All boats will split $170,000 pool but also compete for extra winner's share Sunday on Lake Washington.
A year ago, Seafair organizers spent the spring months scrambling to keep afloat their premier event — the annual unlimited hydroplane race on Lake Washington.
This year, they feel buoyed enough to announce this week that they will award a separate cash prize of $25,000 to the team that wins the Albert Lee Cup race this Sunday.
Half will go to the winning driver and half to the winning owner.
That may not sound like much when compared to most professional sports, but those in the pits view it as a huge step in the right direction.
Since 1999, all teams have gotten an equal amount of a $170,000 pool for each race as an appearance fee.
Now, teams will also have a chance to compete for a little more.
"It makes a big difference," said Ken Muscatel, driver and owner of the U-25 Miss PROCRAFT, at a news conference Tuesday to kick off this year's Seafair weekend. "I don't think anybody will drive any harder, but I think they'll be a hell of a lot happier at the end."
The added cash will help pay some bills in a sport in which expenses usually outweigh revenue for almost everyone.
But just as much, those in the sport say it sends a message that health of hydroplane racing is on the upswing.
"We're not diminished by the connotation that that's not there anymore," said Dave Villwock, driver of the U-96 Spirit of Qatar.
Last year, Seafair was in danger of not being able to meet the $170,000 pool awarded to the teams until Duke Moscrip of Duke's Chowder House stepped forward with a $40,000 guarantee. A little later, Seafair secured a three-year deal with Albert Lee to be the title sponsor.
This year, Seafair also landed another deal with AT&T and LG as a presenting sponsor.
"We're much more stable," said Beth Knox, president and CEO of Seafair. "And again, it goes back to the local investment from our sponsors that sets the stage for allowing everybody (organizing Seafair) to stay ahead of the game."
Seafair is also in the second year of a three-year deal with KIRO to televise the race live.
A separate "driver's purse" for the winner evaporated in 1999 when Muscatel — then the head of the sport's organizing body — led an effort to do away with it in an attempt to assure as much participation in as many races as possible.
"I wanted to make sure people weren't cherry picking events, so I made it so that we paid out everybody, and then everybody had to go to every race to get the full share," Muscatel said. "That made a big difference and we've had great participation."
Muscatel, though, said he now feels the sport is back to full health, thanks in part to added international interest.
For the third straight year, a race will be held in November in Doha, Qatar, an event that has meant a healthy cash infusion for the sport (the event is financed by the Qatar Marine Sports Federation).
Muscatel said there is the possibility of an exhibition this year in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and a race in future years in China. There are just five races in the United States this year, but Muscatel said there are talks to add events in cities such as Houston, Cleveland and Washington, D.C.
Muscatel also cites as proof of an upswing the presence of 13 boats in the pits this week and said he thinks there could be 15 or 16 next year.
"Things are better, in my opinion, then they have ever been," he said.
That's a sentiment shared by Villwock, who has never been shy about stating otherwise.
"I think we've raised the bar and our class level of how we have conducted ourselves and gotten back to being a professional sport again," Villwock said.
• Boats will first hit the water for testing Friday at 8:30 a.m. The only qualifying session is Friday at 2:45 p.m.
• Once again, racing will begin on Saturday with Heats 1A and 1B at 3:05 p.m. and 3:25 p.m. The rest of the heats and the championship final (4:40 p.m.) will be Sunday.
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