Shorter hydroplane course at Seafair tougher to navigate

Driver Jean Theoret turns inside the race course in the Ellstrom Elam Plus during Saturday morning testing on Lake Washington. (Greg Gilbert/The Seattle Times)The two-mile hydroplane course at Seafair is the minimum length the drivers will take on during the season. The shorter length, coupled with the shape of the course, makes for less opportunities for drivers to hit top speeds on straightaways.

For Jean Theoret and the Ellstrom Elam Plus boat, that proved to be a determining factor in Saturday’s heat. Theoret was the top qualifier of the race with a speed of 150.583 mph, but was unable to get the inside lane. J. Michael Kelly in the Graham Trucking I, which qualified as the sixth fastest…