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F2 FUTURE

Michael jenkins is team manager for Yosef al Rabayan, Port ghalib team in F2 and Sami Selio in F1. He has asked the F2boat.com to post a concerning press release on the future of F2, Michael jenkins points out that its his personal ideas for the Future of F2 – witch he has discussed shared with a lot of team managers and drivers.

Press release;

Hi all of you out there!

We have seen promoters come and go in F2. This far in 2009 we have not even raced a F2 World Championship event and we were promised so much.

I think it is time that you drivers make up your minds and put words on to paper and send them to your national federations concerning your views and thoughts about F2 future. With these letters your national federation can bring up these matters at this year’s UIM general assembly and find a solution for everybody that is good for the sport.

My opinion is that we go back to the old system of organising races and that is that local clubs together with the national federation applies to have a F2 event leaving aside if it’s European or World Championship. They pay a calendar fee and a acceptable prize money and travel money towards the drivers printed in the UIM circuit rule book. This will allow maybe a local club to raise some much needed cash for there treasury. Without clubs we would not have any drivers.

Promoters are asking too much for what they can offer. We have seen races disappear here in Europe in all classes but we have so many drivers willing to race here in Europe.

Just to name a couple of countries that are keen to have international events put on like Latvia, Portugal, France, Sweden, Norway, Hungary, Italy and so on. Believe me they want to see F2 back in their countries.

We can set up a F2 Foundation office to assist local organisers and Federations with formalities. It’s time to act now before it’s too late and all your equipment will be good for the scrap heap or museum. The clock is ticking!

Best regards,
Michael Jenkins

Bay City 2009

F2 Press release.

Abdul Salam Fairooz holds another press conferance for the F2 Worldchampionship 2009, this time in Paris. 

For full detalis, please down load the press release < HERE>

Alex Carella wins Italian championship

Alex won this weekend the Italian first round of the F2 championship. His well prepared team was unbetable this weekend like many times before. 

Alex told the F2boat.com after the race that the handeling of his remodified BaBa boat was making him feel good about acceleration as well as top speed.

The BaBa boats have so fare been way ahead on top speed, but the Mollgaard boats has performed better off from the beach/jetty. Carella has worked on this since last round of the Worldcup together with BaBa Racing, and it paid off. 

Alex Carella is looking fwd to start the 2009/2010 Worldchampionship serie, where he clearly will be one of the favorites together with 3 time world cup champion Colin Jelf. Well done Alex – More photos here < Facebook>

TIM SEEBOLD GETS A MUST WIN IN BAY CITY!

CHRIS FAIRCHILD JUST MISSES IN 2ND; TORRENTE 3RD!

BAY CITY, Michigan – Sunday, June 28, 2009 – Tim Seebold driving his Dobson Industrial sponsored Seebold boat led from start to finish to win for the first time this season and climb into fourth place in the drivers championship at the 22nd Annual Dow Bay City River Roar at the Third Round of the 2009 F1-ChampBoat  Series in front of tens of thousands of race fans in downtown Bay City, Michigan.

It was the third time that the driver from Osage Beach, Missouri has won on the rough Saginaw River edging Illinois driver Chris Fairchild who was driving his Italian built DAC boat. Chris, charged up from the eighth starting position off the dock finishing by just eight tenth’s of a second behind at the end of the 50 lap event.

“Bay City is always a real challenge and winning for the third in five years its something special,” said Tim. “We have moved up to fourth in the drivers championship and still have a chance to take our sixth title before the season closes out.”

While Seebold was dictating the race for most of the event, the real battle was behind him with points leader Shaun Torrente driving his Tallon Boats/Speedmaster Marine Gran Prix boat holding off for much of the race Fairchild, Terry Rinker and Ahmad Al Hameli for the final spots on the podium. After Shaun almost lost control late in the event spinning out going into the first turn, Fairchild was able to make the pass and finish second after the 50 lap event.

 Torrente retains his points lead with 1701, twenty-four ahead of Rinker who came home fourth after struggling with a fuel pump in his Amsoil boat and forcing a red flag by the officials that stopped the race on the 31st lap as his sat on the race line going into turn three on the north side of the one mile (1.62 kilometer) four turn race course.

Rookie driver Ahmad Al Hameli on the Sea-Way Marine Racing Team started fourth and came home fifth in his OMC Johnson powered DAC boat that fought a weight penalty all weekend as the driver from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates left a good impression finishing his first race in North America coming over from Team Abu Dhabi from the U.I.M. F1 H2O World Championshp Tour.

Sixth was Illinois driver Lynn Simburger who finished his third straight event in the top six this season in his El Mexicano/Great Lakes Pain Consultants boat with Canadian driver Brian Venton seventh in his Jenkinson Telecom Gran Prix boat.

Randy Rinker from Indiana was eighth in his Amsoil hull with rookie driver Jose Mendana Jr. ninth and another rookie Mark Johnson of Jaffrey, New Hampshire rounding out the top ten. Jeff Shepherd of Woodlawn, Tennessee and Mike Schubert of Richmond, Texas failed to finish the event.

The F1-ChampBoat Series now is off until mid-August when it heads to Nashville, Tennessee on the 15th and 16th of August for the first time in it’s 25 year history. Shaun Torrente continues to lead the drivers table as he looks for his first title but four time defending champion Terry Rinker is closing in now just 24 points back, while Chris Fairchild is third 109 points behind and still with a great chance to win the title for his first time as well.

 

Uvis Slakteris wins Jurmala F2

Uvis Slakteris won the Jurlama Scandinavian Championship round in the weekend.

Uvis had a blistering qualifying lap, with over a sec ahead of mikki Fors – Finland.  Mikki later on blowed his best engine. There was only 7 boats in the Jurmala start including 2 drivers entering the serie for the first time, martins Bergholcs from Riga team and Bartlomiej Marszalek – Polan.

Uvis Slakteris and Olle Martinfights it out with Bartlomiej Marszalek

It was all in all a great weekend in Jurmala, unfortunatly poor number of entries – and the big question for F2 class is why? Is the combination with the worlds finance crise and crashbox issue the answer? – its very frustrative, looking at the WC calendar who is yet not announced, and only 6- 7 – 8 boats in Scandinavia all the alarm bells should be ringing. What is the sport and its promoters doing wrong? Is it the drivers who is wrong ? Whats you idea? Afterall, the winners are doing a great job, they will always be there – but we need the full field of race boats, and statistics says it all – only 4 drivers have raced all rounds this year! 

This shows that the format have to be reworked, NOT saying Leif is doing a bad job, he keeps he sport going in F2, but its not right to continue a scandinavian serie where only 4 boats enters all rounds. 

Podium in Jurmala. 1. Uvis Slakteris 2nd Johan Østerberg 3rd Mikki Fors

Tim Seebold Feasting On Pole Position in Bay Cirt!

Tim Seebold took a first and a third in two heats to earn pole for tomorrow’s 22nd Dow’ Bay City River Roar. Terry Rinker will start 2nd and Sea-Way Marine’s Ahmad Al Hameli will start 3rd.

Official report from Champboat; 

TIM SEEBOLD GRABS CLOSE POLE POSITION IN BAY CITY!
TERRY RINKER AND AHMAD AL HAMELI ROUND OUT TOP THREE!

BAY CITY, Michigan – Saturday , June 27, 2009 – Three time Bay City race winner Tim Seebold of the Dobson Industrial sponsored Seebold boat took a victory and a third place in two 15 heat races to capture pole position in front of tens of thousands of  race fans for the Third Round of the 2009 F1-ChampBoat Series on the Saginaw River in Bay City, Michigan.

 Defending series champion Terry Rinker of the Amsoil Race Team came home second twice in both heats to just miss out on the number one position on the Saginaw River for tomorrow’s 22nd Dow Bay City River Roar.

“We are excited about being back on the pole,” said Tim. “We just kept working on our setup and realized it was looking great when we captured the fastest time in qualifying with a 33.89 second lap. We’ve won this race twice and think we can do it again but it will be a long 50 lap race tomorrow so anything can happen here.”

The three time winner from Riverview, Florida said he was ready to beat Tim again from the second spot on the dock as he did a few years ago. “We have complete faith in our plan to bring us back to the winner’s circle,” said Terry. “The boat is running better than last weekend and we know this course really well and won it as far back as 1998 so we’re ready to start right now. Bring it on!”

Starting third will be the newcomer to the series but not to international racing as Ahamad Al Hameli from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and driving for the Sea-Way Marine Team out of Seattle, Washington took fourth in both  race heats despite giving up 150 pounds (70 kilo’s) in weight.

“We know that the race is going to be a long event and will have to hustle the boat after slow starts off the dock, but once we get going, we know we have the speed to push for a win here in our OMC Johnson powered boat,” said Ahmad.

Starting fourth tomorrow off the start dock is last year’s race winning driver from Miami, Florida Shaun Torrente in the Tallon Boats/Speedmaster Maine Gran Prix hull. Shaun currently leads the championship with two straight wins in Port Neches, Texas and Evansville, Indiana and looks to duplicate last years three straight victories to start the season at the same time.

Fifth is veteran Lynn Simburger driving the El Mexicano boat with a seventh and a fifth searching for his first ever F1-ChampBoat winning performance. Sixth will be Tennessee driver Jeff Shepherd who is looking for his second straight podium finish with a sixth and a seventh in two heat races.

Seventh will be Jose Mendana Jr. of Miami, Florida as the rookie is coming off his career best fourth in Evansville, now hoping for his first ever podium. Eighth is Illinois driver Chris Fairchild who could be a major player before the 50 laps are over tomorrow in his DAC Italian built boat after taking third but failed to finish the second heat sending him down to the back of the pack.

Ninth is Randy Rinker in the second Amsoil boat searching for his first ever podium while Canadian driver Brian Venton who has two straight top five finishes looks to rebound and get back on the podium for the second time this season starting 10th off the dock.

The 22nd Dow Bay City River Roar and the Third Round of the 2009 F1-ChampBoat Series will take place on the Saginaw River on Sunday afternoon at 3:45 local, 20:45 GMT and 23:45 Abu Dhabi time for 50 laps with thousands of fans expected.

 

Alex kicks off the season 09

Alex Carella will race his first race of the F2 season this weekend, we wish him good luck. More races coming up is the classic Bay City for Champboats in the states, and Jurmala F2 – Scandinavian where I would love to be. Anyway, We wish all drivers good luck, and hope to be back soon :)

Can Tim Seebold get back on track in the states? – or will the hotshot Shaun Torrente win it again ? 

No Jurmala 4 me.. Unfortunatly. .

So, its official. “Ive hit the wall”. For the two last weeks Ive been in and out from the doctors office. Im just not set to perform. I won the national championship last weekend, but that was @ Songe, where my mom lives, so it was all pretty easy going. My sisters boat was anchored u in the pits, and I was too tired to even go anywhere else.  My mates prepared the boat, and I raced it. The race was suppose to be practice for the Scandinavian round in Jurmala, witch I was going to race, and all was prepared for it, I was going with 2 friends – and Richards and the crew is waiting for me at the “other side”- but now its not happening. My health and doctor says – clearly NO WAY.. – so to all of you in Jurmala, best of luck for the race, and Im with you in my mind.

Safe racing, F 

Shaun won Evansville !

Miami, Florida driver Shaun Torrente captured the 2nd round of the F1-Champboat Series in Evansville, Indiana. Terry Rinker to Shaun’s left finished 2nd, while Jeff Shepherd got his first podium of the year taking 3rd.

full details on Champboat.com

News and pictures, delivered in style by “The Voice”

Great day is over..

Winner Frode Sundsdal, 2nd Marit Strømøy and 3rd Per Anders Edwartsen – 4th Jo Andre Hasle and 5th Andreas Syvertsen.

F2boat.com won !

F2boat.com won the Norwegian Championship in F2 today ! Todays race ended with 2 first places. Its always a pleasure to win @ home water, and always nice to beat Marit :) Technical control is on.

WInds picking up..

The wind is picking up, and the condition @ Songe is very different from yesterday, and Im glad. Its defenetly not in my disadvantage. Racing will be good, and hopefully safe. Stay tuned for a new day with action on the F2boat.com

Shaun on Pole in Evanville!

Shaun Torrente is all smiles earning his 1st pole of the season and
his sixth oh his career. Now can he win tomorrow?

Here is the official pressrelease !

TORRENTE ON POLE AFTER 1-2 HEAT FINISHES IN EVANSVILLE!
TERRY RINKER MAKES IT A FLORIDA 1-2; FAIRCHILD WILL START THIRD!

EVANSVILLE, Indiana – Saturday, June 20, 2009 – Florida driver Shaun Torrente once again proved he is the man to beat on multiple pin courses as he blistered his way to a 1-2 finish on the six-turn 1.25 mile race circuit on the Ohio River in front of thousands of race fans for tomorrow’s Old National Bank Grand Prix in downtown Evansville, Indiana.

The second round of the 2009 F1-ChampBoat Series saw the points leader get the hole shot for the first of two back to back 15 lap heat races to determine tomorrow’s 50 lap feature coming from the second position off the dock in his Speedmaster Marine/Talon Boats Gran Prix hull directed by Canadian champion Ted Gryguc.

"We were able to get the start we wanted against Terry Rinker in the first heat and we had to come all the way from the back to the front in the second reversed heat and I didn’t push to much against Terry in the second heat since I knew I would have pole by finishing second, said the 29 year old from Miami. “Now, we just hope we can do what we did a year ago and take a second win at the start of the season tomorrow afternoon.”

Meanwhile the defending series champion Terry was struggling a bit in the right hander on the backside of the circuit as he pushed him Amsoil sponsored David Lee designed craft to an unhappy fourth in the first heat and by making it up with a win in the second 15 lap event.

“Yeah, we weren’t happy in the first going from fastest qualifier to fourth in heat one but I had a great start in the second to take second overall so we are going to work on the race setup we need for tomorrow’s long grind of a race here in Evansville,” said Terry.

Starting third will be Paw Paw. Illinois native Chris Fairchild who did a great job in his new ride, a DAC hull from Italy, the one he won the 2002 24 Hours of Rouen with. He came home second behind Torrente in the first heat and dropped out late in the second to finish eighth enough to earn him third off the start tomorrow.

“I’m really enjoying my DAC boat this year and since it is one of the biggest on the tour I figure it will be a factor for the win next weekend in Bay City at the River Roar,” stated Chris. “We want a podium finish in the worst way tomorrow and we feel we have the horse’s to do it, we’ll see.”

Fourth off the dock will be Jeff Shepherd sponsored by Edwards Concrete in the Pugh designed craft  finishing sixth and fifth in his heat races, while Canadian Brian Venton will start his Jenkinson Telecom/Hancock Inc. sponsored Gran Prix from the fifth position hoping for his second straight podium position of the year.

Rookie Joes Mendana of Miami, Florida will start a fine sixth for his best career performance, while the much talked about Sea-Way Marine Racing Team of Mike Schubert and U.I.M. F1 H2O teammate Ahmad Al Hameli will start seventh and 11th off the dock as Al Hameli especially wasn’t a factor in their white Johnson OMC engines that acted up on both drivers as their teething problems continue and hopefully will be resolved by the start of tomorrow’s event.

  Indiana driver Randy Rinker in the second Amsoil sponsored boat will start eighth with veteran Lynn Simburger in his Playcraft Boats sponsored boat will start ninth. Rounding out the top-10 is the biggest surprise of the day when third quick Tim Seebold who lead the opening round race in Port Neches, Texas six weeks ago failed to start the second heat after finishing a distant third in the first in his Seebold Sports Racing Seebold hull and will have to work especially hard to reach the podium tomorrow afternoon.

The second round of the 2009 F1-ChampBoat Series will take place at 3:30pm local time, 21:30 GMT and 0:30am Abu Dhabi local time tomorrow afternoon in front of an expected huge crowd of race fans for the Old National Bank Freedom Festival on the Ohio River in Evansville, Indiana.