Hydros roar ahead

The Budweiser Columbia Cup unlimited hydroplane race was staged as an outlaw event a year ago.

When the Tri-Cities site joined Evansville and San Diego and decided to run without the Hydro Prop sanction, it essentially meant the end of that organization’s troubled short run of trying to right what was then a foundering ship.

This weekend the big boats return to the Columbia River for the 40th time, promising that the sport is on the rebound. It’s hard to say if the state of affairs is much better than it was a year ago, but there are some signs of improvement.

Plagued by the loss of the Budweiser sponsorship – on the boat for more than 40 years and a series supporter for more than a decade – the sport needed a new direction. That may come with the formation of the American Boat Racing Association in Seattle last October.

ABRA will try to turn around the sport’s problems: shrinking fields of competitors, the inability to secure new race sites, and attracting sponsors and a TV deal.

The new sanctioning body has worked to rebuild what was once a popular sport that had races coast to coast. Moving in that direction, ABRA has added a new race site in Nashville, Tenn.

Losing a major team and sponsor such as Budweiser has been a tough obstacle to overcome, but things are moving ahead. Competition seems to be a bit more open now that Bud’s big checkbook has departed. Three races have produced three different winners: Steven David in Evansville, J.W. Myers at Madison and Terry Troxel taking the Gold Cup.

While the Miss Bud is gone, its driver will be back to defend his 2004 title. Dave Villwock will replace Myers, who survived a wild blow-over and flip in the boat at the Gold Cup two weeks ago in Detroit. Villwock has four career victories at Tri-Cities, driving to titles in the Miss Budweiser in 1998, 1999 and 2004, and in PICO’s American Dream in 1996.

Fields have been small in 2005 – seven boats made it to the Evansville opener and 10 were at Detroit. It’s hard to predict how many boats will be in the Lampson Pits, but the Northwest usually generates a surprise entry or two.

Activity in those pits begins Friday morning with Unlimited Time Trials starting at 10:20. Racing takes place over two days with Heat 1-A for the unlimiteds set for 3:00 p.m.

The unlimited’s Heat 2-A goes at 11:10 a.m. Sunday, and the Budweiser Columbia Cup winner-take-all championship race is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.

Modifieds travel to Boise area

With their winless streak against Mother Nature’s rain machine snapped two weeks ago, the Northwest Modifieds return to racing at Chaparral Speedway near Boise to take part in a Modified “Smackdown.”

Frank Volz Jr. (346 points/two wins) has the lead over Steve Hudson (310), Justin Hoffman (308/one win) and Mark Weaver (301).

The race, Friday and Saturday on the three-eighths-mile track, will bring together similar classes of open-wheel cars from across the west, including a local Boise favorite, Terry Lawrence, who returns home after driving in the ARCA series and turning 180-mph laps at Daytona.

This weekend’s race is the first of two invitational events featuring modifieds. Many of the cars will tow back to Stateline Speedway to compete in the Gary Miller Memorial set for Aug. 27-28.

Richards keeps rolling

There doesn’t seem to be much that can stop Kevin Richards lately when it comes to running – and winning – on the Inland Northwest Superstock Series.

The Newman Lake driver twice drove from near the back – or from the back – of the field to win last Saturday in the Windermere 100 at Stateline Speedway.

Richards was fast qualifier, but he started near the back of the pack when the top 16 cars were inverted. When he clawed his way into the lead on lap 60, Richards spun the McClintock & Turk/Rent-Rite Monte-Carlo while trying to avoid a wreck in front of him and had to go the back of the field.

Richards had moved into the lead for good by lap 80 and collected his fourth straight INSSA main event win. He finished ahead of Dan Garber and Jeff Fenton, who scored his best career late-model finish.

Pit stops

Racing returns to Northport International Raceway on Sunday with time trials set for 1 p.m. … Spokane Raceway Park hosts bracket drags with Sportsman cars on the oval on Saturday. Gates open at 3 p.m. … Speedway Karts return Saturday night to Sunset Speedway in Airway Heights. Racing begins at 7.

Streaks and stats

Joey Bissett scored the main event win and a national karting championship in the Junior II class at racing held in Santa Maria, Calif. Brother Jake Bissett finished fifth in his national championship race. … Joe Kopp of Mica, Wash., took the lead on lap 12 and held off Kenny Coolbeth at the end of the 25-lap feature race to record his first AMA Ford Quality Checkered Flat Track Championship win in 2005 last Saturday at the Darke County Fairgrounds in Greenville, Ohio. … Rich Hatton pushed his Road Runner winning streak at Stateline Speedway to eight last Wednesday.