Silvey Takes First Top Fuel Win at Lakefest
Hot Arizona sunshine and 250-mph drag boats greeted the fans at the 2008 Lucas Oil International Hot Boat Association “Lakefest” season opener on Charlie Allen’s Firebird Lake in Chandler, AZ.
Seventy-seven racers battled all weekend long for the IHBA Gold Men, and as the sun set Sunday evening Jarrett Silvey in Dennis Gibson’s Texas based “Hot Licks” Top Fuel Hydro emerged the victor in IHBA’s most prestigious class.
As action began Silvey, in only his second year of fuel racing, readied to run next to John Haas in the World Champion “Speed Sports Special” fueler of Lou Osman. The tree came down and both hydros leapt from the rope, locking up in a great side-by-side 4-second battle. Haas in the “Famous” Amos Satterlee-tuned “SSS” blasted to a great 4.685 at 239.74 mph to Silvey’s hard charging 4.934 at 242.54 mph blast. The 4.68 by the St. Louis-based boat bettered the 4.70 IHBA record also owned by Lou Osman’s group, and they elected to wait until Sunday’s elimination rounds to attempt the required one percent backup.
Driver John Haas (left) talks it over with Amos Satterlee between rounds.
