June 9, 2010

The 2nd campaign of the Pride of JO-N-JACK commenced on April 12th and 13th in Yelm Washington. After a busy off season we were really looking forward to seeing what all the changes would do. Yelm is a super speedway with giant turns and flat water. During the driver’s meeting on Saturday morning, we were informed that the score up buoy would be the entrance buoy to turn one, instead of the usual midway point of the back stretch. Great, more to think about and overanalyze ;) So in the first heat I over thought it and ended up blowing the start by oh…about a ½ lap…not good. The rest of the weekend my starts were much better. As for the boats performance it was hard to judge. Being that Brian Perkins was running his Honda powered rocket, we needed to use our header instead of the one Brian loaned us last year. The difference in power was big. At the end of 2009 I was seeing 7800 rpm in the shoots, in Yelm we were down 1000 rpm. From inside the cockpit I could feel the front of the boat grabbing the water and not allowing the boat to fly. However on Saturday afternoon, running up the back stretch in a slight wind, the thing seemed to get up a bit and run OK. I was also pleased with the way the boat felt entering the corners and to the apex.

For Sunday’s racing they changed the course from 1 and ¼ mile to a one mile. Keeping the turns the same huge radius but reducing the length of the straights. On the 1 mile course we did not see more than 6300 rpm. Felt like I was driving with an anchor hanging off the side. The weekend was filled with drama as in every other heat I was breaking the exhaust header. Thank goodness there was local kid with a welder and crew chief Alan.  Once again, Alan saved the day…both of them. The highlight of the weekend was Mark bringing down his massive RV, and letting us stay in it all weekend…first class digs. Had several friends and my entire family came out which for me is what it is all about. So what about the changes? After Yelm we declared the jury still out, being that we were so down on power it was hard to judge the changes.

So the question was why are we down on power, is it the header or something else? The opportunity to find out would be at ULHRA’s Spring Training. For this testing event we put Brian’s header back on and headed out onto the historic Lake Washington race course.

What I found was a bunch more power and a bunch of rough water. Did three short laps which felt like going three short rounds with a heavy weight champ. But we left feeling optimistic that the lack of power we had in Yelm was a result of the header. After the event I called Scott Raney, (who back in the day just happened to own my boat) to see if he would know anyone that might still have a header. Well as luck would have it he did and he was willing to let us borrow it.

So it was off to Moses Lake for the Papa’s Casino Regatta. The Moses Lake venue is awesome, it has great pit area, weather is good, spectator area is first rate, and the water can be super fast. With the jury still out on the offseason changes and the fact that we are using a different header, we decided to go over Friday for the testing session. We got there and got set up, and then the wait began. Mother Nature did not cooperate as she supplied big winds that blew off testing for everyone other than a brave few, and the entire Saturday race program.

However, Mother Nature redeemed herself on Sunday with perfect conditions. We decided to use this event as a test session and try some stuff. First heat we ran the new header…I liked it. Power was better than in Yelm, but still not there. So for 2nd head we ran some Trick fuel, and the third we made a big change in our jetting. That was the ticket, the boat seemed to have much more power.  In that third heat we were running OK, when all of a sudden the thing quit. It turned out that one of the leads to the coil had broken. Kind of a strange feeling, I was pretty darn happy even though we did not finish. We fixed the problem and went out for the 12 boat final. In that heat the boat ride was just awful. So bad, I have to admit I was happy when the thing was over. In the earlier heats I found the boat ride overly reactive to the conditions. I was surprised by how bumpy I was finding it considering the way the water looked. Then to add insult to almost injury we developed a hole in the left sponson. After the weekend, it was clear to me that the off season work needed some adjusting. So in addition to repairing the hole, we have been making changes to both the primary and secondary ride surfaces. The changes we are making are small, but I am very optimistic they will help. I guess we will find out next weekend at Tastin 'N Racin.
March 16, 2010

The Pride of JO-N-JACK will be participating in the ULHRA (http://ulhra.org/) display at the Mercer Island Rotary Half Marathon. This is a big event with over 4000 participants. So if you are anywhere near Mercer Island on Saturday March 20th or Sunday March 21st stop by and say hi.
For more information on this event, please visit the Mercer Island Rotary Half Marathon website at http://www.mercerislandhalf.com/
March 10, 2010

Jere and Traci Heiser are pleased announce the addition of Everett Washington based Silver Lake Dental Arts as associate sponsor of the Y-27 Pride of JO-N-JACK.
With Dr. Brent N. Kellogg being a fellow hydro nut and the Heiser family dentist this partnership was sure to happen. We could not be happier that the Pride of JO-N-JACK will carry the banner of a first class organization like Silver Lake Dental Arts. To Dr. Kellogg and his staff, thank you so much for your support.
For more information on Silver Lake Dental Arts, please visit their website at http://www.sldarts.com
March 1, 2010

The pride of JO-N-JACK is back…well back home anyway. Part of the off season work involved correcting a water acquisition problem we had in the left sponson, some general maintenance to the bottom, and the left shoe was in need of a small repair. To facilitate this, Joe Frauenheim and Darren Olson of the UL-72 Foster Care/Vitamin Water (impacthydros.com) graciously offered up their shop and assistance.  Being wise for my years, I jumped at the opportunity.

So in early January we started what I felt would be a two or three week process.  First step was to get Y-27 turned upside down. Thanks to Joe, Darren, Land Washburn, George Greer, John Sankalis, and Alan McDonough it was over in no time.

Now it was time to get started assessing the bottom. As Darren worked on the back of the boat, John, Alan, and I removed the plates that covered the primary and secondary runners. What we found there was not good, the sponson runners where not flat, not even close and the angles where all over the map.  GREAT, now what? Well, when ya have a 1 liter crisis, who do you call, OH yeah, Mr. 1 liter himself, Brian Perkins.

As always, Brian was congenial and willing to help. He came down the following Tuesday and did a bunch of measuring and recommended a course of action. To be honest, I was shocked by how “off” our sponson angles were and how much material would need to be added to make them right.

Well, thanks to the teams of the UL-72 and Y-27, and about 6 weeks, we made what I consider drastic changes to the sponson runners. In addition to making this flat, that sharp, and that square we found and fixed three small de-laminations. Darren also discovered the shoes needed much more attention than a “small repair”.

After a fresh coat of paint and then some speed coat it was time to turn it shiny side up and head back to the homeport.

I am nervously optimistic that all the work will pay off. We should find out soon…can’t wait! I would like to thank the crew of the UL-72, Joe, Darren, Land and George and of the Y-27, Alan and John for all they did making the JO-N-JACK right. Gotta give an extra shout-out to Darren and John, they put in a bunch of time getting the thing done and to Joe for his guidance and letting us roost for so long…THANKS guys!!!

January 27, 2010
Jere and Traci Heiser are very pleased to announce that Pacific Northwest Title will remain as presenting sponsor of the Y-27 Pride of JO'N JACK. Thanks to the generosity of Pacific Northwest Title's President, Chris Schulz, the Y-27 will again proudly represent Jere's employer of more than 21 years.
Pacific Northwest Title is a full service Title and Escow provider with offices in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. For more information on Pacific Northwest Title, please visit their website at www.PNWT.com
2009 - Season Recap
WOW, it is hard to believe that I am writing a re-cap of our first of season racing. It seems like just yesterday, Brian Perkins, Darren Olson, George Greer and I headed up to Bellingham to take a look at a 1 liter that was for sale. To the surprise of pretty much everyone we brought it back with us. With empty pockets, we squeezed it into my garage. It became very evident that we had a spatial issue.
So with the help of Chris Doane, Darren, Matt Welch, and John Sankalis we built a shed, which gave the needed space to take the boat off tilt. Shortly after that a bunch of friends came over and we drug the thing outside and fired it up for the first time. In early December, we took the boat down to Mukilteo and did a photo shoot for our family Christmas card.
Now it was time to start the process of making the boat “look” like ours. After some sanding and deck repairs, we started the painting process and before long the Pride of JO’N JACK was born. Our boats first event was a ULHRA display at the Mercer Island Half Marathon. Shortly thereafter, Alan McDonough, John, Neal Tye and I worked on upgrades to the fuel, electrical, and mechanical systems. Then it was time to test. We tested 2 or 3 times in March and April and had no luck at all, we could not even make the thing plane. Even though we where all getting frustrated, we would not give up and before long the main problem was figured out and remedied. And now it was time for the fun…and fun it was.
As you can read about below, we attended races at Issaquah, Polson, Pateros, Spanaway, and Chelan. Our performance seemed to get better and better. Considering the piece we had to work with, combined with a rookie driver, I could not be more proud of the effort we put forth. We where very consistent and did not do anything “stupid”. Our consistency paid off with a 13th place finish in the National standings. We achieved all my goals for our first year and made my rookie season a dream season.
So what is ahead for 2010?
Well, hopefully more of the same. Due to a lack of funding (a hydroplane requirement I think) we will continue with Honda power. The plan is to run the engine we ran 2009, and build a second one with a little hotter setup. As far as the hull, working on some wear and tear items and a water acquisition problem we had in the left sponson. In the cockpit, the plan is to add hard points for the harness mounts, and add a little more head room by adjusting the seat. In the engine, well we are working on slightly repositioning the engine to better align it with the drive shaft, maximize the horsepower, and allow us to free up the boat a bit. It should also lessen the stress we have seen on the trust bearing rail. On the deck the plan is to add three deck hatches to give us more access to the hull. The bottom requires some general maintenance and the left shoe needs a small repair. One thing I am hoping to add is two way communications. In 2009, we had radio but I could only receive.
The goals for 2010 will be very similar as in 2009. Be consistent, don’t do anything “stupid” and most importantly have fun.
October 2009
On Saturday September 12 the Pride of JO-n-JACK attended the Neil Yapachino Memorial Regatta at Spanaway. Spanaway’s course layout is one big turn, one little bitty turn, and two super long straight-a-ways. The boat carries a ton of speed into the little turn, which made it a bit of a challenge to get around it while maintaining any kind of boat speed.
With my rookie strips gone, the challenge was to try and find the start line on time. Well in the first heat I struggled like a rookie, but not for the same reasons as before. As usual, prior to starting the boat, the countdown to the 4 minute mark was given to me over the radio. 3, 2, 1 hit the start button on the clock, turn on the air, and hit the starter button. During the mill I took at look down at the clock, and to my surprise I see 0:00, shoot. Ok, not a problem I will just take a look at the big clock on the beach and reset my clock. As I run down the front stretch I see 2:20, so I set my clock for 2:00 and count to 20…that aught to work. 18-one-thousand, 19-one-thousand, 20…hit the start button on the clock again. Rounding turn 1 prior to the start I take a peak at my clock and unbelievable 0:00. Crap now what? Just ahead of me are Jimmy Labrie and Ben Anderson, so I decide I will just stay with them and go when they go. As we enter turn 2, just before the start the three of us are pretty much together. Then Jimmy gets on it, but Ben doesn’t, so I wait and go when Ben goes. Well as it turned out we where both late and followed the field around for the entire heat. So what happened to my clock? Umm…I was hitting the wrong button. Lack of focus and a real wake up call.
After the heat, I was telling Ben about my clock “issues” only to find out that he had a clock issues of his own, his fell off.
As for the 2nd heat, two things come to mind.
  1. Even a blind squirrel finds and acorn every now and then.
  2. Careful what you wish for.
In lane two, I made a nice start and led the field into the first turn. As we get to the entrance buoy, I have Nick Bononcini to my left and Robby Dahlquist to my right. Ok, I admit it I got nervous and lifted, but hey for the first time I was right with them. The boat seemed to run very well and I was staying within a roostertail of Nick. We feel like we are making strides with the boat, have had some success at tightening up the loose nut behind the wheel and have begun to close the gap between our little boat and the rest of the field. With the boat running well, it made it all the more difficult to call it a weekend after Saturday, but we had a HARM commitment Sunday…dammit.
Next stop was September 26th and 27th for the annual regatta on Lake Chelan, This race was about reaching my secret goal. So far this year we have been 12 for 12 in heats entered and finished. Saturday, weather conditions allowed us only to get in one heat. In the heat I made a fairly good start but was on the outside and followed the field around. Dodging a cowling and a deck hatch which had broken off a couple of the boats, yep it was rough. Come Sunday, the wind conditions where much better and we managed to get in the remaining three heats. Deciding to try and get the inside (gulp), I went up way early, as it turned out way too early. I had to move out to kill some time, and ended up in about lane three. Crawling up to the start line alone, I knew I was screwed, just as I got on it the entire filed screamed by me like I was tied to a post. Good learning experience, and with the new found knowledge I decided for the next heat to move out and try and time the start better. In the third heat of the weekend I did better, but still coming up too slow. So for the final heat I wanted to stay to the outside and hit the line with a bunch of boat speed. Just prior to the start I was in turn 2 at the apex buoy and on my timing mark, I hit the gas and nothing happens. What the hell is going on, the first thing I thought is something in the driveline let go, coupler gear, chain, something. I moved the boat to the outside and shut it off. Anxious to try and diagnose the problem, I started the boat and it lit right off, but when I applied the throttle…nothing. The engine was at idle and it was barely moving the boat. So I knew it was a throttle cable, or something associated. It turned out being the bolt that held the cable to the carb had vanished.
The goal of finishing all our heats was done, as was the season for the Pride of JO-n-JACK
…but heck, 15 of 16 ain’t too shabby.
September 3, 2009

Over the weekend of August 29th and 30th The Pride of JO-N-JACK Racing Team, made the trek to Pateros Washington for the Terry Troxell Memorial Regatta.

When we arrived early evening on Friday, we were greeted by a pretty strong wind, and the affect that had on the water conditions had me freakin out a bit. But come Saturday morning, the wind was gone, and stayed that way throughout the weekend.

When we attempted to warm the motor, prior to our first heat on Saturday, I hit the starter and all we got was a hum. Rut-row, but in no time at all, Alan had diagnosed the problem as a faulty starter solenoid. Not a problem, we had a fresh back-up starter and it was a fairly quick thing to change out. New starter in, hit the button, and now the engine is cranking over really slowly, more rut-row. So we took the solenoid off the “new” starter and put it on the old starter and were good to go.

I entered the weekend needing four more heats to finish my rookie qualification. This is represented by the big Xs placed on the boat to inform the judges and competitors to watch this one real close ;)  For first heat I was instructed to start back, and if I didn’t hear anything from the referee I could move up to the front line for the 2nd heat. The water conditions for the first heat were incredible, smooth and fast. The rest of the weekend the conditions were not quite as good, but still really good. The boat ran really well, no problems to report whatsoever. As for getting to start on the front line, umm I got some work to do, not even close...always late. But I will get it. As for the 4 heats to get my rookie deal over...done, finished, complete...get them X’s off the boat.

The entire weekend was incredible, I had my entire family there, along with some friends. Our campsite was right next to the race course so everyone was right in the middle of all the fun. The weather was perfect, and I can’t wait to go back to Pateros in 2010.

I am so lucky to have the crew I do, Alan, John, and Neal, take care of everything. The boat is always ready go and is running better and better. I can’t not thank them enough for making my rookie season, the dream season I was hoping for.
July 22, 2009

Sorry for no update until now, but to bring everyone up to speed...

At our first few events, we looked like a brand new team...

Thinking that we were well prepared, but not tested, we decided to enter the first race of the year. So in early April we headed down to Yelm. Just prior to that I had a "one of those things" in a go-cart, in which I managed to break a rib. No way I could drive the race boat. So, we decided to put Crew Chief Alan in the seat. Well, as it turned out, we were not prepared, and we couldn't even get the thing on plane. It was frustrating, but hey we were at a race with a race boat...kinda cool. Gotta thank Mark and Roxanne for puttin’ us up at their home for the weekend.

Next up we gave it a shot at the ULHRA's Spring Training. Even more frustration. The thing would still not get on plane By this point we had replaced about everything external on the engine but to no avail. I decided we would not attend another "organized" event until we had all our ducks in a row.

After looking at everything we could think of including the balance of the hull, we decided to investigate what we were told was a "fresh" engine. Well we ran a leak down test and found that we were basically down one cylinder. It felt as though we had our ah-ha moment. So we got the head rebuilt and headed over to Entiat for a two day test session. I was very confident the thing was gonna go...unbelievable...no change. We tried four times on Saturday, and still could not get on plane. Being just about out of ideas, Alan decided to go to our back up carb, kind of an ugly critter, but what the heck nothing else was workin’. So, during Saturday evening Alan swapped out the carb. Due to a family obligation Sunday, I would only have enough time for one run. With not much optimism, I climbed in, hit the starter and pulled away from the dock, all of a sudden I noticed water on the canopy. I though "hmm, never had water on the canopy", just then the canopy cleared and I thought "holy crap, where on plane. The water was way to rough, so I only did a short lap and brought the thing back to the cheers of the crew and fellow racers. The following weekend we headed for Lake Tapps and had a successful test session where I learned a lot and we decided to rejoin the circuit.

We had a successful weekend at Tastin and Racin in Issaquah. Even though I was DQ'd in my first two heats. (I violated a rule where you can't cross the start/finish line with less than one minute before the start of the race.) Other than that the boat ran well and I learned a lot. With the DQ's I was only able to knock two heats off my required 8 heats for rookie qualification. Despite the DQ's, I felt we met our goal of finishing all our heats and not doing anything "stupid"

In early July we headed out to Lake Tapps to test and find the best combination of battery, prop, header, jetting, etc. The more we tested the better the boat seemed to run. We feel we have the boat running well in the straights and just need to tighten up the loose nut behind the wheel in the turns.

Next Alan, John, and I made the 500 mile trek to Polson Montana for the ULHRA race on the Flathead river. Wanna give a big thank you to Big Dog, Poodle, and Team Toothpick for their hospitality. We had a great time camping, eating, and kickin’ back. As far as the racin’ goes, Saturday was awesome. With an altitude of just under 3000 feet, we were concerned about making enough power. But not to fail, crew chief Alan got it just right and the boat ran well. We made decent starts and finished both heats. Then there was Sunday, wind prevented any of the Lighter than Light heats from being run...bummer. Despite the wind, we had a terrific time in Polson and it will be on the must do list in 2010.

Up next for the Pride of Jo-n-Jack will be August 29th and 30th in Pateros. Hoping to drag family and a bunch of friends over for some camping and racing.