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   ROUEN, FRANCE - The Shark Racing Team overcame every obstacle that the world's toughest powerboat race could throw at it to finish 7th of 12 entries in Classe 1 at the 24 Hours of Rouen.

   The team, which included Herd Racing's Dana Tomes as one of four pilots, was among 32 boats entered in the only 24-hour-long endurance race in powerboating.  The race, conducted over three days on the River Siene in Rouen, is known as the toughest event in boating.

   "Finishing Rouen is an accomplishment in itself," said Herd Pilot Dana Tomes after the event.  "This team that invited me to become part of their program for this race is amazing.  They know their sport and have more heart and determination than any team I have ever seen.  They would not quit, regardless of how many obstacles we faced."

   The team's #47, which included French pilots Romain Nedelec, Jean Francois Nedelec, Max Reguena and nearly 20 team members, ran third and fourth on the water consistently, but suffered breakdowns both Sunday and Monday.  Sunday saw two breakdowns for silicone and water in the boat's fuel system.  Monday saw two more breakdowns for trim problems.  The team lost just over two hours of time on the water during the 24-hour event.

   "Had we been able to run without any problems we could have logged enough laps to have been on the podium," Tomes said.  "But that's part of endurance racing.  The team that has the least problems wins.  We would have loved to have finished higher and I think we deserved to have finished higher but I am so proud of the effort this team put forth.  They are truly professional in every way."

   Tomes said just having the opportunity to participate in the 24 Hours of Rouen was a tremendous opportunity in itself.

   "Rouen is a race that every racer wants to participate in at least once in their life," Tomes said.  "Very few pilots in America have had the opportunity to have raced at Rouen.  It is truly an amazing place to visit.  The logistics and organization of this race event is something you won't see anywhere else."

   As many as 300,000 spectators attended the three-day race, lining the Siene River's banks and overlooking from bridges along the race course.  Daytime temperatures hovered in the 40s and both Sunday and Monday's racing was done during steady rains, winds and even a little sleet.

   "Seeing thousands of people standing along the race course with their umbrellas for hour after hour was gratifying," Tomes said.  "This race means a lot to France and the people here.  I am honored to have been given the opportunity to have participated in it."

   The next event for the Shark Racing Team's quest for a 2013 World Endurance Championship takes them to Augustow, Poland in mid July for the second and final round of the two-race UIM World Endurance Series.

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ONE MINUTE GUN!
My Inspiration for The OMG!: 1/12/09

 

I love the personal times I have been able to have with boat racers who are successful business men. I have sought advice on developing Legacy Ministry which has a definite business side to it.

 

Jim Slack, Houston, TX, challenged me to come up with some short devotionals on a regular basis that deal with boat racing and give a thought for the day. This was my 1^st challenge.

 

Tim Seebold, Lake of the Ozarks, MO, told me he needed something really easy and interesting to read to get him into the Bible. Most guys feel the same way.

 

These two guys I respect and love, and out of their challenges came the ONE MINUTE GUN! I want to use this week to again give you my thoughts on how to use the OMG! most effectively.

 

I believe this little tool can make a difference in your life and can open doors to personal growth you have yet to experience. Building boundaries in your life to do the important things is crucial rather than letting urgent issues control you. Quiet time for reflection during the day is “important time!”

 

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35

 

Father, you know I am a busy person, but I want to take time to reflect on You. Show me how. Amen. 

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ONE MINUTE GUN!

Have I Been D.Q.’d?: 5/13/13

 

It is amazing the different ways a boat racer can find to be disqualified in a boat race.  There is always an unsettled feeling after a race waiting to find out if somebody has been “D. Q.’d”.  
 

Officials are contacted on the radio and asked, “Any infractions to report?”  Engines are torn down.  Boats are weighed.  You just never know?!  What a sinking feeling to hear an announcer proclaim a team has won and later find he has been “D.Q.’d”! 

Accomplishment and approval are very strong emotions, as are failure and rejection.   There seems to be a lot of failure and rejection dished out to people in life, especially in the early years of a person’s development.  Many people spend a lot of time overcoming a feeling of being “D.Q.’d” by a harmful person’s impact or influence when we all need a sense of accomplishment and approval.
 

What a wonderful thing to realize God wants to provide a real sense of being a winner to those come to understand God’s love and who desire to know Him personally.
 

In God’s administration of the race of life we can be winners as we embrace the fullness of living life in Christ and receive the promise of being able to join the triumphal procession for all eternity.
 

“Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” II Corinthians 2:14
 

Father, a lot of times I feel as if I have been D.Q.’d!”  Thanks for providing victory for me through your Son and His provision of forgiveness of sin.  Amen

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ONE MINUTE GUN!

The Glare is Bad: 5/10/13

 

At the boat race in Naples, FL, the glare was really bad for the drivers late in the afternoon on Saturday as they navigated through turns two and three on the race course. It was worse for the second heat race for the F-1 Champ class.

 

At the Nationals in Kankakee, IL, the glare off the water can become extremely bad. What do you do at speeds in excess of 100 mph on water with a horrible glare from the sun and water flying all around you, especially as you navigate the turns?

 

In a lot of life circumstances the glare of life is bad for all of us. We are often flying by the seat of our pants with some of the things we try and pull off in our jobs, relationships and recreational times.

 

The glare of life is so bad we cannot see clearly what the wise thing, the right thing, to do actually is. Our sight is hindered and we really need help from somewhere else to navigate through the points where we have limited sight.

 

The glare is going to be there at times, but there is a right way to get around the course.

 

Learning to seek the Lord’s guidance for navigating is the key for success in the issues of life that count the most.

 

“We are called to live by faith, not by sight.” II Corinthians 5:7

 

Father, teach me to turn to You amidst the glare of life. Amen.

 

 

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ONE MINUTE GUN!

Landing a Sponsor: 5/8/13

 

Many of those in boat racing know or are familiar with Steve de Souza, past F-1 tunnel boat racer from Seattle, Washington.   Steve is Vice-president of Nationwide Operations for Joe Gibbs Racing, board member for Legacy Ministry, and a close personal friend…and this year his teams have won a ton of NASCAR Nationwide races!
 

In general discussions about sponsorship Steve has commented how hard it has become in NASCAR to find sponsorship.  Just think, if it is hard for NASCAR teams how hard is it for boat racers?!
 

It makes a person feel sort of unwanted or of little value in the marketplace of motor sports when sponsors won’t step up and help a guy or gal go racing.  In this tough market it is important to never lose focus of how God feels about us.  Our ability to sell our selves on a daily basis in our life calling, whatever that might be, is dependent on how we feel about our value as a person.
 

God created us in His image, so we have value in His economy!   God tells us He wants us to call Him, “Father,” and He wants to treat us as His child.  God gives us the opportunity to become His child through His Son making us heirs of His riches eternally. Now that is called landing a sponsor!
 

“You are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”  Galatians 4:7

 

Father, as the marketplace tells me I have no value help me to see and find my value in You as Your child and an heir of the blessings of eternity.  Amen.

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ONE MINUTE GUN!

Creative Ways to Forfeit a Win: 5/6/13

 

Very early on in my chaplaincy with tunnel boat racing I quickly began to see that what looked to be a win on the water was not necessarily going to be a win, when all was said and done.
 

Two events stand out in my mind.  One race in Peoria, IL, my good friend, Mike Seebold,  forfeited a win.  The infraction escapes me now. 
 

At another race “rookie” F-1 driver, Alden Thornton, lost an apparent win for loose lead  weight in his boat not properly attached.  A dominating win was forfeited.  
 

It is amazing the creative ways guys forfeit what looks to be a win.  I have learned to just wait and see if any infractions are forthcoming before congratulating an apparent winner.
 

The Christian life is really very different than securing a win.  The Bible teaches that there is nothing we can ever do to earn eternal life.  It is a gift that is given by God not based upon a person’s “clean” performance.
 

The fact is a perfect God chooses to embrace sinful humankind by providing a gracious way for us to know Him.
 

 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  Ephesians 2:8
 

Father, thanks for making me a winner in your eyes  because I embrace your Son.  Amen.

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  ROUEN, FRANCE - Herd Racing tunnel boat pilot Dana Tomes is the only American scheduled to compete in the 50th anniversary running of one of Europe's biggest boat racing events.  The entry list for the 24 Hours of Rouen will feature 30 race teams from across Europe competing in boat racing's longest race.

  The race, set on the River Sienne in Rouen, France, features teams made up of four pilots, each driving their boats in two-hour shifts.  The team logging the most laps over the 24-hour-long race is crowned the winner.  The race is the first of two endurance races which crowns the World's Endurance Champion.  The second race, in which Tomes will also compete, is scheduled for July in Augustow, Poland.

 Tomes will drive both races of part of France's Shark Racing Team.  The Classe 1 tunnel boat team is made up of Romain Nedelec, Jean Francois Nedelec, Tomes and Max Requena.  Except for Tomes, the remaining team members are natives of France.  You can watch a promotional video of the team at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=DzHWc6CvoQ8.

  "It is an honor to represent the American Power Boat Association and the United States this year in Rouen," Tomes said.  "America has not had an entrant at Rouen for a few years and I hope to be able to represent our country well and do my best to help the Shark Team finish on the podium."

  Tomes, who finished third in the APR Superleague's SST-120 tour points race in 2012, had an opportunity to drive to three teams competing at Rouen.  Tomes said the decision to join France's Shark Team came down to family.

  "The Shark program is family.  Two of the drivers are father and son and the team is made up of the drivers' families and friends," Tomes said.  "Being part of a family atmosphere is important.  Winning is always important, but the reward is much bigger when your entire family has a part in it."  Tomes said he will be accompanied on his trip to both France and Poland by his family.

  "My wife and daughter will be there with me and will have the opportunity to enjoy the races and spend some time seeing the sights around Paris and Warsaw," Tomes said.  "It will be a great experience for my daughter to get to see places she has seen on TV or in books."

  The Rouen race will take place over three days, May 18-20.  The team's will be introduced to the public during a media event on May 17.  You can learn more about the race by visiting the event's website at http://www.24heuresrouen.com/.  The entry list for the race can be found online at https://twitter.com/HerdRacing/status/330527519453372416/photo/1.

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ONE MINUTE GUN!

A Passion for Life: 5/3/13

 

 

I really am passionate about watching this form of boat racing: the tunnel boat. What a unique animal! When that one minute gun is fired it is such a rush from the countdown to acceleration at the drop of the starter’s flag.

 

At that point I equally divide my anxiety between exhilaration and outright fear for safety. Prayer becomes an active state of being for me amidst passionate delight as the best in the business do their thing!

 

My passion for this sport is, I believe, the way we are designed by God to live life. Life is not all adrenaline rush, but life needs to have those parts of life we really feel passionate about. We need to have passion in our marriage, family and hopefully our vocation. It is good to have passion as we play!

 

So, I am off to the races to enjoy my passion for a bunch of crazy guys who love to go fast and turn left…all on water at speeds over 100 mph! I will passionately observe and passionately pray!

 

And God is pleased!

 

“You were running superbly! Who cut in on you deflecting you from the true course of obedience. This detour doesn’t come from the one who called you into the race in the first place.” Galatians 5:7-8.

 

Father, You want me to run the race of life focused on You and my passion flowing from Your design for life. Help me find passion in Your plan. Amen

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ONE MINUTE GUN!

“Good Memories in Port Neches, Texas”

May 1, 2013

 

Have you ever been to Port Neches, Texas? I never had until a number of years ago when they hosted a tunnel boat race for the first time. Forest Barber, a most delightful woman, was and still is the local race director. John Schubert, owner of the SPORT Series, provides the tunnel boat expertise.

 

The hospitality is incredible! Through the years we have watched the race continue to grow and the town grow through some tough hurricanes only to recover and be even better than before.

 

The race has matured into one of the most enjoyable national tunnel boat races in the United States. Boat racers love boat racing in Port Neches!

 

It is time to pack up and head to Port Neches to start the season of national races around the US and Canada. Boat racers, the ONE MINUTE GUN is about to be fired to start a new race season.

 

It is God’s desire that just as the Port Neches race has matured and continued to grow, God desires for us to grow spiritually over time. All life’s experiences are designed by the Father to show us more of how we can learn to depend on Him to guide us in the way we should go.

 

Take a moment this morning to reflect on the ways in which you have grown and matured in your walk with God in the recent past. What do you feel God wants to do in your life in the next few months of 2013?

 

“We proclaim Him, Christ Jesus, the hope of glory, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:27-28

 

Father, thank you for loving me unconditionally. May your love for me draw me to You to grow more and more into the person you want me to be.

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ONE MINUTE GUN!

Shaking Off the Rust: 10/22/08

 

 

How long does it take a driver to shake off the rust after not driving competitively for the "off season"?  It is hard for most teams to test because of the availability of good water, the need for a safety boat, team members, etc.  Some teams struggle to pull off a test session…so rust settles in on the driver.
 

Testing is so different than driving competitively with 14 other hulls heading to the first buoy at unbelievable speeds on ever changing water.
 

My feeling is it does not take long at all for the veterans to shake off the rust.  It is something they love to do, something they have done for years…but there is a need to renew the relationship with the hull and get comfortable again in that relationship.
 

Our relationship to God through His Son, Jesus, is similar.  When we don’t take the time to stop and talk to Him through prayer, ONE MINUTE GUN!, or reading the Bible, the rust of an unfamiliar relationship settles in. 
 

What is amazing is that God is always available for us to come to Him! He desires our relationship to be renewed with Him.
 

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed because his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning.  Great is Your faithfulness.  Lamentations 2:22-23.
 

Father, thank you so much for being there all the time, desiring relationship with me, even when I let the rust settle in on our relationship.  Amen..