Mike Klippenstein Wins 2016 LB2CAT Race

Mike Klippenstein is one of the greatest athletes that the sport of PWC Racing has ever seen.  Some of us were just out of high school when we first saw The Klipper make world headlines for his successes on the race track.  Decades later, Klipper is still showing the way to competitors who are the same age we were when he first took his neon colored watercraft through the checkered buoys.  Some years we spend weeks debating whether Mike Klippenstein should be eligible to run Maters Ski at World Finals when is a contender for a podium spot in Pro Ski.  Seriously, that is pretty amazing.  This press releases is about the whole 2016 LB2CAT event but we wanted to start it off by giving the winner some well deserved recognition.  Below is what RPM Racing has to say about the event.  Good job Mike and congratulations to the rest of the competitors.

 

Klippenstein takes 1^st LB2CAT win and control of the points lead for the Hot Products Triple Crown of Offshore Endurance!!

 

July 17. 2017

 

Long Beach, CA

He has a perfect record so far in 2016!  With his latest victory, Mike Klippenstein is on a roll winning the prestigious LB2CAT – Round #2 of The Hot Products Long Beach To Catalina & Back IJSBA National Offshore Championships presented by Jettrim, Hydro-Turf, Sea-Doo, Sea-Tow, Jet  Re-Nu, Oakley, Kawasaki, Skat-Trak, Amsoil, PWCoffshore.com, Watercraft Rider Magazine, West Coast Watercraft Club.  Today's win puts the veteran world champion PWC racer from Ft. MacMurray, Alberta, Canada riding his #212  Yamaha R& D sponsored entry firmly in control of the points lead in the Hot Products Triple Crown championship. Finishing with a time of 55 Mins & 20 Seconds in what was one of the closest battles with veteran Australian Offshore champ Christian D’Agostin, Queensland, AU on his Factory Yamaha #6A boat until D’Agostin’s boat gurgled as it started running out of fuel some 300 yards from the finish line which gave Klippenstein the win and 2^nd to D’Agostin.  3^rd place overall was also decided by two veterans and was separated this time by 1 second with Paul Pham, #99 Yam Los Angeles, CA taking 3^rd over Bill Scott #102 Yam Lake Havasu City, AZ who settled for 4^th overall with times of 57 Mins and 27 and 28 seconds respectively.  Great weather in the channel resulted in great racing and having four top competitors battling until the very end made for an extremely exciting finish to a great race!

 

Congratulations to everyone that participated, their crews and families that supported them in their efforts!

Overall Results:
Pos. Name Number Mfg. Time Class
1^st - Mike Klippenstein, Ft. MacMurray, Al, Canada, #212 Yam 55 Mins 20 Sec

2^nd- Christian D’Agostin, Queensland, Australia, #6A Yam 55 Mins 40 Sec

3^rd-  Paul Pham, Los Angeles, CA #99 Kaw 57 Mins 27 Sec

4^th- Bill Scott, Lake Havasu City, AZ #102 Yam 57 Mins 28 Sec

5^th- Daniel Cox, El Cajon, CA  #525 Kaw 1 Hour 3 Mins 01 Sec

6^th- Santiago Kuan, Whittier, CA #30 Yam 1 Hour 5 Mins 45 Sec

7^th- Ryan Ellefson, Menifee, CA #29 Yam 1 Hour 5 Mins 49 Sec
8^th- Charlie Martinez, Buena Park, CA #9 Kaw 1 Hour 6 Mins 19 Sec

9^th- Jonathan Mangan, Phoenix, AZ #33 Yam 1 Hour 6 Mins 29 Sec

10^th- Brittany Marker, Oceanside, CA #22 Yam 1 Hour 8 Mins 14 Sec

11^th- Charles Anderson, Lake Havasu City, AZ #55 Yam 1 Hour 9 Mins 38 Sec

12^th- Johnny Custom, Harbor City, CA #63 Yam 1 Hour 10 Mins 32 Sec

13^th- Anthony Radetic, Abbeville, AL #8 Kaw 1 Hour 15 Min 06 Sec

14^th- Akira Tanaka, Torrance, CA #470 Kaw 1 Hour 19 Mins 41 Sec

15^th- Frank Gavit, San Marcos, CA #75 Sea 1 Hour 26 Min 48 Sec

DNF Craig Warner Ackworth GA  #7 Kaw

DNF Jason Gigliotti, Scottsdale, AZ #412 Kaw

DNF- Dave “Pirate” Tew, Lomita, CA #331 Kaw

DNF Jeff Lane Anaheim, CA  #83 Kaw

DNS Tom Cruz, Oceanside, CA #5 Kaw
Results by Class:

Pro/Am Open
Pos. Name Number Mfg. Class Time

1^st - Mike Klippenstein, Ft. MacMurray, Al, Canada, #212 Yam 55 Mins 20 Sec

2^nd- Christian D’Agostin, Queensland, Australia, #6A Yam 55 Mins 40 Sec

3^rd-  Jonathan Mangan, Phoenix, AZ #33 Yam 1 Hour 6 Mins 29 Sec

DNF  Mark Gerner, Aliso Viejo, CA #58 Kaw

DNF Craig Warner Ackworth GA  #7 Kaw
Vet/Master Open
Pos. Name Number Mfg. Class Time

1st- Paul Pham, Los Angeles, CA #99 Kaw 57 Mins 27 Sec

2^nd- Charles Anderson, Lake Havasu City, AZ #55 Yam 1 Hour 9 Mins 38 Sec

3^rd- Johnny Custom, Harbor City, CA #63 Yam 1 Hour 10 Mins 32 Sec

4^th- Akira Tanaka, Torrance, CA #470 Kaw 1 Hour 19 Mins 41 Sec

DNF Jason Gigliotti, Scottsdale, AZ #412 Kaw

DNS Tom Cruz, Oceanside, CA #5 Vet/Master

 

4 Stroke Stock
Pos. Name Number Mfg. Class Time

1^st - Santiago Kuan, Whittier, CA #30 Yam 1 Hour 5 Mins 45 Sec

2^nd- Ryan Ellefson, Menifee, CA #29 Yam 1 Hour 5 Mins 49 Sec

3^rd- Charlie Martinez, Buena Park, CA #9 Kaw 1 Hour 6 Mins 19 Sec

4th- Brittany Marker, Oceanside, CA #22 Yam 1 Hour 8 Mins 14 Sec

DNF- Dave “Pirate” Tew, Lomita, CA #331

 

Mfg. Stock
Pos. Name Number Mfg. Class Time
1^st- Bill Scott, Lake Havasu City, AZ #102 Yam 57 Mins 28 Sec

2^nd- Daniel Cox, El Cajon, CA #525 Kaw 1 Hour 3 Mins 01 Sec

3^rd- Anthony Radetic, Abbeville, AL #8 Kaw 1 Hour 15 Sec 06 Sec

4th^th- Frank Gavit, San Marcos, CA #75 Sea 1 Hour 26 Min 48 Sec

DNF Jeff Lane Anaheim, CA  #83 Kaw

 

A special Thank You to the entire RPM Staff and volunteers: Aaron Cress, April Cress, Steve Friebe, Steve Rasmussen, Lauren Theroux, Holly Elefson, Captain Mac & Captain Rio from Sea-Tow, West Coast Watercraft Club- Lewis Lipstone, Fadi Sacre & Don Adams , Buddy Percin!

 

Up next, Round #3 of the Hot Products Triple Crown of Offshore – The final race of the season- The Dana Point to Huntington Beach & Back race on Sunday, September 25^th at 9:30 am.