The Oh Boy! Oberto sponsored U-6 closes out the 2002 season
Following the San Diego race, the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto finished the season in sixth place in the High Point Championship Standings.  Likewise, driver Steve David finished sixth in the 2002 driver's point standings.  Though the San Diego race didn't end the way we wanted it to, it closed out the season and allowed plans to begin for the 2003 season!  For all the details on this year's San Diego race, we invite you to visit Hydro-Prop's archived event coverage.

We would like to take this opportunity to thanks all the members of the Miss Madison team, our outstanding sponsor Oh Boy! Oberto and the Oberto Sausage Company (visit them on the web at www.oberto.com), driver Steve David and you the fans of our team!
 

Madison Courier talks with Don Hummel
Don Hummel, the 15-year chairman of the Miss Madison Finance & Steering Committee, recently took time out to talk with Graham Taylor of the Madison Courier.  What followed is great article titled "Hummel working to keep U-6 afloat".  Click here to check out the full article.
 

Repair work finalized as the team looks toward San Diego
Following the 2002 General Motors Cup, the Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison team had quite a bit of work to do to repair the injured U-6.  This evening, we're pleased to share a few pictures showing the work on the hull. The team finished repainting last Sunday (September 8th) and put the boat back together over the last week.  The U-6 hull took to the highway for San Diego over the weekend.

Talking with pilot Steve David, his thoughts on the upcoming race were simple.  "Yes sir, can't wait for Mission Bay and lots of boats in our rear view mirrors. - Steve"
 

Seafair spelled a tough weekend for the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto Team

Steve David and the U-6 leads the field into the first turn of Heat 3B

During the week between Tri-Cities and Seattle, the team spent time dynoing the engines with the help of Jim Lucero and working with props at Ron Bown's shop.  It was a fun time for the team, many of whom were getting their first taste of Seattle (and all the great team facilities in the area).  There was a lot of excitement as the U-6 team brought the hull down to Stan Sayers pits for the race weekend.  At first, we just couldn't get the hull speed up to where we wanted it.  Saturday afternoon, a wiring problem was discovered that kept the team busy (and the hull on the trailer) until Sunday.  Just was we conquered the problems, a whole new set presented itself in heat 3B.  We lost a blade on the prop which pulled the shaft right out of the gear box, broke the strut and tore-up the bottom of the hull.  This was a tough break considering our third place finishes in Heats 1B and 2B.  We were in a great position going into the the third set of heats and the final.  Repairs for San Diego are already in motion and we would like to offer thanks to everyone who pitched in during the Sunday rewire run.  For a full review of the 2002 General Motors Cup, click here.

       
 A look at some of the damage to the 6 following heat 3B.  In the third shot,
you are looking from the back of the boat straight into the gear box.
 

The team places third in Tri-Cities Columbia Cup!
Tri-Cities was kind to the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto team.  Through the hard work and perseverance of the team (who worked well into the night on Saturday tearing down a gear box and making final preparations for the hull), the team enjoyed second place finishes in every heat they ran and placed third overall in the Columbia Cup final.  The U-6 team, many of who are new to the series this year, are really coming together and everyone is extremely excited about their prospects for Seattle.  For a full review of the 2002 Budweiser Columbia Cup, just click here.
 

Steve David and the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto team place fourth in the Gold Cup!
       

After racing for the Gold Cup in Detroit, the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto team stands sixth in the National High Point Championship.  Driver Steve David has run some very strong heats, the team has mounted a serious challenge against some of the best boats in the fleet and they now stand in a good position to make a solid west coast run!  In a little under two weeks, the U-6 team will travel to the northwest to compete in Tri-Cities for the Budweiser Columbia Cup.  From there, it's on to Seattle for Seafair!  For a full review of the 2002 Detroit Gold Cup weekend, just click here.  
 

Looking back on Madison!
Building on their strong performance in Evansville, the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto team was truly excited about returning to the site of their 2001 hometown victory.  Though the weekend wouldn't go as planned, driver Steve David remained positive as he looked to the remainder of the season...

"If we can ever get our engines producing to 110% N-2, we'll have one fine rocket ship!  In reviewing today's (Madison's time) our 139 MPH in the first heat and 138 MPH in the provisional was right in there.  I think we ran the closest to our qualifying speeds in competition of any team today!  That would lead me to believe that Doug and his crew have absolutely built us a better U-6 this season. I'm still excited about this year, because I know we're leaving almost 8% of potential power somewhere in those engines and Hughes and company are going to try to find out how to get that." - Steve David

For a full play-by-play review of the 2002 Budweiser Madison Regatta presented by Cruisin' Auto weekend, just click here.
 

Looking back on Evansville!
Evansville certainly had its high points and its low points for the team.  The new crew really came together to build a solid race boat for Steve David as proven by the third place finish in Heat 1A.  The U-6 was leading for a time and actually pulling away from the 2001 series champion to the delight of fans.  In Heat 2A, we improved on the previous run scoring a second place finish.  Heat 3A gave the team another second place finish which left us only one place to go in the final...

The final was where our weekend high shifted.  Steve David was right on the mark lining up for lane one.  A mishap with Nate Brown and the U-16 Miss E-lam Plus ended up washing the U-6 down and taking us out of the run.  What would have been a perfect start went away just that quickly.  Our fifth place finish in the final is something we just have to settle with as we shift our sights toward Madison.

For the full play-by-play coverage, thanks to the Hydro-Prop website, just click here.
 

Steve David plans pit tour for kids at Madison Regatta
Miss Madison pilot Steve David will assist Steve Reynolds in a special event called the "Kids Pit Tour" at this years Budweiser Madison Regatta presented by Cruisin' Auto.  Also helping will be former Miss Madison drivers Jon Peddie and Ron Snyder.  The one time pit tour will lead a group of roughly thirty children through the pits of Madison where they will hear the stories and experiences of real drivers, past and present.  Click here for all the details
  

U6 Oh Boy! Oberto Tests in Madison!
On June 15 the team took the U-6 to the Ohio River, ran two laps before an excited hometown crowd and returned to the pits.  An output bearing problem in the gear box would end the test session early, but it was discovered before the first race of the 2002 season, the newer team members enjoyed a chance to work with the hull under real race conditions and, in that light, the test session was a complete success.  For all the details on the test session, visit the full test update on the Hydro-Prop website.  Testing photos can be found in our gallery, the Hydro-Prop gallery and the Madison Regatta gallery.  76 photos in total to enjoy!
  

City owned Miss Madison welcomes the 2002 team
The city of Madison, IN became an owner of a hydroplane in 1961 when industrialist, Samuel DuPont decided he would donate his hydroplane named “Nitrogen” to the city of Madison. When that boat was destroyed in a racing accident a year later, DuPont sold his second boat to the city for $5,000. Madison, IN has been in the hydroplane racing business ever since.  As the team prepares for it's 2002 season, we would like to welcome back everyone who helps keep the U-6 out on the water!
  

Painting the U-6 ... a new photo update!

U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto preseason test session planned
The U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto (aka Miss Madison) has announced plans to test on June 15th!  Look for Steve David and the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto to take to the waters of the Ohio River in Madison as the team tests all the off-season improvements to the hull.  A lot of work has taken place in the Madison shop over the winter and it's already promising to be an exciting 2002 season!
 

A new photo update!
We're pleased to share a new series of photos showing the team turning the boat in the Madison shop.  The photos also feature the start of the 2002 paint scheme.

Hydros looks back on 2001 Madison Regatta
The Hydro-Prop series website, www.hydroprop.com, has unveiled five new galleries of photos looking back on the 2001 Madison Regatta.  It's part of their full photo tour of the past season.  New galleries include; Friday in Madison, Saturday in Madison, the autograph session and driver's meeting, race day in Madison (1 of 2) and race day in Madison (2 of 2). Visit the gallery section of the site for all the details.
 

The movie "Madison" is set for August 23rd release!
Recently, the Premiere Marketing & Distribution Group unveiled its initial slate of motion pictures and hydro fans across the country will be excited to learn that the movie "Madison" is set for an August 23rd, 2002 release date!  For all the details, visit the recent story on the Hydro-Prop website, www.hydroprop.com.
 

A Photo Update...
The team is hard at work on the hull making improvements for the 2002 season.  You may be used to seeing the U-6 fully detailed, but here's what it looks like while we're working on it...

Madison Regatta unveils a new look for 2002
The Budweiser Madison Regatta presented by Crusin' Auto has been hard at work updating their website in an effort to offer fans all the latest details on this year's event.  In that spirit, the site has taken on an entirely new look for 2002!  Visit the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto (aka Miss Madison) hometown race on the web at www.madisonregatta.com.
 

Steve David's letter to Graham Taylor
From Steve David, driver of our Miss Madison unlimited hydroplane to Madison Courier Staff Writer Graham Taylor:

“Dear Graham: I read with delight your story of the ‘Christmas Gifts’ sports activities in 2001.  I particularly read with glee about the Miss Madison win in 2001. Let me tell you with every fiber of my soul that the win in July of 2001 was a Christmas Gift to me and my family. It came from Bob Hughes, Charlie Grooms, my Miss Madison teammates, and every Madisonian who has helped the Miss Madison boat. Each of you made that event the most memorable in my personal sports history.

I don’t know how to properly thank Madison for the gift they gave in allowing me to drive their boat. I will promise this: I’ll give everything I am to your team in 2002 and do everything humanly possible, and then some, to repeat that win in come July of 2002.  Take care, Graham. God Bless! See you this summer. Steve David, Sabrina and Emma.”

Mr. Taylor's response was posted in the paper and on-line at www.madisoncourier.com on January 17th...  "My thanks to Steve for the kind words. He is such a wonderful representative for the city of Madison and for unlimited hydroplane racing as a whole."
 

1/15/02 - Celebrating the History of Oh Boy! Oberto Racing
APBA/Hydro-Prop Unlimited Historian, Fred Farley, takes a look back at the history of Oh Boy! Oberto's commitment to Unlimited Racing.   Fred's new story titled "Oh Boy! Oberto: 1975-2001" is just a click away!