Miss HomeStreet/Miss Madison and the hydroplane’s driver Jimmy Shane from Maple Valley, Washington, had a perfect weekend winning the 112th American Power Boat Association’s Gold Cup trophy during the Madison Regatta on the Ohio River. Shane drove the hometown-owned hydroplane to a victory in front of an estimated 30,000 fans that were on their feet screaming from the riverbanks for Shane to win.
Shane began his weekend as the top qualifier among the seven world’s fastest race boats. He won each of the four preliminary heats and power boat racing’s pinnacle trophy.
Today’s win by Shane makes it his fourth Gold Cup win in his 12 years driving in the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Series.
The win also etches his team, Miss Madison Racing, into the record books with four Gold Cup wins, with all but one with Shane at the wheel. The team’s first Gold Cup trophy win came in 1971 when the team won in the hometown of Madison, Indiana with driver Jim McCormick.
Last year’s Gold Cup winner, Andrew Tate in the Delta/RealTrac took an early lead, followed closely by Shane. In the back stretch, Tate increased his lead over Shane and the Spirit of Detroit driven by Bert Henderson, J&D’s Reliable Diamond Tool pilot Tom Thompson and Graham Trucking with J. Michael Kelly in the cockpit of the six-lap championship final.
“We really didn’t want to be in lane one but the opportunity presented itself. I knew the boat was getting through that corner really well, better than all the other boats, so I took a chance, I took a risk,” Shane said. “Andrew beat me to lane one and had a head of steam going to the finish line. But Mike (J. Michael Kelly) gave me some legs and I was able to get it into the first turn.”
In the first turn of lap two, with Tate in the lead, his boat fell into a huge hole on the racecourse that turned him hard left, slowing him enough for Shane to pull in front exiting the turn. Shane pulled ahead by 1-1/2 roostertails. Henderson followed Tate nearly five roostertails.
There was no looking back for Shane during the remaining three laps.
Tate ended up crossing the finish line second but officials ruled he jumped the gun, adding a one-minute penalty to his final finish time. Henderson in the Spirit of Detroit finished third but moved up to second after the ruling against Tate.
Third place went to Kelly in the U-12 Graham Trucking. Thompson finished fourth and Tate finished fifth. Rookie Corey Peabody was unable to start his U-98 Graham Trucking American Dream hydroplane.
“I honored to get a win here at Madison. It means a lot for me, but I’m more happy for the fans on the shoreline,” Shane said. “This means the world to them and I’m just ecstatic that they’re able to experience this. Forty-eight years later and their grandchildren get to experience what they got to experience in 1971. It’s just an honor to be a part of it,” Shane said.
There was a bit of good news for Tate, he did have the fastest lap in the final averaging 146.053 mph in lap one. The H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing move west July 26-28 in Kennewick, Washington, followed by Seattle, August 2-4.
