[BOATS] Let the battle begin!!

by Sean Henshelwood



Let the battle begin...!
2009 UIM World Jetsprint Championships
PREVIEW - Rnd#1, November 21-22
Temora, NSW

It's finally here, the most anticipated event on the V8 Superboat calendar; the official (regardless of what the Yanks say) 2009 UIM sanctioned World Jetsprint Championships. 

Round one of this much awaited event is scheduled for this weekend (November 21-22) in the central-western NSW town of Temora [round two one week later at Melton in Melbourne's west]. 

The circuit is a popular venue on the national circuit, due in part to the efforts of new promoter and former Unlimited Superboat champion, Phil Dixon. Phil and wife Louise have been working tirelessly on the facility since taking it on early this season, and their efforts will be duly rewarded this weekend with the biggest event Temora has ever witnessed.

In between the local festivities, the on-water action on the adjoining lake, skydiving and passes by one of the world renowned Temora Aviation Museum's restored warbirds, a race will break out, but this won't be just any race, this will be THE RACE...

Whilst the Kiwis hold the upper hand in the Unlimited Superboat class, led by five time world champion Peter Caughey, the Aussies have a surprise in store... Just days ago it was announced that Phil Dixon would step out of his boat to concentrate on promoting the Temora event, leaving the seat open for reigning International Group A world champ, Nathan Pretty.

The part-time V8 Supercar pilot is looking forward to taking the fight up to Caughey and is convinced he can do it. "Why not?" he asked. "The gear's there, the team has already taken me to a world title and a national title, and whilst I haven't driven one of these babies for a few years, the last time I did I hounded Caughey all the way to a world championship podium, so there's no reason why I can't go one better. Look, he's the benchmark in the sport, but he's only human, and there's a bunch of other quick guys out there too, but he'll be my focus, he'll be the man to beat, and that's what I'll be looking to do."

Pretty is likely to be the best chance Australia has of taking the Unlimited crown from this Superboat doyen, but there will be a few others out hunting for glory, and one of those is just as likely to steal everybody's thunder... "It ain't over till the fat little orange boat sings," former national champion Dean Finch explained to me during the Continental Tyres national championships. A contender any time he enters the boat, Finch and engine builder Darren Farr threw a huge cat amongst the pigeons in the final two rounds of the Australian titles, debuting a twin-turbo 475 cubic-inch monster that destroyed two 2000 horsepower-rated dynos prior to its debut. A complete unknown as a package with the engine in the boat (a little orange Australian built Stingray appropriately named 'Loose Cannon'), Finch showed just how much potential the combination had by winning outright the two final rounds of the national championships.

"It's a handful," he grinned with a crazy gleam in his eyes. "I can't get near 80% throttle, much less 100. It's just so much fun to drive, it's honestly the only boat that's ever frightened me, but I'll get on top of it shortly, it won't scare me for long."

Aside from Finch, Pretty and Caughey who are the likely podium placegetters, there are a string of wildcards. Peter Caughey's Kiwi protege Duncan Wilson is a potential challenger, so too Adelaide's Tony Giustozzi who won at both the world championship venues during the Australian season, his team-mate Mick Carroll, recently crowned Australian champion, former Kiwi star Daryl Hutton and the pride of Melton, former Group A champion Phonsy Mullan in his supercharged LS7 behemoth.

There is one thing which may have a bearing on the New Zealanders though; heat. Temora has been running the mercury up over 40 degrees for over a week, although it appears the temperature will drop as we head towards race day with a cold front moving in. Whilst many of them have never seen the venue before, Peter Caughey believes that despite some of the local teams having serious horsepower, that his more nimble Sprintec (interestingly the same boat used by Pretty, Giustozzi, Carroll and Wilson) will have an advantage on some of the technical corners, far outweighing the advantage of horsepower.

"I've seen both of these circuits this year," Caughey admitted, "but I haven't driven Temora. "All that talk about home track advantage is rubbish," Nathan Pretty added. "It may give you a session or two's advantage, but at the pointy end of the field, that advantage quickly disappears."

With Pretty's 'graduation' to the Unlimited class, victory in the tightly regulated Group A class will almost certainly go to newly crowned Australian champion Slade Stanley, something which may well have happened had Pretty remained in the field, such was Stanley's domination of the Continental Tyres national series.

The quietly spoken Wagga based builder has been such a demoralising force during the local season that it's hard to see anyone getting within reach of the former world champion. Of the challengers, best placed to make the podium will be 2009 New Zealand Group A champion Bevin Muir, Melton local Ted Sygidus (who also placed second in the final leg of the 2008 world title event, and third in the 2009 Australian championships), former AUS#2 and world #3 Greg Mercier and former Australian and world champion Rohan Smith. Throw in dual 2009 round winner Brooke Dixon in her brand new Sprintec on her home track, and her younger brother Shaun who already is proving a sensation with fourth outright in just his fourth event, and you have all the ingredients you need for fireworks!

One thing's for sure though, whatever happens, Speedweek will be there to catch the action. Check local guides for viewing times, this is one event you will not want to miss!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ENTRY LIST

Unlimited Superboat
3 Richard Burt/Clayton Millington NZ Taser X3
10A Nathan Pretty/Ron Dixon AUS (VIC) TRUE BLUE
10B Louise Dixon/Casie Lack AUS (VIC) TRUE BLUE
18 Paul Burgess/Darran Burgess AUS (ACT) Canberra Floorcraft
22A Jamie Welch/Tahryen Mathhews AUS (WA) Liberator
22B Cheryl Welch/Sandi Whalan AUS (WA) Liberator
23S Phonsy Mullan/Byron Basset AUS (VIC) Triple X Racing 2
28A Peter Freckleton/Jake Freckleton AUS (VIC) Hooters
28B Daryl Hutton/Yvonne Maxwell NZ Hooters
32 Dean Finch/Demi Finch AUS (VIC) Loose Cannon
33A Jody Ely/Rachel Ely AUS (VIC) Jackhammer
33B Adam Racerty/Chris Pryse AUS (VIC) Jackhammer
66 Leighton Mineell/Kellie Minnell NZ Hummertime
68 Peter Caughey/Karen Marshall NZ TOTAL Racing
74 Pat Dillon/Steve Edmonds NZ PPG HULK
77 Duncan Wilson/Jaimee-Lee Upton NZ Lethal Injection
93A Tony Giustozzi/Tony Whalan AUS (SA) Excalibur
93B Mick Carroll/Yolanda Low AUS (SA) Excalibur
169 Andrew Page/Megan Campbell AUS (NSW) Kamakazi

International Group A
1NZA Bevin Muir/Kathy Barker NZ Teng Tools Racing
1NZB Baden Gray/Tanya Iremonger NZ Teng Tools Racing
05 Daniel Walton/Ben Coomb AUS (SA) K2 - Kryptonite Racing
08 Slade Stanley/Vanessa Stanley AUS (NSW) Hazardous
11 Brooke Lucas/Jessie Duggan AUS (QLD) Our Toy
12A Brooke Dixon/Leanne Rake AUS (VIC) TRUE BLUE TOO
12B Shaun Dixon/James Snow AUS (VIC) TRUE BLUE TOO
18 Blair Gibbard/Joanna Bayliss NZ Bull at a Gate
23A Ted Sygidus/Kelsie Gill AUS (VIC) Triple X Racing
23B Darek Sygidus/David Gill AUS (VIC) Triple X Racing
27 Greg Mercier/Dorinda Mercier AUS (VIC) Az U Do
30A Reg Smith/Julie Smith NZ HireCo/GlassPro
30B Phil Wheelans/Katie Quantrell NZ The Hire Company
34 Shane Loughnan/Nathen Gristwood AUS (VIC) Vicious
37A Rodney Krause/Chanelle Fryer AUS (NSW) Soak ‘n Fused
37B Kieran Krause/Mark Spence AUS (NSW) Soak ‘n Fused
39 Andrew Guthrie/Janine Ingram NZ ChemZ Racing
39A Kevin Laugesen/Tiffany Parrat AUS (NSW) SpaNET
44 Darryl Squires/John Duggan AUS (QLD) Red Roar
45 Rohan Smith/Owen Dyball  AUS (VIC) BTS Racing
54 Phil Dixon/tba AUS (VIC) TRUE BLUE THREE
55 Mick Manini/Athena Dickson AUS (VIC) Cool Bananas
55W Chris Farr/Ryan Donovan AUS (WA) In the Raw
77 Robert Colman/Tahlia Hirth AUS (VIC) Tunn-A-Guts
79 Damian O’Leary/Carly Nappa AUS (SA) Kryptonite Racing
82A Tremayne Jukes/Bradley James AUS (VIC) Conti-Racer
82B Chris Bollins/Aaron Morrisby AUS (QLD) Conti-Racer
95A Mark Garlick/Kerry Garlick AUS (QLD) Grumpy
95B Jake Garlick/Amy Harriman AUS (QLD) Grumpy
321 Greg Harriman/Adam Doyle AUS (QLD) 321 Ignition
777A Chris Kent/Jessica Pearson AUS (WA) Crazy Az
777B Alan Carr/Jo Price AUS (WA) Crazy Az



LATEST IMAGES

Click on image to view gallery..