Nasty encounter for World Champion Jay Price

by Steve Michael Reporting on 7 Aug 2009
Defending World Champion Jay Price of the Qatar Team has had many nicknames in his 35 years of racing boats. Some of the more creative examples include 'Ragin Cagin' and 'Vigilante' just to name a few, but as the driver prepares for this weekend's Eighth Grand Prix of Russia at the 5th and 6th rounds of the 2009 U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating, he can add a new nickname to his resume, 'Spiderman'.

It turns out that the native from New Orleans, Louisiana was outside when he was bitten by a very rare and poisonous Brown Recluse spider that inhabit the swamp lands of the lower Mississippi River delta of the United States. If not treated immediately, the bacteria will start eating flesh and could cause death in the person infected.

The driver, who currently sits second in the championship with 35 points and coming off the latest race with a stunning come from behind victory over points leader Thani Al Qamzi of Team Abu Dhabi at the second event at last month's Grand Prix of Finland, was lucky to have his neighbor who is a physician administer the antibiotics needed to stop the spread the infection.

'I was a bit nervous at first.' said Jay. 'When I found out what had bitten me I knew that people in the past have died from this insect and I knew I needed attention right away. I had to elevate my leg on the way over across the Atlantic on the airplane, but my doctor gave me a clean bill of health before I left and I'm ready to race. I haven't yet felt like I could leap off of buildings or save people in distress, but it's still early', joked Jay.

Currently the World Champion has reached the podium to either first or second place in eight of the nine last races he's finished. The only time he's missed doing so was at the first of two races in Lahti when he was docked a lap for taking out a turn buoy and being classified 15th at days end.

Now Jay arrives on the Neva River for the second time in his career marking his 27th and 28th starts. This weekend he's hoping to have a better pair of results than he had last season when he was sick from flu symptoms and dropped out early in the event for only one of his two failures to finish all season in 2008 on his way to his first World Title.

'Yeah, it was a weekend I wanted to forget about, said Jay. 'I couldn't wait to get home and spent most of my time on the ground lying down hoping to settle my stomach. This year, hopefully I can make a run for a better result and stay with in shouting distance of the title again this season.'

Drivers from as many as 14 different countries are expected to take to the six turn 2.01 kilometer circuit on the Neva River at the Peter and Paul Fortress right in the downtown area of historic St. Petersburg.. The format has changed in 2009 and now at each Grand Prix race fans are getting twice the action with two races for the championship on Saturday and Sunday.

Also added this season is the availability for race fans from throughout the world now able to watch and follow each event by going to their computers and the website www.f1h2o.com and see the actual race with the up to minute telemetry as well to feel as if they are actually attending the event.

Race time for each Grand Prix is scheduled for 18:00 local, 15:00 GMT and 10:00 CDT on the East Coast of North America. One of the big questions will be, can the now once bitten Jay Price become like 'Spiderman'
and be the champion of the sport once again this year or just feel the pain of the spider and become a reclusive driver on the U.I.M. F1 H2O World Championship tour?