AREA SPORTS REPORT FROM WEEKEND

Hometown boat claims Gold Cup

(Photo Courtesy David Campbell Madison Courier)

Jimmy Shane wins the Gold Cup fifth of his career and sixth for the team 

MADISON, Ind. — Jimmy Shane of Covington, Washington, captured his fifth Gold Cup victory today in H1 Unlimited Racing Series on the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. His victory in the 111th running of the event was the fifth in his career, putting him fourth on the list of all-time Gold Cup champions, tied with the legendary Gar Wood.

Driving Miss HomeStreet, Shane grabbed the inside lane at the start of the winner-take-all final heat and was never challenged. “We had a decent start,” he said afterward. “I really didn’t want to be in lane one, but if they were going to open it up for us, I was going to take it. If you can make it through turn one clean, then you have a big advantage up the backstretch on the first lap.”

The first turn on the Madison racecourse was a challenge for the drivers throughout the day, especially earlier when a stiff breeze was blowing against the river current. The winner of last weekend’s race in Guntersville, Alabama, J. Michael Kelly of Bonney Lake, Washington, fell victim to the rough water in that turn when his boat suddenly hooked and spun out in Heat 3A, knocking him out of the contest.

Shane went into the final having won each of his three preliminary heats, which was also the case for Andrew Tate of Canton, Michigan, driving Graham Trucking. Tate took second in the final heat and third-place honors went to Corey Peabody of Kent, Washington, driving Pinnacle Peak Consulting.

Shane had a comfortable victory over Dave Villwock of Monroe, Washington, in Heat 1A, and in Heat 1B, Tate grabbed the inside lane at the start and took the lead coming out of the first turn. Directly behind him, Kelly got too close to his roostertail and his Miss Tri-Cities went for a brief ride into the air. Once he settled back down to the water, the others had moved ahead and he had to settle for a third-place finish.

In Heat 2A, Tate took the lead at the start and held the advantage over Villwock to the finish line and in Heat 2B, Shane and Kelly hit the starting line perfectly and side by side before Shane crept ahead and then stretched his advantage to the finish.

With Shane’s victory, the defending national champion Miss HomeStreet team has taken the lead in the H1 Unlimited Racing Series points standings with 2,929 points. Tate and the Graham Trucking team are in second place with 2,425 points and Kelly and Miss Tri-Cities are in third with 2,330 points.

The H1 Unlimited Racing Series will now head west for the final two races of the 2021 season. The fastest race boats in the world will next compete on the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities, Washington, on July 23 to 25, then will wrap up the season on Mission Bay in San Diego on September 17 to 19.

APBA Gold Cup

at Madison, Ind.

HEAT 1A—1, Jimmy Shane, Miss HomeStreet, 400 points, 138.239 avg. speed; 2, Dave Villwock, Miss Beacon Plumbing, 300, 132.523; 3, Corey Peabody, Pinnacle Peak Consulting, 225, 126.461.

HEAT 1B—1, Andrew Tate, Graham Trucking, 400, 137.536; 2, Jamie Nilsen, J&D’s, 300, 133.556; 3, J. Michael Kelly, Miss Tri-Cities, 225, 122.392.

HEAT 2A—1, Andrew Tate, Graham Trucking, 400, 138.893; 2, Dave Villwock, Miss Beacon Plumbing, 300, 134.011; Jamie Nilsen, J&D’s, 0, DNS.

HEAT 2B—1, Jimmy Shane, Miss HomeStreet, 400, 141.332; 2, J. Michael Kelly, Miss Tr-Cities, 300, 135.554; 3, Corey Peabody, Pinnacle Peak Consulting, 225, 127.177.

HEAT 3A—1, Andrew Tate, Graham Trucking, 400, 139.690; 2, Corey Peabody, Pinnacle Peak Consulting, 300, 139.229; 3, J. Michael Kelly, Miss Tri-Cities, 225, 78.731.

HEAT 3B—1, Jimmy Shane, Miss HomeStreet, 400, 138.096; 2, Dave Villwock, Miss Beacon Plumbing, 300, 135.173; Jamie Nilsen, J&D’s, 0, DNS.

FINAL—1, Jimmy Shane, Miss HomeStreet, 400, 138.462; 2, Andrew Tate, Graham Trucking, 300, 136.497; 3, Corey Peabody, Pinnacle Peak Consulting, 225, 130.336; 4, Jamie Nilsen, J&D’s, 169, 120.091; 5, Dave Villwock, Miss Beacon Plumbing, 127, 102.807.

ACCUMULATED POINTS—1, Jimmy Shane, Miss HomeStreet, 1600; 2, Andrew Tate, Graham Trucking, 1500; 3, Dave Villwock, Miss Beacon Plumbing, 1027; 4, Corey Peabody, Pinnacle Peak Consulting, 975; 5, J. Michael Kelly, Miss Tri-Cities, 750; 6, Jamie Nilsen, J&D’s, 469.

NATIONAL STANDINGS (DRIVERS)—1, Andrew Tate, Canton, Michigan, 2425; 2, J. Michael Kelly, Bonney Lake, Washington, 2330; 3, Corey Peabody, Kent, Washington, 2075; 4, Jimmy Shane, Covington, Washington, 1900; 5, Dave Villwock, Monroe, Washington, 1322; 6, Jamie Nilsen, Gig Harbor, Washington, 1294; 7, Jeff Bernard, Kent, Washington, 1029; Dustin Echols, Monroe, Washington, 0.

NATIONAL STANDINGS (BOATS)—1, Miss HomeStreet, 2929; 2, Graham Trucking, 2425; Miss Tri-Cities, 2330; 4, Pinnacle Peak Consulting, 2075; 5, Miss Beacon Plumbing, 1322; 6, J&D’s, 1294; Bucket List Racing, 0.

H1 Unlimited Release