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MISS ELAM-PLUS U16 HYDROPLANE EXPECTED TO BE READY FOR TRI-CITIES AFTER SPECTACULAR FLIP IN DETROIT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 23, 2004 Seattle, WA: The Miss Elam-Plus U16 hydroplane is expected to be ready for the unlimited hydroplane race in Tri-Cities this weekend following a spectacular flip and repair effort during the Gold Cup last weekend in Detroit. It is currently undergoing extensive repairs at its home base, Ellstrom Manufacturing in the Ballard district of Seattle. “After being the top qualifier in Detroit and setting the qualifying speed record for the HydroProp Race Series in Detroit, we were excited about our chances of bringing home the Gold Cup,” said crew chief Erick Ellstrom, “Our first concern after the incredible flip in heat 1A when we hit a ‘roller’ and our boat went up in another boat’s rooster-tail, was that Terry and everyone else was OK.” The U16 Miss Elam-Plus driver, Terry Troxell, was immediately examined by doctors and was cleared to continue racing. “We knew we had a hungry driver when the first thing Terry said after escaping the overturned boat was, ‘Can we get the boat ready for the next heat?’,” Ellstrom said. The Miss Elam-Plus crew then accomplished something that may not have been accomplished previously in Unlimited Hydroplane racing -- the Ellstrom Manufacturing team took the boat from being upside down and submerged to race-ready status in just two hours. The boat had to be tipped right side up, trailered, stripped of every major component including the engine and electrical systems and then re-assembled. The hard and quick work paid off with a second place finish in the next heat. “We fought hard to bring the Gold Cup to Seattle and Ballard and accomplished some amazing things, but it was disappointing that what took place before the start of the first race took us out of contention. After being washed down in the final - our flame being put out and our gas turbine basically destroyed, we still finished in third for the final race,” Ellstrom said as he supervised repair work from the shop floor of the Ellstrom facility. The team is working 24/7 to make the Miss Elam-Plus ready for Tri Cities this weekend. “With the ‘flip’ and two engines destroyed, it’s a tall order to make be ready for Tri Cities,” he said. Erick’s father, Sven Ellstrom, said the advanced design and superior engineering of the U16 are paying off. “Through smart engineering and craftsmanship the Ellstrom team built a boat that stood up to the flip. “Other boats would have split in half,” he said.. |
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