... would be a few words to describe this year’s Gary Johnson Grand Prix Classic. However, many who attended would say those words alone would not do the R/C boat racing season opener justice.
Words like Fast! Fun! Joyful!... and Exciting…
would be the additional words needed to accurately frame the picture of this memorable occassion.
It was approximately 7pm on the Friday evening for the big race and yet another call had come in from an eager R/C boating enthusiast anxious to get in on the fun. All comers are encouraged to enter the Grand Prix Classic event so even the latest entries are not turnedaway. It was clear that the doom and gloom of bad weather had no effect on eager R/C boating enthusiast. As one boater said, “It’s a Boat Race! We’re gonna get wet anyway. What difference does it make if it comes from above you or underneath…One’s a little chillier I suppose.”, as they chuckled.
Earlier in the day, racers began to file into the the Kaiser Cove race site one by one. Four cornered pop-up tents and RVs began to fill in until one can see a racer’s alley and RV avenue begin to take shape. As always, father and son team, Jerry and Paul Dunlap were among the first to arrive all the way from Oregon. Will Gallagher arrived from Texas and Shannon Muth pulled up shortly from southern California. Hungry, from the long days trip he shared a large Coke and a Big Mac offered by Alfred Lanza. They sat and shared stories of previous races as they filled themselves with Mickey D’s finest cuisine. The weather was a consistently cool temperature with a slight breeze bringing a slight ripple to the water’s usual glass like surface.
Saturday rolled around and bad weather threatened the morning as it did all weekend. The dark skies mustered up a few scattered sprinkles and light showers but the stir of excitement from the vast array of hot competitors must have created a high pressure system that kept the rain at bay. It was a who’s who of R/C boating talent as many of the most talked about racers were ‘In Da House’, so to speak. Mark Grim, Don Maher and their Seismic Amigo racing team made a strong showing, with seven making the journey. The Seismic Amigos are responsible for many if not most of the straight line and 2 lap records on the books today with top speeds exceeding 130 mph. These aren’t scale speeds. These are actual, factual wave ripping speed records that would put some of the most speediest full size boats to shame. Many National Champions were on hand as well as the GJGPC and Fremont’s own Kaiser cove has earned a reputation for having the fastest water this side of the rockies. This attracts speedsters from all around looking for an opportunity to be the one to crack the next speed record.
The Grand Prix Classic Sponsors were in full effect this year with thousands of dollars in prizes on hand for R/C enthusiast of all sorts. R/C boats and cars, electric and nitro, big and small were on hand for the luck of the draw. Christian Lanza and his long time school buddy manned the raffle booth, doing an excellent job for a worthy cause. Proceeds from their efforts benefit the American Cancer Society in honor of the memory of the first NAMBA President and highly regarded R/C supporter, Gary Johnson, who lost his battle with Cancer several years ago.
Saturday evening more than 20 racers gathered for entertainment and a fine feast at Fremont’s own Nijo’s Castle. The Nijo chef’s dazzled the group as they sliced, diced, tossed, taunted and teased a variety of vegetable morsels, meat and seafood cutlets. The group shared stories of the day, before and beyond to make for a memorable evening occasion.
Despite the cold weather the hot racing action heated up the day with exciting deck to deck competition. Jerry Dunlap continued to show off his skill as a long time veteran in A Mod Tunnel, eventually capturing the Gold Cup once again with his Top Speed II design made by Hobbico/Aquacraft. This realistic looking outboard performance craft is even available in your local Hobbytown.
In B Mod Tunnel there was no mistaking that Chris Grim had the potential to lay down a 1 Mile six lap record. His boat was humm’n and he hugged the bouys like a long lost teddy bear. Unfortunately, he couldn’t pull six consecutive hot laps together, so the record will elude him yet again. B Mod Tunnel also featured several junior racers who displayed no junior tendencies in their race for the Gold. Christian Lanza, son of GJGPC founders Alfred and Jenny Lanza, took home a first place win in his opening heat of the weekend, while Gabriel Martinez and Dylan Frentzel made strong pushes which earned them a ticket to the main event. The rough water stirred up by the wind and the rain made the water a bit tricky to navigate and managed to pull many boats under. However, Dylan Frentzel kept is his Yellow Bus painted Lee Craft hull on the road to victory.
Sport 21 was an exciting class with Jim Wilson’s powerhouse of a little screamer running away from the pack in each and every heat. Jim opted to bow out of the competition before it’s end, giving way for the Tuttle clan to lay down a full court press to sweep the class entirely. Big Daddy Bob Tuttle won the class with his son Jeff Tuttle and step son Dylan Frentzel taking second and third.
Sport 40 II had many top performers with Shannon Muth, and Rudy Formanek running tough all day. However, Shannon Muth clenched the victory in the end.
Multi-Engine Outrigger Hydro always gets the adrenaline pumping for the racers and spectators alike. There is nothing like two engines screaming down the front straight-away in perfect synchronization. This year the event attracted most of the “Twin” talent on this side of the nation. District 9 Regional Champion, Alfred Lanza was on hand with his appropriately named Eagle SGX, ‘Crowd Pleaser’. Dave Hilton, a previous Grand Prix Classic Champion, along with Wil Gallagher, Troy Davis, Dave Bestpitch, and Roger Hooks, Jr racing the famed 114mph IMPBA straight away Multi-Engine record holder, the Wonder Twin. The Wonder Twin appeared to have met it’s fate some years back with a devastating crash which left it literally split in two. But with the help of Alfred Lanza, Dave Bestpitch and friends, the Wonder Twin was resurrected. Sporting a new brightly colored yellow, orange and blue star spangled paint job it lives on. However, the Wonder Twin didn’t look to lively as the Hooks Team struggled to keep both engines running for most of the event. Meanwhile Alfred Lanza pleased the crowd yet again with impressive finishes followed by Troy Davis. For the main event the Hooks Team managed to solve the problem by replacing the cracked fuel tanks and they were off to the races. Roger Hooks, Jr. hit the start and never looked back, capturing the Gold and showing that the Wonder Twin is still a wonder to behold.
Gas Cat is always an exciting class to watch and this year four electric cats were mixed in to the action. The electric boats were no slouches either. They held their own and were very competitive. It was even speculated that Randy Naylor’s electric cat was the fastest of the entire cat fleet. With a little more tuning Randy may have been able to be a real threat to the championship. Nevertheless it was a gas guzzler that took home the gold and Shannon Muth mashed his gas all the way to the Championship Trophy.
Gas Sport Hydro is another exciting gas class and Dave Bestpitch surprised the crowd with impressive driving and speed leading the way around from start to finish against Alfred Lanza and his Lee Craft sport hull. Shannon Muth proved to be the man to beat with Jeff Wells, Wild Bill Batara and Jeff Brown running strong all weekend. In the main event Shannon made a stab for the start and took the lead early on, but just as it looked as though he had it all in the bag, his hull caught one of the whispy winds at the point of turn two, turning his sport hydro into a kite taking to the sky and back upside down. The mishap put Jeff Wells in the lead who kept the pressure on Shannon the entire race. Dave Bestpitch moved up to second while keeping Alfred Lanza at bay once again.
Scale Unlimited Hydroplane also featured some fast electrics. Once again Randy Naylor strutted his stuff in a qualifying heat against NAMBA National Champion, Troy Davis. Although Troy maintained the lead, he showed no signs of pulling away from the electric powered 1978 Miss Budweiser. In the main event Todd Osman had the goods to claim the wood, as he applied the horsepower to capture the lead and grab the gold in this year’s Classic. Todd keeps the trophy in the family as his younger brother Dave Osman took home the coveted trophy in last year’s event.
In the RTR (Ready-to-Run) Sport Hydro class all 10 boats were included in the final. This made for some exciting racing all weekend long. In the main event, R/C Car Champion, Kyosho Vice President and son of Gary Johnson, Joel “Magic” Johnson held off the faster fleet to capture the cup. Joel was happy with the win and says, “Now I can say I’ve won in cars and boats.”
The event concluded with the presentation of a sentimental gift to Joel. Bob Tuttle, winner of the Sport 21 class, just so happened to acquire a cherished memory of Joel and his father Gary. It was an electric powered MRP 1/10th scale Unlimited Hydroplane that Joel and his late father built together. The lovely craft was decorated with Gary’s signature hand layed gold leaf and lettering. Joel said the boat will do about 40 mph. He also added that it will make for an memorable shelf piece in his office.
The Grand Prix Classic comes to yet another successful year with each year growing more and more. It is proof that fun and friends can overcome most anything to find joy and good times. The weather was bad but it didn’t make way for bad attitudes for these die hard racers. They’re cheerful outlook and willingness to find the good in each moment, was a true tribute to the memory of their founding fathers. It is this spirit of sportsmanship... this claim to comradery... This savor for the sport that makes this event worthy to be called a classic.
__________________________________________
02.15.08 Kaiser Cove was buzzing with activity just one week before the event with several top racers tuning their high speed water rockets. Three twin engine speedsters were spotted with all three showcasing some promising speed.
02.15.08 With a week to go entries have poured in from all along the West Coast. Representatives from Oregon, Washington, Northern and Southern California will be on hand for this premier West Coast season opener. The Grand Prix Classic has come a long way from it's modest 65 boat beginnings. In 2008 we are proud to announce a commanding fleet of almost twice that amount.
01.17.08 With six weeks to go the Grand Prix Classic has already pushing 100 entries, the biggest fleet ever showcased at this event by more than 25 boats.
01.03.08 With nearly two months to go The Grand Prix Classic is already nearing it's usual count of entries. This race promises to be the biggest event to date.
12.19.07 Entry Forms have been posted and are ready for download.
12.15.07 The Grand Prix Classic has extended the roster to include Sport 21 Hydro this year. Sport 21 is a popular class in district 9. It provides realistic hydroplane looks with entertaining speeds and tight head to head racing.
12.11.07 The Grand Prix Classic has extended the 1/8th Scale Unlimited Hydroplane class to include 1/8th Electric Hydroplanes to run with the nitro boats. This is the first time these boats will be running together in head to head racing. We look forward to a promising show by the electric drivers as well as some competitive racing.
12.11.07 Kyosho, Lee Craft and Tag Team racing is proud to present the 6th annual Gary Johnson Grand Prix Classic, brought to you by Aquacraft. This exciting race will take place in Fremont, California at the heart of Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area on February 23rd and 24th. The weekend will be filled with exciting racing with a full roster of hot boats and fast classes.
If you got the skills bring on the thrills with the RTR Sport Hydro class providing the same close quarter racing we all know and love. In addition to this hot roster we will continue the tradition of our classic event with .20 Modified Tunnel, .40 Modified Tunnel, Sport .40 II, 1/8th Scale Unlimited Hydroplane, (Nitro and Electric) Gas Catamaran, Gas Sport Hydro, and Open Twin Nitro Outrigger.
Come ready to race, have fun and eat lots of great food as we bring you deck to deck, sponson to sponson racing and speeds exceeeding 80 mph. This race attracts some of the best in the nation from national champions to national record holders and every place in between.
AND...
For you R/C Car enthusiast, here is a chance to go head to head with, living legend, Multi-National Champion, World Champion, reigning 1/8th Scale Road Champion, R/C Car Driver and Vice President of Kyosho, Joel "Magic" Johnson. Joel will be in the mix to splash, dash, thrash and give tribute to his late father and fore-father of R/C boating as we know it today, Gary Johnson.
So... If you want to have a good time while watching the best of the best in some knock-down, drag out, all out racing... don't miss the 6th Annual Gary Johnson Grand Prix Classic.
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It was approximately 7pm on the Friday evening for the big race and yet another call had come in from an eager R/C boating enthusiast anxious to get in on the fun. All comers are encouraged to enter the Grand Prix Classic event so even the latest entries are not turnedaway. It was clear that the doom and gloom of bad weather had no effect on eager R/C boating enthusiast. As one boater said, “It’s a Boat Race! We’re gonna get wet anyway. What difference does it make if it comes from above you or underneath…One’s a little chillier I suppose.”, as they chuckled.
Earlier in the day, racers began to file into the the Kaiser Cove race site one by one. Four cornered pop-up tents and RVs began to fill in until one can see a racer’s alley and RV avenue begin to take shape. As always, father and son team, Jerry and Paul Dunlap were among the first to arrive all the way from Oregon. Will Gallagher arrived from Texas and Shannon Muth pulled up shortly from southern California. Hungry, from the long days trip he shared a large Coke and a Big Mac offered by Alfred Lanza. They sat and shared stories of previous races as they filled themselves with Mickey D’s finest cuisine. The weather was a consistently cool temperature with a slight breeze bringing a slight ripple to the water’s usual glass like surface.
Saturday rolled around and bad weather threatened the morning as it did all weekend. The dark skies mustered up a few scattered sprinkles and light showers but the stir of excitement from the vast array of hot competitors must have created a high pressure system that kept the rain at bay. It was a who’s who of R/C boating talent as many of the most talked about racers were ‘In Da House’, so to speak. Mark Grim, Don Maher and their Seismic Amigo racing team made a strong showing, with seven making the journey. The Seismic Amigos are responsible for many if not most of the straight line
and 2 lap records on the books today with top speeds exceeding 130 mph. These aren’t scale speeds. These are actual, factual wave ripping speed records that would put some of the most speediest full size boats to shame. Many National Champions were on hand as well as the GJGPC and Fremont’s own Kaiser cove has earned a reputation for having the fastest water this side of the rockies. This attracts speedsters from all around looking for an opportunity to be the one to crack the next speed record.
The Grand Prix Classic Sponsors were in full effect this year with thousands of dollars in prizes on hand for R/C enthusiast of all sorts. R/C boats and cars, electric and nitro, big and small were on hand for the luck of the draw. Christian Lanza and his long time school buddy manned the raffle booth, doing an excellent job for a worthy cause. Proceeds from their efforts benefit the American Cancer Society in honor of the memory of the first NAMBA President and highly regarded R/C supporter, Gary Johnson, who lost his battle with Cancer several years ago.
Despite the cold weather the hot racing action heated up the day with exciting deck to deck competition. Jerry Dunlap continued to show off his skill as a long time veteran in A Mod Tunnel, eventually capturing the Gold Cup once again with his Top Speed II design made by Hobbico/Aquacraft. This realistic looking outboard performance craft is even available in your local Hobbytown.
In B Mod Tunnel there was no mistaking that Chris Grim had the potential to lay down a 1 Mile six lap record. His boat was humm’n and he hugged the bouys like a long lost teddy bear. Unfortunately, he couldn’t pull six consecutive hot laps together, so the record will elude him yet again. B Mod Tunnel also featured several junior racers who displayed no junior tendencies in their race for the Gold. Christian Lanza, son of GJGPC founders Alfred and Jenny Lanza, took home a first place win in his opening heat of the weekend, while 
Gabriel Martinez and Dylan Frentzel made strong pushes which earned them a ticket to the main event. The rough water stirred up by the wind and the rain made the water a bit tricky to navigate and managed to pull many boats under. However, Dylan Frentzel kept is his Yellow Bus painted Lee Craft hull on the road to victory.
Sport 21 was an exciting class with Jim Wilson’s powerhouse of a little screamer running away from the pack in each and every heat. Jim opted to bow out of the competition before it’s end, giving way for the Tuttle clan to lay down a full court press to sweep the class entirely. Big Daddy Bob Tuttle won the class with his son Jeff Tuttle and step son Dylan Frentzel taking second and third.
Gas Cat is always an exciting class to watch and this year four electric cats were mixed in to the action. The electric boats were no slouches either. They held their own and were very competitive. It was even speculated that Randy Naylor’s electric cat was the fastest of the entire cat fleet. With a little more tuning Randy may have been able to be a real threat to the championship. Nevertheless it was a gas guzzler that took home the gold and Shannon Muth mashed his gas all the way to the Championship Trophy.
Gas Sport Hydro is another exciting gas class and Dave Bestpitch surprised the crowd with impressive driving and speed leading the way around from start to finish against Alfred Lanza and his Lee Craft sport hull. Shannon Muth proved to be the man to beat with Jeff Wells, Wild Bill Batara and Jeff Brown running strong all weekend. In the main event Shannon made a stab for the start and took the lead early on, but just as it looked as though he had it all in the bag, his hull caught one of the whispy winds at the point of turn two, turning his sport hydro into a kite taking to the sky and back upside down. The mishap put Jeff Wells in the lead who kept the pressure on Shannon the entire race. Dave Bestpitch moved up to second while keeping Alfred Lanza at bay once again.
Scale Unlimited Hydroplane also featured some fast electrics. Once again Randy Naylor strutted his stuff in a qualifying heat against NAMBA National Champion, Troy Davis. Although Troy maintained the lead, he showed no signs of pulling away from the electric powered 1978 Miss Budweiser. In the main event Todd Osman had the goods to claim the wood, as he applied the horsepower to capture the lead and grab the gold in this year’s Classic. Todd keeps the trophy in the family as his younger brother Dave Osman took home the coveted trophy in last year’s event.
In the RTR (Ready-to-Run) Sport Hydro class all 10 boats were included in the final. This made for some exciting racing all weekend long. In the main event, R/C Car Champion, Kyosho Vice President and son of Gary Johnson, Joel “Magic” Johnson held off the faster fleet to capture the cup. Joel was happy with the win and says, “Now I can say I’ve won in cars and boats.”
The event concluded with the presentation of a sentimental gift to Joel. Bob Tuttle, winner of the Sport 21 class, just so happened to acquire a cherished memory of Joel and his father Gary. It was an electric powered MRP 1/10th scale Unlimited Hydroplane that Joel and his late father built together. The lovely craft was decorated with Gary’s signature hand layed gold leaf and lettering. Joel said the boat will do about 40 mph. He also added that it will make for an memorable shelf piece in his office.
