For the Reporter
Oh-Boy! Oberto will be back to race on the H1 Unlimited tour in 2018.
Oberto Snacks Inc. President/CEO Tom Hernquist announced Wednesday that the company’s familiar white, red and green colors will adorn the U-1918 Oh Boy! Oberto Unlimited Hydroplane at the Tri-Cities Water Follies on the Columbia River this weekend and Albert Lee Appliance Cup on Seattle’s Lake Washington Aug. 3-5.
“We are thrilled to be back racing and to partner with the Wiggins Racing Team. This is our 100-year anniversary, and thus a special year for Oberto and the hydros,” Hernquist said. “To be partnered with a team, with this its long history in the sport, just adds to the excitement.”
Charly Wiggins, former Oberto hydro crew chief and now team owner of the Wiggins Racing Team, added: “It is a privilege to reunite with Oberto. They have been a pillar in our sport for over 40 years and its fantastic to partner with them during such an important year in their history, their 100th anniversary. To highlight this, we are racing under the U-1918 designation as a tribute to their centennial year.”
Dating back to the 1970s, Oberto has been long associated with the hydros. At first sponsoring what some would call “also-rans,” the company elevated its commitment in the 2000s. During its 40-plus years in the sport, Oberto is one of the winningest sponsors with more than 20 wins and 60-plus podium finishes. After three years off the podium, Oberto is hungry to return to the winning column.
Aiding the return of success is veteran driver Cal Phipps of Avon Lake, Ohio, who will pilot the U-1918 Oh Boy! Oberto at Tri Cities and Seattle. Phipps, a latecomer to unlimited hydros, has compiled an illustrious career on the water. His accolades include 35 national championships in 11 different classes.
Seattle-based and with Kent roots, Oberto Snacks Inc., is one of the nation’s leading all-natural jerky snacks companies. Founded by Constantino Oberto in 1918, the company’s products are found in all retail channels and online at oberto.com.
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