The most spectacular form of motorsports in the nation will begin its 2023 season this weekend when the H1 Unlimited Racing Series visits Lake Guntersville, Alabama, on June
24 and 25. The show will feature the world’s fastest race boats, which careen across the water at speeds approaching 200 mph while throwing spray high into the air.
A field of eight unlimited-class hydroplanes is expected for the season opener in Guntersville. Races also will be held this year in Madison, Indiana; the Tri-Cities, Washington; Seattle; and San Diego.
The 2023 campaign promises to be among the most competitive ever. During a test session held earlier this month, the entire field turned in lap speeds that were within only eight mph of each other. Four of the hydroplanes were clocked at over 160 mph.
Among the competitors will be the three-time defending champion Miss HomeStreet, which will be driven this year by rookie Dylan Runne, 28, of Rumson, New Jersey. Runne, a veteran of many years in limited-class hydros, has replaced last year’s champion Jimmy Shane, who retired when the 2022 season ended. Runne’s new team has won the national title 11 of the past 14 seasons.
The Miss HomeStreet is part of the Miss Madison Racing Team from Madison, Indiana, which also will campaign Miss Goodman Real Estate. That boat, with one of the most successful records in the sport’s history, will be driven by Andrew Tate, 33, of Canton. Michigan Tate was the sport’s national champion in 2018 and dominated the Grand Prix racing series in 2022.
According to most experts, the boats from the Strong Racing Team of Auburn, Washington, are expected to give the defending champion the biggest challenge. Both boats will appear this season with new sponsors.
Competing as Beacon Electric will be the boat that finished second in last year’s national standings. It will again be driven by J. Michael Kelly, 44, of Bonney Lake, Wash., who has a total of 14 race victories to his credit, the most among active drivers, and was the 2021 driver’s national champion.
His teammate will be Beacon Plumbing, the boat that won the APBA Gold Cup in Guntersville last season. Driven by Corey Peabody, 44, of Covington, Wash., the boat was heavily damaged in a blow-over accident the weekend after winning in Guntersville, missed the rest of the 2022 campaign, and was completely rebuilt during the offseason.
Another serious threat for a race victory is Bucket List Racing from Snohomish, Washington, which suffered through a season of mishaps last year that included hull damage from two broken props and a flip on the Columbia River. Dustin Echols, 43, of Monroe, Washington, took over the driving duties at last season’s final event.
Also from the Bucket List Racing Team will be Boitano Homes, which will be driven by rookie Brent Hall, 53, of Seattle. Hall has extensive experience in limited-class racing, but still must qualify to drive an unlimited. When he qualifies, he’ll not only make his unlimited debut but will also make history by becoming the first African American boat racer to compete at the sport’s highest level.
Also in the field will be Legend Yacht Transport of Cle Elum, Washington, which will be driven by Jamie Nilsen, 38, of Gig Harbor, Washington. The race team, which always seems to be in the thick of things but is still looking for their first race victory, will enter a hydroplane that they raced from 2011 to 2019 and rebuilt during the offseason.
A fan favorite in the field will be Griggs presents Miss Ace Hardware of Evansville, Indiana, which brings back the sound of yesteryear with its turbocharged V-12 Allison engine, a staple in the sport from the late-1940s to the 1980s. Jimmy King, 62, of Wales, Mich., will be sitting in the boat’s cockpit.
The 2023 race in Guntersville marks the fifth time that the H1 Unlimited Racing Series has visited Guntersville since 2018. The previous four races have resulted in four different winners. This year’s event also will feature a new racecourse with wider turns, which will provide the drivers and the race teams with an extra challenge.
The Guntersville event will begin with testing on Lake Guntersville during the afternoon of Friday, June 23, then will resume with qualifying attempts beginning at 8 a.m. CDT on Saturday. The first set of preliminary heats will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and continues Sunday morning and afternoon. The race will wrap up with a winner-take-all final that is scheduled for 5 p.m. CDT on Sunday.
Tickets to the Guntersville hydroplane race are available at guntersvillelakehydrofest.com.
For those who can’t attend, the race also will be streamed live on the H1 Unlimited YouTube Channel. You can find the link at H1Unlimited.com.
(H1 Unlimited Press Release)