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I just finished uploading the 1995 Thunder on the Grand video. Fantastic coverage and great racing!
Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZERohsWq9zg

The 1995 races was very interesting for us. Jim raced EP for the first time. His total seat time in the boat was 2 hours and that was breaking in the motor that morning. He had never run the boat at speed before the first heat. To really make it interesting the trim ram jammed in the full out position on the run to the first pin. He drove the first heat with the motor WAY over trimmed. When you hear them talk about a boat close to blowing over it is Jim's. He learned a lot that weekend. By the second heat on Sunday we had the motor broken in with the correct jetting. He finished third in the last race on Sunday.

The Sport C class had been racing since 1992. Mercury expanded the class to 40 cubic inches to allow their 40 hp to race. Sport C limit s normally 35 cubic Inch. We ran a 30 cubic inch Tohatsu. We were slow off the dock but we had more top end. Excellent experience for Jim. He learn how to drive because he always had to run boats down and try to pass them.

The SST60 race was interesting as well. In SST60, Mercury was allowed to run their 69 cubic inch motor against the OMC SST 60. There were alway fights between the 2 groups. Most times the off race stuff was better than the race. Number 53 Blake in this race had a new engine builder. The fellow didn't know an SST 60 was a special sleeve so he put 1986 fishing motor sleeves in the motor by mistake. Blake couldn.t understand why he was so quick off the dock only to have the motor flatten out at 7300. They didn't find the mistake until after the race. Blake ran well with that motor. T Racers will find that interesting because that is exactly the same combination some OMC guys race in T. A fishing block with an SST 60 head.