Clinches National Championship, U-1 reclaimed, Doha 2013.
DOHA 2013: Steve David wins Unlimited Hydroplane National High Points Title
Posted: Jan 10, 2013 8:39 PM EST
Updated: Jan 10, 2013 8:48 PM EST
From Schumacher Racing:
DOHA (Qatar), Jan 10, 2013-- Florida's Steve David claimed the 2012 H1 Unlimited National High Points Championship during a dramatic afternoon's racing at the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship on Doha Bay on Thursday afternoon.
The threat of strong winds over the weekend forced race organizers to transform the timetable for the final round of the 2012 Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Championship. H1 Unlimited and Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) officials sensibly decided to completely amend the schedule and the majority of the on-course action took place on Thursday. After a permitted testing slot on the Doha Bay course off the Doha Corniche, crews carried out their qualifying session on Thursday morning and heats one, two and three took place on Thursday afternoon.
U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto's Steve David had come into the Oryx Cup weekend leading the National High Points championship by 652 points from U-1 Spirit of Qatar's Dave Villwock but the U-1 driver reduced David's lead to 632 points by setting the fastest time in qualifying on Thursday morning.
But a dramatic Villwock disqualification from victory in Heat 1-A for a fuel flow violation and a win for David in Heat 1B pushed the latter into a 1012-point advantage heading into the second heats. The duo were drawn apart again in those three-lap races and David had one hand firmly on the trophy when Villwock was disqualified from Heat 2-A for hitting several turn buoys that left the U-1 boat with a damaged front wing and a devastated Villwock's chances of reaching the Oryx Cup final hanging by a thread.
David sealed the coup de grace in Heat 2-B by finishing first overall and that gave him an unassailable advantage in the National High Points standings, as Villwock's attention turned to trying to qualify for the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship final shoot-out over the weekend. Steve David and Jimmy Shane won Heats 3-A and 3-B in failing light, but Villwock was unable to start the third heat.
"The National High Points Championship means a lot to me and it is a great feeling to win it back whatever the circumstances," said David. "A win is a win."
"Congratulations to Steve David and his team on the championship title here," said His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani, president of the QMSF. "We have had a thrilling day's racing and, as long as the weather is kind to us, we can look forward to two more exciting heats on Friday and the Oryx Cup final on Saturday afternoon."
http://www.kndo.com/story/20558901/...limited-hydroplane-national-high-points-title
