Vote Fred Hauenstein for F1 Hall of Fame "Lap of Honor award"

[Ron Hill]

Fred Hauenstein 44.0% Scott Gillman 33.5% Cees van der Velden 15.4% Jonathan Jones 7.1% Total votes: 3210 http://www.f1h2o.com/index.php Not sure when the voting ends, but I just voted!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

....I will continue to vote every day. Joe calls me to see if I voted. At first I didn't realize you could vote every day like to do in Chicago, but now that we got it figured out, that's what I do. Thanks Scott for keeping us up to date....and let's keep up the daily vote for Fred.

[AZOutlaw]

Fred Hauenstein 47.0%
Scott Gillman 32.0%
Cees van der Velden 13.8%
Jonathan Jones 7.2%

http://www.f1h2o.com/index.php

[Techteam]

The Wizard only crashed because it was raced on a Seebold boat due to political pressures at Merc headquarters. It was tested uneventfully on a Hodges boat as I remember but Seebold wanted some involvement after it looked like it might be successful. I heard the story told that Hauenstein's motor was stronger than Seebold's boat and the transom broke. I guess that is not surprising considering the added weight and power but the boat the testing and development was done on had no problem handling it.

Funny how these stories start. So Dave Burgess got a call from Jimmy Hauenstein asking if he had an OZ boat he could hire for London Docks. As it happened Dave had a brand new boat 3/4 finished so did a bend it you buy it deal finished the boat and painted it orange, but Jimmy just said it was a Mercury going on the back and wouldn't tell Dave any more. Jimmy called when the boat was finished and asked Dave to pick up the engine from Birmingham Airport, so he toddled off in his pickup only to be presented with The Wizard. It took him 2 trips to get everything back! They put extra tie bars in adapted from the V8's and set off for the docks. First few laps they couldn't get the boat settled so Dave fitted a wing he had and that seemed to sort it. Murdered the V8 lap times until the driver threw it in a turn and the engine went one way and the remains of the boat the other. Turns out they had already wrecked 1 boat then the Hodges as well, now it had claimed a brand new Burgess. Anyway as they were towing the wreckage back a policeman wandered up and told Dave he had radar gunned the boat at 154mph just before it crashed. A little while later a story got back through fairly reliable channels that Bill was stood watching his new boat with the wizard on while telling those around how Dave's boat couldn't cope and having a bit of a laugh at his expense with those around him. Just at that moment the engine came past him, but it wasn't attached to the boat.......

[AZOutlaw]

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Tuesday, July 27, 2010 – The UIM F1 H2O World Championship for powerboating has it's second “Lap of Honor” recipients for 2010. Fred Hauenstein, a tireless ambassador and true builder of the sport for almost 50 years, along with four time World Champion Scott Gillman, winner of 23 races in just 89 starts, have been elected into the UIM F1 H2O Hall Of Fame for 2010 after a three month long voting process involving race fans and journalists throughout the world taking part in the decision making.

Fred, who has worked in all levels of powerboat racing as an innovative engineer, respected UIM and APBA officer who specializes in engine development and safety improvements in the sport, is still enjoying racing, this being, his 51st season in 2010. Fred, first drove and then helped build OMC factory engines in the early 1970's before switching to Mercury Marine and helping develop the famous T-3 and T-4 power plants. Later, he worked on development of engines for both offshore and unlimited hydroplane racing classes.

Recently, the man who makes his home in the state of Wisconsin in the USA, has been at the forefront in the conversion to low emission outboard racing engines that has dominated at the 24 Hours of Rouen with the F2 and F4 (S) classes. Fred's political career includes four years as APBA President; President of the UIM Sports Commission and continual membership in both the APBA and UIM Safety Committees.

“It's a great thrill for me to be voted in by both the members of the boating media together with the race fans around the world,” said Fred. “I look forward to accepting the award and seeing once again all my friends who make up the UIM F1 H2O World Championship including its fine promoter and my friend Nicolo di San Germano.”

For the other American Scott Gillman, his rise came quickly after stepping onto the scene his rookie season in 1997. He was no stranger to winning after winning three North American tour titles in 1990, 1995 & 1996. He won his first title with the same SEEBOLD boat hull he had used the two previous years in North America. He also came close to winning a pair of other titles in his ten plus years on the UIM F1 H2O tour.

Scott's most remarkable record, is one that maybe never duplicated, finishing on the podium in 55 of the 59 events he finished for a 92% ratio. Not even 10-time World Champion Guido Cappellini's marks come close to this remarkable statistic while both were bitter rivals in their ten years battling for championship titles.

“It's wonderful that I've been acknowledged by the race fans and media for everything I have done while racing on the UIM F1 World Championship tour for Nicolo,” said Scott. “My working with the great people at Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club just shows the dedication everyone has for the sport for the past decade and the difficulty it is to get it all just right and win titles. It's never easy and it takes great dedication and I feel the people I am now working with are in that mindset to get it done again since the last time I achieved it for the club back in 2006.”

Fred Hauenstein had the largest percentage of votes with 46.8% while Scott Gillman wasn't far behind with 32.2%. They will now join last years winner's Bill Seebold and Renato Molinari into this very exclusive club while three new names along with the late Cees van der Velden will be added for next years 2011 class.

Both Fred Hauenstein and Scott Gillman will be honored at the season ending ceremonies in the United Arab Emirates in early December during the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi on the third and fourth of December and the Grand Prix of Sharjah on the ninth and 10th of December.

Be In The Know – With F1 H2O!
http://www.f1h2o.com/news/news.php?id=433