Clear skies over Lake Washington marked the second day of Seafair, where four scheduled heats of H1 Unlimited hydroplane racing took place. Spectators witnessed competitive performances, high speeds, and a few surprises that added extra intensity to the racecourse.
Qualifying Recap: Technical Issue Impacts Data Collection
Qualifying sessions earlier in the day were briefly disrupted by a technical issue affecting the H1 data boxes aboard the U-91 Goodman Real Estate and the U-9 Beacon Plumbing. Initially, both entries appeared without qualifying data due to faulty H1 data box batteries.
Following further investigation, H1 Unlimited officials confirmed that the issue originated from the data equipment itself, not the teams. As a result, no penalties were issued, and both teams were awarded qualifying points based on their actual on-water performance. The fastest lap was recorded by Andrew Tate in the U-91.
Official qualifying results:
U-91 Goodman Real Estate – 155.349 mph
U-9 Beacon Plumbing – 153.652 mph
U-8 Beacon Electric – 150.385 mph
U-27 Miss Apollo – 149.703 mph
U-11 FLAV-R-PAC – 145.410 mph
U-12 Graham Trucking – No time (Fuel flow issue)
U-21 Spirit of America – No time (N2 violation)
Heat 1A Highlights: The first heat of the day featured a strong showing from Andrew Tate in the U-91 Goodman Real Estate, who led the pack to victory. He was followed closely by J. Michael Kelly in the U-8 Beacon Electric and Jamie Nilsen in the U-11 FLAV-R-PAC. The U-9 Beacon Plumbing, driven by Corey Peabody, unfortunately did not finish (DNF) after sliding into the tail of the U-91 in Turn 1. The Strong Racing team worked tirelessly in the pits to repair the damage and return to action later in the day. “Not the start we were hoping for,” driver Corey Peabody shared. “But the team pulled together to make sure the U-9 would be back on the water for Heat 2.”
Heat 1B: After a week filled with boat repairs, Jeff Bernard brought the U-12 Graham Trucking across the finish line first, a win that meant a lot to the team. Dave Villwock followed in the U-27 Miss Apollo, and Gunnar O’Farrell rounded out the top three in the U-21 Spirit of America. “This one feels good,” said Bernard. “After everything we went through this week, we needed this.” Driver Substitution Update Due to family matters, Corey Peabody was unable to continue for the afternoon heats. J. Michael Kelly stepped up to drive both the U-8 Beacon Electric and the U-9 Beacon Plumbing. According to H1 Unlimited rules, both boats remain eligible to earn points toward the National Team Championship, but only the U-8 Beacon Electric, Kelly’s primary ride, will earn Driver Championship points.
Afternoon Heats Recap
Heat 2A
1st – U-91 Goodman Real Estate – Andrew Tate
2nd – U-11 Miss FLAV-R-PAC – Jamie Nilsen
3rd – U-9 Beacon Plumbing – J. Michael Kelly
U-21 Spirit of America was unable to complete the heat
Heat 2B
1st – U-12 Graham Trucking – Jeff Bernard
2nd – U-8 Beacon Electric – J. Michael Kelly
3rd – U-27 Miss Apollo – Dave Villwock
With two heat wins each, Andrew Tate (U-91) and Jeff Bernard (U-12) are looking like strong contenders heading into Sunday’s final heats.
Looking Ahead to Heat 3 Lineups (Sunday)
Heat 3A: U-21, U-91, U-12, U-9
Heat 3B: U-8, U-11, U-27
Stay tuned for a full breakdown of the Heat 3 qualifying times and the path to the final. For updates, follow @H1Unlimited on social media or visit H1Unlimited.com.