By Craig Fjarlie

For The Reporter

Rookie unlimited hydroplane driver and Michigan native Andrew Tate drove U-9 Sound Propeller Presents Les Schwab Tires to victory last Sunday in the Albert Lee Appliance Seafair Cup on Lake Washington.

Tate averaged 133.224 mph in the winner-take-all final heat. Tate, on the inside, held off a hard-charging Jimmy Shane, of Covington, in U-1 Miss HomeStreet in one of the most thrilling duels in Seafair history.

Shane nearly caught Tate in the second turn of the fourth lap, but Tate sprinted down the front straightaway and kept Shane on his hip through the fifth and final lap. Shane averaged 131.416 mph.

J. Michael Kelly physically ran third, but was hit with a one-lap penalty for a lane violation. The infraction dropped him to fifth place. Third went to Brian Perkins at the wheel of U-21 Albert Lee Appliance. He averaged 125.731 mph.

Kent’s Jeff Bernard drove U-7 Graham Trucking II to fourth place with an average speed of 119.370. Kelly’s average speed for fifth place was 108.914. Jimmy King, driver of U-3 Miss DiJulio, failed to finish the final, as did Jean Theoret aboard U-16 Oh Boy! Oberto.

Tate is the first rookie to win the Seafair race since Jim Ranger turned the trick with My Gypsy in 1966. Tate, whose father, Mark, drove unlimited hydroplanes, said he called his father after the race to tell him about the victory. “He was really happy,” Tate said.

The Les Schwab Tires boat was extensively damaged during the Columbia Cup race in Tri-Cities a week ago. A broken propeller caused damage to the boat’s bottom. The crew worked all week to repair the hull, making the Seafair victory especially sweet.