Luptons power up ahead of hydroplane assault on Canadian waters

Whanganui engine builder Grant Rivers measures the power output of Jack Lupton's No1 motor for his attack on the Hydroplane Racing League GP Series in Canada beginning this month. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Lupton clan are powering up to tackle their biggest hydroplane challenge yet when they launch an attack on the HRL GP Series in Canada later this month.

The Waverley farming family has long dominated the Australasian grand prix circuit and will now take on the best in the world at the Mecca of hydroplane racing in the Hydroplane Racing League series beginning with the Cambridge Power Boat Regatta on May 19-20. This is the first leg of the eight meeting series ending on September 1-2 with the Les Regates De Beauharnois in Beauharnois, Canada.

The Lupton clan, father Warwick, siblings Ken and Jack and current New Zealand champion cousin David Alexander, have raced in Australasia as Kiwi Annihilator Racing (KAR), but will race in Canada as Lupton Motorsport.

However, only Warwick and Jack, along with longtime team mechanic Richard Corbett, will take on the Canadian mission.

The trio will leave next Tuesday content in the knowledge their engine-building legend Grant Rivers has again produced a gem with the power to take on the world.

"We leased a boat originaly called GP48 Zero Gravity and renamed it GP57 Miss New Zealand," Jack Lupton said.

"Actually they ended up giving it to us for nothing. Its a Bert Henderson-built boat exactly the same as my boat back here (GP57 Penrite Repco) and I will take my hardware over to install."

Henderson is widely regarded as one of the best hydroplane GP boatbuilders on the globe at at least 12 of his designs will contest the series.

"We already have a motor over there and Grant Rivers has built our No1 engine here in Whanganui," Lupton said.

"Building exceptional engines over the 25 or 30 years Grant has been at it, he has learned a few tricks and nobody reads a spark plug like Grant - he's a genius. We will also build another engine while we are over there, but Grant's will be our main one."

Lupton said all boats contesting the series are restricted to engines no bigger than 468 cubic inches pumping out anywhere between 1350 and 1450 horse power.

"These are much smaller than many of ours here which are around 510 cubic inch producing anywhere from 1600hp to 2500hp. The engine Grant has built us went on the dyno the other day to measure the power it was producing and we are very happy with its performance - we will be highly competitive," Lupton said.

Jack Lupton will do the majority of the driving throughout the series, although Lupton Motorsport has linked up with longtime American buddy and experienced driver Joe Sovie.

"Joe will actually drive the first races in Cambridge and I will have my first at the Gananoque Nickel Cup Hydroplane Regatta in Gananoque on June 2-3. I will then probably drive the rest of the series."

Lupton turns 23 tomorrow, although rivals will be foolish to underestimate his youthful appearance.

He lost New Zealand's highest honour, the Masport Cup to cousin David Alexander this year after being custodian for the previous three years. However, he gained some consolation winning both A E Baker Trophy races this season. The A E Baker is an Australasian trophy.

He had his first ever test drive in his dad's Annihiliator boat aged 16 before becoming a regular on the Australasian circuit at 18.

"I would have loved to have taken on this Canadian series with both dad and Ken, but Ken and his wife have a baby due in July and he has just bought another farm, so unfortunately can't make it. Maybe we might be able to do it together in the future."

One of the main legs of the series is in Valleyfield, a 45 minute drive from Montreal and the home of hydroplane racing.

"The HRL Series is like the Daytona of this sport and Valleyfield is where hydroplane racing was born - if you win this, you win the lot, its like the world series."