Bad Luck "Almost Comical" For The Defending Champ

LAUSANNE, Switzerland: (25^th June) - Who are the two best powerboat racing drivers in the world today? Well, if you are just emerging from a 5-year nap you may not be sure, however, it's really a "no brainer". If you said American and defending World Champion Scott Gillman and 5-Time World Champion Italian Guido Cappellini go to the head of the class, you are perfectly correct. Of the 44 events that have been run since the start of the 1997 season when the 3-time North American champ joined the series, Cappellini and Gillman have won 31 of these results or 70% of the races.

So, what does this mean? Well, if you are Cappellini and this season you have four straight victories, you lead the world championship by 31 points at the halfway point of 2001, you feeling good? You should! However, you still haven't done the one thing that all followers of this sport expect before you are rightly given the crown for the 2001 season… you haven't beaten the defending World Champion this year in head to head competition! It's hard to believe in this strangely mixed up season, but the two have actually only raced for maybe 20 of the 267 planned laps of this 2001 campaign.

 Lets get into this a little closer. Because Gillman had only managed 29 laps in the first three events there was no head to head racing until the 4th round when Cappellini closed up and passed Gillman in the early laps of the Grand Prix of Latvia before Gillman's pickle came off and sent the 2-time champ into a horrific crash taking him out 2 laps later in his English built Burgess boat. In Campione, Gillman came from 6^th to 2^nd and stayed within 3 seconds of the native of Como, Italy before Cappellini's teammate Yutaka Sugihara tried too hard to pass Gillman for 2^nd and took out the American as he drove over the transom of the Los Angeles native and ended his race prematurely for the 5^th straight time this season. Zero points for Mr. "G".

  It reached such a surreal scene in the Emirates Team paddock two weeks ago in Campione with all 3 drivers of the Emirates Team out because of crashes that the defending World Champion found himself laughing out loud about the series of events that have brought him to this point. As a matter of fact, of the 16 drivers who have raced in all 5 races this season only Scott Gillman has failed to pick up a point. Nobody could have imaged this or dreamed this strange story before the start of the season, but it's now reality and Gillman must live with it and prepare to be a spoiler for the rest of the season. True, technically it's not over, but with Cappellini winning every race he's finished, it's a long shot for Gillman to be a 3-time titlest this season.

These two drivers are tied to history. They can't hide the fact that they have raced each other since the 1987 season in North America in the old International Ouboard Grand Prix (IOGP) series. No, the battle wasn't for 1^st and 2^nd, during those years, it was common in those years that Gillman and Cappellini would battle in places like Minneapolis, Minnesota for 16^th position. It would go on lap after lap. Gillman driving a Seebold and Cappellini in an English built Burgess hull. The hero's back these 15 years ago were Bill Seebold, Jon Hill, Michael Werner, Jon Jones, Mike Seebold and Chris Bush. No Cantando's, Roggiero's or Pharaon's in site.

For Cappellini, he did things right early in his career to make his mark in the sport memorable. During the first 5 years of his career he raced "double time". Basically, racing two series, the IOGP in North America and the FONDA series in Europe. Cappellini didn't win his first race until 5 years into his career. It started in December of 1985 in Nassau, his first win was in Como, Italy in 1989. For Guido, pushing hard even then, he was known as "Crashalini" while he ran twice as many races as any racer still running in the series today. He got 10 years of experience in his first 5 years. That's why he's at the top of his game today. In one word, experience!

Of the 22 starters in the Campione start, only five drivers have multiple victories in their career. Name them? Cappellini 38, Gillman 11, Cantando 3, Bocca 3 and Elliott 2.

Gillman, on the other hand, is struggling this season, everyone knows this. He is running his 2^nd boat of the year after picking up an older DAC that he was still rigging into shape by early afternoon of qualifying in Campione. A quick learing curve? You bet. His worst qualifying performance ever starting 6^th in the event. Only the 2^nd time he's done this in his career on the world stage. Given up? Hardly. Scott Gillman may be even more daring now than ever as the season goes on. No championship lead to protect.

Sure, the ever changing sands of F1 are now bringing us new race winners and exciting new talent to the U.I.M. F1 World Championship tour. The names of Cantando, Pharaon, Benavente, Comparato, Selio and Torta will soon take over from Cappellini and Gillman. But, for the past four years, it's been down to two men with tremendous talent and an un-quenching taste for success. This didn't happen overnight! This is why two 40+ year old drivers are multi-time world champions.

The battle between Gillman and Cappellini is far from over this season despite Cappellini's 80 point lead over the American. Cappellini knows as do the followers around the world of F1 power boat racing that you must still beat Gillman to say, "you are truly the greatest' for this year. Until then, mission incomplete! Let's see if and when Cappellini can beat Mr. "G".