25th Annual Lakefest at Lake Marble Falls, race recap, results

by Jay Hallas | Posted on Monday, August 15th, 2016

By JM Hallas

Marble Falls, Tx. – After two days of qualifying it was finally time for the racers and crews to put it all on the line in the quest for the win, series points and, of course, the payday that comes with the win.

The weekend ran the gamut of weather conditions and then emotions on Sunday. Friday is was scorching hot, so hot I saw the devil at the sno-cone stand, Saturday was cloudy, not as hot, but humid(air you could wear), and most did. Then Sunday, after the course was resurfaced overnight(code for rained on it), it was cooler, a bit muggy, but windy causing several delays in racing for rough water.

In the race for $1,000 Magnum Custom Trailers reaction time bounty, Mickey Snider in his Pro Modified held the honors Friday and Saturday with a .0012 reaction time. Sunday saw Marcus Kinsey pick up the cash with a .00001, that’s um, 1/10,000th from perfect. In talking to Kinsey during a break he related that it was just nothing but luck. He adjusted his leave light because of the holding rope and the boat getting blown closer to the timing beams. Heck of an on-the-fly adjustment.

The top qualifiers in the Pro classes saw Bryan Sanders lead all the way in Top Fuel Hydro, Mike Declark rebounded from a dismal Friday to get the spot in Top Alcohol Hydro, Tony Scarlata led both rounds in Top Alcohol Flat, Jimmy Booher bumped Robert Leas out in Pro Modifieds and Jim Richards had the field covered in Pro Outlaw.

Bryan Sanders ‘fires’ off on a solo pass that backed up his Top Fuel Hydro ET record from Saturday. Photo by JM Hallas

Top Fuel eliminations

Sanders Sweeps Somber Final

Bryan Sanders(Nitrochondriac) did about everything but sell tickets leading through both rounds of qualifying, setting and backing up a new ET record(3.385), then going home with a somewhat bittersweet win against Scotty Lumbert(Spirit of Texas) in the finals. Lumbert went red at the start giving the victory to Sanders. Lumbert would leg out his run and blow up on the top end. From there the boat went out of control and crashed ejecting the capsule, as the boats are designed to do. Rescue was quickly on the scene and remove the capsule. Lumbert was then air-lifted to an Austin hospital. No further updates were available at the end of the day.

**Update 8/15; From team and family sources, Lumbert has a broken arm, plus facial fractures and cuts. He is currently in ICU at an Austin hospital while they continue to do CT scans and monitor him. While not entirely out of the woods, the prognosis looks good for his recovery.

Bryan Sanders, 3.903 @ 180.264 defeats Scotty Lumbert, 3.451 @ 262.868(red)

Round 1

Bryan Sanders, 3.507 @ 252.524

Bye

Daryl Ehrlich(Problem Child) 3.940 @ 226.675(red)

Lee Warren(Whiskey River) 3.989 @ 210.629-W

Scotty Lumbert, 3.644 @ 236.135

Scott Compton(Liquid Voodoo) 9.737 @ 28.210

Round 2

Bryan Sanders, 3.419 @ 256.844** backs up record

Lee Warren, 4.237 @ 179.765

Scotty Lumbert, 3.686 @ 203.381

Bye

Top Alcohol Hydro eliminations

After laboring through Friday qualifying Mike DeClark(Little White Lie) found the set up grabbing the number 1 spot from Travis Tutle(Short Fuse) on Saturday. Come Sunday the two fastest boat squared off in the Top Alcohol Hydro finals. DeClark capped off the weekend out running Tutle by nearly 5/100th to get the win.

Mike Declark, 4.540 @ 177.540 defeats Travis Tutle, 4.586 @ 192.882

Round 1

Mike DeClark, 4.497 @ 198.852

Bye

Rick Allen(Total Kaos) 4.387 @ 203.359 W

Steve Streeter(Untouchable) 4.562 @ 180.431

Travis Tutle, 4.587 @ 195.467

Dale Riggs(Bad Moon Rising) 5.186 @ 176.506

Round 2

Travis Tutle, @ 4.643 @ 184.327

Bye

Mike DeClark, 4.514 @ 199.351 W

Rick Allen, 4.416 @ 203.351(red)

Top Alcohol Flat eliminations

It was a double win or sorts as Ronnie Hayes(The Flying Dutchman) and Randy Ball(The Oklahoman) decided the there was too much chop on the water for a safe run. Both opted for a 50/50 split(points and money).

Round 1

Tony Scarlata(Shazam) 12.612 @ 43.415

Bill Diez(War Party) 5.931 @ 139.181

Marcus Kinsey(Bad Company) 12.861 @ 40.062(went of course)

Ronnie Hayes, 10.700 @ 26.763(red) W

Bill Miller(Party to the Max) DNT

Randy Ball, 5.457 @ 149.035

Don Bausher(Habit Forming) DNT

Spike Gorr(Spirit of America) 5.726 @ 136.460

Round 2

Bill Diez, 13.068 @ 60.063

Ronnie Hayes, 6.235 @ 136.179

Spike Gorr, 5.651 @ 148.537

Randy Ball, 5.633 @ 134.122

Pro Modified eliminations(7.00)

They say in racing sometimes you need a little luck, well Tyler Speer(Climax) used his up on his way to the final getting two red light wins. Kevin Helm(Fist Full of Dollars) got a break out win over fast qualifier Jimmy Booher, then in the final when Speer went red.

Kevin Helm, 5.863 @ 155.323 defeats Tyler Speer, 5.830 @ 156.297(red)

Round 1

Jimmy Booher(Hillbilly Express) 7.075 @ 169.621

Keith Funk(Animal) DNT

Doug Maderer(Outta Reach), 7.447 @ 137.668

Kevin Helm, 7.177 @ 166.948

Robert Leas(Wild Fire) 7.012 @ 171.572

Marty Logan(Livin’ Tha’ Dream) 7.106 @ 166.818

Shelby Ebert(Cant Touch This) 7.109 @ 176.816

Mickey Snider(Top Gun) 7.153 @ 168.678

Casey Beal(Split Decision 3) 7.386 @ 151.029

Tim Ortiz(Empty Pockets) DNT

Tyler Speer, 7.615 @ 133.895 W

Rob Burklin(The Pearl) 7.401 @ 160.498(red)

Round 2

Jimmy Booher, 6.971 @ 171.489(break out)

Kevin Helm, 7.113 @ 169.726 W

Robert Leas, 7.101 @ 171.900

Shelby Ebert, 7.127 @ 177.599

Tyler Speer, 7.056 @ 165.833

Casey Beal, 7.194 @ 166.557

Round 3 eliminations

Kevin Helm, 7.213 @ 167.631

Bye

Tyler Speer, 8.959 @ 126.661 W

Robert Leas, 7.068 @ 173.629(red)

Pro Outlaw eliminations(5.40)

The finals for Pro Outlaw saw Jim Richards(Alka Hauler), who had been on his game all weekend long in qualifying paired with Shannon Beal(Split Decision 2) who was fourth seed. Beal saved his best run for last as he nailed the index number, while Richards was going to quick, breaking out.

Shannon Beal, 5.403 @ 165.473 defeats Jim Richards 5.385 @ 174.309(break out)

Round 1

Jim Richards, 5.368 @ 172.857

Bye

Gus Ward(Whiskey Tango Foxtrot), 5.479 @ 161.433

Jacob Schneider(Blown Crazy 2) 5.532 @ 162.911

Tom Brasher(Desperado) DNT

Terry Kain(Razing Kain) 5.594 @ 156.528

Shannon Beal, 5.408 @ 165.111

Tommy Thompson DNT

Eric Dement(Real Bad Boy) 5.464 @ 145.520

Chris Bean(Team Sound Design) 5.832 @ 158.653

Round 2

Eric Dement, 5.464 @ 165.435

Shannon Beal, 5.462 @ 165.111

Terry Kain, 5.719 @ 152.068

Bye

Jim Richards, 5.413 @ 169.691

Gus Ward, 5.671 @ 156.603

Round 3

Jim Richards, 5.422 @ 173.268

Terry Kain, 5.877 @ 129.326

Shannon Beal, 5.444 @ 146.221

Bye

Quick Eliminator(6.00)

The number five and seven qualifiers navigated their way to the Quick Eliminator finals with Henry Behne(Lucky Draw) against Michael Hardwick(Texas Red). Behne, who ran a better number, went red giving Hardwick the immediate win.

Michael Hardwick, 6.069 @ 141.532 defeats Henry Behne, 6.019 @ 144.141(red)

Pro Eliminator(8.00)

With only two boats in the class it came down to Greg Cawyer(Jaw Droppin Express) and Gary Payne(National Debt) in the Pro Eliminator finals. Payne gave up the tree going red and gave away a good number handing the win to Cawyer

Greg Cawyer, 8.613 @ 135.561 defeats Gary Payne, 8.089 @ 140.616(red)

**At some point the 1/4 mile timing system got knocked out and when repairs couldn’t be made index times were adjusted for 1000′ passes which throws the class numbers off**

Top Eliminator(9.00)

The number one and two qualifiers worked their way to the Top Eliminator class finals. GW Goff(Blurred Lines) faced off with Roger Ganies(Flirtin’ with Disaster), who always has some good tunes playing on the psyche up to the starting line. Goff, who hit his numbers yesterday but had trouble today finally got it dialed in to beat Gaines.

GW Goff, 7.036 @ 109.048 defeats Roger Gaines, 7.243 @ 155.377

Modified Eliminator(10.00)

In the Modified Eliminator class the number seven and eight qualifiers went for the finals. Robin Reed(Brazos Aqua Diction) in the outboard went up against Brent Riley(Peyton Me Crazy) in the conventional style boat. It was Reed getting the breakout win over Riley.

Robin Reed, 8.128 @ 103.368 defeats Brent Riley, 7.868 @ 94.838

Stock Eliminator(11.00)

Stock Eliminator finals saw Steve Walls(Sotally Tober) up against third generation driver, Gavin Snider(Wet n Wild). Walls, who’s no stranger to Lakefest finals got the win on Snider who broke out.

Steve Walls, 8.743 @ 82.981 defeats Gavin Snider, 8.358 @ 95.602

River Racer(dial in)

The diminutive Denise Hodges(Aquatic Therapy) paired up with Glendon Boehme(Blackies Magic) in the River Racer finals. Boehme went red at the starting line giving the victory to Hodges.

Denise Hodges, 10.602 @ 80.245 defeats Glendon Boehme, 10.482 @ 72.985(red)

Lake Racer

Matt Ogrodowicz was the only Lake Racer boat in the class, so he takes the win by default.

Matt Ogrodowicz, 10.857 @ 92.501/Bye

Personal Water Craft1

Todd McLemore, who has been more accustomed to going in circles, grabbed the Personal Water Craft 1 win over Kyle Fawks(Youngblood), who has a stranglehold on the SDBA points lead.

Todd McLemore(14.60) 14.634 @ 63.165 defeats Kyle Fawks(18.75) 18.845 @ 49.893

Personal water Craft 2

In the kids Personal Water Craft 2 finals it was Dylan Crownover(B-N-Bad) getting the victory over Austin Skero(Gas Hog) who broke out on the adjusted dial ins.

Dylan Crownover, 13.044 @ 49.543 defeats Austin Skero, 14.183 @ 49.763(break out)