HydroDrag Fall Nationals Wraps 2009 Series

Duke Zorn claims Unlimited win at Fall National

Blustery weather was on tap for this past weekend’s RIVA Racing HydroDrag Fall Nationals, but competitors quickly showed the real storm was on the waters of Florida’s C-54 Canal. Despite winds up to 25 mph and white caps on the normally glass-calm canal waters, racers still put on a show of speed for spectators, relying on not only speed but skill to take the overall titles in the final HydroDrag event of the year.


Duke Zorn captured the weekend’s premier classes, battling through double-elimination heats before edging out Stan Hightower for the HydroUnlimited class title, and posting the fastest top speed of 88.1mph in the Speed Alley top speed competition. Though the speed runs were conducted with the wind, chop on the course negated any advantages, and kept speeds well below the 100mph mark touched this spring by Puerto Rico’s Julio Rivera. Nevertheless, Zorn’s conversion Yamaha/Sea-Doo craft proved the fastest of the weekend.


While Zorn captured the biggest crowns, Stan Hightower would earn the designation of most-decorated racer on the weekend, taking second in HydroUnlimited to Zorn, capturing the win in HydroLimited, and taking the runner-up spot again in HydroStock aboard a Sea-Doo RXP-X. The latter win went to Troy Snyder, also aboard an RXP-X. Eric Lagopoulos would capture the HydroVintage crown atop a Sea-Doo SPX.



Overall series titles were claimed by Dan O’Keefe in HydroUnlimited, Hightower in both HydroLimited and HydroStock, and Lagopoulos in HydroVintage.



A new addition to the final series weekend was the Fishbowl Freestyle Nationals, staged under the lights at Interchange Square in Palm Bay, FL. Local rider Jeremy Parr took the popular win, while former IJSBA champ Lloyd Burlew came out of retirement to capture second. Orlando’s Johnny Leftly captured third.


RIVA Racing HydroDrag Fall National Results






































































































Speed Alley
HydroVintage
Result Name Home Town Manufacturer Speed
1st Brandon Ferro Orange, TX Yamaha 68.4 mph
2nd Eric Lagopoulos Sarasota, FL Sea-Doo 68.1 mph
Hydro-Box Stock
1st Kristian Ichozio Margate, FL Yamaha 68.3 mph
HydroStock
1st Jeff Dyckowski Rydel, GA Sea-Doo 77.7 mph
2nd Stan Hightower Lindale, GA Sea-Doo 77.5 mph
3rd Troy Snyder Bradenton, FL Sea-Doo 75.9 mph
HydroLimited
1st Dustin Charrier Orlando, FL Yamaha 85.5 mph
2nd Doel Antonmarchi Jacksonville, FL Sea-Doo 79.2 mph
3rd Stan Hightower Lindale, GA Sea-Doo 77.7 mph
HydroUnilimited Two-Stroke
1st Ross Niemoeller St. Pete, FL Yamaha 78.4 mph
HydroUnlimited
1st Duke Zorn Titusville, FL Yam/Sea-Doo 88.1 mph
2nd Chris Caputo Lanoka Harbor, NJ Sea-Doo 87.4 mph
3rd Stan Hightower Lindale, GA Sea-Doo 81.5 mph












































































































HydroDrags
HydroVintage
Result Name Home Town Manufacturer
1st Eric Lagopoulos Sarasota, FL Sea-Doo
2nd Brandon Ferro Orange, TX Yamaha
Hydro-Box Stock
1st DK Ledgerwood Cartersville, GA Sea-Doo
2nd Jeff Dyckowski Rydel, GA Sea-Doo
3rd Kristian Ichozio Margate, FL Yamaha
HydroStock
1st Troy Snyder Bradenton, FL Sea-Doo
2nd Stan Hightower Lindale, GA Sea-Doo
3rd Jeff Dyckowski Rydel, GA Sea-Doo
HydroLimited
1st Stan Hightower Lindale, GA Sea-Doo
2nd Dustin Charrier Orlando, FL Yamaha
3rd Dean Charrier Orlando, FL Yamaha
HydroUnlimited
1st Duke Zorn Titusville, FL Yamaha/Sea-Doo
2nd Stan Hightower Lindale, GA Sea-Doo
3rd Jonathon Nieves Orlando, FL Sea-Doo
FishBowl Freestyle National
1st Jeremy Parr Titusville, FL Yamaha
2nd Lloyd Burlew Melbourne, FL Yamaha
3rd Johnny Leftly Orlando, FL Yamaha


Related Reading
100 mph Barrier Falls at HydroDrag Spring Nationals
Hightower, Okeefe dominate HydroDrags
Sea-Doo racers shine at HydroDrags

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