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Taking apart "Black Beauty;" the engine of the E-10 -- (Feb. 28, 2010)

Ed Bernard takes apart "Black Beauty," the engine to the E-10.

After taking off the zoomies, Ed gets working on the rest of the engine of the E-10 so the team can refreshen her.

Why is Bud 'rassling with the runner of the left sponson? (Video link) Feb. 27, 2010

Click on picture to start video of
Bud McKay taking off runner of the
left sponson of the E-10

And the major work on the E-10 starts... -- (Feb. 24, 2010)

Thomas Sparrowgrove, left, and Bud McKay transport the lift to the Namron Racing Team's hangar to lift the 5-Litre hydroplane. (Photo by Julie Sparrowgrove)

Thomas, left, starts lifting the boat off the trailer while Bud runs for cover. ;) (Photo by Julie Sparrowgrove)

As an insurance measure, while we had to work under Nammy on the new, untested crib, we left the lifting straps on her. (Photo by Julie Sparrowgrove)

Before Bud started to cut with the sawsall, he takes a long look at where he's about to cut into the boat. (Photo by Julie Sparrowgrove)

Here's a scary combination -- Bud and a sawsall. Bud cut a straight line every six inches along the left airtrap to help form an inside bevel on the inside edge of the airtrap. As you can see from the airtrap, it completely upright. In the turn, the air trap catches the water and acts like a break. By putting an angle on the leading edge, the hope is the boat will slide rather than plow. (Photo by Julie Sparrowgrove)

It works! Nammy's safe and secure on the new crib. We got right to work on her and the trailer. We can multi task!

With Nammy now off the trailer, we made some modifications to the trailer. We beefed-up the "L" bunk on the left to give it more strength (above); then we discovered the welded on angle brackets were slanted inward, so we added some shim material (washers) on the top portion of the angle bracket to make it straight (right)

 

Talk about planning on the go... -- (Feb. 20, 2010)

Here's what happens when you find out the lift to pick up a boat is too big to get into the hangar door. We had to construct a crib to hold the E-10 so we can lift her outside the hangar and then move her back into the hangar. We did a quick drawing; ran to the hardware store to get the supplies and spent four hours figuring out how to do it.

Click here for a video our our crew day Half of the team was working on the crib and the other half wet sanded the E-10. Oh, she's going to look great with the new paint job with Commerical Driver Services. She'll look a lot better than she does now.

A template for the extension on our skid fin. Jon Zimmerman, one of the classiest and top drivers in our class (and world record holder), recommended that we scoot the trailing edge of the skid fin back closer toward the center of gravity. Now we just have to figure out how! We're basing a lot of it on another good friend's extension on his "zoomie" 5-Litre -- Jim Mauldin. We'll have to put a support rod about mid-way through the extension and another at the mid-point of the skid fin itself. Steve Clark came to the hangar Saturday and gave us some great ideas. That's what I love about our sport -- we race against these guys, but all are always available to help out.

Here's a top view of Jim Mauldin's extension and support structure for his skid fin. We'll mirror his concept and see what it does. Jim's extension goes back quite a bit as well.

 

More work on the E-10 -- (Feb. 16, 2010)

Oh yeah, little Mitchie will fit right right in with our team. He even comes with his own sound effects.

Zane, left, and Mitchie, team up to work on the back-brace of the fuel cell plate for the E-10.

Just about there. Scott Wolf on the sander on the E-10.

Zane Courtway applying a little bondo to the decks of the E-10. We'll be ready to spray on the primer soon.

Getting the E-10 ready for paint -- (Feb. 15, 2010)

Click here or click on photo to launch video from Feb. 15, 2010. This is our newest crewmember, Mitchie Wolf. Mitchie and his dad, Scott Wolf, were in the hangar today helping remove all of the decals of the E-10 to help get her ready for her new paint job.

Feb. 15, 2010 -- Here's Mitchie Wolf in the cockpit. He's a third grader at Port Orchard's Ollala Elementary School.

Wrenches sing, sanders fly on UL-10 -- (Dec. 16, 2009)

Kristen and Grayson Edsinger work on the UL-10. Kristen works on removing the strut, and Grayson sands the deck.

Grayson Edsinger sands the rear portion of the UL-10.

Grayson tried out the cockpit of the UL-10.

Bud McKay does a little body work on the rear portion of the UL-10.

Namron Racing Team's "Crew Welcome" party, Bremerton National Airport -- (Dec. 12, 2009)
Photos by Kristen Edsinger

The Namron Racing Team held a special "welcome party" for some of the crew members who are going to be working on the new Unlimited Lights hull (UL-10).

Crew members swarmed over the new hull and started to take "dibs" on their projects. Little do they know they'll be working on pretty much everything! ;)

The sun actually came out and warmed up the temperatures to the low 30s. The warmest it's been in a couple of weeks.

In a few weeks, no one will be standing around; they'll be working.

A big thanks to Kristen Edsinger. What a great treat when we opened up the hangar doors. She decorated the hangar with stars, balloons, streamers -- had cake and goodies, sodas, coffee and hot chocolate...and some beer! She also got everyone together in the Bremerton Airport Diner before hand and ordered appetizers. Thanks again, Kristen -- you are the best!

Washington National Guard Display, Camp Murray, Wash.-- (Dec. 11, 2009)

The West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood on display outside of the open house for members of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and community partners for the Washington National Guard at Camp Murray.

Tommy Carson, at the microphone, the transition assistance coach at Camp Murray for the Washinton National Guard, speaks to a group of visitors at the new "Career Counseling, Employment, Transition Assistance, Problem solving, Resource Connectors, Etc...Etc...Etc" for the Washington National Guard at Bldg 3-; J9 at Camp Murray.

Welcome UL-10 (Nov. 30, 2009) -- Photos by Kristen Edsinger

We pull the UL-10 into the hangar Saturday night.

Two "10s" side by side for the first time. The E-10 and UL-10.

Bud McKay's first picture with the UL-10.

Bud climbs into the cockpit to see if he can fit. And...

...he fits!

Bud's a happy camper.

Moving Day (Nov. 22, 2009) -- Mobile Photos by Bud McKay
Thanks to Bill and Lynn Sleeper for the use of their hangar at Belfair National Airport

Moving Day! Here we are pulling up to the hangar.

Before we could move the boat in the hangar, Harley grabbed the broom and sweept the hangar.

This was fun! We're not flying a really big kite; we're air drying the tarp that's going under the boat in the hangar. It was all Harley could do to hang onto it.

Harley, sporting her "Namron Cowgirl" hat, waves a big howdy. Actually I had her hold the measuring tape at the top of the hangar. Good thing. The top of the entrance is three inches lower than the top of the truck. So Harley and I had to use the old fashioned horse power to move the boat in the hangar.

One boat in; one boat to go.

Nammy's safe and sound in her new digs. She must feel like a real race boat now having an official shop.

Silverdale Thunder pictures (Aug. 20, 2009) -- Photos by Walt Ottenad

Matt Mattson, easy to spot with the white X on the cockpit, brings the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood down the front chute.

Bud McKay up close in turn number 1.

Bud McKay gives the rescue team a wave after completing the final lap in the final heat.

Bud McKay, left, Shane Pratt, middle, and Chris Dreewes on the awards platform at the trophy presentation.

Silverdale Thunder pictures (Aug. 19, 2009) -- Photos by Kristen Edsinger

Bud McKay brings the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood onto the course for the final at Silverdale Thunder.

After finishing third in the final, Bud McKay gets towed back into the pits. The pits were pretty packed. All the boats coming in from the final had no room as the G-boats and UL-boats were in the water for their final heat. So McKay and the other "little guys" had to park in front of the pits.

If Kristen was just a little faster on the draw, she could have shot a picture of Bud playing his air guitar while being towed back to the pits.

Nammy all ready to go after a great weekend of racing. We had a great turn out of friends, family and fans helping us at the race this year. I can't wait to do it all over again in 2010.

Silverdale Thunder pictures (Aug. 19, 2009) -- Photos by Julie Sparrowgrove

Bud McKay races the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood down the front straightaway at Silverdale Thunder Aug. 16.

Bud McKay waves to the fans as he brings the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood back to the pits after a third-place finish in the finals Aug. 16.

Good thing Bud McKay has long arms or no one would know what he was doing when he opens the lid to the cockpit on the course.

Bud McKay waves to the yachts tied up to the marina on Dyess Inlett.

Silverdale Thunder pictures (Aug. 19, 2009) -- Photos by Chris Cluett

This is what the hired help is supposed to do. Bud McKay tries to keep cool before going out for the final heat Aug. 16.

Matt Mattson gets ready to go out for the first heat on Sunday, Aug. 16. Matt did a great job and make the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood fly.

That's Ted Newton, of Newton Construction (white T-Shirt) holding onto the back of the
boat as Ron House, CEO of West Sound Electric, holds the front. Matt Mattson, from Mattson
Construction, just finished strapping in Bud McKay. All three are sponsors for the Namron
Racing Team. What we love about our sponsors is they're active with the team. Rick Stevens,
GEICO of Lakewood couldn't make it down to this race, but he was here last year. He'll be
at Spanaway when we race there Sept. 12-13. Matter of fact, hell even drive a heat.
THANKS TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS!

Silverdale Thunder "fans" pictures (Aug. 16, 2009)

What can I say? We draw some very interesting fans in our sport and our hometown. This is none other than Zach Fleury with my steering wheel on his head. And it shouldn't be too hard to tell that we're related.

Oh, I wish we had sound effects on this site. This is Zach looking like he's a tad serious (if he was, this would have been the first time), but the "hydroplane noises" he was making at the time were priceless. My cousin, Mike, and his family, stopped in the pits during the race. It was such a thrill to see them all and have them at the race. Thanks for coming to the show!

Now, you can't beat a hat like that!

This race fan has her hands at the ready to hit the turn! I should have asked her for some pointers.

Charlie Dwyer, left, making his hydroplane racing debut as a crew member, helps these two young fans into the cockpit.

At one time, I was just like this little boy. Sometimes I still feel like I'm a little boy -- I can just reach the peddles now.

Thrashing...again (Aug. 14, 2009)

10:55 p.m.-- Matt Matson, top, and Steve Clark try and secure the skid fin bracket to the left, repaired sponson on Steve's boat. Thanks to the Red Apple Team for making the repairs, Steve has a shot at making the race this weekend, but him and Matt have a long night ahead of them.

10:59 p.m.-- Matt Matson drills a hole intoSteve's new skid fin. A new one was needed following his accident in Montana July 17.

Washington Youth Academy (Aug. 11, 2009)

Bud McKay, in the red shirt, talks with a classroom of cadets at the Washington Youth Academy, along with racing legend Phil Bononcini, in the blue, and Bianca Bononcini (hidden). The three racers talked with almost 150 cadets for the day.

Both Bud and Bianca had the cadets start the engines of the boats during the visit to the academy. Almost every cadet got to sit in one of the two hydroplanes. Harley McKay, close to the cockpit, was Bud's assistant for the visit.

I like this shot because there were some of the cadets around the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood hydroplane...but for the most part...

...the cadets swarmed over Bianca. I have no idea why. :)

We need a spark! (Aug. 11, 2009)

This is supposed to be the distributor on our engine. If you notice the wires (they look gold), you'll see they're exposed. It was rubbing against the intake manifold. So I was losing spark, which robs me of power. The advance gear inside the distributor was shot as well. So this one found it's way into the garbage.

Matt removes the bracing from the vacuum advance on the new distributor. He's removing the vacuum advance, but saving the bracing. We don't need the vacuum portion, but the brace is required to keep the components balanced.

I swear, Matt just likes working on the hydroplane so he can play with his toys. Here he is cleaning up the brace and welding the piece it's solid without the chance that it could come apart.

Matt puts in the shiny, brand-new distributor into the engine. You can't see it, but the parts he worked on a are picture perfect.

Fast forward about an hour. Now we're back at Island View Marine Center, just down the street from Matt's house in Poulsbo, so we can use the dyno again to time in the new distributor. That's Charlie Dwyer in the hat. That massive arm on the right belongs to Hadley Kentner. Thanks for their help in the dyno setup. Matt likes to time the engine under load -- that's where the dyno comes in real handy. Thanks again to Island View Marine.

Want to see more photos of our "needing a spark day?" Check Aug. 14's Kitsap Sun. The article by reporter Nathan Joyce and the photos by Jesse Beals were on the front page -- not the sports front page; the front, front-page. Click here to check it out! Thanks Nathan and Jesse! Great job.

 

Radio Waves Regatta on Flathead Lake, Polson, Mont. (July 17, 2009)
-- All photos by Julie Sparrowgrove

Kip Brown, right, Travis Johnston, middle, and Bud McKay, in the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood, head to the start of the 5-Litre 8-boat final on July 17. Brown won the final. Johnston was second. McKay finished fourth.

Bud McKay brings the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood around the tight second turn. The turns were almost as tight as the turns in Phoenix. One thing is for sure, the entire western Montana area has to be the most beautiful country in the United States.

Our good friend Steve Clark, who just beat us at the line in South Dakota the weekend before, zips down the course to the start of Heat 1.

This accident was close to being tragic. Steve Clark's boat, right, starts to sink after he barrel rolled his hydroplane in turn one at the start of the race. The other driver, on the left, had nowhere to go and ran over the top of Steve. Clark's cockpit door didn't open right away, and his airline was pinched. Trapped underwater for almost a minute without air, Clark was finally able to muscle the hatch open and escape after sucking in a lot of water. He was released from the ambulance on site about an hour later. The other driver was not hurt.

Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge, Chamberlain-Oacoma, S.D. (July 11-12, 2009)
Many thanks to our South Dakota crew! RJ Moseman and Serena Walsh, from Winner, S.D.;
and Ken and Betty Frentz, from Sioux Falls, for helping us out.

Bud McKay, left, owner-driver of the West Sound Electric Presents GIECO of Lakewood, poses with Ms. Cody Ryckman, an 11-year-old junior dragster sensation. The Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge race was one of my favorite race courses, events and people I've been associated with since coming into this sport in 2005. This fantastic event was like a mini-Seafair to me! I can't wait to go in 2010.

Shelly's Photography Steve Clark, in the E-222, just beats Bud McKay in the West Sound Electric Presents GIECO of Lakewood in the final heat at the Pepsi Racing Power Cup Challenge, in Chamberlain-Oacoma, S.D., on July 12. More great photos are coming from Shelly's Photography. Stand by.

 

Little Big Horn (on drive to South Dakota) -- (July 8, 2009)

Along the entire battle front of Little Big Horn, were markers of interest and facts about the battle. If you're into American history like me, this is one spot you need to visit.

This monument stands at the top of Little Big Horn with the names of the soldiers killed in the battle.

It wasn't until recently that markers were used to show the spot where the indian warriors were killed. Most of the indian warriors' markers that I saw didn't have names on them, but this one has a name.

I was having camera issues, so this small picture is all I was able to get of Custer's grave -- it's marked with the black marker. The other markers you see are the spots where other U.S. Cavalry soldiers were killed. Custers remains were removed about two years after he was killed and buried at West Point.

This marker was for all of the U.S. Cavalry horses that were killed in the battle. A number of them were killed by the cavalry soldiers themselves and used as breastworks (barricades).

Adding a little accent to go with the new paint job -- (July 4, 2009)

Check out the thin blue line againse the cockpit.

The challenge was trying to put the pinstriping on flat surface, to a vertical surface and back to a flat surface and maintaing the angle. As you can see, we have a little bit of a "whoop-ti-do" where all of those angles collide. We figure if we put a picture here with Matt Mattson's logo on it, he'll want to fix it really fast!.

Here's the other side of the boat. I figure if I post these photos online -- Matt won't like them and he'll fix them.

Who needs sun block? We fixed the awning -- (July 4, 2009)

Ha! There are things that Bud McKay can fix. This is our blue awning. At the Relay for Life in Silverdale, the awning broke. Bud found a strong piece of aluminum that worked great. What a surprise - no duct tape either.

Here's the inside portion. Schweet!

DYNOmite! Island View Marine Center -- (July 3, 2009)

Check this contraption out. This is a dynometer. Matt Mattson came up with the configuration to secure it. We ran the engine for about 15 minutes and dialed her in -- sweeet!

Matt readies the dynometer in place and calls it good.

Since we needed to run the engine at 2,000 rpm, 3,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm with the engine coupled (simulating a load on the propeller shaft), we need to run engine to the block. We also need to run water to the bushing in the prop shaft -- if not, it would melt. I'm proud to say duct-taping the second hose so it points to the strut was my idea. The duct-tape more than likely gave it away to you already.

That's Jesse Roksa, left with Matt, as we called the dyno run great! I want to thank Jesse and Island View Marine Center, in Poulsbo, for the use of the dyno. Not only the dyno, but coming to the rescue with wet towells for the deck - Nammy was smokin'.

 

A little 'crabby' on the water -- (July 3, 2009)

Matt Mattson took me out for a spin in one of his boats to check his crab pots out on Puget Sound. Here Matt lines the pot with a can of cat food. I don't know how many crab he expects to catch, but I bet the catfish will fight over it. ;)

Matt asked me, "This isn't like how they do it on 'Deadlist Catch, is it?'" Matt should know, he worked on the Alaskan crab boats for 10 years.

Thunderstruck's closer to making some thunder -- (July 3, 2009)

Steve Clark, left, guides in Namron Racing Team's Matt Mattson lowering Clark's engine in his hydroplane. Matt's backhoe pulled double duty on Friday. Not only did Matt use it to lower in Steve's engine; Matt had to use the backhoe to pull Steve's tow vehicle up Matt's very steep hill when they got done. Steve is our teammate and drives the "Power Punch Performance Lubricants / Thunderstruck" hydroplane. If it wasn't for bad luck this season, Steve wouldn't have any. He went through two engines already. Matt came up with this engine for Steve.

Matt, left, and Steve put on the finishing touches of Steve's new engine. Steve says, "Matt's cool!" I told him that he was, but if Steve passes me, "Matt's toast!"

Matt watches Steve's hand signals in lowering the new engine
into Steve's boat. Steve should make the South Dakota and
Montana races with ease. Now all that is left is the packing.

The 'Big Weigh In' (June 29, 2009)
Thank you Jon, JoAnne and Jack "Speed Racer" Zimmerman

That's world record holder Jon Zimmerman lifting the boat off the trailer so we can weigh "Nammy" and find our balance points. Jon offered his shop and, more importantly, his expertise in weighing our grand lady -- something we've never done. All we've ever done was guess at her weight -- baby, we were way off!

The process is pretty simple -- but crazy. Under each sponson is an electronic scale. The corner of the sponsons rested ontop of the scale. The scale rested ontop of...a bucket. This photo is interesting as well. You can see owners in the past have built up this sponson so the running surface is flat. The inside portion, toward the right, should actually be about 1/2 inch higher (or toward the top) than the edge of the outside (or left) corner. Jon pointed out that in the turn, the inside of the sponson digs in rather than skims the surface -- another one of our turning issues.

Another scale is placed under the strut so all three of the places the boat touches the water are weighed. We found out that 26 percent of the weight of the boat is on the strut when Bud McKay sits in the cockpit. It needs to be at least 30 percent. This explains why the prop seems to spin out of the water coming out of the turn, when we need the power of the prop to dig in -- there's not enough of the weight in the back of the boat to keep the prop in the water.

Here Jon gets some expert help in taking some hull measurements. That's Jack Zimmerman holding the tape measure for his dad while Jack explains the process to Bud.

I was amazed at the detail Jon went to find points of the boat that I can't pronounce or spell in determining the balance points. Here Jon goes under the boat to find where...well...I can't spell it, but this is where he noticed the sponson is angled wrong. Even his wife, JoAnne took a peek under the boat to try and figure out what Jon was talking about.

While Jon wrote down all sorts of numbers -- weights and measurements -- his wife, JoAnne, did the number crunching to come up with all of the percentages. So I finally discovered the true power behind the Zimmerman speed secrets -- JoAnne! Take a look at the cell phone she was using for the calculator -- even it's green -- just like Jon's boat.

This is the total weight of "Nammy" without Bud in the cockpit --
1,649 pounds. With Bud in the cockpit, the boat weighed -- more. :)
To be exact, 1,956. But you have to remember, we just had some great
Garlic Jim's pizza delivered to Jon's boat shop. And to save you all from
doing math, that put Bud's weight at 307 pounds -- fully dressed (and full of pizza).

The 'Sand Man' returns (June 28, 2009)

This is basically a new Karelson hull owned by Debi Muncey and driven by her son, Chris Dreews. Between working on two Unlimited Lights hydroplanes with the UL-00 team, Chris is almost ready to go this his hull. I've got my fingers crossed that he'll have her ready for the South Dakota race.

I went over to the Muncey's farm/boat house/hydroplane museum on a gorgeous Sunday and helped sand the deck of the 5-Litre. How Chris has any time to work on her, I have no idea. But it was a fun day shooting the breeze with the Munceys and Chris and their crew-- in between eating a ton of fiberglass dust -- and watching the UL send up smoke signals when they fired her up.

Bremerton-Central Kitsap Relay for Life display (June 27, 2009)

You don't have to be crazy to race with the Namron Racing Team, but it doesn't hurt either. Here are Harley and Bud McKay as they get ready to start the 2009 Bremerton-Central Kitsap Relay for Life at Central Kitsap High School in Silverdale.

Harley decided that she wanted to trade sunglasses with dad. OK! Now the two were ready to start the Relay.

We were asked to start the engine just before the Relay started. The crowd needed a little wake-up call. Five-year-old Harley McKay brought the engine to life to kickstart the Relay.

Some of the smaller relayers came into the cockpit to cool off from the Relay.

This relayer was in the boat just long enough to get her picture taken, and then she was gone....and then...

...we couldn't get this relayer out of the boat. He's retired Air Force -- what do you expect? It's not often any Airman can walk by anything called a "cockpit" and not climb in.

The young relayer in the cockpit asked how much the boat cost. I asked him, "How much do you have?"

This relayer was ho-hum about sitting in the hydroplane -- until we closed the lid, shook and bounced the trailer and made silly-"hydroplane noise." Then she thought it was the bomb!

This little relayer grabbed a hold of the steering wheel and instantly started to turn left -- a star is born!

Usually at the Relay for Life events, we have a number of children who come back and back and back to sit in the boat and "earning" Gecko tattoos. Surprisingly, this was our only repeat relayer at this event.

In this "aerial view," the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood hydroplane was parked near the entrance of the first turn at the Relay for Life. Yes, stuck in the outside lane ... again.

After leaving the Relay on Saturday, Bud wanted to be sure he was the first boat in the pits in Silverdale for the Aug. 15-16 race. Here's proof!

North Mason Relay for Life display (June 13, 2009)

Harley McKay, cleans the cockpit so the boat's nice and clean for "customers" on Saturday for the Relay for Life."	Two young Relayers give the thumbs-up for their mom at the Relay for Life.
A few of the kids rode on top of the hydroplane as we pushed her to show-center before the final "Survivors Victory Lap" of the Relay.	Racing fan, and I do mean racing fan, Spencer Pruitt, of Belfair, won the raffle to start the engine at the Relay. Here he poses for his "hero" photo for the crowd. Spencer just finished the 1st grade at Belfair Elementary School.
In the cockpit, Spencer was all business as he watched the gauges and revved the engine more than owner Bud McKay told him, too -- a natural "racer" is born. Congratulations Spencer!	Once Spencer fired off the engine, it was time to start the final "Survivors Victory Lap" to end the Relay for Life at North Mason High School. Here, the front of the survivors round the final corner heading to the finish line. The West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood raised $100 for the Relay in raffle ticket sales. Thanks so much to ULHRA veteran driver Joe Turner who purchased $10 worth of tickets for Spencer.

North Mason Relay for Life display (June 12, 2009)

On display at the North Mason Relay for Life June 12. There is one other child inside the cockpit.

Harley McKay gives the thumbs up that all is ready for the display at the North Mason Relay for Life June 12.

We even had some older 'Kids' come out and sit in the cockpit during the Relay for Life.

We stayed on Display until 11 p.m. when they turned out the lights. Harley and Bud McKay then joined the others in walking a memorial lap around the track. They walked for Mr. Namron himself -- Bud's day, Norman McKay, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2003.

A future racer, that's for sure.

Harley McKay showing off her new face painting at the Relay for Life at North Mason High School.

Matt Mattson's day two (June 7, 2009)-- all photos by Chris Denslow

Matt Mattson was more comfortable on his second day of racing and got a little air time on the water.

That's no way to treat a rookie -- Matt hits a rough patch. No doubt he was yelling "Yahoo!"

Tastin' n' Racin' 2009 -- (June 6-7, 2009)

Rookie Matt Mattson posing for his driver's mug shot.

Matt Mattson points to his rookie "X" marking on the hull of the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood.

I'm sorry, but when Chip Hanauer stops in your pits, it's time to stop the action and shoot the breeze. Chip is one of the sport's top drivers, and arguably the best who has ever driven a hydroplane. Even so, when he heard Matt was getting ready to go out on the course for the first time ever in a hydroplane, Chip was excited for him and wished him the best of luck.

Having a little fun with the rookie -- I don't know if Matt exactly knew why we told him we want a shot of him walking away from the camera.

Our good friend and teammate Steve Clark, and his son Jeff, were on hand to lend a hand with the boat all weekend.

Now even though this picture is a little blury, isn't it clear what is about to happen? If not, look at the photos below.

Matt Mattson's rookie debut (June 6, 2009)-- all photos by Chris Denslow

Matt Mattson brings the West Sound Electric Presents the GEICO of Lakewood into the first turn. The "X" on the cockpit is not a target -- it's to signify there's a rookie driver inside.

Matt Mattson enjoys a little company on the course at "Tastin' n' Racin' 2009" on Lake Sammamish June 6.

Bud McKay, left, owner/driver of the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood, accidently slipped in the water as he was carrying the "rookie" Matt Mattson from the boat to the shore after Mattson made his rookie debut. OK, so it wasn't accidental. Is that a big surprise?

Bud McKay congratulates Matt Mattson as Mattson heads to the shore to meet up with his friends and fans as McKay went back to get the boat. Rookies!

Painting "Nammy" (May 23, 2009)

That's Matt Matson making some preparations to the back of the hull before painting "Nammy." On the right, Matt does some minor hull modifications before painting the boat. OK, so he's grinding away some of my "improvements" from before.

On the left, Matt Matson puts on the first coat of the white base paint. On the right, the boat is ready for the blue portion to make the boat red, white and blue.

On the left, Matt puts the blue portion on the hull. On the right, the first clear coat is applied. Woo hoo!

Matt Mattson poses in front of his fantastic painting work -- thanks, Matt!

Here she is. We didn't put the engine cowl on the boat to ensure the hull stays clean.

Phoenix Trip III -- all photos by Tim Crowley (Thanks Tim -- great shots as always!)

Bud McKay, in the West Sound Electric Presents GEICO of Lakewood, runs in front of the grandstands at Firebird Raceway.

Bud McKay exits out of turn 2 at Firebird Raceway.

Bud McKay heads down the front straightaway at Firebird Raceway.

Bud McKay exits out of turn 1 at Firebird Raceway.

Phoenix Trip II -- all photos by Julie Sparrowgrove (Thanks Julie -- they're amazing!)

Isn't this cool? Kevin Eacret, left, and Bud McKay fly toward the start line at Firebird Raceway.

Bud McKay makes a run down the front straightaway at Firebird Raceway.

When there are whitecaps on the shallow water at Firebird Raceway, it's best to hold on. Here Bud McKay, on the inside, leads Kevin Eacret to the first turn of Heat 1.

Kevin Eacret, E-36, and Bud McKay make the start at Firebird Raceway.

Phoenix trip

We don't have many cactus plants in Belfair -- so I'm guessing I'm in Arizona now.

I made it! Finally unpacked and set up. Now it's time to work on the boat. This is about 2 p.m. on Friday. It may not look warm, but it was.

This is the start of the second heat on Saturday.

Travis Johnston, the APBA 5-Litre national champion, straps in Bud McKay before the third heat on Sunday.

Primer on-- April 19, 2009 (though it's really 2:36 a.m. April 20)

Thanks to Kevin Shearer, of Shearer Excavating, for letting us use
his shop to put the primer on the boat. So nice to have plenty of room.

Skid fin mounted -- April 18, 2009

The skid fin is in place. If you look at the photos from April 11 (below), you'll see the "beefed up" area inside the non-trip section of the boat that Steve Clark fabricated. You see in the picture above a red plate -- this is like one mega washer that helps spread the load as well. On top of that is another brace plate. That all connects with the bracket inside of the boat and makes it about three times as strong as it was before. I like that.

Here's a final picture of the complete skid fin mounted. I painted the plate and brace plate Namron red -- just because.

Engine tweaking -- April 17, 2009

Tony Milo, left, juices the carburetor to "Black Beauty," while Bud McKay gets all excited hearing the roar of the engine. This is Bud at his mechanical peak!

Tony Milo, left, is doing something so classified, we can't show you or tell you. Come to the race, and you'll see for yourself.

Engine Firing (YAHOO!) -- April 16, 2009

Matt Mattson, left, and Tony Milo bring "Black Beauty" to life! All went well with the engine break in.

Matt Mattson, left, and Tony Milo break in the new engine. That's Joshua Milo peeking out of the cockpit.

Engine Assembly-- April 16, 2009 (1:45 a.m.)

Tony Milo, on the left, and Matt Mattson bolt the oil pan to the block of the Namron Racing Team's new engine.

Talk about your teamwork, Matt Mattson, left, and Tony Milo work together to get the last bolt into the engine. The duo worked through 1:30 a.m. April 16. Thanks to these two gentlemen, the engine will be brought to life later today (April 16) to break in the engine. Thanks Matt and Tony!

The new engine -- April 11, 2009

Two Buds -- Bud Williams, left, owner of "Bud's Machine & Engine Shop," in Lakewood, and "the other" Bud pose in front of the new engine for the Namron Racing Team.

How much does Bud McKay love his new engine? His "fu" got stuck in the springs of the valves when he planted a kiss on it.

The Namron Racing Team has been going to "Bud's Machine & Engine Shop" since July 2006. The first engine "Bud's Machine & Engine Shop" worked on helped the team win its first-ever race in TriCities just days after getting the engine back from the shop. The shop is right down the street from McChord Air Force Base. If you're close by and need machine work done, we highly recommend "Bud's Machine & Engine Shop" for all of your work. Even if you're not close by and need machine work, it's worth your while to make the trip -- they are that good. "Call the Pros" at 253-588-BUDS. 253-588-BUDS (253-588-2837)

New skid fin -- April 11, 2009

Steve Clark, wondering why Bud has the camera in his hands rather than a wrench, works by drop light to strengthen the new skid fin.

A close up look at the angle-bracket beefing up the area where the new skid fin mounts to the boat. On the top side of the photo, the plate will attach to the inside wall of the air trap. On the bottom side of the photo, the plate connects to the inside of the non-trip of the hull where the skid fin connects to the hull. The new skid fin is three inches longer and three inches deeper than the previous one. The new skid fin will have a tremendous amount of force pulling against it. Now, two walls inside the boat, rather than just one, will provide support as the skid fin holds the boat in the turn.

Hull repairs and new skid fin -- April 4, 2009

That's Bud McKay on the left looking over the shoulder of friend, competitor and owner driver of the team's sister boat Steve Clark.

Bud, on the right, is about to give Steve a helping hand as Steve works on beefing up the areas on the boat holding the new longer and deeper skid fin in place. Steve is helping Bud beef up the areas of the boat that hold the skid fin in place. With more surface area (three inches longer and three inches wider than the previous skid fin), a lot more torque is going to be applied to help Bud stay in the turn. The areas that secure the fin need to be much stronger than they were.

Where's the Beef? Steve fits a series of angle brackets inside that will help support the skid fin bracket.

This is Harley McKay's "foreman's" look. "Sand! Go Sand!"

Spring Training, Lake Washington, 2008

Firebird Raceway, Chandler, Ariz, 2008 (pre-flip)

North Mason Relay for Life, 2008

Flathead Lake, Polson, Montana, 2008

Display, Kitsap Bluejackets baseball game, 2008

Display, MiniSturgis Motorcycle Ride, Seabeck, Wash,, 2008

Pateros, Wash., 2008

Silverdale, Wash., 2008

Display, Wilder RV, Port Angeles, Wash., 2008

Port Angeles , Wash., 2008

Bud McKay at Silverdale.	Bud McKay at Silverdale.
Another helicopter shot from Silverdale.	Bud McKay, on the inside, Gigi McKay on the outside at Moses Lake in 2006
Bud McKay in the GEICO 1 at Moses Lake in 2006	Gigi McKay in the GEICO 2 at Moses Lake in 2006
GEICO 1 (Bud McKay) on the outside, being passed (again) by Gigi McKay in GEICO 2 at Moses Lake in 2006	Harley, Carsey and Shadey McKay on display at the North Mason Relay for Life even in 2006.