Posts made by PeytonHopp

Peyton Hopp- U-98 Mike's Hard Lemonade

Mickey Washburn, Saxon Hopp, and I are proud to announce the 3rd season of the Saturday Night Hydro League! With the rising popularity of this fantastic game adding more Hydrosim drivers nearly every day, we are splitting the league into 2 leagues with a 3rd league possible depending on how many people register for the season. The main league will carry over the SNHL name and will have 24 drivers eligible to compete in the league. The secondary league will be deemed SNHL 2 and the rest of the registered participants will be eligible to compete in this league, as long as there isn't an overwhelming number of players registered for the SNHL. The SNHL commissioners will determine who gets put in what league based on past season stats and your intentions to run either full-time or part time for the season.

The deadline to register before we put drivers in their respective leagues is September 12th. You are still eligible to register for the SNHL season after this deadline, but you will be put in the secondary league at minimum. The top 5 in points of SNHL 2 will be automatically promoted to SNHL 1 for the following season while the bottom 5 in points in SNHL 1 will be demoted to SNHL 2 for the following season. We have a massive 10 race schedule for both leagues so this season will be one to remember! See the official rulebook for SNHL Season 3 here: http://uhlhydroplanes.com/topic/163/snhl-season-3-rulebook

Schedule for SNHL 2:

Schedule for SNHL:

You can register yourself for the season by commenting on this post with your name and the boat you'll be using. You may use a real H1 Unlimited or Fantasy Unlimited, but please ask for permission to use a Fantasy boat that you didn't paint yourself! Remember that there shall be no more than 2 boats with the same # and no more than 1 fantasy boat with the same number can be registered!

Registered Boats:

U-98 Mike's Hard Lemonade -Peyton Hopp
U-9 Miss Vandelay -Mickey Washburn
U-16 Cheerios -Eddie Kanfoush
U-25 Hearn Motorsports presents H8 Cancer Racing -Gavin McClure
U-8 Jif Presents Mr. Pringles -Scott Przybylski
U-66 Dangerous Age -Harley Gray
U-1 Digital Confectioners Presents Depth -Nicholas "DJ" Miller
U-18 Bad Influence -Jeff Bernard
U-6 Oberto Presents Wonder Bread -Codee Guyll
U-10 Matt Johnson Design -Matt Johnson
U-12 Miss Seahawks -Kelsey Best
U-2 Tequila Patron ESM -Beau Rarig
U-90 Easton Eagles Racing -Nick Kish
U-1954 Dick's Drive-In -Craig Montgomery
U-88 Stupid Fast Racing -John Ashby
U-81 Holy Smoke -Kym Behrndt
U-31 SuperBee R\T -Jeff Dewalt
U-50 Staples presents JBoyz Racing -Tim Johnson
U-3 Chick Fil-A -Cei Bowen
U-22 Miss DHL -Darryl Kinsey Jr.
U-99 Mike's Hard Lemonade II -Saxon Hopp
U-79 Fun Times Gaming -Ryan Radinsky
U-100 PICO American Dream -Luke Nelson
U-65 Important Boat Designs -Chris Porten
U-24 Miss Stew's Garage -Quinton Miller
U-14 Red White and Brew -Mason McClure
U-20 Mountain Dew presents Jacked Up -Carson Kelly
U-77 Castrol GTX -Scott Witherell
U-8 Wounded Warrior Project -Ben Dowell
U-83 Blue Mule -Jeff Woolf
U-33 Fireball Whiskey -Scott Cardenas
U-55 John Player Special -Adam Thurston
U-56 Dunlop Motorsports -TJ Czerwinski
U-50 American Spirit -Dustin Hicks
U-711 Miss 7-Eleven -Mitchell Adams
U-17 Miss Red Dot -Jake Bell
U-99.9 Bucket List Miss Rock -Taylor Evans
U-101 Pride of Vallyfield -Remi Laurin
U-8008 Jimmy Shane -Jimmy Shane
U-0 Kentucky Wildcats -Brian Johnson
28-R Imagecraft -Kyle Lewis
U-10 Close Call -John Sjostrom
U-47 Papa Johns -Noah Johns
U-93 Miss Statesman -Jason Fitch
U-88 Degree Men -Tyler Roth
U-7 Miss Tri-Cities -Danielle Garner
U-19 J&D's presents Arctic Cat -Jay Sedrowski
U-25 Pay N' Pak -Todd Bréda
U-70 Miss Valvoline -Tait Meyer
U-550 Liquid Addiction -Michael Behrndt
U-55 Oh Boy! Oberto 1982 -J.M. Stübbers
U-3 Griggs presents Ace Hardware -Jayden Jamieson
U-59 Bud Light -Scott Garner
U-17 Target -Jared Meyer
U-95 Miss Pennzoil -Will Smoot
U-53 Pay -N- Pak -Richard Adair
U-73 Digital Roostertails -Chris Denslow
U-1890 Miss Wazzu -David Johnson
U-440 Bucket List Racing -Jack Heiser
U-206 Seattle SuperSonics -Ricky Mcqueen
U-87 Lisa's Homes -Luke Hugman
U-1918 Oberto Super Salami 2019 -Anthony Kidd

The Miss Castrol and Rockstar Energy are 2 boats I made and use them most of the time when I decide to run a fantasy boat

SNHL Homestreet Bank Cup Race Recap

We returned to the historic waters of Lake Washington as a staggering field of 22 hydros filled the Stan Sayres pits, tied for the largest boat count in SNHL history and the 2nd time this year the league has had a massive 22 boat field. 2 rookies would make their inaugural SNHL debut with Travis Johnson in the 2013 U-22 Webster Racing and Brian Johnson in the 1982 U-00 Atlas Van Lines. With nearly two dozen drivers striving for the Homestreet Bank Cup, the competition on the water would be fierce and unrelenting as no victory would come easy at this years Seafair. Last years winner Matt Johnson would seek to be the first driver in SNHL to successfully defend a championship race that he won the year prior. Entering Seattle, Nicholas Miller in the U-75 Digital Confectioners presents Depth held a slight lead over Johnson in the U-10 Matt Johnson Design as they would be a focal point for the majority of Seafair Weekend.

The pursuit of the Homestreet Bank Cup would begin with 3rd place in points Tim Johnson in the U-50 Miss Tri-Cities getting the win in 1A. 1B Saw the top 2 in points face off with Nicholas Miller edging out Matt Johnson in 1B, Kyle Lewis got a heat win in his first competitive heat in the U-96 Miss Elam Plus in 1C, and defending league champ Eddie Kanfoush got the win over Peyton Hopp in 1D. 2A would see the crowd favorite Kelsey Best in the U-12 Miss Seahawks grab the win, Tim Johnson would out-duel his brother Matt in 2B for 400 valuable points, Peyton Hopp in the U-5 Graham Trucking secured the heat victory in 2C, and DJ Miller would extend his points lead with a 2nd consecutive heat win in 2D.

The 3rd and final flight of heats would prove to be detrimental to some drivers and crucial to others as it would be the final chance for all 22 drivers to secure a spot on the front line in the Seafair Final. 3A would be one of the most destructive heats in SNHL to date as a delayed reaction by Peyton Hopp would lead to a chaotic mistake that would dramatically alter the heat before it even began. Coming to the entrance of turn 2, Hopp lost his lane after Cei Bowen in the U-43 Notre Dame moved into 1 as he had overlap on him. Hopp got off the throttle after getting up to speed trying to block off the overlap, but it would be too late as he slammed into the Notre Dame which sent Bowen into Miller and Tim Johnson that eventually created a massive pileup in turn 2. Miraculously, all drivers were able to continue and finish the race with Chris Porten in the U-65 Oberto Specialty Meats while Hopp would be penalized and receive 6th place points, costing him a bid into the final. "Thought I could make up enough ground to defend lane 1, but ultimately I should have moved to the outside" Hopp exclaimed. "Looking back, it was a bone-headed move and it cost me a chance to get into the final. All I can do is accept my mistake and continue to improve myself as a driver."

Kanfoush would grab the heat 3B victory over Mickey Washburn, Matt Johnson finally picked up a prelim heat win in 3C, and Kelsey Best would power the 12th boat to victory in 3D. Cei Bowen would walk away with the consolation heat win in the U-43 Notre Dame, securing his spot as the trailer boat in the Homestreet Bank Cup Final Heat.

All of the intense racing over the Seafair weekend would culminate to the Homestreet Bank Cup Final Heat. DJ Miller in the U-75 Depth entered the final with the most points on the weekend, followed by Eddie Kanfoush in the U-1 Llumar Window Film, Matt Johnson in the U-10 Matt Johnson Design, Kelsey Best in the U-12 Miss Seahawks, Tim Johnson in the U-50 Miss Tri-Cities, Mickey Washburn in the U-9 Kramerica presents Miss Vandelay, and Cei Bowen in the U-43 Notre Dame as the trailer. Kelsey Best would overtake everyone in the back stretch and grab lane 1, but he jumped the 1 minute pin as he would be penalized 1 lap. The final turn before the start would be dramatic as Miller was forced to go to the outside since Best was in 1 and M. Johnson was in 2. The first turn was full of intensity as Miller lead the way on the outside while Tim Johnson sneaked inside of Matt Johnson, making Matt go out into Washburn and almost flipping over. Matt would eventually get into Tim's roostertail out of turn 2 and roll over, ending his final.

Two intense deck to deck battles happened for the majority of the race as Tim Johnson was closing in on Mickey Washburn for 1st, while Nicholas Miller battled Eddie Kanfoush for 3rd. Johnson closed the gap quickly in the final lap, but Washburn was determined to earn his first win as his precise handling of the corners as well as holding Tim tight in lane 1 gave him an advantage. Out of the final turn coming down the final stretch, Washburn would edge out a flying Tim Johnson in the closest finish to a final in SNHL History. 3rd would go to Nicholas Miller, followed by Eddie Kanfoush, Cei Bowen, Kelsey Best, and an unfortunate DNF for Matt Johnson.

Mickey Washburn drove the race of his career in front of an ecstatic Seattle, Washington crowd in the U-9 Kramerica presents Miss Vandelay. Washburn had momentum from the very beginning of the weekend, placing 2nd in qualifying and ultimately walking away with his first career SNHL final victory. Pre-race strategy played a huge role in Washburn's path to victory. "My pre-race plan was to leap frog the trollers, but I had an issue and had to hang back. Because of that issue, I had to try and nail the start from the outside. As I exited the first turn, I had the lead, and all I could think of was I had 2 fast boats to the right and 2 fast boats to the left. While I was coming up the backstretch, I realized how tight turn 2 would be. I did not want to mess anything up for the other boats in turn 2, so I tried to be fast and leave room for everybody in that turn. Then, as I headed down the front stretch, I was waiting for my spotter to say “clear“ so I could move over. Jeff did an awesome job as my radio guy in the heat. After that, my plan was be fast in the straightaways and tight in the turns. My last time through turn 1, Tim hooked and I thought I had him beat. He flew down the backstretch and he was right on my hip again. We dragged raced to the finish line. I finally have a SNHL final heat victory, and it was one of the Washington races- which makes it even better.”

Tim Johnson gave it his all in the U-50 Miss Tri-Cities, but fell just a sponson length short of his first career SNHL final win. Johnson's effort proves that he has the capability to win and looks to make an impact down the stretch. "It was tough coming out of that one knowing we were so close to winning but I gotta give a lot of credit to Mickey, he drove a great race. Looking towards Detroit, it's gonna be a tough one. The water is always rough and doesn't give much margin for error so keeping the boat under control will be important. DJ has a sizable lead at the top so it will be tough to catch him but I'm gonna do my best to take advantage of the opportunities I get. I'd like to give a shoutout to Matt Johnson Designs for adding some flair to the traditional Miss Tri-Cities paint scheme for the remainder of the season."

While Nicholas Miller failed to grab his 3rd final heat win of the year, he secured a spot on the podium and further stretched out his points lead as he yet again got the most weekend points for the 3rd time this season. If Miller continues to be consistent like he has all season long, he can find himself locked in as the season 2 champion in the near future. “I am really happy with how Seattle went. Earning the most points was my goal and I am very happy with a podium finish. It was a much-needed confidence boost after Tri-Cities. Detroit is a race I am really looking forward to. I just need to focus on finishing well, winning heats when I can. This should keep the pressure more on the guys behind me in points and less on myself. If I can come away with the most points again after Detroit, I'll be in good shape for the San Diego finale.”

It was an unfortunately abrupt ending for Matt Johnson in the Homestreet Bank final heat as he lost control of the U-10 Matt Johnson Designs hydroplane and barrel-rolled into the infield. Needing to gain as much ground as possible on a surging Nicholas Miller, Johnson will have to be near perfect moving forward if he looks to gain the lost ground.
“Overall Seattle was a bit of a disappointment, I made a few mistakes that cost me some valuable points but I was able to get some good results in my preliminary heats so there was still some positive that came out of the weekend. Practice is going to be key leading up to Detroit as the course is a beast that I haven't tamed yet. It's a rough course with a weird layout and last year it didn't go so well. The biggest thing I need to do is avoid mistakes and be patient. The harder I push, the harder it pushes back and just surviving the race is half the battle. I'm excited to get back out there but I know I have a lot of work to do before then.”

With this years incredible Seafair event in the books, the season will get even more competitive down the stretch with a tough Detroit river scheduled up next for the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Hydrofest. Miller has extended his lead in national high points to 421 over Matt Johnson, with Tim Johnson close behind in 3rd place in points and the defending champion Eddie Kanfoush in 4th on the outside looking in. 2 races left to go in the season and with a treacherous 2.71 mile Detroit course ahead, you can bet that it will be one of the most critically acclaimed race weekends of the 2019/2020 SNHL Season. Who will come out on top in Mo-town? We'll find out on January 18th.

We are officially halfway through Season 2 of the Saturday Night Hydro League and there has been no shortage of deck to deck, edge of your seat racing this year. The level of competition this season has grew substantially from season 1 as many of the drivers in the top 10 in points still have a realistic shot of capturing the SNHL high points championship at the end of the season. With the major change to the milling period from season 1, the pre-race has become all more important without a required speed limit and the factor of the 1 minute score up buoy makes the final minutes before the start of the race more critical than ever. With Seattle, Detroit, and San Diego still remaining on the schedule, we'll take a brief look at what the first half of SNHL Season 2 has brought us.

The race for the Southern Cup began the 2019/2020 SNHL Season with 20 total participants seeing action on the waters of Lake Guntersville. Being the first race of the 2nd SNHL Season, Guntersville saw the leagues first crop of rookies see some action on the water with Tab Hebert (fill in for Cei Bowen in the U-43 Notre Dame), Luke Nelson (2012 U-37 Beacon Plumbing), Gavin McClure (GP-25 H8 Cancer Racing), Aidan Shan (U-15 Aussie Endeavor) and Tyler Kaddatz (U-7 Spirit of Detroit) all getting their feet wet in their first race. The racing was intense for most of the day on the rough Guntersville race course as one of the biggest storylines throughout the prelims would be the beginning of the season 2 rivalry of Nicholas Miller and Matt Johnson with both drivers being drawn into 3 consecutive heats together. Miller would best Johnson 2 out of the 3 heats and go on to win the Southern Cup final over Johnson, and an incredible podium finish for Saxon Hopp in the U-100 Znetix who stunned everybody with his Guntersville performance.

The Gold Cup would be moved to Madison, Indiana in 2019 as a staggering field of 22 boats would show up for the 2nd annual SNHL Gold Cup, the largest field of boats at 1 race in SNHL history. This would also mark the first time the flight of heats would go to an E section since a maximum # of 5 boats were allowed in a single heat. 2 newcomers to the SNHL would make their debuts on the Ohio River with Anthony Luce in the U-20 Appian Jeronimo and a former Hydromod UHL champion Craig Montgomery dusting off the cobwebs in his legendary U-44 Team Hormel presents Spam. The racing was action-packed throughout the weekend with no shortage of intense deck to deck racing. Matt Johnson and Eddie Kanfoush would have stellar days in the preliminary heats, but they would succumb to the perfection of Nicholas Miller in the Digital Confectioners presents Depth as Miller would out duel Johnson in the Matt Johnson Design in a thrilling Gold Cup Final. Nicholas "DJ" Miller would go on to write history in Madison as not only the first SNHL Gold Cup winner in Madison, Indiana, but establish himself as the first driver in SNHL History to have a perfect weekend with 2100 points earned from a historic Gold Cup weekend.

The Columbia Cup saw 18 drivers take action on the mighty Columbia river as 2 more rookies made their first appearances on the season with John Ashby in the U-88 Nationwide Insurance, and Adam Frankham in the U-11 Peters & May. Miller held a substantial lead in the points at the beginning of Columbia Cup weekend as he would capture his 3rd top qualifier award of the season while breaking the SNHL 2.5 Mile World Record at a blazing speed of 164.324. Matt Johnson would gain ground on the points lead through the prelims as he piloted the U-10 Matt Johnson Design to 4 consecutive heat victories to Miller's 1 heat victory. The Columbia Cup final would shake up the course of the season after a series of events occurred during the final minute before the heat started. Tim Johnson in the U-50 Miss Tri-Cities would jump the score up pin and later make contact with Saxon Hopp in the Znetix after Johnson was forced to lane 3 after Nicholas Miller tried to shoot the gap between Quinton Miller in the Sonics, and Tim Johnson. Nicholas Miller's move unfortunately cost him the Columbia Cup win as his brother Quinton Miller would snag his first SNHL final victory.

Nicholas Miller would be disqualified while Matt Johnson finished 2nd, closing the gap in the points lead to just 56 points behind Miller's 4,950. Tim Johnson in the U-50 Miss Tri Cities is 3rd in points with 4,456 points accumulated, only 494 behind. 4th in points is the underdog so far in the season, Saxon Hopp in the U-100 Znetix as he's 931 points behind with 4,019 points totaled. Rounding out the top 5 in high points is the defending series champion Eddie Kanfoush, with 3,926 points and 1,024 behind the leader.

For Eddie Kanfoush, the season hasn't been too kind to him after a rough start coming from a stout championship winning season. Kanfoush has proven in the past that he can be untouchable when he's at his best as he looks to have a disciplined 2nd half of the season. " The season definitely hasn't been ideal but, nothing's impossible. I'm gonna need to limit my mistakes and hope for some lucky breaks, but if everything goes to plan I can hopefully challenge for the title by the end of the year!"

Sitting 4th in points, Saxon Hopp has come out of the gates swinging this year as his incredible consistency in the prelims have paid off with a miraculous top 5 in points. In a position to contend for a title, Hopp is ready to take advantage of the field on the 2 Mile Ted Jones race course beginning with the starts. "I think the biggest thing is starts, if I can nail those right on the money then I have the advantage. Seattle is up next I believe that is my race course. My dad has had tons of success out there it's all about timing out there. We are constantly finding more speed in the boat. So happy with the team and boat so far in heat races its all about getting points so far I am consistent in finishing 2nd and 3rd in heats which is good. Just gonna keep on truckin' and stay to my strategy and hopefully try to get the championship."

Tim Johnson hasn't gone unnoticed this season as he has one of the quickest hulls in the fleet this year. Johnson has captured 2 heat victories in each of the first 3 races of the year, becoming one of the more elite drivers this season. For Johnson, he hopes to capitalize on others mistakes down the stretch. "I'm hoping to continue taking advantages of mistakes made by others and get as many points as possible. I've gotten pretty lucky so far this season and I'm hoping it continues through the remainder. Keeping the boat on the water and out of difficult situations is important. The boat is performing really well and we're excited for the next 3 races."

Matt Johnson had reeled in Nicholas Miller for the points lead after 3 races. Johnson and Miller seem to have a knack to be always battling each other when they are drawn into the same heat. In what has become the rivalry of SNHL Season 2, Johnson looks to maintain what he's been doing all season long in a fast U-10 Matt Johnson Designs. "I just need to stay consistent. As long as I keep putting myself in a position to win and avoid making mistakes I'll, at the very least, be putting a lot of pressure on DJ for that top spot. He's definitely not going to make it easy and I know there are a few really good drivers that are not that far behind me that will put up a fight too. These last 3 races are going to be a lot of fun."

Nicholas Miller has been the one to beat all season long so far as he made an early impact in the season. With 7 heat wins, 3 top qualifiers, and 2 final heat victories this season, Miller undoubtedly has been the MVP of season 2 so far. After seeing his lead in points decrease from Tri-Cities, Miller looks to rebound from a sub-par weekend by continuing his winning formula. "I intend to just keep doing what I've been doing, and keep trying to finish well. What happened in Tri-Cities was unfortunately beyond my control. Not to mention I've been dealing with medical issues this past month. I'm looking to rebound from all this. I really look forward to the 2nd half of this season as I know I can do really well, just gotta hope a little luck goes my way." Asked who would be the biggest threat in the 2nd half, Miller did not count out the rest of the field that trails behind the driver that's been battling with him all season long. "I'd say Matt Johnson, he's been really consistent all season and consistency is key to winning. But I feel everyone is really competitive - just about anyone can win when we're out there racing."

With plenty of racing still left to go in the season, we're bound to see some of the most exhilarating moments happen as the racing will tighten up down the stretch. The Homestreet Bank Cup in Seattle is considered a hometown race to many in the SNHL and is sure to provide some edge of your seat racing. Detroit will test every drivers patience and skill set on a rough Detroit river for the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Hydrofest. The pinnacle of the SNHL Season will conclude at the UIM World Championship in sunny San Diego, California where we will determine who the national high points will be here in season 2 of the Saturday Night Hydro League. Many thrills and spills to come in the 2nd half of the season as we head to the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle for the Homestreet Bank Cup.

The U-11 J&D's is open for the season. Just sign up on the season 2 post under leagues by commenting your name and the boat you want to race.

SNHL Southern Cup Race Recap

Guntersville, Alabama would host the 2nd annual season opener for the Saturday Night Hydro League as 20 drivers took part in the Southern Cup at some point during the race weekend. Many interesting storylines developed entering the Southern Cup that contributed to what would be a fantastic showing put on by all of the SNHL drivers in Guntersville. Beau Rarig would replace the defending champion of the series in the U-1 Llumar Window Films as Kanfoush would miss the race due to a scheduling conflict. Rarig was the ideal replacement driver for Kanfoush as he's as consistent as they come and was last year's Southern Cup champion. With Kanfoush absent, the top contenders for this years Southern Cup would be DJ Miller and Matt Johnson, who have had their fair shares of battles with each other last season. These storylines would go on to play a huge role in the race for the Southern Cup.

DJ Miller and Matt Johnson were slated to face off in Heat 1A as the top qualifier DJ Miller would have the edge on Johnson in 1A with Miller finishing 1st and Johnson close behind in 2nd. Tim Johnson would start his season on the right foot with a 1B victory, Saxon Hopp would capture his 2nd heat win of his career in 1C and Beau Rarig started Kanfoush's campaign with a dominant 1D win. Jake Bell in the U-16 Red Bull Racing would get the bizarre 2A win as he was the only boat that would finish, 2B would go to Tim Johnson as he racks up back to back heat wins, Saxon Hopp continued his impressive weekend with a 2C victory, and Matt Johnson would even up the score with DJ Miller as he won 2D with Miller finishing in 3rd.

The 3rd flight of heats saw some epic deck to deck battles with everybody trying to accrue enough points to make the first final of the season. Mickey Washburn in the Kramerica presents Miss Vandelay would punch his ticket into the final with a 3A win, Kelsey Best representing the 12th man got the win in 3B, Beau Rarig got Team Llumar their 2nd heat win of the day in 3C, and DJ Miller secured his spot in the final with a 3D win. The consolation heat would see 6 drivers try to lock in to the trailer position for the Southern Cup as the lineup consisted of Beau Rarig in the U-1 LLumar Window Films, Kelsey Best in the U-12 Miss Seahawks, Peyton Hopp in the U-5 Graham Trucking, Chris Porten in the U-65 Oberto Specialty Meats, Jake Bell in the U-16 Red Bull Racing, and Gavin McClure in the GP-25 H8 Cancer Racing. Rarig was eager to win this race considering he had a near perfect performance in the prelims but crashed out in 2A. Rarig nailed the start and had a flawless race as he advanced on to the Southern Cup final. Peyton Hopp would give pursuit and close in, but ultimately came up one position short after struggling with mechanical issues the whole weekend.

"We were confident entering Guntersville, but the rough waters of Lake Guntersville was too much for our equipment early on. Our rudder bracket failed us in the first flight of heats as the boat was uncontrollable coming to the start. We were able to replace it in time for the 2nd set of heats but the alignment was off for most of the weekend. Heartbreaking way to start the season, but we feel like we can rebound at the Gold Cup if we play our cards right."

After an entertaining weekend of back and forth racing, the Southern Cup was about to be decided as 7 drivers had earned their way into the final. The official lineup would be Beau Rarig in the U-1 LLumar Window Films (trailer), Mickey Washburn in the U-9 Kramerica presents Miss Vandelay, Matt Johnson in the U-10 Matt Johnson Design, Luke Nelson (rookie) in the U-37 Beacon Plumbing, Tim Johnson in the U-50 Miss Tri-Cities, DJ Miller in the U-75 Digital Confectioners presents Depth, and Saxon Hopp in the U-100 Znetix who entered the final as the leader in points after dominating the prelims. He held 5 points over DJ Miller entering the final who also had a commanding set of prelim performances. As the 5 minute gun sounded, disaster would strike before all the boats could enter the course as rookie Luke Nelson in his first final would hit a roller and loose control as he would flip over before he could make his way onto the course. Nelson had a strong day entering the final with 2 2nd place finished and a 3rd but alas he would not see the start of the Southern Cup. This incident would move Beau Rarig up to be eligible to fight for lanes since Nelson was out of the race before the 1 minute gun.

The Milling period saw strategies play out early with DJ Miller trolling and nearly shutting the boat down on the front stretch as early as 2 1/2 minutes. Matt and Tim would slow down and troll back nearly half a front stretch back from Miller around 1:45 to go from the start, meanwhile Saxon Hopp would leapfrog both and slow up near Miller for lane 2. At the 1 minute mark, everybody was legal as Miller maintained his speed to establish lane 1 with Hopp in lane 2 and Matt Johnson in lane 3 with his brother on the outside. Miller and Johnson would nail the start with Hopp a little late in lane 2. Washburn on the outside would lead into turn 1 but have the disadvantage being on the outside with the rough Guntersville waters. Miller would jump out to the lead out of turn 1 with Johnson and Washburn half a roostertail back, vigorously flying the boat to keep in pace with Miller on the inside. Miller would pull ahead from Washburn, but Matt Johnson would stay within a roostertail. DJ Miller would maintain his lead for 5 laps en route to an error-free Southern Cup victory with Matt Johnson finishing strongly in 2nd place and Saxon Hopp edging out Tim Johnson for his first podium finish in 3rd.

DJ Miller seemingly crushed the competition in Guntersville as he came away with 2 heat victories, the 2019 Southern Cup champion, and the current points leader. Arguably the fastest and most efficient driver in the SNHL, Miller is more that satisfied of the weekend results that will give him the confidence needed to continue the momentum in Madison. "I couldn't have asked for a better start to the season. Getting the victory the first race takes a bit of the pressure off to win, so I can focus more on being consistent and hopefully maintain the points lead. The Gold Cup is a big points race with the extra flight of heats. I plan on doing my best to be mistake-free and score as many points as possible. It would be great to score back-to-back wins, but I'm focusing on the big picture."

Matt Johnson would end up as the runner-up in the first race of the season, but that is surely nothing to hang his hat on as his solid performance on the weekend puts him 4th in points and withing striking distance of the points leader. For Johnson, it all comes down to the simplicity of putting in the time and effort to increase your chances of winning. "Practice. I've been working hard to get as much speed out of the boat as I can, especially at Guntersville. It's a rough course and I knew I needed to be at my best in order to compete. I had some pretty tough heat draws but I still had a really solid weekend and that final was really fun. Obviously I'm a little disappointed I couldn't come out with the win but I'm really happy that I was able to keep the pressure on DJ all 5 laps, and 2nd place is a great start to the season."

One of the major surprises of the weekend was the willpower and consistency shown by Saxon Hopp in the U-100 Znetix. Hopp showcased some excellent driving skills during the prelims that notched him 1100 and the points lead entering the final. Exceeding everyone's expectations, including his own, Hopp couldn't be more excited to walk away from the 1st race of the season 2nd in national high points. "Honestly, it's a great feeling. I thought I didn't have a chance, was struggling during testing and qualifying trying to get the boat to settle down in the very unpredictable waters of Lake Guntersville. Race time came and things fell into place I am extremely happy with the results. Could of nailed the start a little bit better in the final, but a 3rd place I can't complain too much about that."

Missing the qualifying session on Friday, the missed time and points didn't seem to phase Tim Johnson in the U-50 Miss Tri-Cities as he put up a solid showing in the preliminary heats, grabbing 2 1st place finishes. He ultimately placed 4th in the final, but ended the season opener on a high note as he currently sits 3rd in season high points. A solid start to the season, Johnson will look to get more aggressive in the battle for lane positioning while staying cautious in order to bring the boat back to the dock in one piece. "I was really happy with the preliminary heats. I got pretty lucky that the guys I was racing against had some equipment failure that i was able to capitalize on. Really wish we could have done better in the final but happy that we were able to finish and get a good point total that puts us in a good spot to start the season. I think to continue this I need to work on getting better lane position and continue to keep the boat on the water. Really looking forward to Madison and looking to try and climb in the standings."

Racing in place for Eddie Kanfoush, Beau Rarig seemed to have just a little rust showing when he was piloting the defending champions boat. Rarig proved to be a force to be reckoned with early on with a 1D victory, but succumbed to the rough waters of Lake Guntersville in 2A as he blew the boat over. Rarig would rebound however with a 3C and consolation heat win, and ended up finishing 5th in the final. "My performance could've been better. I had a solid chance to place Eddie into the top 3 in points, but my rollover in Heat 2A put a stop to that. I guess I'm still rusty from last season. At any rate, the boat is one hell of a machine, and I imagine Eddie will do just fine driving it, and he'll surely be a contender for the high point championship."

Mickey Washburn in the Kramerica presents Miss Vandelay boasted a Bill Muncey like start on the outside as he held the lead all the way to the first turn. He would end up falling back to a 6th place finish as he had no real opportunity to move over to the inside lane as he never had overlap. Despite the 6th place finish, Washburn is in solid positioning on the season so far as he sits 5th in high points. With the level of competitiveness in this league, Washburn knows that you have to pick and choose your battles out on the race course. "We have such a competitive field of boats you have to race smart in the heat races and make sure you make it to the final. Then in the final crank her up hit the start and hope for some luck."

The race for the Southern Cup did not disappoint as race fans witnessed some of the most precise hydroplane drivers in the world battle deck to deck all weekend long. DJ Miller seems to be the early front runner for the SNHL Season 2 champion but it is by far too early to make assumptions with 5 more races to go on the schedule. Matt Johnson has a history with DJ Miller and their battles with each other on the water, so expect their rivalry to heat up at the season goes on. Saxon Hopp came out of nowhere and impressed everybody at Guntersville as he will look to continue to improve after an explosive start to his season. Tim Johnson also looked incredible in Guntersville as he will be a contender to watch out for during the season, and let's not forget that Eddie Kanfoush will be back in his own ride in Madison after Rarig successfully filled in for him. Much more action-packed racing to come from the SNHL as we look forward to the highly anticipated SNHL Gold Cup being held in Madison, Indiana November 15th and 16th!

https://youtu.be/XQK4rmwEcF0

I think the boat just needs to be loosened up a bit in general but I like the new physics because it's more realistic. To be good at this game before, you had to really fly the boat and pull off ridiculously long wheelies. In this newer version its more about keeping the boat on the water as using the wing to fly the boat is a lot less forgiving. The point of no return is a lot closer to how it is in real life in this version.

It's all about picking your battles when to fly the boat and setting up for the corner

With the off-season under wraps and a slew of experimental exhibitions in the books, we look forward to a upcoming SNHL season that brings a completely refined format to the table for season 2. A lot of changes were made to the structure of the league, particularly the milling period procedures with an abundance of rule changes that will completely alter the outcome of races this season. Season 2 will have a new era of Hydrosim racing and with the playing field essentially being reset, drivers will have to rethink their starting procedures for the year.

The biggest rule change this season will be the dismissal of the 80 MPH rule as there will be no speed requirement during the milling period. Without the 80 M.P.H. rule in effect, the milling period will drastically change with even more opportunities for different strategies to take place. Another rule that was terminated for this season is the use of DMZ's as there will be no DMZ violation that can occur that would disqualify a competitor. One of the most intriguing rule additions this season is the 1 minute score up buoy, as all drivers will be required to score up at a specific buoy (exit pin of turn 1) at 1 minute. This rule will provide a unique challenge to all drivers as it ups the ante in the milling period leading up to the race.

Along with these major rule changes, SNHL Season 2 will also be the first season where community created boats can be used alongside the real H1 Unlimited hydroplanes that you saw in Season 1. Some will remain in recognizable H1 unlimited boats while many returning drivers opted to bring their breath-taking creations to the waters for the first time ever in SNHL. What made the registration process ever more entertaining this year, in a season of firsts, was the first annual SNHL Live Draft where many returning drivers made their picks live according to last years positioning in points. Below is the draft recap of the selections that were made in order of last years positioning in Season High Points

1st pick Eddie Kanfoush *U-1 Llumar Window Film
2nd pick Nicholas Miller *U-75 Digital Confectioners Presents Depth
3rd pick Cei Bowen *U-43 Notre Dame
4th pick Matt Johnson *U-10 Matt Johnson Design
5th pick Kelsey Best *U-12 Miss Seahawks
6th pick Mickey Washburn *U-9 Kramerica Presents Miss Vandelay
7th pick Tim Johnson *U-50 Miss Tri-Cities
8th pick Peyton Hopp *U-5 Graham Trucking 2013
9th pick Cale Bruce *U-1918 Oberto Specialty Meats
10th pick Scott Przybylski *U-8 Mr Pringles 1986
11th pick Chris Porten *U-65 Oberto Specialty Meats
12th pick Codee Guyll *U-57 Miss Viper
13th pick Jeff DeWalt *U-31 Super Bee R/T
14th pick David Johnson *U-11 Miss Exide 2
15th pick Quinton Miller *U-67 Miss Sonics
16th pick Jake Bell *U-16 Red Bull Racing
17th pick Saxon Hopp *U-100 Znetix
18th pick Harley Gray *U-6 Frosted Flakes 2019
19th pick Simon Fortin *U-88 Degree Men
20th pick Noah Johns *U-666 Doom Slayer
21st pick Matthieu Brown *U-16 Miss E-Lam plus
22nd pick Luke Nelson *U-37 Beacon Plumbing 2012
23rd pick John Ashby *U-88 Nationwide Insurance
24th pick Tab Hebert *U-33 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
25th pick Craig Montgomery *U-44 Hormel Presents Team Spam

The defending champion of the league, Eddie Kanfoush, comes off of a stellar season 1 after he dominated the field with 14 heat victories and 2 Final heat wins. Sporting a beautiful combination of Llumar Window Films and his fathers 1 litre paint scheme of the Fast Eddie Too, Eddie is more than honored to be running under Bill Wurster as the U-1 while paying homage to his dad's racing career. "The Y-1 Fast Eddie Too was the boat of my childhood. I grew up with that boat, and I never got tired of watching my father drive that hull. He was very successful with it, winning 10 national high points championships in a row before retiring in 2014. When I won the SNHL championship with the Llumar team last year, it seemed like a no-brainer to me. Honoring my father while sticking with the team and sponsor that brought my success is something that I take great pride in, and I’m very excited to start the next season."

Kanfoush will look to continue his dominance this year under a completely refined race format that he hopes will play an advantage to his strategy. "Last season was a surprisingly good year for us, in all honesty I didn't expect to do that well. Now we have a decent amount of changes to the starting procedure, and that's gonna spice things up a bit. Some people are stronger with one format than the other, so that will definitely come into play. For me, I'm just gonna get some testing and practice in and try to maximize my ability to get lane 1 and hit a start. I don't know if I'll be able to defend my title, but I'm sure gonna try! The U-1 Llumar team is prepared, we've made several changes to the hull and we're ready to battle it out with the best of the best!"

DJ Miller wound up as the runner up last season despite being arguably the fastest driver on the water after securing 5 top qualifiers out of 6 races that were ran. Miller has the potential to really make an impact this season and make a run for the title as he feels confident with the new format moving forward. "My plan this season is to be consistent and do my best to put myself in positions where I can run well. I'm proud of my performance in the off-season races and I think if I can replicate how I ran there I have a shot at a championship run. A key component to a championship is making as few mistakes as possible. Last season I made a few too many mistakes, but I feel more confident in my driving abilities now, especially with the new boat. The U-75 DC Presents Depth is a fast ride and capable of devouring the competition, but it is my responsibility as a driver to put the boat in a position to win. The competition will be fierce, so I will need to pick my battles on the water wisely."

The Gold Cup champion Cei Bowen has something to prove in the sophomore season of the SNHL after dueling with DJ Miller for the runner up position late in the season. Unafraid to push any boat to the brink, Bowen has his eyes set on more than just a runner up position this season. "Proved consistent and running good, but not how we wanted the season to go. We are looking to reclaim my title at Detroit and also end out the season on top. Strategy wise we will do the same as last year. Run hard, clean starts, and beat ‘em from the outside. Looking forward to the season, have been doing some repairs and had sponsor issues during the off-season so haven’t done too many practice sessions or races." Bowen will be a force to be reckoned with if he can adapt quickly to the new race format in place this year.

Matt Johnson got better as the season progressed, working his way from the middle of the pack and finished the year 4th in points and a Final heat victory under his name in Seattle. Johnson was often seen as one of the cleaner racers towards the end of the season, hardly committing any penalties and driving a smooth, yet persistent race. Johnson looks to build off the off-season momentum as he has high confidence in his ability to be a top contender in Season 2. "I'm feeling really good about season 2. I've been practicing a lot and I've seen that pay off with some really good results during the off season. I think I can definitely compete for the national championship."

Despite missing 1 race in the season, Kelsey Best still managed to astonishingly place 5th in season high points after boasting a wicked fast boat ride in 2018/2019. Representing the 12th man with his new hull in the U-12 Miss Seahawks, Best looks to better himself in season 2 after an overly impressive season 1 campaign that at one point saw him hold a 4 heat win streak. "The U-12 Miss Seahawks team is excited and ready for the upcoming season. The changes to the start procedure will make for some interesting milling periods. We were fortunate our driver was able to secure Lane 1 consistently last season but we anticipate the competition will be more intense this season. As a team we hope to be able to make all the races as that wasn't the case last season. We are also looking for a bit more consistency from our driver as a lot of unforced errors took away heat wins last season. Improvements in these areas should result in us fighting for the high points championship."

Like many other drivers, Mickey Washburn looks forward to the challenge that awaits the season with the 1 minute score up buoy in effect. Coming off of a top 10 finish in points last season, Washburn looks to make waves in his new Miss Vandelay this year. "This season we will be looking to be consistent and have the boat in position to win. I like the new format. The race before the race should be interesting. I’m betting there will be a huge dog pile at the 1 minute buoy for each final heat. Should be fun. With a little luck this year maybe the Kramerica presents Miss Vandelay can find herself with a race win this season."

Tim Johnson showcased plenty of speed last year as he propelled his way to a 7th place in season high points, but there was more left desired in the inaugural SNHL Season for Johnson. With great talent came great risk for Tim Johnson last season, and unfortunately it hurt him more than it helped in crucial moments. In the SNHL, only those who take the most time and effort to perfect the art of speed on water have the most success and Tim is bound to do that in season 2. "We need to make sure to practice more. We put ourselves in many difficult situations because we couldn't keep the boat on the water. Getting familiar with the water will be key in securing better finishes. We had a good offseason and are looking forward to season 2."

The learning curve was bittersweet for Peyton Hopp in Season 1 after placing 8th place in season high points. Slowly developing as a driver Peyton Hopp has shown potential for consistency towards the end of last season and is eager to gain more experience in Season 2. The first driver in the draft that stayed with a real H1 Unlimited team, Hopp looks to make a statement this season. "Left season 1 with mixed emotions about our performance on the year, but we leave our first year behind us and have a great feeling about Season 2. Have to thank Schumacher for the opportunity to represent a great team and wish them luck on the upcoming year as they look to develop a new driver like myself. I'm stoked to sign on to Porter for the year and show all these driver owned teams how it's done!"

The rest of the returning SNHL field will all be sporting new colors as the majority finds themselves in their own beloved creation. The 2019 fleet will be a sight to see with many up and coming drivers like Chris Porten, Codee Guyll, Jeff DeWalt, and Quinton Miller will look to make an impact in some of the more awe-inspiring schemes this year. While many drivers have chosen to jump in their self-created hulls, drivers like Cale Bruce, Scott Pryzbylski and Saxon Hopp have found H1 Unlimited teams to pair with in a season that lacks them. Hopp in particular continues with Leland Unlimited in the U-100 Znetix and is poised for a hopeful sophomore campaign. "Fred Leland got some good equipment during the offseason, I got my rookie stripes out of the way. Looking to work on my qualifying speeds as well getting lane 1 and mixing it up with the competition I have a good feeling about Seafair with this boat. Fred has some of the best rough water boats and it's up to me to execute at every course we run on this year. I am happy to be apart of Leland Unlimited and to have Znetix on board."

By far one of the most interesting developments in the off-season was the return of a former multi-time UHL Champion as Craig Montgomery announced that he would bring the U-44 Hormel presents Team SPAM out of retirement. One of the most dominant drivers in UHL history, Montgomery will be a household name in his first season on competition in the SNHL. While his previous racing experience shows how efficient he was out on the water, Hydrosim and the SNHL is a completely different league than what the UHL consisted of. For Montgomery's first year back in competition, he doesn't expect any immediate success as he begins to learn the ropes in the SNHL. "I don't really have any goals! I haven't mastered these physics and I don't have the practice time that I used to. I hope to make good starts and stay out of trouble."

With all of the sudden changes in year 2 of the SNHL, this season will be a season of firsts as this years competition on the water will be incomparable to last years. Many drivers have honed their skills in the off-season, long awaiting the chance to prove their worth to compete with the very best of the best. Many potential storylines are up in the air before the season even begins, the racing atmosphere seems so palpable this year compared to last. Ranging from the obvious battle for the championship to who the 1st ever rookie of the year will be, there will be no shortage of entertainment throughout the season at every position.

Do you have what it takes to push yourself to the absolute limit, to overcome adversity, and to immortalize yourself as the Champion of SNHL Season 2? The path the glory starts Friday, October 25th in Guntersville, Alabama.

Peyton Hopp
U-9 Castrol

Mickey Washburn, Saxon Hopp, and I are proud to announce the sophomore season of the Saturday Night Hydro League! This will be the first Hydrosim season that includes both real H1 Unlimited and fantasy ones. The racing format has been slightly changed this year with the major change being the milling period. There will be no speed requirement during the mill, a 1 minute score up buoy (exit pin of turn 1 at every course), and no DMZ's. See the official SNHL Season 2 Rulebook here http://uhlhydroplanes.com/topic/163/snhl-season-2-rulebook

Below is the official SNHL Season 2 schedule (All times are set in Pacific time)
Oct 26th Southern Cup @ Guntersville, AL 6pm
Nov 16th SNHL Gold Cup @ Madison, IN 5:30pm (4 heats)
Dec 14th Columbia Cup @ Tri-Cities, WA 5:30pm (4 heats)
Jan 4th Homestreet Bank Cup @ Seattle, WA 6pm
Jan 18th Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Hydrofest @ Detroit, MI 6pm
Feb 8th UIM World Championship @ San Diego, CA 5:30pm 4 heats

You can register yourself for the season by commenting on this post with your name and the boat you'll be using. You may use a real H1 Unlimited or Fantasy Unlimited, but please ask for permission to use a Fantasy boat that you didn't paint yourself! Remember that there shall be no more than 2 boats with the same #.

REGISTERED BOATS

2019 U-1 Llumar Window Film -Eddie Kanfoush
2019 U-75 Digital Confectioners presents Depth -Nicholas Miller
2019 U-43 Notre Dame -Cei Bowen
2019 U-10 Matt Johnson Design -Matt Johnson
2019 U-12 Miss Seahawks -Kelsey Best
2019 U-9 Kramerica presents Miss Vandelay -Mickey Washburn
2019 U-50 Miss Tri-Cities -Tim Johnson
2013 U-5 Graham Trucking -Peyton Hopp
2019 U-1918 Oberto Specialty Meats -Cale Bruce
1986 U-8 Mr. Pringles -Scott Przybylski
2019 U-65 Oberto Specialty Meats -Chris Porten
2019 U-57 Miss Viper -Codee Guyll
2019 U-31 Super Bee R/T -Jeff Dewalt
1996 U-11 Miss Exide 2 -David Johnson
2019 U-67 Miss Sonics -Quinton Miller
2019 U-16 Red Bull Racing -Jake Bell
2001 U-100 Znetix -Saxon Hopp
2019 U-6 Frosted Flakes -Harley Gray
2019 U-666 Doom Slayer -Noah Johns
2006 U-16 Miss E-Lam Plus -Matthieu Brown
2012 U-37 Beacon Plumbing -Luke Nelson
2019 U-88 Nationwide Insurance -John Ashby
2019 U-33 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing -Tab Hebert
2012 U-44 Hormel presents Team Spam -Craig Montgomery
2019 U-90 Easton Eagles Racing -Nick Kish
2019 GP-25 H8 Cancer Racing -Gavin McClure
1998 U-20 Appian Jeronimo -Anthony Luce
2019 GP-9 Miss Cleopatre -Shawn Halle
2015 U-96 Miss Elam Plus -Kyle Lewis
1996 U-15 Aussie Endeavor -Aidan Shan
2018 U-7 Spirit of Detroit -Tyler Kaddatz
2001 U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto -Mitchell Adams
2016 U-11 Peters & May -Adam Frankham
2013 U-22 Webster Racing -Travis Johnson
1982 U-00 Atlas Van Lines -Brian Johnson
1992 U-102.5 Coors Dry -Adam Putich
2019 GP-52 Wanna Bee Racing -Jay Sedrowski

Peyton Hopp
U-99.9 Paynewest Insurance 2019

For the first time in UHL history, we will be holding a live SNHL Draft on Discord for the Saturday Night Hydro League season 2. The 'live' draft will be pick by pick announcements of boats that each driver will be racing in the upcoming season. This year, real and fantasy boats are eligible to compete in season 2 so you have a wide variety of options for boat selection.

The selection process will be based on last years national high points which can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hlvN3qbJ1gVwvZPYNm4MwRkKFdmJe7Zn35EhXoJI4eU

1st pick will be Eddie Kanfoush, 2nd pick will be DJ Miller, 3rd pick will be Cei Bowen and so forth.

You will make your selection by sending either me, Mickey, or Saxon a DM on Discord with your boat selection. Be prepared to have a list of choices for boats in case your primary choice gets taken before you. There will be 2 minutes in between picks so make sure your ready when its your turn!

The first official SNHL Draft will take place on Friday, August 23rd at 6:00 P.M. Pacific in the channel 'Just Hanging Out'. If you wish to participate in this Live Draft, comment your name on this post. If you don't think you will be able to make the live draft, you may either send us your choices (ranking from your top choice on down) through DM prior to the draft, or register your boat on the official SNHL Season 2 post that will be made shortly after the draft.

We hope to see you at the first ever SNHL Draft!

Draft participants:

Peyton Hopp
Saxon Hopp
Mickey Washburn
Harley Gray
Eddie Kanfoush
Nicholas Miller
Cei Bowen
Noah Johns
Chris Porten
Matt Johnson
Tim Johnson
Jeff Dewalt
Codee Guyll
Scott Przybylski

0. Boat Registration

• The boat you register can be a real H1 Unlimited or a Fantasy Unlimited.

• When registering boats, the amount of same U-#s shall be limited to 2. For instance, if the U-7 Graham Trucking and U-7 Valken Sports are registered, we will not accept any more boats with the U-# as U-7, no matter if your boat is a real boat or a fantasy boat. No more than 1 fantasy boat and no more than 1 real boat of the same number can be registered for a league, no matter the division you are racing in.

• Only the defending national champion in Division 1 can use the number U-1.

• If a driver chooses to run a fantasy boat that was painted by someone else, they must get the owner’s permission to run their boat.

• Newly registered drivers are placed in SNHL Division 2. To move into Division 1, a driver must place in the top five in national high points at the end of the season in Division 2.

• Division 1 is restricted to 24 drivers. At the end of the season, the bottom five in high points are “demoted” to Division 2.

1. Pre-Race

1.1 Qualifying

• Each boat shall be allowed a maximum of four laps for Time Trials.

• For Official SNHL League Events, the qualifying sessions shall commence One Hour before the start of the first heat race. Sessions are private with groups of up to six boats at once. These private sessions mean that other boats on the water are not visible to the individual drivers. Groups are determined by reverse order of high points.

• If a boat flips, spins or rolls in qualifying, the driver may continue to complete the rest of their allotted laps. No extra laps will be given if a boat crashes.

• Qualifying will be used in the event of a tiebreaker for the final heat. The boat with the fastest one lap time will advance over the slower qualified boat. IE: If two boats are tied after the heats and one is to make the final heat and one be relegated to the consolation, the faster qualified boat would advance. Points will be awarded to boats qualifying that would go toward the high point season total and apply toward the event total.

• A qualifying lap will be disallowed if a boat misses or dislodges a buoy. If a boat drives outside the racecourse to get a “running start” for a lap time, then that lap will also be disallowed.

• If a driver is late to their qualifying session, they may request to qualify after all the other groups have qualified if they notify a race commissioner beforehand. If a driver does not inform a commissioner that they will be late to an event, then the driver will not be drawn into any heats.

2. Race

2.1 Restarts

• Restarts are only allowed if 50% or more of the drivers in a single heat get kicked off the server during a heat before the leader completes lap two. Should this happen, then the heat will be completely restarted. If this occurs after the leader has completed lap two, the heat will be deemed completed from what the standings were at the point before the server malfunction. For a final heat, the leader must complete 3 laps before the heat is considered finished.

• Drivers who received one-lap penalties in the first running of a restarted heat will have their penalties rescinded, but they must start on the outside-most lane for the restart.

• Drivers who crashed in the initial running of a heat may race in the restart and fight for lanes.

2.2 Milling (5-minute period)

• The jockeying for position after the five-minute gun is called milling.

• 2.2.1: Safe Entry to Course- When leaving the pit area, you may enter the course anywhere so long as not to interfere with boats already on the course at speed.

• It is the full responsibility of the driver entering the course to make a safe entrance. If a wreck occurs due to a driver entering the course poorly, depending on the severity, a 1 Lap penalty or Disqualification from the heat may be assessed.

2.2.2: Cutting the Course: Cutting the course is allowed anywhere and anytime during the mill except the turns. Once a boat passes the yellow entrance pin, it must complete the turn.

• (a) Cutting the course is permitted if a boat does not impede the path of another driver.
• (b) Once a boat has entered the infield, it no longer has right of way when re-entering the course. Therefore, it is the full responsibility of the driver cutting the course to make sure it is clear (i.e., there is proper overlap) before re-entry. To re-establish a lane, a boat must reenter the course and pass two straightaway buoys. Turn buoys (entrance pin to exit pin) do not count as straightaway buoys.
• (c) Once a boat willingly enters the infield, the driver must complete the infield cut and must NOT loop back to the same straightway without first entering the opposite straightaway.

2.2.3- Late in Starting

• 2.2.3.1. No boat shall be allowed to leave the pits after the beginning of the one-minute warning period.

2.2.4: 1 Minute Buoy - All boats shall not pass the exit pin of Turn 1 (designated the 1 Minute Buoy) prior to the one-minute mark (1:00.00) on the clock.

• (a) Boats passed the Score-up Buoy prior to the one-minute period shall be required to legally traverse the course and pass the 1 Minute Buoy to be a legal starter.
• (b) Failure to pass the 1 Minute Buoy after the one-minute mark will result in a 1 lap penalty.
• (c) If a boat jumps the 1-minute pin, they may go around and pass it again to rescind the penalty if they can do so safely.

2.2.5: Lane Commitment Buoy - The commitment buoy will be the yellow turn 2 entrance buoy.

• (a) Exceptions - At Detroit, the lane commitment buoy will be the last orange straight away buoy prior to the yellow entrance turn marker buoy. At Havasu, the lane commitment buoy will be the last orange buoy before the entrance pin of turn three.
• (b) Once the lane commitment buoy is passed, each driver must maintain their lane all the way through the start/finish line. After the start/finish line is crossed, all normal overlap rules are in effect.
• (c) If a boat ahead of you occupies the lane you are in, you must move to the outside of that boat.
• (d) In cases where a lead boat takes an outer lane, if an inside lane is available you may take it.
• (e) Any overly aggressive attempt at stealing a lane, as determined by the official, will be penalized with a 1 lap penalty.

2.3 Race Format

• 2.3.1- All races except the GOLD CUP and WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP shall be standardized and consist of:
• (a) Three Qualification heats.
• (b) One Provisional heat (optional)
• (c) One Final Heat.

2.3.2- All Qualification heats shall be determined by a blind draw.

2.3.3- Provisional Heat (Optional) - Boats not seeded to the final shall be eligible to run in the provisional heat.

• (a) Provisional heat shall be three (3) Laps.
• (b) No points are awarded for the Provisional Heat.
• (c) The winner of the Provisional Heat shall start as the provisional starter in the Final Heat.
• (d) The Provisional boat shall not interfere with the five or six front row Final qualifiers during their maneuvering for Lane 1.
• (e) Any boat qualifying for the Final Heat via the Provisional Heat unless allowed to move up shall follow the Final Heat Qualified boats past the commitment buoys after the one-minute period has begun.
• (f) The Provisional boat shall start five (5) seconds after zero zero (:00.00) on the starting clock, unless a different time has been designated by the Chief Referee.
• (g) The Provisional boat may occupy any open lane at the start.
• (h) The Provisional boat start shall be independent of any other boat who may be late on the start.
• (i) The Provisional boat shall be penalized for jumping the gun (JG) if it crosses the start/finish line prior to its mandated start delay time per item (f.) above.
• (j) The Provisional boat may move up to the front row if a front row-qualifying boat fails to make the 1:00 mark. The official for the heat must announce that the trailer boat can fight for lanes if this occurs.

2.3.4. Final Heat - The Final heat field shall consist of those boats accumulating the highest point totals from the Time Trial Period and qualification heats, plus the winner of the provisional heat as the provisional starter if a provisional heat has been run and completed.

• (a) Final heat shall be five (5) Laps.
• (b) Time trial order shall be used to break any ties on points for determining eligibility for the Final Heat.
• (c) The number of boats competing in the Final Heat shall be announced by the commissioners prior to the race.
• (d) There will be a driver rollcall prior to the provisional and final heats. If a driver in the provisional heat does not answer the call, then they cannot run the provisional and the first boat out of the provisional race on points will be allowed to run in their place.
• (e)If a driver does not answer the call for the final prior to the provisional heat being run, then the highest boat in points not in the final gets to move into the final heat in their place.

3. Racing Rules

3.1 Illegal Start-

• Any boat that crosses the starting line with less than 15 seconds remaining until the start of the race shall be declared an illegal starter and shall receive a 1-lap penalty.

3.2 Striking, Missing or Passing Buoys

• A boat that strikes and thereby dislodges a buoy at any time shall be penalized a lap.

• A dislodged buoy ceases to be a marker and may be disregarded.

• When an offending boat forces an unoffending boat into a buoy that is struck and thereby becomes dislodged then the offending boat shall receive a lap penalty.

• Driving inside the orange or yellow inside course markers after the five-minute clock has ended will result in a 1 lap penalty. Driving outside a white outer course marker at any point during a heat will result in a 1 lap penalty.

3.3 Side by Side Racing

• Competing boats shall maintain a safe lane for each other. 1 lane consists of sufficient room for the inside boat to complete the corner without being impeded by the roostertail of the outside boat. Any boat that fails to maintain 1 lane is said to encroach on the other boat's path, and may be subject to a 1 lap penalty or if repeat offenses occur a DSQ can be assessed. A safe interval or “overlap” is considered one roostertail which varies depending on the speed of the boats.

• Direct contact between boats will result in an encroachment penalty if the contact impairs another driver.

3.4 Bearing in and Bearing out

• The lead boat has the right to set the arc through the turns. Upon entering the turn the lead boat can Bear in (drift to the inside) or Bear out (drift to the outside). The same is applied when exiting the turn, the boat ahead can Bear in or Bear out. However, the lead boat MUST leave lanes for any boats to the inside or outside of them or a 1 lap penalty will be assessed. Also, if this bearing in/out is found to be excessive, for instance drifting over more than 3 lanes, a 1 lap penalty will be assessed.

3.5 Changing Lanes

• On the straightaway, the passing boat must move at least one roostertail length ahead before altering its course to the buoy line. At that time, the boat being passed loses all rights until it re-establishes an overlap and shall, if necessary, slacken speed to avoid risks of collision. During the milling period, this means that the boat that was passed or ‘leapfrogged’ must safely move to an outside lane. If multiple boats get leapfrogged at once, then the outside most boat that was passed is the first to re-establish itself in an outside lane.

• Should the passing boat not have established the one roostertail interval before reaching the entrance buoy to a turn, an overlap shall not exist.

• Overlap rules cease to apply when boats are so slow that they lose all visible roostertail.

3.6 Blowovers

• If a driver blows over, flips, barrel-rolls, or otherwise crashes the boat during a heat, they are not allowed to continue racing in said heat. It does not matter whether the boat lands upside-down or right-side-up. If a driver crashes during a heat, they must hit the ESC key and “Leave” the heat. This will result in a “DNF” or “DNS” and no points will be awarded. The race official may allow a driver to continue in the heat if a crash is deemed minor (i.e., a flat spin or hook without rolling over).

3.7 Rookies

• If a driver has not competed in a previous HydroSim League Event, they will be given a Rookie Status. What this rookie status means is that during the race, the rookie drivers must stay in the outside lanes for their first two heats. After completion of two heats, if a majority of the commissioners believe that the Rookie has learned well enough to stick his nose in and race with everyone, they will be moved out of the rookie status. If the vote does not pass, they must run a full additional event as a rookie before moving out of rookie status.

4. Control Aids and Cheating
 
4.1 Control aids

• 4.1.1: A hydroplane must get its control inputs directly from the driver's input device (racing wheel and pedals, game controller, or keyboard/mouse.)

• 4.1.5: Penalties: 1st instance will result in loss of qualification points or disqualification from a heat race. 2nd instance will result in disqualification from the heat and event, and a kick from the server. Any instance in a subsequent event will result in a ban from the server.

4.2 Cheating

• 4.2.1: Any form of cheating will not be tolerated. If caught cheating, punishment can range from DSQ from the race to banishment. Punishment severity will be at the discretion of all league commissioners.

• Only league commissioners are permitted to use the in-game server admin abilities during official league races. Commissioners may grant permission for some one to use them for an event. Anyone who uses server admin power without permission may be disqualified from an event. Repeat offenses will result in points being subtracted from the driver’s high point total, and potential banishment from the league.

5. Points

• Points are awarded for both qualifying and all non-consolation heats (including the final).

5.1 Qualifying

• As stated earlier, points are given to the fastest qualifiers. These points apply toward the day's total and for the league's high point title. They are awarded as follows:

Pos Points

1. 100
2. 80
3. 70
4. 60
5. 50
6. 40
   7 to Last. 30
   DNQ. 0

5.2 Heats

• All heats and finals will award points as follows:

Pos Points

1. 400
2. 300
3. 225
4. 169
5. 127
6. 95
7. 71
   DNS/DNF/DSQ 0

• In the event of a tie in qualifying, both drivers will receive the maximum points for that position (ex, a tie for 2nd in qualifying means both drivers get 80 points, the next boat gets 60 points in 4th). In the event of a tie during a race, the average of the two positions is taken. For example, if two boats tie for first, then both boats will receive 350 points (400 + 300, divided by 2 = 350).

6. Incidents

6.1 Penalties

*The 1st instance of a lane violation or encroachment as described above will normally result in a 1 lap penalty. A violation observed to be particularly egregious or causes another boat to crash will result in immediate disqualification from the heat, at the discretion of the official for the heat. The boat who was crashed shall receive fourth place (169) points for the heat.

• The 2nd instance of lane violation or encroachment will result in disqualification from the heat.

6.2 Discord Rules

• All drivers who are about to enter the course for a heat must enter the channel titled “On the Water”. All other drivers who are not participating in a heat may not enter the channel titled “On the Water” unless they are spotting for another driver. An official must be present in the “On the Water” channel before the start of a heat. If you need to leave your computer, please enter the channel titled “AFK”. The Race Director will check to see if anyone is in this channel prior to beginning a heat. Officials and commissioners discuss penalties and other issues in the “Official’s Tower” channel. The “Announcer’s Booth” channel is used by streamers and casters during races.

7. Finality of Results

• Heat results are final once the next heat starts.

• Final heat results are final once all possible penalties are reviewed.

• If a driver contests a penalty call, then they can request a straw poll for other drivers to vote on. A straw poll will be granted at the discretion of the heat official. A poll must reach a majority to reach a conclusive result. Options on a poll are “Yes”, “No”, and “Inconclusive”.

• If the majority vote on a poll is inconclusive, then the call reverts to the heat official’s original call.

• If a poll is a tie between “Yes” and “No”, then the race commissioners vote and break the tie.

• A maximum of five minutes is allowed in order to review penalties in heats. The final heat allows unlimited time to review to penalties.

The game comes with a good selection of boats. More paint schemes available for download can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DIOr89tJfDemsREYHmlu6wHNi_Ua7C4M

We have monthly exhibitions going on at the moment as you can go to the leagues page to check it out and sign up if you want. We also have a discord channel where you can chat with us about the game and everything hydroplane related. Our signature season, the Saturday Night Hydro League, takes place in the winter time where the racing gets real competitive!

You can join our discord channel and there will most likely be somebody who can race with you. If you want to jump on the UHL server in game, type in 'Uhlhydroplanes.com' in the server box to join the server that we use to race

I am proud to announce the first ever UHL go kart invitation race that is happening on Tri Cities weekend. Me and Saxon Hopp have been in talks with the owners of the Tri Cities Fast Tracks group and they have allowed us to hold our very own go kart race after hours. The race will take place on Friday, July 26th with a drivers meeting at 9 P.M. and racing beginning at 9:30. If less than 6 people are to show, we will hold a quick qualifying session (2 laps) to determine the starting order for the main race. If more than 6 show, we will be holding 10 lap heat races randomly drawn to determine inside and outside starting grids for the race.

Me and Saxon can arrange transportation needs if applicable. If you have any questions regarding the event, DM me or Saxon. You can sign up on this page by commenting your name so we can know who is planning on attending. We hope to meet and race you all in Tri Cities at the first annual Tri Cities Go Kart Gold Cup!
Where: Fast Tracks Tri Cities Columbia Center, 1321 N Columbia Center Blvd, Kennewick, WA 99336
When: Friday, July 26th at 9:30 P.M.

Schedule:
UHL meet up and drivers meeting: 9:00-9:30 P.M.
Qualifying (if less than 6 show): 9:30-9:45 P.M.
heat draws and heat races (if more than 6 show): 9:30-10:00 P.M.
Tri Cities Go Kart Gold Cup Final: 10:00 P.M.

Qualifying would be 2 laps
Heat races would be 10 laps
Final will be a 30 lap main event

Entrant list:
Peyton Hopp
Saxon Hopp
Cei Bowen
Mickey Washburn
DJ Miller
Quinton Miller
Beau Rarig
Noah Johns
Matt Johnson
Cale Bruce
Tim Johnson

Peyton Hopp
U-20 Rockstar Energy

Attention all drivers that are going to, or would like to, compete in SNHL season 2:

Please answer this survey question regarding the format of boat selection for the upcoming season so we can get an idea of what the majority of people want to see in future SNHL seasons.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S3XSJZN

Peyton Hopp
U-33 Miss Red Bull