DETROIT, USA: 95 Spirit of Qatar’s Kip Brown enjoyed a sensational weekend of racing at the 2013 DYC Detroit APBA Gold Cup in the fourth round of the H1 Unlimited Championship, on the Detroit River.
The Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF)-backed driver won heats 2B and 4B, easily qualified for the crucial final and reached the chequered flag in first position in his Our Gang Racing-run hydroplane after pre-race favourite Steve David was penalised for a lane infringement.
Jimmy Shane lost his front canard in a collision and Brown managed to fend off a challenge from runner-up Jon Zimmerman to claim his maiden H1 victory.
Tommy Thompson finished third in 11 Miss Peters & May and David was fourth in 1 Oh Boy! Oberto.
“Right now I am so excited, I don’t know what to think or say, it just came to us,” said a stunned Brown, the 2008 rookie of the year, after the race.
He added: “Jon (Zimmerman) pulled out to the lead after we heard about the penalty for Steve, but Jeff (Bernard) on the radio told me to make him earn it. After that I wasn’t going to lift and the boat ran just great.”
David came into the weekend’s racing trailing Shane by 23 points in the National High Points’ standings and left Detroit with the title race wide open.
“I would like to congratulate Kip Brown and all the 95 Spirit of Qatar team on this superb performance,” said a delighted Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani, president of the QMSF.”
Sheikh Hassan added: “The Our Gang Racing Team have all worked very hard to be as competitive as possible and this win is a fitting reward for their efforts.”
Qualifying honours for the DYC Detroit APBA Gold Cup went to David, as the Lighthouse Point driver reduced Shane’s National High Points lead to just three points.
Mike Webster claimed his first heat victory in 1B when the first of the heats got underway.
Shane had won Heat 1A and Brown triumphed for the QMSF-backed Our Gang Racing team in Heat 2B after Shane had won Heat 2A.
David had held a comfortable lead in 1B when his boat hit a buoy and he incurred a one-lap penalty.
He suffered a similar fate in the last heat of the day and dropped to fourth behind Brown, Tommy Thompson and Greg Hopp.
David won his first heat of the weekend in 3A to move back into contention for the lead in the National High Points title race and Brown confirmed second position in 95 Spirit of Qatar from Mark Evans in 57 Fedco.
Greg Hopp was penalised and finished fourth, but Shane was disqualified and 50 points were deducted from his total.
David continued his resurgent form to triumph in heat 4A from Shane and Brown cruised into the final after winning the final heat of the weekend, 4B.
The 95 Spirit of Qatar driver was joined in the APBA Gold Cup final by David, Shane, Thompson, Zimmerman and Webster.
Shane lost the front canard in a dramatic race in the rooster tail of David, who was penalised for a lane infringement and Brown managed to seal a sensational victory. THE PENINSULA
