Hot Licks could go Top Fuel Hydro in 2004! It wasn't hard to make the leap, two whole Divisions, to Top Fuel Hydro. The team under the supervision of Dennis Gibson, a crew chief/owner with 20+ years experience in boat racing, showed their commitment and perseverance in 2004.
The boat was originally built to run in the Pro-Modified Division. In 2003-2004, the boat began the season racing and winning in the Pro-Modified Division. However, Hot Licks only ran five races before an exciting opportunity presented itself.
Hot Licks team owner Dennis “Hoot” Gibson did not always have the drive to race in the nation’s top drag boat racing class, winning race venues, championships, as well as the popularity of the public. In fact, his career of boat racing began in 1978 with a supped-up lake boat. Aware of the SDBA, or Southern Drag Boat Racing Association of Texas, he had ventured to Waco, Texas where the association presented the safety equipment required to race a 10 or 11 second boat, such as his lake boat.
Gibson began in the Blown Gas class, working his way up to Blown Alcohol Hydro, and then Fuel Jet. After gaining the experience and knowledge necessary to pilot such powerful machines down the liquid quarter mile, Gibson took off a few years away from the drag boat racing community.
During his time away, the coalition of boats going faster on water called for the advancement of equipment and safety: capsules were put into boats running faster than 8 seconds in a quarter mile, the importance of fiberglass and carbon-fiber increased, full roll cages were being built into capsules, oxygen tanks were set-up for drivers, and the boats themselves were transitioning from single to double-screw w-drives. Gibson took a break after going 150mph only to come back to running 250+mph in the Top Fuel class.
After taking some seasons off, Gibson returned and purchased a boat originally built to run in the Top Alcohol Hydro class, modifying it to run in the 7 second Pro Modified class. After some races and success with this boat and team, Gibson and the guys decided it was time to go faster.
“We figured we could run fuel, so we got a fuel engine and ran it,” recollects long-time crew member Todd Thompson. “We got runner up at our first race in Top Fuel, and ended up winning the next one!”
It was at this moment that Hot Licks Enterprises decided to stick with the very competitive and thrilling fuel class. Dennis “Hoot” Gibson would make a name for himself alongside legendary drag boat racing tuners and drivers such as “Famous” Amos Saterlee and Eddie Knox.
In 2004, Gibson and the crew ran the entire IHBA, International Hot Boat Association, circuit in Top Fuel. Through 2005, the team continued to learn and accumulate victories at both IHBA and SDBA race venues with Daryl “Madd Maxx” Ehrlich piloting the black Hot Licks hydro.
In 2006, Gibson purchased a second hydro from Jim Dunn’s Bullet Fiberglass to run the first ever Top Fuel Hydro team with two boats. John White took over the driving for the Hot Licks hydro while Ehrlich switched to master the new “Berryman Bullet” hydro.
The beginning of the 2007 season created a new start for the two boat team with the acquiring of previous Pro Mod driver Jarrett Silvey who would pilot a newly purchased Wolfie hydro boat, replacing White’s retired hydro. Eager to learn and determined to succeed, Silvey took on the challenge to race competitively with fellow fuel drivers. By mid-season, Gibson decided to sell the hydro and focus all the team’s effort on the Bullet boat, which Silvey took over as driver. Together, the crew, Silvey, and Gibson worked to prove to the drag boat racing community that they were a force to be reckoned with.
Gibson’s first victory with the Hot Licks Bullet and driver Jarrett Silvey finally came at the beginning of the 2008 season at the IHBA Season Opener in Phoenix, AZ. Elated with a long-anticipated victory, there is no stopping the determination, performance, and fun that takes place each race in the Hot Licks Racing pit each weekend thanks to the intelligence and friendliness of Dennis “Hoot” Gibson.
In hopes of expanding the sport and competition in drag boat racing, Gibson helped previous Pro Mod driver Doug Verstuyf and his Nitro Chicken team understand the assembly and tuning of a top fuel engine, setting them up to be one of the greatest Top Fuel Hydro racing teams today. Moreover, Gibson allowed current Spirit of Texas top fuel driver Todd Odom to get his Top Fuel license in his Hot Licks hydro in Lubbock, TX of 2007. Shortly after, the Hot Licks hydro was sold to James Ray and renamed “Tequila Sunrise,” which can be seen as another competing Top Fuel Hydro today.
Jarrett Silvey sets the bar high when it comes to competition. It is his intense determination and passion for racing that has driven him to successfully compete in many classes of drag boat racing from the 13-second river racer class to drag boat racing’s premier class, top fuel hydro. Jarrett’s first memory of drag boat racing was attending the races in Oklahoma City at the age of 16; from that point forward he was obsessed. After a decade of aggressively competing in each division paving the way to the Pro Modified class, Jarrett became the 2005 IHBA Pro Modified World Finals Champion. Upon the completion of the 2006 season, Jarrett was at a crossroads in his racing career and made the decision to sell his Pro Modified boat. Before the beginning of the 2007 season, Jarrett was presented with an unexpected opportunity to drive the Dennis Gibson owned Hot Licks Bullet top fuel hydro. Of course, Jarrett accepted. The invitation to drive for Dennis was the culmination of a twelve-year solo racing career and the introduction into drag boat racings elite class.
Accomplishments:
1995 St. Louis Drag Boat Association Modified Eliminator Champion
1999 National Drag Boat Association Top Eliminator Champion
1999 St. Louis Drag Boat Association Top Eliminator Runner-Up
2000 National Drag Boat Association Top Eliminator Champion
2000 St. Louis Drag Boat Association Top Eliminator Runner-Up
2001 St. Louis Drag Boat Association Driver of the Year
2001 National Drag Boat Association Pro Modified Champion
2003 IHBA Division II Prop Modified Runner-Up
2003 IHBA Division II Pro Driver of the Year
2003 Southern Drag Boat Association Pro Modified Runner-Up
2004 Southern Drag Boat Association Pro Modified Runner-Up
2004 IHBA Division II Pro Modified Champion
2004 IHBA Division III Pro Modified Champion
2004 IHBA Pro Modified Driver of the Year
2005 IHBA Division II Pro Modified Runner-Up
2005 IHBA Division III Pro Modified Champion
2005 IHBA Pro Driver of the Year
2005 IHBA World Finals Pro Modified Champion
2006 St. Louis Drag Boat Association Pro Modified Champion
2006 IHBA Division II Pro Modified Champion
2006 IHBA Driver of the Year
2007 Southern Drag Boat Association Top Fuel Hydro Runner-Up
2007 IHBA Division I Top Fuel Hydro Runner-Up
2007 IHBA Division II Top Fuel Hydro Runner-Up
Write generic desciption about the team members
We invite you to visit our 2008 sponsors, please support those that support drag boat racing:
• LUCAS OIL, headquartered in Corona, California, produces the number one selling line of specialty oils and additives in the American truck stop industry. Lucas Oil is also one of the fastest growing product lines in the automotive aftermarket. A premium line of racing oils, greases and problem solving additives has made Lucas Oil Products a company known for quality and complete customer satisfaction. The same high technology that has made Lucas a winner on the track is available for you. Lucas has long been directly involved in the American racing industry through multiple vehicle sponsorships and racing event promotions, at all levels. Seeing a need for better lubricants in this industry, the Lucas people went to work again. The end result being a line of high performance engine oils and gear oils that are second-to-none in the racing industry. Lucas racing products have proven themselves on NASCAR, NHRA, IHRA, USHRA, IHBA and ATPA tracks across the country.
• K&N - http://www.knfilters.com
K&N users would probably be surprised by the amount of air filtration testing and scientific research that goes on in K&N facilities as well as in independent laboratories. As the leader and originator of the high flow performance air filter we are always looking for new ways to provide excellent protection and maximum power for your car, truck, motorcycle, and just about anything else with an engine.
• Federal Mogul - http://www.federal-mogul.com
We are a premier supplier of products, services and solutions to original equipment manufacturers that use our quality components in their vehicles and automotive systems, and to aftermarket customers who sell our world renown brand-name replacement parts through repair shops and retail outlets.
• V8 Choppers - http://v8choppers.com
• Jim Beam
• BAD Ass Diecast - http://www.diecast-badass.com
Stan Gill, and Bad Ass Diecast Inc. have embarked on a whole new area for the diecast industry by producing a complete line of scale reproduction TF Hydro Drag Boats. These scale reproductions will represent the top fuel race teams of 2006
• Drag Boat Review – http://www.dragboatreview.com
The new Drag Boat Review shirts are now in! Go to the DBRGear section on the site to get yours TODAY!!!!!
• Milwaukee Tools -.http://www.milwaukeetool.com
Milwaukee manufactures its signature red power tools in both 120 and 230 volts for worldwide use. The extensive product line covers over 500 different power tools.
The basics of drag boat racing are very similar to those of land drag racing. It is an acceleration race over a measured quarter mile straightaway on water between two high performance race boats.
However, drag boats us a slight moving start. This starting system was implemented as a safety precaution because it is difficult for a boat driver to determine if the boat will launch straight from a standing start.
As two boats are “paired up” on the holding rope, a countdown clock begins before the boats get the green light. During competition, if either boat crosses the starting line before the green light is illuminated, it is disqualified.
Each boat is allowed to qualify for eliminations by making at least one quarter-mile timed run. Each of the boats is clocked for an elapsed time (ET) that is determined from the time it takes the boat to cover the quarter-mile race from start to finish. drag boats qualify on Saturday for a two-day event and on Friday and Saturday for three day events. Only the top qualifying boats will compete in the championship elimination rounds. The winner of each round of racing advances to the next round until only one boat remains as the class winner.