Unlimited seaplane pilot Corey Peabody wins the Southern Cup in Alabama in Strong Racing’s U-9 boat.
Corey Peabody has been waiting almost a year to drive an unlimited seaplane in a real race.
Last year, the driver of Strong Racing’s U-9 boat won the APBA Gold Cup in Guntersville, Alabama.
However, the following week, Peabody overturned the U-9 in Madison, Indiana, destroying the boat.
Earlier this month, Peabody got the chance to drive the converted U-9 – now dubbed the U-9 Beacon Plumbing – at the annual H1 Spring Training event in Kennewick.
“There was a lot of work (on the boat) after that flip last summer,” Peabody told the Herald. “And it was difficult for me to get to the races and watch from the hospitality area.”
On Sunday, in his first race after that flip, Peabody rode the U-9 boat to victory and won the Southern Cup in Guntersville, Alabama.
The Southern Cup final proper was not completed as a rapidly approaching thunderstorm wiped out the race.
Race officials tried to move the schedule and actually managed to get the finale started. But Andrew Tate, driver of the U-91 Goodman Real Estate, overturned early on and stopped the finale.
Tate was not injured. But that’s when H1 officials ended the day.
The title was determined by which team had the most points in the three preliminary rounds.
That was Peabody leading the U-9 Beacon Plumbing to three wins.
He had 1,280 points over the weekend.
It was a great recovery for Peabody, who really liked the way the U-9 was doing in early June.
“The boat is more responsive now,” Peabody said. “The canard is new. It’s not that sloppy. There’s no game in there.”
As team manager, Peabody’s job is to make sure his team and Strong Racing’s U-8 Beacon Electric (driver J. Michael Kelly) are doing their best.
“We’re thinking about the big picture this season,” Peabody said.
Kelly and Peabody have been lifelong friends since childhood. And there is no jealousy between the teams.
“If Mike is first, I’ll be happy. If I’m first, he’ll be happy for me,” Peabody said. “We’re here to start two boats in first place. It’s about collecting points (for the season championship). And we have to be there at the beginning.”
Peabody won every race he contested on Sunday.
Despite his rollover, Tate finished second in the race for the highest points over the weekend. Jamie Nilsen, driver of the U-11 Legend Yacht Transport, took third place.
The next H1 Unlimited race is next weekend in Madison, Indiana.
The Columbia Cup takes place in the Tri-Cities on July 28-30.
college athletics
Kenneth Rooks (College Place) was named the Bowerman semifinalist last week.
Rooks recently won the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas.
The Bowerman is the highest individual award in collegiate athletics. The award ceremony takes place in December. Only grades from the 2023 indoor and outdoor athletics season will be considered for the award.
The three finalists will be named on Tuesday, June 27th.
prepare football
Budding Kennewick High senior Nathan Knapik announced last week that he has signed on to play college football at the University of Idaho.
Knapik will join his older brother Ayden Knapik, who will be a sophomore this fall.
Ayden Knapik started last season as a total newcomer to the Vandals’ offensive line.
Nathan Knapik is also an offensive lineman.
▪ Royals Kaleb Hernandez was named the East’s outstanding attacking player at the Earl Barden Classic in Moxee on Saturday.
Hernandez scored the East’s only touchdown and then scored the 2-point conversion to beat the West 8-6 in overtime.
The game featured some of the best seniors from Classes 2A, 1A, 2B and 1B.
Hernandez ended the game on 7 carries for 24 yards.
Other stars in the East included Othello’s Sonny Asu, who caught six passes for 66 yards; and River View’s Miguel Farias, who ran for 41 yards six times.
college baseball
Kamiakin graduate Brady Bean had a stellar season as a freshman at Saint Martin’s University, where he led the baseball team with a .384 batting average and 56 hits.
Bean also had two homers, 22 RBIs, and the team’s best 19 stolen bases.
Bean drew a lot of attention from bigger schools and announced last week that he would be moving to the University of Portland for next season.
▪ CBC freshman pitcher Ethan Petty, who made just eight pitches for the Hawks this spring, was signed by the four-year University of Jamestown school. Petty is from South Whidbey.
▪ CBC sophomore pitcher Brady Toth (Boise) heads to Bellevue University in Nebraska next season.
Toth was 1-1 for CBC last season, hitting 18 batters in 20.2 innings. He also had a 3.92 earned run average for the Hawks.
college basketball
Teagan Hoard, who just completed his second season for the Columbia Basin College men’s basketball team this spring, announced that he has signed up to play for Cal State San Marcos next fall.
Substituted on by CBC coach Anthony Owens for most of the season, Hoard averaged 9.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
The Central Valley High School graduate joined CBC prior to last season after serving his freshman season at Lewis-Clark State College.
He helped the Hawks finish third in the NWAC tournament in March and the Hawks went 22-7.
Jeff Morrow is a former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
www.tri-cityherald.com
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/article276759711.html
