Photos by Chris Denslow
That's unlimited hydroplane's Gold Cup champion Terry Troxell
in the middle helping get the GEICO of Lakewood Presents the
Namron Racing Team's hull out of the water. For the sponsor,
we call this the "money shot."

Our lady upside down in the water. But thanks to the Region 10
Rescue team, it wasn't for very long.

Earlier in the day, Tylor Echols drove the boat and made her
look fast.

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Videos

Bud going through capsule training on March 21, 2009, at Underwater Sports in Seattle.

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That's "Uncle" Mikey Jarvis in the middle on the ropes.

Pateros Flip -- August 2008

I'd like to say first that I LOVE our Region 10 Rescue team. Whenever the next club meeting is, the pizza's on me! Thanks so much for getting me out of the boat and back to the beach to hug my daughter. And a HUGE thanks to Tim Smith, Ryan Blankenship and Jason Jacqua - new members of the Namron Racing Team -- who got the boat back upright and on the trailer…and will help get her back on the water as soon as possible. (I hope). And, as always, thanks to "Coach" Mikey Jarvis for being there to help guide "Nammy" back on dry land.

My heartfelt apologies to my daughter Shadey for scaring her like that. I was fine until I saw her on the beach waiting for me to come out of the patrol boat. If you see the picture of her holding my mirror, you'll see that my beautiful baby girl was a little upset.

Sorry kido -- Shadey McKay.

I heard that Austin Eacret went into the water to help, too. Thanks, Ausie. Jeff Bernard quarterbacked the recovery of the boat into the pits. Considering the deep river and the sharp rocks on the shore, the damage to the boat could have been worse - so thanks Jeff…I thank you and my sponsors thank you. ;) If there's anyone I'm missing, please, understand that I wasn't there at the recovery - but I thank anyone and everyone who helped out. Oh, and Mikey -- that mask you built worked great! I never got a drop of water in the mask. THANKS.

Also on hand at the race was a new sponsor for the GEICO of Lakewood Presents the Namron Racing Team - Ron House. Ron is the CEO of West Sound Electric Inc. of Bremerton. Welcome to the team Ron! Ron brought his son, Matt to the race as well. These are two HUGE additions to the team and the sport. Soon, we'll sport West Sound Electric decals on the boat with GEICO of Lakewood, Tranquility Homecare.com, and McDonough and Sons Inc. We'll need a bigger boat just to sport the decals.

Photo by Linda A
Sue Starr, my sister and crew chief for when we are in Phoenix, made her hydroplane debut. So obviously, this was her first time watching me race. I flipped the boat right in front of her. She said that she knew it was going to be trouble when she saw both "Gecko" decals at the same time.

Photo by Linda A

Photo by Linda A

Photo by Tim Crowley

Photo by Tim Crowley

Firebird Flip -- April 2008

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Talk about getting a win the hard way -- Belfair's Bud McKay flipped the GEICO of Lakewood Presents the Namron Racing Team's hydroplane in heat four Sunday but still managed to win the Trafficade presents Unlimited Lights at Firebird 8-Cylinder Lighter-Than-LIGHTS race.

"The hull has a crack on the top deck, the engine cowling took a big hit and was pieced together with duct-tape and the distributor is shot, but I did have some good news," said McKay when interviewed after the flip. "I managed to save 15 percent off my insurance by calling GEICO of Lakewood, Wash., when I was being towed in."

At the start of heat four, McKay piloted the GEICO hull to the inside lane on the tight and dangerous Firebird one-and-a-quarter-mile track. The GEICO hull dove into the first turn after passing through the speed traps at close to 110 mph with Lake Havasu, Arizona's, Mike Schroder on his outside. McKay couldn't hold the GEICO hull through the turn and just missed hitting Schroder by a few inches before both boats were at the apex of the turn.

The GEICO hull rode up in the roostertail of Schroder as the boats were both heading into a 25-mph head wind. The GEICO hull then corkscrewed in the wind, hit upside down, and then landed right-side-up.

"I thought for sure I hit Mike," McKay said, the two-time defending 8-Cylinder LTL champion. "I had that steering wheel cranked to the left as far as she would go and I had the throttle all the way to the floor. I hoped I could spin the boat out to avoid the collision. But all of a sudden, all I saw was white from Mike's roostertail. And then the racecourse was where the sky was just a split second ago."

Ironically, the damage to the hull was minimal, and McKay with the help of Belfair's Steve Clark, and Rick and Sue Starr, from El Paso, Texas, got the boat ready for the fifth and final heat of the weekend in less than two hours.

Photo by Tim Crowley