The Pro Runabout Open race was a wide open affair with the results in moto 2 turning moto 1′s finishes right on their head.  The only real consistency came from Brandenton, FL native Jason Russo, if you can call a 5-2-2 finish consistent.  He did take the overall on his RIVA Racing Sea-Doo but there was plenty of high drama with eventual second place finisher Abdullha Alfadhel breaking down in moto 2 to post an eighth place finish to go with his two firsts on his Deans Team Yamaha.  Erminio Iantosca was in the drivers seat going into moto 3 but he didn’t get a great hole shot and was only able to manage a 3rd in the final race which left him on the final step of the podium.  This weekend’s racing definitely shook up the standings in the open class no matter the final ruling from Lake Charles, LA because James Bushell was only able to manage a fifth on the Sea-Doo RXPX he borrowed from Eric Lagopoulos, so the Hydro-Turf National Championship points race is wide open for this runabout group.

The Ski GP class was a more straight forward affair with Chris MacClugage absolutely dominating all weekend aboard his Monster Energy MACC Racing boat going wire to wire in every moto to take the victory.  Rob Flores had a little scare early in the day when he needed some assistance from the medical staff when he came off the water after moto 2, but the Hydro-Turf Rockstar Energy rider was able to rally and finish well enough in the final race to nail down the second step on the box.  Rick Sherker made up enough ground in the final moto on his Jet Tribe RIVA Racing boat to lock up the third and final podium spot.

We always look forward to high drama in the Pro Runabout Stock class but the soap opera never really materialized this weekend as a result of a practice crash suffer by Troy Snyder.  Eric “The Eagle” Francis was able to grab the hole shot in all three motos and cruised to victory on his Dave’s Auto Body Monster Energy Kawasaki.  Snyder was able to muscle through his pulled hamstring to claim the second spot and keep his Hydro-Turf National Watercross Championship hopes alive.  Tim Lapierre had the best showing of his career driving his privateer Kawasaki to an excellent finish in the number 3 spot.

In the Freestyle competition Jason Stoyer brought up his level and stole the victory from Daniel Martin with a stellar performance that wowed the judges and crowd alike.  Jeremy Parr was able to get his XScream machine repaired with a borrowed set of handle bars and got back into the fight but was only able to manage a third.  However it is a long season and it is still anyone’s Hydro-Turf Freestyle Championship to win.

We had a phenomenal time here in Panama City Beach at the Boardwalk Beach Resort and we thank the Panama City Beach Visitors and Convention Bureau for hosting this event.  We are also excited to announce be back here in Panama City Beach to the most beautiful stretch of beach in the continental United States again next year.  We can’t wait to see you in three weeks at our next stop in Racine, Wisconsin at the Grand Prix of Watercross.

]]> http://www.proridermag.com/hydro-turf-national-tour-panama/feed/ 1 http://www.proridermag.com/hydro-turf-national-tour-prepares-to-hit-panama-city-beach-this-weekend/ http://www.proridermag.com/hydro-turf-national-tour-prepares-to-hit-panama-city-beach-this-weekend/#comments Thu, 16 May 2013 17:18:29 +0000 RonnyMac http://www.proridermag.com/?p=8687 Panama City Beach, FL here we come…
REAL. FUN. BEACH.

The Super Cup of Watercross, round 2 of the Hydro Turf National Tour will be at the Boardwalk Beach Resort & Hotel in Panama City Beach, FL this weekend.

The best beach this side of paradise, Panama City Beach Florida offers 27 miles of stunning white sand, emerald green waters and surefire enjoyment in, on or under the water. Explore our vast expanse of things to do, from family-friendly mazes and Florida sport fishing to exciting nightlife and relaxing spa getaways. With boatloads of attractions, top-notch restaurants, beach activities, amazing accommodations and world-class events, you’ll never forget your Panama City Beach vacation.

The Boardwalk Beach Resort offers unique family attractions – mixing sports with family fun, the watercross racing will be paired up with the EVP pro volleyball tour for action on both the land and water, along with vendors and other activities.

The resort’s award winning dining, sandy white beaches provides some of the best attractions around, this event will attract participants and spectators of all ages. In addition to the day’s events, an athlete’s party is being planned for both the watercross participates and volleyball pros on Saturday evening. More details will be given out at the riders meeting and throughout the day on Saturday.

Call today for your room…

800-224-Gulf
800-224-4853
mention booking code: 6705

Hotel Rooms

Double with pool view (sleeps up to four) $109 per night*
Double Gulf side (sleeps up to four) $119 per night*
Double Gulf side with sofa (sleeps up to six) $129 per night*

Condos

One bedroom condominium (sleeps 6) $149-$169 per night**
Two bedroom condominium (sleeps 6) $169-199 per night**

Boardwalk Beach Resort
9600 South Thomas Dr.
Panama City Beach, FL 32408

RVs & Trailer Parking

Phase II lot will be same as last year – due to limited space:

• First come First Serve
• Overflow parking is available at Wal-Mart
• A $40+ tax per day, $100+ tax for Three (3) days Fee for all RV’s, Travel Trailers / Toy haulers with sleeping compartments (NO TENTS or POP-UPS) *No Hook-ups*

Hotel Parking:

• Race Participants MUST be Hotel Guests with Parking Tag to park trailers at the HOTEL (All others will be towed)

Check this video out… does he jump the line or is it good!

Young has big plans for the “2013 Greenhulk.net U.S. HydroDrag Nationals” and the “RIVA RACING HydroDrag World Championships”, taking them to four separate locations in Florida this season.

When Young was asked, why Florida?, he stated, “That’s where 70 percent of our HydroDrag racers are from and until we have a larger contingent of racers from other states, we will stay in Florida”. The last HydroDrag event was very successful attracting over 4,000 spectators and approximately 100 competitors. The 2012 RIVA RACING HydroDrag in November also produced a new PWC top speed record of 101.7mph, set by Joseph Mastrapa of Valrico Florida on a Yamaha WaveRunner.

There are five different classes in HydroDrag Racing including: HydroStock, Hydro NA Modified, HydroLimited, HydroSuperstock, and HydroUnlimited. There are several other events during the show weekend as well, including the Blowsion Flatwater Freestyle Championships and the HydroTurf Giant Slalom Competition.

National & World Champions will be crowned in both Hydrodrag and Speed Alley classes. The Greenhulk.net U.S. Nationals will kick off in late March and the three round series will run through late May. The 7th annual RIVA Racing HydroDrag World Championships will be held Nov. 2-3 at the USA Waterski Hall of Fame, on Lake Grew in Polk County, Florida.

Official rules can be found on the RIVA website and will soon be available at IJSBA.com. All competitors must have a valid IJSBA membership.

Schedule:

June 1-2 Tavares, FL GreenHulk.net US HydroDrag Nationals Round #1/PWC Week

August 24-25 WPB Co. GreenHulk.net US HydroDrag Nationals Round #2

Aug 31- Sept 1 Acworth, GA Georgia State Championships Love the Lake Fest

Sept 28-29 Tampa, FL GreenHulk.net US HydroDrag Nationals Round #3***

Nov 2-3 Polk City, FL RIVA Racing HydroDrag World Finals

Dec 7 St. Pete, FL Mike’s Charity Poker Run

fzwaverunner.com

Test ride 9 different watercraft from 3 manufacturers.
Compare the ride and features side by side on a private test lake.
Take advantage of huge rebates and incentives offered exclusively at the Event.
Work directly with manufacturer representatives to learn features and benefits.
FREE Gift bag for the first 150 Demo riders.
ALL Demo riders will get a chance to win a new PWC of their choice! (up to $10,000)

IMPORTANT NOTE: To operate a PWC at the demo event you must 18 years of age or older. If you are 18 years of age or older, but were born on or after January 1, 1988, you are required to take the Online Boating Safety course to be an operator. Please click here.
All Passengers must be tall enough to have their feet easily reach the foot mats on the floorboards of the PWC while sitting in the rearmost saddle position.

The men, thought to be in their 20s, were riding a WaveRunner just after 5 p.m. when they rammed into a dock along 179th Avenue East in Bonney Lake, according to officials from East Pierce Fire & Rescue.
Rescue workers said the watercraft hit so hard it destroyed part of the dock and threw the men roughly 30 feet onto the shore.
Both men were taken to local hospitals with life-threatening injuries.
Investigators are now now trying to determine if drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.

Thanks to Models…
Gia Marie Macool
Cassidi Ennen
Stephanie Belknap
Becca Black
Jessica Zlatos
Samantha Autum
Sarah Vanicek
 

By Michelle Petro
AJ went on to say that he has a good team in place and his staff had done their job.
It is thought that Bushell went off the rule specific to weight as a proposed ruling compared to it being passed. Where the discrepancy comes into play is when the rule was to go into effect.
AJ stated that in his true opinion, he was glad that he has an official tech in place and the IJSBA board has made a good decision by placing an official tech on the tour.

The DQ was based on Bushells boat being under weight and no other reason. AJ also stated that the IJSBA will make the correct decision and the outcome will mean a clearer definition of the rule.

When asked his thoughts of Bushell not racing the rest of the tour AJ replied that the tour will feel his loss if he decides not to race.

AJ stated that James will make the correct decision but he is a great athlete and he wants to win. Even though he may not be awarded points from round 1 he could still win the tour. West Virginia being double points he could make it up.

Bushell is definitely not out of the running. Anything can happen on the tour from one stop to another.
A final decision on the Bushell DQ should be released by the IJSBA Wednesday morning May 15th.

Sea-Doo.com

Riding a Sea-Doo may spur this urge a bit more than the average vehicle. After all, Sea-Doo watercraft are breed to be performers and in the arena of professional watercraft racing has dominated closed course races around the world. You may have thought about racing but don’t know where to go and aren’t interested in buying a lot of race specific parts or modifying your very reliable, stock Sea-Doo watercraft. And maybe lining up to a veteran racer may seem intimidating. But that burning desire to feed your competitive side hungers every time you squeeze the throttle lever of your Sea-Doo watercraft.

For PWC owners in the United Kingdom and the southeastern United States, specifically Florida, comes a new PWC event the P1 Aqua Cross series. This is a new form of PWC racing that is open to only riders with completely stock watercraft. Its the ultimate, “run what you brung” racing. The courses are also much less complex and open than traditional closed course races that one may see at theIJSBA World Finals.  Multi-time world champion watercraft racer Lisa Barsby of the UK developed this series in the UK to bring a new crowd to the family sport she loves. Barsby address the barriers keeping current owners from racing. The goal of Aqua Cross racing is to make it easy, safer, affordable, and fun for anyone and everyone with a PWC.

The classes are broken down by stock horsepower ratings to allow every category of PWC to compete head-to-head on equal equipment. There are three main categories offered, 300 hp, 250+hp, and200+hp.  other than a PWC all anybody needs is protective riding gear, and a set of racing numbers.

The US events include:

June 15 & 16 – Daytona, Florida

July 20 & 21 – Pahookee, Florida

August 17 & 18 – Cocoa Beach, Florida

September 14 & 15 – Marathon, Florida

The UK events include:

June 1-2 – Hull

June 29-30 – Plymouth

July 13 & 14 – Eastborn Extreme

August 10 & 11 – Torquay

For more information on racing your Sea-Doo in a new, no pressure racing series, visit P1 Aqua Cross

“We are very excited to have Almost Golf and The Urban Golf Tour as part of our series”, said Mike Young, HydroDrag Director and Tour Promoter.  “We draw an average crowd of over 4000 spectators and 150 participants to each round of the tour, the majority of these people are families and the ability to have additional events and competitions that are open to everyone really allows everyone to engage and enjoy the weekend”.

“I am so excited to have partnered with GreenHulk.net US National HydroDrag Tour”, said Kevin Durkin Marketing Director for Almost Golf.  To put the Urban Golf Tour right in the middle of over 5000 people, to have the real-estate to hold the event, the community support to put on the event, and the infrastructure of a 17 year series and the ability to televise it makes this a turnkey success from the first hit of the Almost Golf Ball”.

“With the addition of Almost Golf’s Urban Golf Tour to the HydroDrag US National Tour this becomes more then a TV show it becomes a Televised Event”, said Two Time Emmy Nominee, TV Producer Skip Fredricks.  We already had a distribution deal in place with DISH Ch 81 (HTSB) to air the GreenHulk.net US HydroDrag Nationals and now with the inclusion of the Urban Golf Tour we will actually be creating two half hour programs, the unique part is that each of these two separate half hour shows on DISH Ch81 will feature content from the other, creating a show within a show and attracting more by exposing the events to different audiences. It’s really going to be very exciting to produce and even more exciting to watch.

The Urban Golf Tour will air in Prime Time on (HTSB) DISH Network Channels 81 & 230. Several of the networks sponsors are extremely excited to see this series added to the broadcast lineup including, Coke, Muscle Milk, Apple, Samsung and Pro Active to name a few.

For more Information, contact Skip Fredricks at 323-369-2584 or at s.fredricks@yahoo.com or Mike Young at 850-376-5495 or mpyoungjr@aol.com