Hydroplane racing rolls forward in tough times

A couple of hydroplane drivers joked Tuesday that yes, their sport is keeping its collective head above water, even if they sometimes need an assist from a big snorkel to do so.

That they all gathered again for Seafair's annual kickoff news conference, however, was a happy occasion for a sport that has long been rumored on its death bed — something that would seem even more of a risk in a declining economy.

Seafair president Beth Knox made note of the economy in her remarks, but proudly proclaimed that "Seafair is resilient."

In fact, organizers are optimistic for a large crowd this weekend, with the weather apparently ready to cooperate fully. They say more than 40,000 tickets have already been sold for this weekend's events, an increase over the past few years — in part due to more aggressive efforts to sell tickets in advance.

The weekend's events begin with qualifying on Lake Washington on Friday and includes heat racing on Saturday and Sunday, with the championship heat set for Sunday afternoon at 4:40 p.m.

It helps that the Blue Angels will also make appearances all three days and that Seafair has continued to expand to include concerts and other non-hydroplane activities.

Knox acknowledged it was more difficult to find sponsors this year because of the economy but that "the vast majority" came back, even if some did so at a reduced level. Chevrolet is again the title sponsor, and has expressed interest in re-upping for next year, Knox said.

Longtime owner and driver Nate Brown noted that attendance at last week's race in the Tri-Cities was also stronger than it had been in a few years and came up with his own theory.

"People are stay-cationing [staying at home to vacation]," he said. "The economy is down and they are not going to Hawaii, so it's 'let's do Seafair this year. Let's do Tri-Cities.' It's close [to home]. So I think stay-cationing is helping our sport."

This is the 60th year for Seafair, and its long tradition in Seattle also helps it weather some of the economic storms.

Seafair, for instance, has the best media packages in the circuit with full-day TV coverage on KIRO, with radio moving this year to KJR-AM.

What fans will see on the water will be strikingly similar to what they've seen for years, which is both good and bad. Those in the sport have long said new blood is necessary for the circuit to grow. But with the climate of the times, the fact that 12 boats will again be in the pits is viewed as a positive.

Only one of the boats is new this year, the U-22 Miss Airbag Service.com.

"That's still a strong showing," Knox said.

Elsewhere, the sport has had some more struggles. A longtime race in San Diego won't be held this year and it's uncertain if it will ever be back, and a planned race in Kelowna, B.C., was canceled. Also, the traditional stop in Evansville, Ind., was in doubt until being moved to late-August and reformatted to include classic cars and concerts with major country acts, which some see as a template for the future of the sport.

Some think a big part of the future could also be overseas. The season is scheduled to end in November with a race in Doha, Qatar, featuring the top 10 points winners. While some remain skeptical about the race, owner/driver Ken Muscatel, who is heavily involved in organizing the race, said Tuesday that "it looks like it's an absolute go."

"That could inject some fresh capital, which is what we need," said driver Steve David of the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto.

For now, they're happy with what they have.

NOTES

• Jean Theoret, who flipped his boat in the season opener at Madison, Ind., earlier this month and was hospitalized after being underwater for 37 seconds, plans to return to the cockpit this weekend, driving the U-37 Hoss Mortgage Investors. "God willing, I will be back behind the wheel," he said.

• The U-7, driven by J. Michael Kelly, suffered significant structural damage during a flip in the Tri-Cities. But Kelly said the boat should be ready to go by Friday. Kelly said he was almost completely unharmed in the flip at 200 mph, the biggest injury coming when he banged his knee exiting the cock pit.

• Race organizers hope to experiment this weekend with a GPS system that has been developed in England that could provide real-time tracking of the placement of the boats on the course during the race.

They say the system could revolutionize officiating.

• Legendary driver Chip Hanauer also plans to be back in the cockpit this weekend, in Boeing's experimental U-787, which runs on 100 percent sustainable biofuel. It is scheduled for demonstration runs Saturday and Sunday.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com.