Thunder on the Ohio
Since 1979, the signature sound of the Evansville Freedom Festival has been the thunder of hydroplane boats racing up and down the beautiful Ohio River, with crowds cheering them on from the river front.
 
Now in its 28th year, Thunder On the Ohio hydroplane racing is back and better than ever, featuring boats and drivers from all over the country, as well as a few local favorites.
 
Video highlights from 2006 Thunder on the Ohio
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                    Click Here
 
 
 
 
June 28 - July 1 & July 4, 2007
© 2007 Evansville Indiana Freedom Festival. Design By Alan Lee, www.redtopcreative.com
Shuttle Schedule
Friday service to Tri-State Aero:
Whirlpool South Lot from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m and Whirlpool, Sunset Park,
and Atlas Van Lines from 5 - 10 p.m. 
 
Saturday shuttle service:
Central High School, Wolf's Auto, Harrison High School, Locust & 3rd, and Whirlpool South Lot from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
 
Sunday shuttle service: Central High School, Wolf's Auto, Harrison High School, Locust & 3rd, Whirlpool South Lot, Bristol Myers, and the Civic Center from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
 
There will be a $1 fee per person for service Sat. and Sun. from all locations.   There is no charge for the return trip. Children 5 and under free, coolers and lawn chairs permitted.
 
Fourth of July shuttle service: Civic Center Parking Lot from
7:30 – 10:30 p.m.  This service is free.
 
Seldom has a brand new team made such a spectacular first impression in Unlimited racing as did Ted Porter's FORMULABOATS.COM II (U-7) in 2006. With Mike Allen as driver, the U-7 won the race at Valleyfield, Quebec, and went on to win the ABRA National High Point Team Championship. This entitles the U-7 to carry the cheished U-1 numeral into competition in 2007. The team has no intention of resting on its laurels. During the off-season, under the direction of Crew Chief Brooke Tyler, engines and gear boxes were tuned up, new propellers were developed, and lots of spare parts were built. A boat racer for 19 of his 40 years and a three-time inductee into the APBA Hall of Champions, Mike Allen is one of the sport's most respected competitors. As the rookie driver of Ted Porter's FORMULABOATS.COM II (U-7) in 2006, Mike made the transition to the Unlimited Class with ease. He guided his team to victory at Valleyfield, Quebec, and to first-place in the ABRA National High Point Team Championship. Allen's selection as ABRA Rookie of the Year for 2006 was a foregone conclusion.
U-1 Formulaboats.com
Mike Allen, New Orleans, LA
 
A change in management late in the off-season as Ken Muscatel leased Jim Harvey's equipment for 2006 has meant improvement for this group. The U-2.25 number represents the merger of the Jim Harvey U-2 team and the U-25 of Superior Racing. While David Williams jumped into the captain's seat for the first day of racing in Evansville, Dr. Ken returned that Sunday and then one week later found himself in a position to get to the front line for the start of the Madison final. At the Gold Cup, the team was the race leader after the first day of elimination heats winning one and placing second in the other. The team ultimately finished fifth overall. The Western Swing has not been kind to the team, scoring 228 points in Tri-Cities and 379 points in Seattle. Known as the "World's Fastest Forensic Psychologist", Ken Muscatel was the owner and driver of the Superior Racing Team's U-25 unlimited hydroplane. Driving unlimited hydroplanes since 1990, Muscatel moved up from success in the limited ranks to become driver of the Miss Northwest, owned by Tim Donnery and Dave Culley. He was the 1991 URC Rookie of the Year, driving Bob Fendler's Jackpot Food Mart. He has served as the URC commissioner, and as president of the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum (HARM) board of directors. Dr. Ken's team also holds the world's 1-mile straightaway speed record at 205.494 miles per hour.
U-2 Superior Racing
Dr. Kenneth Muscatel, Seattle, WA
In a category dominated by Lycoming turbine engines, the Ed Cooper team is unique. They use the time-honored Allison V-12 piston power plant, originally intended for use in World War II fighter planes. Ed and his late father, Ed Cooper, Sr., started their racing careers in the 1960s as crew members for the community-owned MISS MADISON. In 2002, the Coopers became the first to turn a lap at over 160 MPH with a reciprocating engine. In 2003, they became the first non-turbine winner since 1983 of power boat racing's top prize, the APBA Gold Cup, on the Detroit River. Now in his third year with the Cooper Motorsports team, Jimmy King is a graduate of the tough Mid-West Limited hydroplane circuit. The 1994 Rookie of the Year in the Unlimited Class with MISS EXIDE II, he won the 1996 Automotive Gold Cup at Detroit with PLEASURE SEEKERS, a Grand Prix Class hydro. King has also handled LLUMAR WINDOW FILM, MISS E-LAM PLUS, and MISS WELLNESS PLAN in the Unlimited ranks. He and the U-3 were within a few hundred feet of victory in the 2005 Music City Hydrofest at Nashville, Tennessee, when a broken propeller shaft sidelined them just short of the checkered flag.
U-3 Cooper Motorsports
Jimmy King, Wales, MI  
Ted and Emily Porter made headlines in 2006 when they purchased the MISS BUDWEISER equipment inventory from Joe Little and started an Unlimited hydroplane team of their own, under the banner of FORMULABOATS.COM. They campaigned not one but two boats in 2006: the U-5 and the U-7. The former MISS BUDWEISER/Turbine 5 became the U-7 and the former MISS BUDWEISER/Turbine-6 became the U-5. The boats will look basically the same as in 2006 with no major changes in set-up anticipated for 2007. One of the sport's most promising future drivers, Jeff Bernard proved his mettle in his first unlimited ride at the Seafair Chevrolet Cup in 2005. He took over the U-5 ride just a couple of days before the 2006 Chevrolet Cup at Seafair after team manager Mike Weber retired from racing. Bernard was the pilot of the U-99 in Tri-Cities. He did earned over 2,600 points and two fifth place finished in the in the final two races of the 2006 season.
U-5 Formulaboats.com
Jeff Bernard, Gig Harbor, WA
Unlimited racing's most unusual ownership, the City of Madison (population 13,000) has campaigned its own race boat every year for 47 consecutive years--the last eight with sponsor OH BOY! OBERTO meat products. The U-6 hydroplane is the host boat at the annual Madison Regatta. The MISS MADISON racing team has two victories on home waters: the 1971 APBA Gold Cup with driver Jim McCormick and the 2001 Indiana Governor's Cup with pilot Steve David. The team finished second in ABRA National High Points in both 2005 and 2006 and is preparing a new hull for 2007. A prominent college teacher and Florida realtor, Steve David returns for his seventh year as driver for the OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS MADISON team. In both 2005 and 2006, Steve was National High Point Champion Driver in the ABRA Unlimited Class. In 1988, he was Unlimited Rookie of the Year, piloting Jim McCormick's POCKET SAVERS PLUS. Between 1991 and 1999, he drove for the Jim Harvey Motorsports team.
U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto - Miss Madison
Steve David, Lighthouse Point, FL  
Kim and Debbie Gregory stepped up to the Unlimited ranks in 1998 when they purchased the former CLOSE CALL from the estate of the late Steve Woomer. Kim and Debbie had previously campaigned a very successful Unlimited Light hydroplane named WILDFIRE (UL-125) with which they had won five races in 1997-98 with the late George Stratton as driver. The Gregory team's career highlight thus far is their victory in the 2004 APBA Gold Cup on the Detroit River with Nate Brown at the wheel. Inactive in 2005, the Gregorys returned to Unlimited racing in 2006 with their newly acquired U-10 hydroplane, which is the former MISS BUDWEISER/Turbine-3. David Bryant joined the U-10 USA Racing Partners team allowing last year's driver, J.W. Myers, to focus on his growing roofing business. Bryant brings several successful years in both Super Stock and Pro Stock Series', including a Super Stock Racing Assoc. National Championship (2006), a Pro Stock National Championship (2006), Super Stock Rookie of the Year (1997) to the blue and yellow team. His experience in flat-bottom boats will be valuable just as it has been to past champions Mike Allen and Dave Villwock.
U-10 USA Racing, Inc
David Bryant, Mesa, AZ  
Before the 2005 season, Dave Bartush bought Kim Gregory's backup hull, and even though it had a history of three Gold Cup wins, Bartush probably never expected that the hull would win another Gold Cup in his first season as a racing team owner. But Terry Troxell piloted the Spirit of Detroit to a victory in the sport's most hallowed race. Since 1992, Bartush has been actively involved in acquiring and preserving many historic hydroplanes. His current stored collection includes 15 unlimited hulls. J. Michael Kelly is back in the driver's seat--at least for one race. Kelly will replace Terry Troxell in the cockpit of the U-13 Spirit of Detroit at the Gold Cup. While the team expects to have Troxell back in the cockpit in the near future, it was apparent he wouldn't be able to start the 2006 season after suffering a slight stroke during the off-season. He will be working with Kelly during the race, helping the young driver understand the boat's characteristics. Kelly drove the U-2 last season. And expect to see Troxell take a few laps in practice, as he gets ready for his return. 
U-13 Spirit of Detroit
J. Michel Kelly, Puyallup, WA
The Ellstrom family (including father Sven, brother Tom, and sister Lisa) first entered Unlimited racing in 1994 as sponsor of a radical four-point hydroplane, owned by Glen Davis. In 1995, they acquired a boat of their own, built along more traditional lines. Under the leadership of Erick Ellstrom, the U-16 team has accumulated 12 victories since 2000 and won the ABRA National High Point Team Championship in 2005. The Ellstroms are the first Ballard, Washington-based Unlimited team since the legendary MISS BARDAHL in the 1950s and '60s. A crash in testing at Valleyfield, Quebec, temporarily derailed the team's momentum in mid-season 2006. A back-up hull was run at Detroit, while the primary hull underwent repairs. Based on race wins alone, Dave Villwock is arguably the best driver on the circuit. With 51 career victories, Villwock trails only Bill Muncey (62 wins) and Chip Hanauer (61). He has won the APBA Gold Cup five times and been National High Point Champion Driver eight times. Villwock and MISS E-LAM PLUS won the 2006 Tri-Cities Atomic Cup under extraordinary circumstances.. He has also has had success as a Crew Chief with the Circus Circus and Team Manager with the Miss Budweiser. While driving the Miss Budweiser, Villwock won 34 races, four Gold Cups and six national championships. He also has won 12 races, including a Gold Cup, and a national championship driving Fred Leland's PICO American Dream. He won three races in 2006--Evansville, Madison and Tri-Cities. Villwock raced in five of the seven ABRA 
races last year.
U-16 Miss Elam Plus
Dave Villwock, Auburn, WA  
After three years on the Unlimited Lights national circuit with their automotive-powered UL-5, Jeffrey Johnson and Kevin Aylesworth announced their purchase of the former Superior Racing U-25 from Dr. Ken Muscatel at the final race of the 2005 season (San Diego). Later that same weekend, a violent crash on Mission Bay in the Freedom Racing Team Unlimited Light nearly ended Aylesworth's life. This year, Freedom Racing Team is happy to welcome rookie driver 
 Brian Perkins.
U-21 Freedom Racing
Brian Perkins, Black Diamond, WA
The 2006 ABRA season witnessed the return to competition of racing legend Billy Schumacher--a two-time Gold Cup winner and three-time National Champion driver of such storied contenders as MISS BARDAHL, PRIDE OF PAY 'n PAK, WEISFIELD'S, and OLYMPIA BEER. Billy and wife Jane purchased the equipment inventory of Bill Wurster's LLUMAR WINDOW FILM and started a team of their own under the banner of MISS BEACON PLUMBING. Their investment paid off in 2006 with three race victories, including the Gold Cup at Detroit and the World Championship at San Diego with Jean Theoret as driver. U-37 driver Jean Theoret is the winningest Grand Prix class driver in the history of the class with 43 victories, six national championships and as a four-time Grand Prix World Champion. A second-generation racing prodigy (like Billy Schumacher), he entered the Unlimited class in 2005 and won three of seven races entered driving the U-8 Unlimited hydroplane. Theoret wowed crowds during 2005 Seafair capturing the Chevrolet Cup and was named 2005 ABRA Rookie of the Year. Now, Theoret has three more career wins to his name in 2006--winning the Gold Cup in Detroit, the Chevrolet Cup at Seafair in Seattle, along with the ProBoat Models World Championship in San Diego.
U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing
Jean Theoret, Ville de Lery, QB
The winningest active Unlimited owner, Fred Leland spent a lot of years working his way up through the ranks as an owner, driver, designer, and builder. Fred's most competitive season to date is 1996 when he and driver Dave Villwock won six races (including the APBA Gold Cup) and the National High Point Championship with PICO AMERICAN DREAM. To date, Leland has 17 race victories with drivers Villwock, Mark Evans, Chip Hanauer, and Terry Troxell. A boat racer since age nine, Greg Hopp has competed in everything from J Stock outboard to unlimiteds. The son of racing veteran Jerry Hopp, Greg was unlimited rookie of the year in 1999 with a boat borrowed from Fred Leland. In 2000, Greg replaced the retiring Chip Hanauer as primary driver for the Leland Racing Team. In 2003 and 2004, greg co-drove (with father Jerry) Happy Go Lucky to the national Chamionship in the Unlimited Light Racing Series. He finished 10th in driver’s points in 2006 with 1,665 in four races. 
U-100 Leland Racing
Greg Hopp, Snohomish, WA
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2.5 Liter Stock Class
NEW at the Evansville Freedom Festival! 
 
S-2 Super Miss
Dennis Wright, New Harmony, IN
 
S-5 Star Trooper
Myron Jackson, Vevay, IN
 
S-31 Team Denial
Paige Taff, Lafayette, IN
 
S-55 Almost Heaven
Danny Walls, Bellevue, KY
 
S-57 Fang Racing
Steve Bering, Huron, OH
 
S-69 Mis Behavin
Allen Hammond, Knox, IN
 
S-93 Team Hot Shot
Tom Bergman, Evansville, IN
 
S-96 WD Racing
Wayne Dunlap, Madison, IN
 
S-117 Renegade
Eric Pomber, Jr., Gross Pointe Woods, MI
Unlimited Hydroplane Class
 
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