Oryx Cup UIM World Championship

Doha, January 11 (QNA) - U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto s Steve David and U-9 Jones Racing s Jon Zimmerman clinched victories in the fourth set of heats at the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship in Doha Bay on Friday afternoon. "If someone told me that I was going to win two race heats this weekend I wouldn’t t have believed them," said a delighted Zimmerman. "Now bring on the final” Despite the threat of violent winds, weather conditions improved markedly and Qatar Marine Sport Federation (QMSF) and H1 Unlimited officials were able to carry out a morning practice session and Heats 4A and 4B, much to the delight of the crowd who had gathered to watch the world’s fastest powerboats in action in Doha. Florida-based David had already clinched the 2012 H1 Unlimited National High Points Championship during the three pairs of heats on Thursday afternoon and attention in Heats 4A and 4B turned to the battle to qualify for the prestigious six-boat Oryx Cup UIM World Championship final on Saturday afternoon. When the points scored during qualifying and the four heats were totalled for each driver, David, Zimmerman, Jimmy Shane, Tom Thompson, Brian Perkins and J. Michael Kelly had done enough to make the six-boat final, but a final decision on whether Kelly had automatically made the final as the sixth trailer boat was not made immediately. Not only did Villwock miss out on the final he won in 2010, but his misery was compounded when a fire aboard U-1 Spirit of Qatar forced the original Heat 4B to be re-run after a 45-minute delay and gave him no chance of getting closer to the runner-up in the National High Points Championship, Jimmy Shane. "We have had a dream weekend so far and now we can concentrate on the final," said Steve David. "We know that the Qatar boat is one of the fastest on the water and we know that they will be back at the next race to try and get revenge." (QNA)