Heartbreak. No other word can adequetely descibe Sunday's final heat at the 31st Thunder on the Ohio in Evansville. Driving the Go3 Racing Team's sponsored Master Tire, Jimmy King had the field covered before disaster struck----yet again.

Racing Photos by Chris Denslow and Jim Simpson

Photo Gallery Updated with Sunday Pictures

Running away from the field on lap 3 of the final, the propeller broke and the day was suddenly over. The season started off with a broken prop and sadly ends the way it began.

The weather was perfect for racing on the Ohio River. Bright sunshine and pleasant tempatures greeted the Heat 1A field, packed with the top four qualifers. Jimmy King and the Master Tire chose to start in lane 3. Jimmy had Big Red in a solid, points producing 3rd place, when Dave Villwock flipped the U-16 in the final lap while racing deck to deck with Steve David in the U-1. The heat was red flagged. Villwock escaped unharmed. Steve David in the U-1 was disqualified and with a DNF for the U-16, the Master Tire suddenly found 400 points. Great start for the Go3 Racing Team.

Starting on the outside in Heat 2B, Jimmy King motored around the field and was on the tail of the U-5, making Jeff Bernard earn the 1st place points. The Master Tire gained another valuable 300, 2nd place points. Another lap and Jimmy would have caught and passed the other red boat.

Heat 3B saw Jimmy King nail the start in his Master Tire from lane one and never looked back. Leading wire to wire, Steve David in the U-1 was never a threat. So far, so good. The 1100 accumulated points earned the Master Tire 2nd lane choice for the final, and Jimmy King chose lane two. Bernard in the U-5 was on the coverted lane one.

The 7 boat final heat saw the field line up for the start. Jimmy in lane two absolutely nailed the start and from lane two, and was leading coming out of the 1st turn. At the end of lap one, the Master Tire had a roostertail lead over the two other red boats. Nobody could catch the Big Red Turbinator. The lead grew to over 4 roostertails, and the battle seemingly was for 2nd place.

Coming around the exit of turn two to begin lap 4, the hometown fans suddenly gasped as the Master Tire slowed to a stop. An eery quiet along the riverfront as they realized the Master Tire was done. The rest of the trailing field caught up and passed the Big Red Turbinator. The day was over for Jimmy King and the Go3 Racing Team. A brand new prop with only 35 laps on it decided this was the time it wanted to break. That few laps on the prop in racing terms is not many at all. Call it bad racing luck---again. The same thing happened in Madison in the season opener.

One thing is for sure, the Big Red Turbinator had the field covered, and they all knew it. Even the evential winner Bernard came down and told Jimmy that he was running for 2nd place, as the Master Tire was the boat to beat Sunday. But, to win the race, you have to finish all 5 laps. It just wasn't meant to be. It was a heartbreaker.

Evansville Courier and Press Article

Madison Courier Article