Seafair: Theoret cruises to 2nd straight Chevrolet Cup

Billy Schumacher told a newspaper reporter this week that he and wife Jane might remain as owners of the U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing unlimited hydroplane for only three to five years.

Jane Schumacher took slight umbrage, saying the comment was taken more literally than it was meant.

"They [competing unlimited owners] are going to wish we were only in it three to five years," she said. "We're in it for the long haul."

A long haul that might yield deep rewards if Sunday's Chevrolet Cup at Seafair is any indication.

Keyed by a marvelous performance by driver Jean Theoret in the winner-take-all final heat, the U-37 dominated activity on Lake Washington this weekend, giving Billy Schumacher a victory in his first race as an owner in his hometown.

Theoret won the final with a speed of 141.880 mph. Steve David in the Oh Boy! Oberto was second at 134.320 and pre-race favorite Dave Villwock in the Miss Ellstrom Elam Plus was third at 131.068.

Schumacher, who won 17 races as a driver before retiring in 1976, bought the U-37 earlier this year along with Jane, and the two instantly compiled a set of goals.

"There were two races we wanted to win, Detroit for the Gold Cup and the Seattle race," Billy Schumacher said.

They got them both, though Schumacher said this one might have meant more — even though the Gold Cup is the sport's glamour event — because Seattle is their home. And because Sunday, they beat a full field that included a seemingly healthy Elam and Villwock, who missed the Gold Cup after the team's main hull was damaged in an accident.

"The Gold Cup was sweet, but Seattle is our home," said Jane Schumacher.

It's starting to feel like one for Theoret, as well. A native of Maple Grove, Quebec, Theoret is 2 for 2 on Lake Washington, winning last year's Seafair in the same boat when it was named the U-8 Llumar Window Film.

A year ago, he won by outmaneuvering Villwock to get the inside lane, generally regarded as the best position.

Sunday, Villwock grabbed the inside lane by cutting across the infield about 90 seconds before the race began, resigning Theoret to Lane 2.

"He got the inside lane, so I said, 'Hey, I've got to make the start, I've got to make it perfect, if I want to beat Dave,' " Theoret said.

He did by hitting the starting line, in his words, "full throttle, 180 miles an hour," while the Elam was still gathering speed.

Theoret roared through the crucial first turn in the lead with Villwock far behind.

Villwock, who had been the highest qualifier at 157.480 mph (U-37 was 151.807), won only one heat all weekend as the Elam seemed uncommonly sluggish. The Elam hadn't been beaten in nine heats all year in heats it had finished with Villwock in the cockpit before this weekend.

"I pulled a couple of good moves and got a good start on him, but we just didn't have enough power this time," Villwock said. "We had some bug we were chasing around in the earlier heats and we tried to change a couple of things, but it didn't really improve."

After the fast start, Theoret cruised to an easy win despite not having the use of one mirror — knocked skyward by a wall of water shortly before the start — and limited ability to talk to his crew via radio, which had been problematic all day.

"Jean could not have driven it any better than he did today," Billy Schumacher said.

The early heats were marked by penalty-driven controversy and one spectacular fire as the U-21 The Plumbing Joint burst into flames after its engine exploded during the final lap of Heat 2B.

Driver Kevin Aylesworth was unhurt other than a bruised knee suffered when he bumped it as he jumped out of the cockpit headfirst into Lake Washington to escape the flames.

"The inside of the cockpit started getting toasty," Aylesworth said. "The flame was coming out of the engine compartment so I kind of rolled over the front windshield to go to the only piece of water I could find."

The boat suffered significant damage, though Aylesworth, who is also a co-owner, said it could be repaired in time for the season finale in San Diego next month.

The Elam, which has won three of six races this year, will still go into that event regarded as the favorite. But the U-37 showed Sunday the gap might be closing.

"Last year we had Lane 1 and we caught him from the inside, but this boat is faster than it was last year," said Theoret, noting the boat qualified at just 144 mph in Seattle in 2005. "I think we proved on race conditions that he wasn't the fastest. But that's just in Seattle."

For the Schumachers this year, however, that's more than good enough.

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