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Keeping Pace

New Dates For 2010 Detroit APBA Unlimited Hydroplane Gold Cup

Hydroplanes are prepared in Detroit's pit area during the 2009 running of the Gold Cup. (Photo courtesy of ABRA)
Hydroplanes are prepared in Detroit's pit area during the 2009 running of the Gold Cup. (Photo courtesy of ABRA)

Annual Gold Cup now set for June after being reschduled by H1 Unlimited Hydroplane series officials. This year the Gold Cup kicks off the 2010 season for unlimited race teams.

Courtesy: ABRA Media Relations

The Detroit River Regatta Association has announced new dates for the running of the 2010 Detroit APBA Gold Cup.  The event will be held on the Detroit River June 25-27.

In announcing the move to the June dates, DRRA President and Race Director Tom Bertolini pointed out several factors that led to the DRRA decision. 

 

"We believe that more of our race fans are at home in late June than our previous dates, which were closer to the 4th of July," explained Bertolini.

Bertolini added, "This also gives us the opportunity to hold the event in co-ordination with other Detroit area festivals and events in late June and give the area a tremendous two-week kickoff to summer." 

Event Director Mark Weber pointed out that, "Now that our dates have been finalized, our season ticket holders should receive their pre-season ticket sales packages soon."

"We are very excited about opening our season in Detroit and competing for the APBA Gold Cup," said Sam Cole, H1 Unlimited Chairman.

"This is an opportunity that the Detroit River Racing Association could not pass up and we want to help support them in any way that we can," Cole added. " I think this is a great way to start the season with a premier event like the APBA Gold Cup. It will create excitement that should carry through to our other events."

"This change in dates also gives the sport some needed flexibility in scheduling and should help improve our racing. This provides three weeks between the eastern and western races, which will provide teams with more time to improve preparation for Tri Cities and Seattle. Plus, the extra week between Tri Cities and Seattle will also allow us the opportunity of displaying our boats in new ways- such as the Torchlight Parade at Seafair," Cole commented."
 
"One of our ongoing issues has been the back-to-back nature of our schedule, with little or no free time for repairs and promotion. Unfortunately,  we do not have a boat/hull for every race and racing four or five time in just five or six weeks, took its toll on the sport. This way, we will have just one week of back-to-back events- Detroit and Madison, which will provide more time for us to do a better job of marketing and promoting the sport and allow teams to maintain their equipment and allow us to put on better racing for the fans."

The 2010 APBA Gold Cup will begin with testing and qualifying on Friday June 25th and racing on Saturday and Sunday.



Keeping Pace

Motorsports correspondent Doug Pace keeps up with motorsports news and notes from around the region.