Little more than three weeks ago, the 13th annual Hot Products Mark Hahn Memorial Havasu 300 Presented by Yamaha kicked off with the bang of a shotgun. It marks a succession of first, including the debut of the Kawasaki SX-R on the race course; the return of several major players including Craig Warner, Tony Beck, Chris “The Flyin’ Fish” Fischetti, Nicolas Rius, and more; and it also heralded the beginning of world class racing here in America in 2017. After five-and-a-half hours of grueling racing, the winners were crowned and the field cleared. But much more than praising those athletes who participated to valiantly that Saturday, the men and women who helped make this year’s event possible. Below is the heartfelt gratitude of organizer Mike Follmer:
Here’s the original press release:
Whether you knew him or not, we must all be thankful for the contribution Mark Hahn made to the sport of PWC endurance racing. His spirit and legacy are embodied in the Hot Products Mark Hahn Memorial race that bears his name. From its humble beginning to the Thirteenth Annual race held on February 18, 2017 the Mark Hahn Memorial has become a world class event, welcoming competitors from all parts of the globe to compete in one of the most unique and punishing endurance racing events in the world.
The 36 teams that competed in this year’s event and I owe all the success of this event to Mark’s vision and most importantly to all of the great sponsors and workers who make the event possible through their tireless efforts and generous contributions. Because of the Sunday race date this years entries were down a little, but the number of workers, sponsors, trophies and prizes were greater and along with the announcement of next years Saturday February 24 2018 race date and after the awards banquet everyone once again pledged to do even more next year.
Those who braved this year’s event are to be saluted for they truly endured the greatest test of weather anyone has ever seen at Lake Havasu! Every award and trophy was hard earned. The Mark Hahn Memorial race has always enjoyed an extraordinary amount of favorable coverage in all types of media worldwide, making it one of the most popular events in the world of PWC racing which is the true testament of the great exposure all the sponsors are enjoying.
There are several special people who merit special thanks for their dedication to the Hot Products Mark Hahn Memorial race’s thirteen year growth and success. Tom Perry of Hot Products, Jim Russell of DSM, and Ross Wallach, the race director. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to each of them for their tireless dedication over the years!
In addition to the 36 teams that competed I would really like to thank all the others who make this event the huge success that it has become:
HOT Products – Tom Perry Scott Saito
YAMAHA Motor Corporation USA – Andrew Cullen
Kawasaki Motor Corp USA – Joe Heim
R&D Racing Products – Jettrim
Go Fast US.com – Discount Tire
PWC Offshore .com – Pro Rider Magazine
Lake Havasu Aquatic Center & Staff – Havasu Powersports
DSM – Jim Russell & Staff – Riva Racing
IJSBA – Scott Frazier – Watercraft Rider.com
Coach T’s BBQ – Shawana Menser
Ross Wallach – Kay Sikes
Missy Beck – Dave Arnold
Eric Graff – Kelly Hart
I also want to extend a huge thank you to Anthony Radetic for traveling all the way from Georgia and winning the Ironman Runabout Class and awarded the Mark Hahn Memorial Cup for his outstanding performance – he is an inspiration to us all!
THANKS AGAIN! And I hope to see you all again next year at the 2018 – 14th Annual Mark Hahn Memorial!
– Mike Follmer
