It appears that PWC drag racing may in fact finally be capturing an audience. This past weekend’s RIVA Racing HydroDrag Nationals, held on the spectator-friendly Lake Grew adjacent to the US Water Ski facility in central Florida, treated a record crowd of 2,000 spectators to no less than eight riders flirting with the 100mph mark. This despite the weekend seeing uncharacteristically cold temps and high winds.

The fastest man on the water was once again Julio Rivera of Puerto Rico, who posted a 100.9 mph run during Saturday’s practice before running a 99.9 during Sunday’s Unlimited Speed Alley competition. Rivera also captured the Hydro Unlimited drag race crown. Other speedsters included New Jersey’s Chris Caputo who posted a 99.6mph peak speed, and Sandor Blanco who posted a 96.8.

The premier Hydro Unlimited drag race class saw a stacked field with the fastest straight line PWC in the world competing head-to-head in the 1/8th mile, double elimination format. Rivera and Caputo — both on highly modified Sea-Doo RXP models — would face off once again for the Unlimited championship as a hobbled Duke Zorn of Titusville, FL,  suffering from a previous leg injury, took the third spot ahead of New Jersey’s Howard Letsche. Rivera would cross the finish line reaching a speed of 95 mph in the 1/8th-mile, edging Caputo by less than a boat length for the Hydro Unlimited win.

In the Hydro SuperStock class it was a battle of Tennesseans as Kerry Hibdon (McMinnville) aboard a Yamaha FZR took the SuperStock drag win in the weekend’s largest class ahead of runner-up Scott Rice (Greenbrier). Rice would also take the second spot in the SuperStock Speed Alley with a peak speed of 87.7 mph, falling to the 91.0 mph run posted by Ron Allison (Sparta).

Two HydroDrag competitors topped the event podium three times each as Georgia’s Stan Hightower, aboard his Sea-Doo RXP-X, claimed the top spot in the Extreme Propulsion REC Racer and PRO Stock drag classes and posted the top speed in the Extreme Propulsion REC Racer Speed Alley with a peak speed of 75.00 mph. Eric Diaz of Puerto Rico, aboard a 1997 Yamaha GP, claimed both the Vintage HydroDrag and Speed Alley as well as the NA (naturally aspirated) Open HydroDrags.

The 2010 HydroDrag was sponsored by RIVA Racing, the world leader in PWC performance parts of Pompano Beach, FL, BRP/Sea-Doo watercraft, and Extreme Propulsion of Cartersville, GA.

Here are the weekend’s complete results:

L to R: Diaz, Rivera, Caputo, Hibdon

2010 RIVA RACING HydroDrag National RESULTS

Saturday, November 6, 2010

SPEED ALLEY

Extreme Propulsion Box Stock

1.Jeff Dyckowski – 69.5 mph – SD

2.DK Ledgerwood – 68.5 mph – SD

3.April Hibdon – 67.9 mph – YAM

Extreme Propulsion REC Racer

1.Stan Hightower – 75 mph – SD

2.Scott Rice – 72.7 mph – YAM

Vintage

1.Eric Diaz – 72.3 mph – YAM

PRO Stock

1.Ron Allison – 78.6 mph – YAM

2.Jeff Dycowski – 78.5 mph – SD

3.Troy Snyder – 77.7 mph – SD

Extreme Propulsion Box Stock

1.DK Ledgerwood – SD

2.April Hibdon – 67.9 mph – YAM

Extreme Propulsion REC Racer

1.Stan Hightower – SD

2.Scott Rice – YAM

Vintage

1.Eric Diaz – YAM

2.Eric Lagopoulos – SD

PRO Stock

1.Stan Hightower – SD

2.Troy Snyder – SD

Sunday, November 7, 2010

SPEED ALLEY

SuperStock

1.Ron Allison – 91 mph – YAM

2.Scott Rice – 87.7 mph – YAM

3.Kerry Hidbon – 86.6 mph – YAM

Unlimited

1.Julio Rivera – 99.9 mph – SD/YAM

2.Chris Caputo – 99.6 mph – SD

3.Blanco Sandor – 96.8 mph – SD/YAM

NA OPEN

1.Eric Diaz – YAM

2.Eric Lagopoulos – SD

SuperStock

1.Kerry Hibdon – YAM

2.Scott Rice – YAM

1.Julio Rivera – SD

2.Chris Caputo – SD