The 2008 Season

Currently the Hamaker Racing team plans to run the entire 2008 SDBA season in the PCE (Pro Comp Eliminator) class. Results

The 2007 Season

About Hamaker Racing's Rookie Season - 2006

Doug Hamaker is the owner/driver of the Haymaker 125 drag boat. At the tender age of 46 years young he decided to try his hand at Drag Boat Racing.

Hamaker Racing was formed in January 2006 when Doug Hamaker, the founder, purchased a Tom Papp Stealth racing hull and decided that he would go drag boat racing. He purchased a Chevrolet 572 crate motor and Duane Oblander of High Tech Performance built the “dual purpose” dragster. Initially the Hamakers thought they would use the boat as entertainment as a lake boat and just drag race on the side, but the racing won out and no one ever sat in the back seat.

There wasn’t a dull moment during the entire Southern Drag Boat Association (SDBA) 2006 season from day one. Doug and Benita (his wife) Hamaker went to Godard, Kansas the day before the first race of the SDBA season in Waco (Duel On The Brazos) to pick up the newly built boat. After some difficulties they headed straight to Waco arriving at 4:00 am with registration being at 7:00 am.

Being rookies and not having any experience at a non-outlaw event the team was destined to make all the usual rookie mistakes. It all started when the tow driver Ray Blakley of Blakley Creative dumped and almost sunk the brand new boat on the second Test and Tune run of the first morning. Although it made for lots of laughs in the pits this was a moment that caused the Hamaker team to focus. Two days later Doug Hamaker pulled out with a sixth place finish.

The team was energized by their early success and proceeded to the Brady, Texas (Heart of Texas Thunder) race where Doug Hamaker secured a third place finish. After the second Waco race Mr. Hamaker had secured a third place slot in the overall points standings.

The Oklahoma City Ozarka Bricktown Nationals was the largest race of the season and was accompanied by unprecedented heat with the daytime highs in the high 100s and the humidity also extremely high. Through it all and with a bit of luck, Mr. Hamaker ran five heats to win the field of 27 boats and leapt into first place in overall points.

After that race The Hamaker team never looked back they carried the points to a second place finish and an overall points lead into The Lake Bryan Nationals to wrap up the season as number one in the SDBA Stock Eliminator Class points standings.

Just to try his hand at a larger stage Hamaker traveled to to Chandler, Arizona to attend the 2006 IHBA World Finals where he qualified number 3 in a field of 17. Despite a red light in the quarter finals the Doug Hamaker made a strong showing in a completely foreign racing environment.

The 2006 Race Schedule for Haymaker
* April *27, 28 & 29 Waco - Duel On The Brazos
* June 2 & 3 Brady - Heart Of Texas Thunder
* June 30 & July 1 - Waco
* July *13, 14 & 15 - Bricktown Nationals
* August 4 & 5 Ft. Worth - Cowtown Nationals
* August 24 & 25 Bryan - Lake Bryan Nationals

* IHBA World Finals (an IHBA event)