Daryl Ehrlich gets out of the water on launch in Top Fuel Hydro win.

22nd Annual Lakefest at Lake Marble Falls, Texas

Ehrlich, Ball and Lamb score Pro class wins

Words and photos by J. M. Hallas

Sunday, Aug. 11, capped off the final day of the 22nd Annual Lakefest at Lake Marble Falls featuring the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. It was a cool (comparatively speaking), breezy morning as final eliminations began on the liquid quarter mile. About 120 boats took part in the weekend’s events racing in the Pro and Sportsman classes.

Pro Modified driver Marty Logan makes a pass along side Taya Kyle in the safety boat.

Several special guests were in the house this weekend including TV star Jesse James and NHRA Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria. As part of Pro Modified driver Marty Logan’s Chris Kyle, American Hero tour, Chris’s wife Taya was in the house singing autographs and went out on the barge to make a pass with Logan’s boat.

Safety crews come to the aid of Scotty Lumbert after his crash.

Round one of eliminations was tough on the Top Fuel Hydros as Scotty Lumbert had his chute deploy early causing the boat to jump out of the water, tear off one of the twin props and crash, all while getting the win light. Lumbert was alright but the boa, not so much.

Daryl Ehrlich had his boat shut off early and coast through the finish beams. Lucky, his opponent Joel Weber, broke on the starting line.

Round Rock racer Daryl Ehrlich backed up his 2012 Lakefest win with another consistent pass. Ehrlich, in the Eddie Knox-owned “Problem Child” sponsored by Red Line Oil, Bless Trucking, House of Colour, MFR, CSU Gulf Coast, Optima, Makato, Carrillo, Bullet Drag Hydros laid down another 3.5-second pass going 3.569 at 251.593mph in the semi’s. It was Ehrlich all the way as Bryan Sanders had trouble coming off the line and failed to complete his run.

Ehrlich, the defending and multi-time Top Fuel Hydro Champion, continues on his way to another title. With a bye run in the finals, Ehrlich had one thing in mind, but it wasn’t a possible new record. The semifinal took its toll on equipment burning up parts and pieces. The crew thrashed to get the boat together, but transmission parts were unavailable. So Ehrlich, in an anti-climactic ending, fired the motor, took off and broke the timing beams for the win.