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he month of Junewas packed
with exciting boat racing from
the 1999 Laughlin Formula
One P.R.O.P. Tour, beginning with the opener on the Colorado River In LaughlIn, Nevada, June 5-6.
Fourteen boats arrived to try to tame the swift Colorado, including 1998 Formula One P.R.O.P cham-. pion, Tim Seebold, now donning new colors and arww distinguishing
number. Piloting
boat No. 1, pow
ered by a Mercury
2.5-liter engine and sponsored by, ANCO/Champion/
Polaris,
Tim Seebold ranked third In time trlals behlnd top quailfier Greg
Foster of Orange, California, in No.53 (Sherwin
Williams)
with a high speed of 124J
mph and two-time Hall of Champions Inductee Aldón Thornton in No.8 (Hooters)at 123 mph. ThO first pair of qualifying heats on Saturday were won by both Fester and Jàéon CempbellQn boatNo. 5, Lamb Racing).
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Todd Bowden in No. 34 (Concrete Coring/ABC Concrete butting) took Sunday's first qualifier. But In tbesecofld heat, Foster made jarring contact with Bowden, which forced Foster to make a jump from his No; 53 Wood Seebold hull to his ita ian-made Composite DAC. Bowden, driving a Kevlar/composite Gran Prix hull, ended up in a splnout at:
the nexttum after the contact, losing his
canopy
during the mishap. Todd Beckman of Maryln. Heights, Missouri, driver of No.2 (SunCare), arrived in Laughlin with a new name, even though lie is still sponsored by the same firm. Previously kriowfl as
Swedish
Beauty,
the skin care company. now is known as John Abate
International.
Beckman, remembered brthe thousands of fans in attendance as the vived a horrendous crash the year before, found himself in thewater again during qualifying after a barrel roll In the south
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lin River Day’s raci, placed fourth In time trials behind his brother Tim Seeboid. But Mike Seebold and Alden Thornton both would have mechanical problems before the
f
irst set of heats were complete. Nevertheless, a combination of points added from each of the qualifying heats gave Mike Seebold what he needed to be the pole sItter for the final feature race. Besidehim, In the second spot, was Todd.Bowden of Monrovia, Californa, in No. 34; the third spot went to Jason Campbell of Chandler, Arizona, in No.5.
Starting in fourth was Temj Rinker
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of the Rinker Boat Company, entry No.
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Mike Seebold
takes
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10. Rinker, of Riverview, Florida, was
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experiencing a day of accomplishments,
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the
P.R.O.P
opening
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as hehad won the previous qualifying
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heat. in his brand-new wood Caniff rac
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win—only to latef
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boat, built by Chad Canitf of Fiorida.
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Rinker told HOT BOAT, ”We are excited
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face misery
at
the
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about this new boat. It's faster than last
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year’s hut?; and we expect to do very
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next two races at the
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well this season.” But before the week-;
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end was over, Rinker’s beautiful new
hands
of podium
boit would be scarred wfth numerous
war wounds and patches, presenting
poser Todd Bowden .: him with more challenges than just skill
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ful driving. The Rinkerctyw was put to
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turn; But this time he would not take an the test, with hopes that their quick patchambulance ride; instead, he was ableto work would hold throughoUt the final. strap into his backup boat immediateIy Fifth and sixth starting posiandcomplete the next heat. He then. s for the final were held placed well enough to start in the eighth by Alden ThorntOn of.... starting dock positIon for the second
set of heats.
Bud Light 's No. 11, Mike Seebold
ot Fenton, Missouri, winner of
Ia sty ear’ s
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