The race is not always to the swift: Staying power at Thunder on the Niagara

Article by Karen Carr Keefe

Photos by Nathan Keefe

Speed wins hydroplane races.

But endurance and love of the sport bring veteran drivers back to the Niagara River in vintage boats.

That was the case at Thunder on the Niagara this past weekend, as senior citizens Lyle Dinsmore of Grand Island and Darrel Robinson of San Francisco caught the spotlight. When they rounded the turns in demonstration laps, they weren’t in competition – they were in their glory, after decades of boat racing.

Dinsmore opened Saturday’s festivities, waving the American flag as he zoomed past the crowd of spectators along the shoreline at Gratwick Park in North Tonawanda. Miss Gangway was built in 1971 by hydroplane pioneer boat-builder Henry Lauterbach and purchased by Dinsmore in 2011.

Robinson is on an extended tour of hydroplane races all across the U.S. and Canada this summer. At the start of this racing season, he and his wife, Sally, set out from San Francisco in their vintage hydroplane they named Radical.

On his Facebook page, Robinson wrote, “My passion: racing hydroplanes. Now 50 years later, I’m beyond excited to race again with Radical.”

The Hydroplane Racing League said on its website, “For the first time this season, Mother Nature smiled upon the HRL fleet as they took to the waters of the mighty Niagara River in North Tonawanda, New York, for the fifth round of the season. A calm and sunny weekend allowed spectators to witness a full program of thrilling races at Gratwick Park.”

Grand Island’s CentsLess Racing team, sponsored by Island business GP:50, fared well in the finals on Sunday.

•Ayden Sovie came in third in the 2.5 liter finale.

•Eddie Kanfoush captured first place in the F2500 category.

•Ken Brody II was the third place winner in the Grand Prix race that closed the event for another exciting year in North Tonawanda. Earlier in the season, Brodie, piloting GP-50 Freedom, successfully defended his title in the Brockville 1000 Island Regatta, winning the final on June 30 for a second consecutive year.

Ken Brodie II, of Grand Island’s CentsLess racing team, driving GP-50 Freedom, captured third place Sunday in the Grand Prix finale at Thunder on the Niagara.

Thunder on the Niagara is not only loud and fast, it also a colorful race between hydroplane contenders.