For the Reporter

Jean Theoret made the biggest move on his comeback trail with the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane circuit, taking the top spot in qualifying for the HAPO APBA Gold Cup on Friday afternoon in Kennewick.

The Maple Grove, Quebec boat racing champion averaged 160.509 mph for two laps on the 2½-mile Columbia River course, setting himself up and his Ellstrom Elam Plus hydroplane as the favorite to win the 106th running of the nation’s oldest motorsport trophy.

It was a special day for Theoret. He became the first French Canadian driver to turn the fastest qualifying speed for an unlimited hydroplane race.

“I am excited about taking the top qualifying spot,” Theoret said. “The crew did a great job setting this boat up and it ran beautifully.”

This is Theoret’s first full season since coming back from a horrific blowover accident in Madison, Ind., in 2009.

Theoret is only one of two drivers in the 2015 field that has ever won a Gold Cup title. Covington’s Jimmy Shane, the driver of the U-1 Oberto, is the defending Gold Cup champion. He won the title in Detroit last year, and on Friday Shane was the second-fastest qualifier with a two-lap average speed of 157.387 mph.

“The second qualifying session was an improvement for our boat,”  Shane said. “This is going to be a great race with a great fleet, and Theoret is not the only driver we have to worry about.”

Two sets of the four-lap preliminary heats will begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday with the championship heats on Sunday.

Dash For Cash race

Bonney Lake’s J. Michael Kelly in the U-5 Graham Trucking edged Shane in the Oberto in the four-lap Dash For Cash non-high point race Friday evening.

Kelly took the lead from the start in lane two but then battled Shane deck-to-deck for four laps before winning by a nose.

Shane was in lane one and Jesse Robertson in the Graham Trucking II also stayed in the battle from his lane three slot. Scott Liddycoat took fourth in the Les Schwab TeamRedDot.

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Gold Cup qualifying, Day One
Driver, hydro, average speed

U-96, Jean Theoret, Ellstrom Racing Ellstrom Elam Plus, 160.509 mph
U-1, Jimmy Shane, Miss Madison Inc., Oberto, 157.387 80
U-5, J. Michael Kelly, Porter Racing I Graham Trucking, 156.518 70
U-27, Cal Phipps, Wiggins Racing Dalton Industries, 155.368 60
U-9, Scott Liddycoat, Jones Racing Les Schwab/Red Dot, 154.727 50
U-3, Jimmy King, Go 3 Racing Griggs Ace Hardware, 152.344 40
U-7, Jesse Robertson, Porter Racing II Graham Trucking, 150.476 30
U-21, Brian Perkins, Go Fast Turn Left Racing Fasteners Inc., 149.575 30
U-22, Mike Webster, Webster Racing Payne West Insurance, 145.596 30
U-11, Tom Thompson, Unlimited Racing Group Peters & May, 144.711 30
U-100, Kevin Eacret, Leland Unlimited Miss CARSTAR, 125.602
U-18, Kelly Stocklin, Bucket List Racing Snuskitush Enterprises, 87.647
U-12, Patrick Sankuer, Centurion Racing DiJulio Family, 0.000