Serious News
07-03-2016, 07:38 PM
A little rain never hurt anybody, and Jimmy Shane certainly wasn’t complaining at the 66th annual Madison Regatta this past weekend.
Despite a steady downpour 30 minutes prior to the Indiana Governor’s Cup, Shane, piloting the hometown U-1 HomeStreet Bank Miss Madison boat, played it smart and held the lead when Cal Phipps flipped his craft on Lap 4, prompting a red flag and sealing a victory for Shane in the event’s crowning race.
Although Shane tallied his 12th straight heat win Sunday, the governor’s cup result was the first of its kind for the defending High Point champ in Madison, Ind., much to the delight of the community in attendance. Miss Madison has been locally owned for the past 55 years.
“I don’t know how to put this in words. … All the fans could see, the boats were flying pretty good on that rough water out there,” Shane told reporters after the race Sunday. “I’m just fortunate I made it through there clean, somehow kept the boat on the water and came around for the win.”
Phipps, who was disqualified for turning over the U-27 Dalton Industries, walked off the crashed boat under his own power and later addressed the crowd.
“The wind got me, the river got me. What can you say?" Phipps said. "We could use a few extra parts (for the boat). … If that wasn’t exciting, I don’t know what to tell you.”
Two-time defending governor’s cup champion J. Michael Kelly, in the U-5 Graham Trucking craft, officially placed second, followed by Brian Perkins, piloting the U-21 PayneWest Insurance. Rookie Andrew Tate in the U-9 Bello’s Pizza finished fourth and Tom Thompson rounded out the top five in the U-11 Peter’s & May.
The final capped another stirring regatta weekend in Madison, as race fans flocked for nightly concerts on the river, the annual regatta parade, air shows and Saturday’s fireworks showing. There was still a strong showing for Sunday’s final, too, despite the rain.
Preliminary heat action began Saturday afternoon, with Shane taking Unlimited Heat 1A, topping 135.411 miles per hour. Kelly claimed Heat 1B with a speed of 136.325 in the U-5 Graham Trucking.
Sunday’s heats commenced early due to weather concerns, as Phipps cruised to a win in Heat 2A – his first heat win in 2016. Heats 2B and 3A belonged to Shane. Water levels remained the same and weren’t expected to rise until later in the week, per the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service.
Phipps told Go Live Sports Cast river conditions were “nice and calm” despite the Sunday drizzle, and that it actually improved the quality of the course. He admitted the turnover was a result of his will to win.
Scott Liddycoat, in the NM-18 Pennzoil, took Saturday’s National Modified Hydroplane Final and Sunday’s combined Grand National/NM Final. John Jenkins was Saturday’s Grand National Hydroplane Final winner in the NM-1.
Shane and the hometown U-1 HomeStreet Bank Miss Madison craft posted 145.877 miles per hour Friday to top all qualifying results. He topped out at 147 miles per hour in testing.
Tate qualified second at 143.900. A 26-year-old, Tate is a fourth-generation driver and the son of former Gold Cup champ Mark Tate. Phipps failed to qualify Friday after he hooked a boat entering the second turn but eventually met the mark and took Heat 2A Sunday before his flip in the final.
Qualifying times were slowed due to river conditions and a lengthening of the course. Usually a 2.5-mile race course, the distance was increased to 2.89 miles to allow boats to navigate turns one and two easier.
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/2016/07/03/hometown-boat-best-madison-regatta-final/86658538/
Despite a steady downpour 30 minutes prior to the Indiana Governor’s Cup, Shane, piloting the hometown U-1 HomeStreet Bank Miss Madison boat, played it smart and held the lead when Cal Phipps flipped his craft on Lap 4, prompting a red flag and sealing a victory for Shane in the event’s crowning race.
Although Shane tallied his 12th straight heat win Sunday, the governor’s cup result was the first of its kind for the defending High Point champ in Madison, Ind., much to the delight of the community in attendance. Miss Madison has been locally owned for the past 55 years.
“I don’t know how to put this in words. … All the fans could see, the boats were flying pretty good on that rough water out there,” Shane told reporters after the race Sunday. “I’m just fortunate I made it through there clean, somehow kept the boat on the water and came around for the win.”
Phipps, who was disqualified for turning over the U-27 Dalton Industries, walked off the crashed boat under his own power and later addressed the crowd.
“The wind got me, the river got me. What can you say?" Phipps said. "We could use a few extra parts (for the boat). … If that wasn’t exciting, I don’t know what to tell you.”
Two-time defending governor’s cup champion J. Michael Kelly, in the U-5 Graham Trucking craft, officially placed second, followed by Brian Perkins, piloting the U-21 PayneWest Insurance. Rookie Andrew Tate in the U-9 Bello’s Pizza finished fourth and Tom Thompson rounded out the top five in the U-11 Peter’s & May.
The final capped another stirring regatta weekend in Madison, as race fans flocked for nightly concerts on the river, the annual regatta parade, air shows and Saturday’s fireworks showing. There was still a strong showing for Sunday’s final, too, despite the rain.
Preliminary heat action began Saturday afternoon, with Shane taking Unlimited Heat 1A, topping 135.411 miles per hour. Kelly claimed Heat 1B with a speed of 136.325 in the U-5 Graham Trucking.
Sunday’s heats commenced early due to weather concerns, as Phipps cruised to a win in Heat 2A – his first heat win in 2016. Heats 2B and 3A belonged to Shane. Water levels remained the same and weren’t expected to rise until later in the week, per the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service.
Phipps told Go Live Sports Cast river conditions were “nice and calm” despite the Sunday drizzle, and that it actually improved the quality of the course. He admitted the turnover was a result of his will to win.
Scott Liddycoat, in the NM-18 Pennzoil, took Saturday’s National Modified Hydroplane Final and Sunday’s combined Grand National/NM Final. John Jenkins was Saturday’s Grand National Hydroplane Final winner in the NM-1.
Shane and the hometown U-1 HomeStreet Bank Miss Madison craft posted 145.877 miles per hour Friday to top all qualifying results. He topped out at 147 miles per hour in testing.
Tate qualified second at 143.900. A 26-year-old, Tate is a fourth-generation driver and the son of former Gold Cup champ Mark Tate. Phipps failed to qualify Friday after he hooked a boat entering the second turn but eventually met the mark and took Heat 2A Sunday before his flip in the final.
Qualifying times were slowed due to river conditions and a lengthening of the course. Usually a 2.5-mile race course, the distance was increased to 2.89 miles to allow boats to navigate turns one and two easier.
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/2016/07/03/hometown-boat-best-madison-regatta-final/86658538/