EAST WENATCHEE — Wicked Racing of Port Angeles captured two first places out of three categories at the Thunder Swamp Slough race Saturday.
Thunder Swamp was the third race of the year for the United States Sprint Boat Association (USSBA).
Wicked Racing has race teams at or near the top in national rankings as the season winds down for the inaugural sprint boat races in Port Angeles set for Sept. 17.
The seventh and final racing event of the season will be for the national championships at Port Angeles’ new Extreme Sports Park, located on Edgewood Drive near Dry Creek.
Doug Hendrickson of Pasco, an 11-year sprint boat veteran, is the driver of Wicked Racing’s defending national championship boat in the A-400 division.
Hendrickson has won three national titles, including 2010, 2007 and 2006, all for Wicked Racing.
His navigator is Hannah Macke of Lewiston, Idaho, who also has 11 years experience in the business despite being only 31 years old.
Macke is considered one of the best navigators in USSBA, according to the USSBA website.
She has navigated for several championship teams, including several stints in Australia and New Zealand.
In second place in the national rankings is Wicked Racing driver Dan Morrison of Port Angeles in the Superboats division.
Racing for only three years, Morrison was national runner-up in 2009 and he was overall champion and national finals champion in 2008.
Morrison is an excavating contractor.
His navigator is Cara McGuire of Port Angeles, a first-grade teacher.
Morrison and McGuire, in the No. 10 boat, captured first place in Superboats at Thunder Swamp.
Hendrickson and Macke, meanwhile, claimed third place at Thunder Swamp with in boat No. 01.
Sequim’s Paul Gahr Jr. beat out Hendrickson for first place at Thunder Swamp in the A-400 division.
Gahr and Josh Gahr of Sequim, the navigator, won in their boat, Live Wire, for TNT Racing.
The Gahrs, racing for only three years, both were named rookies of the year in 2008.
Next up for sprint boat racing is Field of Dreams in Albany, Ore., on July 23.