 13, it was
within the sanction period. This point was determined to be invalid.

Point 2 states that the part was used during a test session; that there is no
evidence that it worked as alleged; and that it was not intended to be used “in
competition.” It was stated that the data acquired before the device was found
indicated that the boat’s engine was running well below the 110% N2 limit while
running very competitive lap times, an unreasonable situation. Rule 4A3 states
that all test laps are timed to be used if other qualifications are not
possible, which means that these test laps were in fact competition. This point
was determined to be invalid.

Point 3 questions the intent of the device being installed in the boat. The
basic fact that the device even exists can be seen as intent and this point was
determined to be invalid.

Point 4 is irrelevant to this appeal. There is no intent on H-1′s part to
damage any reputation because that damages H-1′s reputation as a result.

Point 5 questions the effectiveness of the device in masking a violation of the
N2 RPM limit. As stated above (in point 2), data logged before the discovery of
the device showed a discrepancy between lap times and N2 RPM levels during the
subject test laps. The panel also agreed that there was no other reason for the
device to exist. This point was determined to be invalid.

Point 6 questions the disqualification due to a test period rather than a
“actual” competition. However, the rules state that all boats are subject to
all rules whenever they are on the water at a sanctioned event. This point was
determined to be invalid.

In conclusion a vote was taken and all members of the panel voted to deny this
appeal.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fred Hauenstein, Jr.
Hearing Panel Chair

PS: Note that APBA offers a ‘Final Appeal’ in he by-laws if the appellant(s)
are not satisfied with the results of this appeal. FH

Serious News
10-31-2014, 10:51 PM
Friends,

This past week we said good bye to two of our finest drivers: Greg Hopp and Kip Brown (We hope only temporarily). In their former seats, we welcome back Jesse Robertson in the U-12, and former Gold Cup winner and 6 time Unlimited winner Jean Theoret in the 96 Spirit of Qatar.

Jesse qualified as an Unlimited driver in the Mark Evans owned U-57. Jean will need to requalify by running 15 laps over 130 MPH average during testing and qualifying, and then starting on the outside for 2 heats. I spoke with Jean this past week, as well as his (and my former) crew chief Mike Hanson and they’re confident they can run well enough on the outside to make the final. Having competed with Jean for a number of years I have no doubt in his ability to be a front runner.

With the NFL season in high gear I notice quite often how many fans blame the refs for bad calls. As an Unlimited Hydroplane driver for 25 years I blamed the Refs for a lot of bad calls as well. Truth be told, I’m probably even on what I should have been called for and what I did get called for. Whether it’s football or boat racing, or little league, refs have a tough job.

We’re starting something know with our videos that I hope you’ll enjoy. I promised you transparency when I assumed the Chairmanship. Towards that commitment you’ve seen videos as quick as we could post them. You knew the names and backgrounds of our appeals committee members, and you knew their ruling the moment we knew. To take that one step further, I’ve asked Walt Ottenad, our H-1 videographer to upload some of the most exciting and more challenging calls over the past several years. We’ll be doing this about once per week. I keep asking myself how can I use the experience I have from my Unlimited career to do a better job for you, our fans and stakeholders. This seems to be one of those ways: I’ll do my best to explain what happened in the video and why the call was or wasn’t made from a driver’s perspective. I thought that having someone with cockpit experience might better help you to understand the challenges of driving these, and how sometimes “stuff” just happens. I also want you to see firsthand that a call is not always black and white.

I love your passion, your loyalty to one team or another, and your support of your favorite driver. I would just ask that while you may disagree with a refs decision, please know they don’t pick favorites, As a guy who was on the wrong end of many decisions, having the best refs possible is a priority for me. I can absolutely guaranty the integrity of our Chief Ref and his team. If we screw up, we’ll say so. And when we do it right, I hope you’ll drop Brian and his team a note of thanks for taking on the toughest job in this sport.

Jump in, buckle up, hold on, and thanks for your continuing support.

Steve

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

Ratickle
11-01-2014, 12:13 AM
If I get to interview Steve and see the tape, it would have to be last years final in San Diego. One of only a couple times I ever heard him swear on a live mic. 3 feet cost a championship..........

Serious News
11-01-2014, 11:43 PM
H1 Chairman Steve David has announced the appointment of Dr. Katie Wildman PhD, as the H-1 sport liaison to the 2014 Doha, Qatar Oryx Cup.

In making the appointment, David said, “Katie will serve as our H1 Ambassador for this years event. We’ve had the pleasure to meet and know Katie since the first Oryx Cup. For several years she was the Director of Housing for the Qatar Education center, which includes the campuses of Cornell Medical College, Texas A and M, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown and others. The respect she has earned from the Qataris, her co workers and students is immense. Katie embodies integrity and we couldn’t have a finer person to serve as liaison.”

David added, “She is a native of Madison, Indiana and thus has an inherit passion for Unlimited Racing. During our years racing in Doha she’s been the go to person for the right restaurants, gifts to bring back stateside, translator, cultural advisor, tourism guide, health care, you name it, Katie was the go to person. Welcome aboard Dr. Wildman!”

http://www.h1unlimited.com/category/news/h1-news/

Serious News
01-22-2015, 09:49 PM
Friends,

Hopefully you’ve read the news that Coeur D Alene is back on for 2015. This would not have been possible without the tremendous efforts of Keith Allen, Pat Stroud and H1’s Ted Grange. Together, they’re overcoming huge obstacles to make this event a definite stop on the 2015 tour. Whether it’s finding sponsors, obtaining permits from city, county, state or the Federal government, vendor negotiations, etc. these folks have excelled.

It is for this reason that I award them my first H1 Chairman’s award for tenacity, follow thru and outstanding commitment to the sport of Unlimited hydroplane Racing.

On a separate matter, we’re delighted that Owensboro Kentucky has committed to a 2016 exhibition. We were hoping for 2015 but their planned air show is a major endeavor that will dominate their public waterfront effort this summer.

Leading H1 reminds me of times when I’ve received an award for something in business. As I walk on the stage to accept the award, I’m thinking to myself I should be taking 3 steps forward, and two steps back, because that’s how life is. Never a clear unobstructed path: But starts, roadblocks, and finding a way around, over or thru but never, ever giving up.

Stick with the sport kids, it’s going to succeed, bumpy as it may be, it’s going to succeed.

Steve

H1 Unlimited

Today is Serious Offshore's Member Icon, and interim H1 Chairman, Steve David's birthday.

Serious News
02-05-2015, 10:34 PM
Friends,

Since I became Chairman in late September it’s been an exciting time for me, and I hope for you. We’ve had a lot of ups, and sadly with Detroit, at least for now, a down.

I promised you and our other stakeholders we’d be transparent, up front, show you the tough calls when possible, and we’d commit to upping our game substantially.

This afternoon, the Board of H1 committed to continuing this new spirit of inclusiveness and significantly improving our entertainment value. Since September there is a new energy amongst our owners, our race sites, sponsors and our H1 team members.

As a result, I committed to removing the interim title from Chairman and stay with you at least thru 2015. We have a tall mountain to climb, but together, with a focused goal, a solid business plan and some really fine people working with me, we’ll get there. We will stumble, we will make mistakes, but we’ll do it because we’re taking risks, charting new territory and building a better organization and a better sport.

I invite those of you who can make it, to join us for the annual H1 banquet (Check our website and FB page for further info).

You’re a family member, we want you there, along with our friends from GPW and Stock Outboard (the two newest member categories of the H1 cooperative program) to celebrate where we’ve been and where we are going.

If you like, you’re welcome to sit at the Chairman’s table with me as a member of the “Chairman’s team”. It’s a small upcharge from the basic banquet ticket price. But I think, if I have any pull at all, well get our dinner and dessert first:)

Hang in there gang, Football is over, H1 is just around the corner!

Steve David

Serious News
04-30-2015, 08:05 PM
Friends:
As I return to my office in Fort Lauderdale, I remain convinced in the belief that H1 is regaining its’ integrity and poised to give you the best season in years.
I believe this deeply for a number of reasons:
1. For the first time in our sports history, we have teams that are signing a competition contract with H1. These contracts guarantee appearance, behavior, readiness and number of races they will attend.
2. Prize purses will be based on performance, not merely showing up.
3. We will have 11 national teams committed to the entire tour.
4. We will have a new contract for a web-based TV program from a highly successful producer with approximately 1.2 million viewers, and it’s FREE to you. (More on the production company in the near future)
5. We are united as never before. Ted Porter has always said two boats one team. With Ted’s help, we’ve coined the phrase “H1, Every Team United.”
6. Our rules are wide open for new power plants of any nature, all we ask is proof of sustainability, and that it will run when it shows up. (The current T55 turbine rules remain intact.)
7. What you see in the final heat, is how we’ll call the event. If we discover something amiss, we’ll assess the penalties the week following the race.
8. We’re bringing GPW and stock outboard into our family wherever feasible. At many races, we’ll run the gamut from 9-year old kids in J Universal up to Unlimited. My friend Scott Pierce refers to the 2015 tour as Thunder & Lightning (GPW and reciprocal powered Unlimited) and Lightning (Turbine Unlimited).
9. We’re taking a ‘no harm no foul’ approach to making calls. This includes eliminating the 1-minute buoy and putting more of the race into the cockpit.
10. Our race sites are now integral partners in our mutual success
In summary, no more is it ‘us and them.’ It’s ‘We.’ And ‘We’ includes the fans, our sites, our race teams, our owners, our sponsors, our vendors, our officials and me. We still have mountains to overcome, but we’re going to make it, together.

Steve David

Serious News
06-11-2015, 11:44 PM
I want to thank the fans, teams, drivers and everyone associated with H1 Unlimited Hydroplane for your enthusiastic support of our GoLive/ESPN3 announcement.

In Seattle at our H1 Banquet, I made the announcement that we were going to have free video streaming for the 2015 season with a new partner. When I made that announcement, I did not mention the ESPN3 platform since that agreement needed to be developed.

After months of work by the H1 Media team and many discussions with GoLive Sportscast, the ESPN3 platform along with the live chat for all races came about giving us a video streaming/PR/promotion/technical support package that exceeds our early expectations.

Kudos need to go out to all the H1 Unlimited owners and teams. At our annual meeting in Seattle, they not only gave the go-ahead to work with GoLive, they generously supported the project with funds to allow the fans of watch our races without paying a fee.

We’re staying focused; we have a vision, and we’re not going to be deterred.

There is more on the horizon, and while I so wish I could help to bring more races, (including Detroit) I am convinced that this program, coupled with the others we’re working on will ensure a brighter future with more races in 2016 and beyond.

I look forward to joining with many of you at our season opener in Madison, Indiana in a few short weeks. And if you can’t make it to the Regatta, I hope you can watch and enjoy the video streaming broadcast.

Keep the faith kids, there are many good people working to make your sport the best it can be. And I’m proud to serve them.

Steve David


June 9th, 2015

Serious News
07-21-2015, 12:05 AM
Chairman’s Corner from Madison

The first weekend of H1 Unlimited Hydroplane racing is in the books.

High water levels made the Fourth of July weekend tough on the Madison Regatta, its fans and our race teams. The pit area was less than half the size needed to put on an H1 high points race. There was no possible way we could even have the GPWs and the Unlimiteds in the pit area at the same time.

On Sunday, after an emergency owners meeting at 10:30 a.m., we knew we could not put on a full race. Still, we wanted to put on a show.

One of the biggest crowds in recent memory turned out for the two-day event, and with the memory of the 2013 Madison Regatta cancellation, we were concerned about losing this site. We wanted to give the fans a show and that we did.

Not only was the water level high, early in the day the debris near alongside the Kentucky shoreline was an issue. We designed a tighter race course.

Two-boats would race in the preliminary heats, and then a four-boat, front row final would be the grand finale.

The owners were given an opportunity to have their teams check out the Ohio River after the meeting, and then decide if they wanted to race. Five boats answered the call.

A non-point shootout format was designed. Trophies were going to be awarded as it was a competitive event. The five teams that answered the call raced hard. There was no testing or qualifying prior to the racing and teams were adjusting their set ups as a result of the findings in the two preliminary heats.

For the final, we drew for lanes instead of battling for starting positions. J. Michael Kelly in the U-5 drew lane one and Jimmy Shane in the U-1 drew lane two. It was a big advantage for J. Michael if he could hold the lane after the first turn on this tight course. He did just that winning the final heat.

After the conclusion of the Madison Indiana Governors Cup Trophy presentation, H-1 learned of a technical violation against the U-5 in the final. Had this been a “race” per the rule book, the U-5 would have been DSQ’d for a flagrant N2 violation. But this was an alternative, non-championship point, shootout event. There is no specific rule for a shootout or an alternative format.

Chief referee Brian Hajny and I reviewed the timeline, the videos available to us, and the technical violations. It’s clear the fuel and N2 weren’t turned up for the final, as the occurrence was six seconds, not the entire race. Also, at the time of the occurrence, the U-5 had a two roostertail lead over the U-1.

What we do know is that the N2 violation took place. In our evaluation, we did not see any intent to ignore the N2 policies.

What we now need to do is ensure transparency in the sport. This week, we’ll have a Board of Directors teleconference and address rules specific to shootouts and “alternative” race formats.

Additionally, we will ask the Board to pass a rule for H1 Championship point races that have been discussed in the last six months.

To wit:

Unless a violation is found within 30 minutes of the end of a final heat, the awards shall be given by the host committee based on the “on water results”. If, after the 30-minute period, technical violations or other infractions are found, H1 shall either fine, reduce points or both as to the offending team the week following the event. The awards that were given shall remain as given. This mirrors the intent of NASCAR and INDYCAR post-race penalties.

If passed, H-1 will be implementing the rule to deal with such matters commencing with the APBA HAPO Gold Cup in Tri-Cities later this month.

And to help with the technical aspects of this sport, H1 will have John Walters as the Chief Inspector at the Gold Cup. Not only is John the first driver to win an unlimited race in a turbine powered hydroplane, he is a preeminent hull designer and crew chief who can best understand the technical nuances of our sport. Late last week, John agreed to work the Gold Cup for us and hopefully, we can convince him to stay with us for the remainder of the season.

More importantly, I want everyone who loves this sport to understand, we are going to be transparent. If something goes wrong, we will admit our mistakes. We will dissect the problem and make changes.

The Madison Regatta Indiana Governors Cup non-point shootout was won by J. Michael. The trophies were awarded for a competitive event, but it is not an H1 championship, high point race win. The driver and team will not be awarded points nor credited as a race win for H1 historical purposes.

We gave the City of Madison the best show we could offer on such a difficult weekend. We have to thank the GPWs for providing the racing on Saturday and thank all our teams for helping us figure out a plan to race on Sunday.

If this weekend proved one thing, it shows how we are going to do our best to give the fans of our sport the best and safest racing possible.

I can’t wait for Tri-Cities and the Gold Cup.

Thank you.

Steven David

Serious Offshore
07-21-2015, 11:47 PM
It is certainly refreshing to see a performance boating sport where the rules and the fans come first. In so many words, put the future of the sport ahead of the personal gains and finances.

We cannot say how much we appreciate that several teams, and their drivers, decided to put a show on for the fans in this difficult situation when the option many considered was to leave and put the cost of a broken prop or damaged sponson ahead of the future of the sport.

How many times have fans gone to events just to see them cancelled, or red-flagged after a few laps, because it was more cost effective for the teams and organizations to do so.

Also, to have a Board of Directors consider the effectiveness of the rules, and their enforcement, versus having a clause where any rule can be overturned by one individual at anytime, makes one wonder what could have been in a sport where so many have become disenchanted and left.

Our collective hats are off to the H1 Chairman and their Board of Directors. I'm sure every fan who made the trip to watch the Madison Regatta echo that sentiment over and over.

It reminds us why Steve was such a good APBA President.

Thanks again.
Serious Offshore

Serious News
08-11-2015, 07:57 PM
Dear friends:

As you might be aware, I’m familiar with Gold Cups and controversy….It is in fact because of that experience that you saw the video of the DMZ (known as a de-militarized zone, essentially stay out of zone where patrol boats can find safe harbor) on our sites within minutes of the decision. But lets go further into the timeline of Sunday:

#1. Prior to the start of the race, one of the helicopter referees believed there was a DMZ violation by the 96. However, there were 7 boats on the course and he told us he believed there was but we should review the video to be certain. I’ve instructed our officiating team that the calls must be certain or they won’t be made)

#2. A decision was made by the chief referee to run the heat without penalizing the 96 until the video review. Had we penalized the 96 and the video did not support the call we would have been unjust and possibly caused the 96 to slow down thinking he was DSQ’d..

#3. If there was a DMZ violation it is a DSQ, not a 1 lap penalty.

#4. The DMZ rule is enforced at this magnitude because of the serious injuries to the rescue personnel in Madison a few years back when an Unlimited entered the DMZ. Although completely accidental it resulted in serious injury.

As you have read, I support a no harm no foul policy. However, a DMZ violation can result in significant harm if not death to the patrol boats on the race course.

I’ve also promised we’d make decisions as fast as possible. In this case, the final decision was made within 18 minutes of the final heat. That time was a result of getting the chief referee back from the tower to the pits to review the on board video. A distance of about 1 mile thru 60,000 people in a golf cart (I was with him).

We also reviewed the video that you saw on our website with Erik Ellstrom, owner of the 96. While upset at not winning, he was as always, a gentleman and will come back to win another day.

The net of it is that we had exceptionally fast boats, a record crowd and ticket sales, web and Facebook traffic that were multiples of last years event. And we left Tri-Cities with no one hurt, and only minor damage to the fleet.

There will be those who will disagree with our decision, and that’s to be expected. Nonetheless, we will continue to do our best to provide the safest, most fair racing environment we are capable of within the economic constraints that exist. For those who posted vile language or similar posts to our H1 controlled sites: You might want to re-read the first amendment to the US Constitution. It speaks to government censorship of speech. We’re private industry, and we’re not going to condone vile, insulting posts when both H1 officials and our race teams are giving their very best to move our sport forward. If you’ve been deleted or banned, I did it.

Steve David

Serious News
10-24-2015, 09:08 AM
Oct. 2, 2015: H1 Unlimited Chairman Steve David was interviewed on the Bill Flynn Show on Winston, NC's Eagle 980 AM. Steve discussed what makes H1 Unlimited hydroplane racing some of the most exciting entertainment on the water, as well as stories straight from the driver's seat.

https://soundcloud.com/h1unlimited/steve-david-interview-on-am980

Serious News
12-24-2015, 01:26 AM
Dear friends,

It’s been a while since we’ve spoken and our final 2015 race in San Diego.

Before I update you, let me take a moment to share my heartfelt sorrow for the people who have suffered so much of late, most recently in Southern California.

In a world where most of us just want our families to be healthy, safe and prosperous, this terror happens and shakes us to our very core.

Perhaps through Unlimited Hydroplane Racing we can bridge some cultural differences and help to spread a common passion for sport, in our case, hydroplane racing. Through our examples of sportsmanship, competition, and winning and losing, we can show the best of what’s in us.

As my first year of serving as your Chairman comes to a close, I look back fondly on the friends we’ve met, and the relationships we’ve built or rekindled. I also look forward with measured hope that we will continue on a path to improvement.

Our competition for the most part was fierce and deck to deck. I believe this will only get better. I had the opportunity to work side by side with the most awesome group of volunteers I’ve ever had the pleasure to lead: our H1 staff. From refs to inspectors, pit workers to media, legal and admin, this is one heck of a great group of people.

Couple the H1 staff with our ownership group and teams, and there can be no doubt that Unlimited Hydroplane racing remains a true spectacle. We have a mountain to climb to get where we’d like it to be, but as with much in life, its two steps forward and one step back.

For 2016 we will return with a minimum of 10 Unlimiteds, and possibly 14 for the west coast, as well as our good friends of GPW, stock outboard where possible, and other APBA classes. We continue work to bring CDA Idaho to the 2016 schedule. We’ll be returning in 2016 to Guntersville, Alabama, a truly legendary site. Initially it will be for testing in 2016, an exhibition in 2017 and a full race in 2018. Discussions continue with another site for a 2016 exhibition the week following San Diego and an Owensboro exhibition in 2017. There are others on the horizon, but not close enough to announce.

2015 was a rebuilding year and that we did. Our race site relationships are rock solid. We have firm schedules for Madison, TriCities, and Seattle, Detroit and San Diego plus the previously mentioned exhibition. We paid all of our bills and settled all outstanding legal issues. We return this season with a clean balance sheet and a renewed passion for your sport.

I hope you can join us in February for our annual awards banquet. You are important to not only our sport, but to me personally. You supported me when I was a driver, and you’ve been there for me as Chairman. I want to personally thank you and hope to do that in February and at our 2016 events.

I’ll update you in January with information on new teams, more solid information on our sites, and our media plans for 2016. In the meantime, on behalf of the people that are H1, whether staff, owners, teams or drivers, we wish you a loving home and a safe environment. Whatever you celebrate, be it Christmas or otherwise, we’re thinking of you. Everything we do at H1 is aimed at making your Hydroplane experience as good as we can.

Steve David

Serious News
03-31-2016, 08:24 PM
Hi Friends,

I hope your winter is treating you well, and for those in warmer climates, this is the time of year we’re most appreciative. For many of you who are football fans, your teams might not have made it to the Super Bowl. But take heart. Seattle in particular played with determination and showed once again their soul runs deep. Thankfully, their fans are much like ours. Thru thick and thin you’ve stuck with us. At H1 we do not take that for granted. As a former driver and now as Chairman, I’m keenly aware that without you, our sport doesn’t exist.

I was reminded again this past weekend during meetings of a professional association to which I belong. There’s a disconnect between the producing membership and some in leadership of that organization. There is a danger in something I call “the arrogance of the inside”. Where those on the inside believe they possess superior knowledge and tend to hush or ignore contrary thought. There is hope of course. New leaders, some younger and some with younger minds but older in age; recognize that simply because an organization has been around a long time, doesn’t mean the future is yours.

As we meet for our H1 annual gathering and banquet in Seattle February 19 and 20, you, our fans and stakeholders will be our primary focus. While much of the discussion will focus on rules, the core decisions will always lead back to you. Our owners get that. And while we have to make certain they can afford to race, collectively we exist because you like boat racing, and in our case Unlimited hydros. We can never take for granted your participation and enthusiasm.

As for our schedule, we know with certainty we’ll be racing in Madison, IN on July 1-3. TriCities, WA on July 29-31, Seattle, WA on August 5-7, Detroit, MI (Gold Cup) on August 27-28 and San Diego CA on September 16-18. We’re hopeful that Coeur d’Alene will happen between Madison and Tri-Cities . The race committee had an active display at the Spokane boat show, (my thanks to Stacey of the U-100 for supplying the display boat). We’re close to a definitive agreement with Guntersville on a three year agreement that will bring testing this year, an exhibition in 2017 and a full race in 2018. We’ll be releasing a new video, to be used by teams and race sites to introduce our sport to potential sponsors, fans and sites. It will go live on H1Unlimited.com shortly after the meetings. Heather Zara, a dynamic young woman from Detroit produced the video. You’re welcome to download it for free once it becomes available.

Shortly after the meetings I can give you a firm boat count, new sponsors, as well as any new teams that may be joining us. What we don’t want to do is over promise and under deliver.

In closing, thank you again for being part of the H-1 family. As my late Father said, (many of you knew him and I’ll add I’m not sure where he read it) but he told me frequently “when you start to think your own sweat is perfume, you’re in trouble”. When that inevitably happens, feel free to knock us back into reality.

Steve, February 1st, 2016

Serious News
03-31-2016, 08:26 PM
Chairman’s Corner: March 2016

During our annual meetings in February, the sport made a commitment to improve our media and marketing outreach efforts. We believe we have a great sport, and truly one of the most exciting forms of racing in the world. But we’ve been a well-kept secret in many markets. No longer. We’re reaching out, and we’re asking for the order.

To further this goal, we are moving ahead for 2016 in a number of ways:

One– We are issuing an RFP (Request for Proposal) for live streaming for the 2016 season. The RFP creates a set of standards that ensures our webcasts are best in class and reach the widest audience possible. We did well last season, but we’re raising the bar on excellence going forward.

Two– On the sponsorship front, we retained Zara Creative in Detroit to produce a video for the sport in general along with our race sites and teams in particular to help attract sponsorship. This video (embedded below) is part of that effort. We hope you enjoy it and share it with as many people or business interests as you can. The video is being coupled with our print efforts being sent to sponsors that have shown an interest in motorsports as an advertising and marketing outlet. We’re also making direct contact with target markets that have either have public supported sports authorities and/or tourist development councils.

Three– We believe that to engage more fans, we have to go where the eyeballs are and this means the phone in their pockets. Before the season begins, we’ll be rolling out our newest app for smartphones, tablets, PC’s and laptops. With the app, we will be able to bring much more information directly to our fans, allowing everyone to follow our races in near real-time with schedules, results, news, history and links to literally thousands of videos. Walt Ottenad has been working around the clock on what I believe is the finest database of in-depth information for any motorsport– anywhere. If you’d like to be part of the beta testing team for this app, please send an email to “Chairman” on our contact page and we’ll get back to you.

There are no guarantees of success. The only sure thing is that we’re going to give it our best with the resources available to us.

Thanks again for your support!

Steve David
Chairman, H1 Unlimited