Star-Bulletin
Miss Budweiser goes for a season title this weekend
in the JN Automotive Hydrofest at Pearl Harbor.

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Speedboats ready
to rip Pearl Harbor

Hydrofest will decide
tour championship

By Catherine Toth
Special to the Star-Bulletin

The King of Beers looks for a repeat crowning at the 8th annual JN Automotive Hydrofest this weekend at Pearl Harbor.

Sunday's racing concludes the Jasper Thunder Tour's 1997 season.

After winning the first four stops on the tour, Miss Budweiser, then driven by Dave Villwock, seemed like a shoo-in for the national title again. But during the final race at the Budweiser Columbia Cup in July, Villwock's winning streak came to a dramatic end when Miss Budweiser crashed.

"I had a great year,'' Villwock said. "I won every single heat except for that one little mistake."

That mistake cost him two fingers on his right hand.

"I lost a couple of fingers, but that's the way it goes, you know. I've been racing for 25 years and this is the first time I've gotten hurt,'' Villwock said.

Although sidelined for the Hydrofest, Villwock said he's a team player and will support the Budweiser racing team from the stands.

Last year's co-rookie of the year, Mark Weber, took the Budweiser reigns in August. He won his first race with Miss Budweiser at the Las Vegas Cup in September.

"It's a lot of responsibility," Weber said. "But you just gotta take each heat as it comes. And you gotta drive smart. But we're prepared for Sunday's race. Preparation is the biggest thing you can do right now.''

Miss Budweiser comes into this weekend's race with 11,820 points, nearly 1,000 more than its closest competitor, the Close Call Phone Card. But that doesn't mean the team has the crown clinched. The Bud team needs 643 points to retain its title.

"It's mathematically not over," Weber said.

Battling for second place are Close Call and the PICO American Dream, driven by Mark Evans, a former Miss Budweiser driver and last year's Hydrofest winner. Fifty points separate the two boats.

Close Call driver Mark Tate said his confidence is high, heading into this weekend's event.

"We're here to win the race," Tate said, "and I think we've got a shot at winning. Something drastic would have to happen to Budweiser for us to have that opportunity. I don't think they're concerned about winning the race as much as they are about winning the championship. But myself and (Evans) will be gunning for them."

This event might be Tate's last race with Close Call. Long-time owner Steve Woomer has said he is retiring.

"I don't know what's going to happen with me next year," Tate said. "Obviously, my owner (Woomer) is getting out of this sport. I've been with him for eight years.

"Are there other opportunities for me in this sport to stay? I don't know at this point. Those are decisions I'll have to make down the road."

Woomer, 57, said having heart surgery two years ago and the stress of not performing well over the past few seasons are the primary factors in his decision to retire.

"I didn't know you could be first loser so many times," Woomer said.

At last year's Hydrofest, Woomer's boat, Smokin' Joe's, driven by Tate, was taken out of contention when the Pfleuger Honda/KPOI pace car misread the markers and turned across the inside lanes during the thunder turn. Smokin' Joe's was out before the race began. Officials allowed the race to continue despite a protest from Woomer.

"I'm frustrated with our performance," Woomer said, "and maybe frustrated a little with the officials. I don't think we have quite the quality of officials we need in the sport."

Woomer also said he sees retirement as a refreshing change from the competition of racing.

"There's a whole lot of things I want to do in life besides just boat racing," Woomer added. "As much as I love it, fishing is my passion."

This year's Hydrofest is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.

Besides boat racing, the weekend will include activities, such as go-cart racing, E.K. Fernandez Carnival Midway rides, the Hydroblast Grass Volleyball Challenge, in-line skating and the Pacific Forces Exhibition Sky Diving Team. Local bands, such as Kapena and Sisters of Soul, will perform on the event's Main Stage.

For more information, call the Hydro Hotline at (808) 471-9109.