Year: 1972

Owner: Mark Hansen

Driver: Mark Hansen

Model Builder: Jeff Campbell

Construction: Carbon Fiber

Year Built: 2006

Radio: JR

Electronic Speed Control: Creations Barracuda 80

Motor: HIMAX 3630-1500

Propeller: Octura 447

Paint: Red, White, Blue

Graphics: Vinyl

Notes about the model: The Vans PX was new for 2006. Another fast hull from the Campbell shop. The Vans PX got off to a great start in 2006, placing second in her first race. It would be the only time that she would make it to the podium. Like most of the Karelson hulls, she entertained the crowd with her aerobatics. During the Leo Vanden Berg Challenge, that was a good thing, while leading the last preliminary heat, the speed control failed and locked full on. You could smell it as the boat passed the start/finish line. She finally blew over in turn four. Being upside down but with the motor lock full on, she cruised into the weeds. Being upside down the speed control was mostly underwater preventing it from burning up the boat. The Vans PX appeared in seven races, earning a 15th place in Season High Points.

About the real boat: The replacement Hallmark Homes was an exact hull copy of the Karelsen hull but was built by Don Kelson of Seattle. Because of the race against time to be ready for the Seattle race, the workmanship was very shoddy. The boat only ran in thirteen races (in 1971-72-73). By the end of 1973, it was coming apart internally.

Hallmark Homes the second ran in three races in 1971...and lost a rudder in all three of them with Leif Borgersen driving. It participated in only one event (Seattle) in 1972 and placed third as Miss Van's PX with Borgersen again at the wheel.

McCormick leased the boat from owner Tony Mulherin for the 1973 season. Jim drove it to a third-place at Miami. Before the end of the season, he turned the wheel over to Danny Walls while McCormick concentrated on the Red Man (U-81).

At season's end, the U-8 hull was in very bad shape. Mulherin invited McCormick to remove any hardware from the boat that he wanted. Jim then sent the bare hull back to Tony's place of business in Memphis, Tenn.

A few weeks later, the shed containing the U-8 hull burned under suspicious circunstances and the boat was consumed. Halloween vandals were blamed.

That's about the size of the abbreviated career of the Red Man (U-8). (HARM)