Kayleigh Perkins Mallory took out the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto for a test run the morning of Aug. 7.

In doing so, and running again Seafair weekend, the Black Diamond native became the second woman to run an unlimited boat. It’s been nearly 30 years since the first woman, Brenda Jones, got into the cockpit.

“Every woman feels they have a victory when I win and I hope I can continue to empower women as I rise through the ranks of hydroplane racing,” Mallory said. “As much as I want to win I also want to encourage people to get involved and participate in hydroplane racing – everyone is welcome.”

She did so well during that test run, had she been attempting to qualify she would have had a better spot than her older brother Brian Perkins.

Mallory’s third lap speed clocked in at 146.366, which tied Perkins’ best qualifying speed from Aug. 6 in the U-21 Miss Albert Lee Appliance, which was in fourth in the National High Points standings heading into Seafair.

A national champion in the unlimited light class, which is one step down from the big boats her brother runs, Mallory described her UL-72 boat as “the little red boat” before Seafair after working in the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto.

After her test run, according to www.h1unlimited.com, she was “surprised how easy it was to turn.”

“It’s much heavier,” she said. “It’s such a great boat. It’s really easy to drive. I didn’t feel a big difference in speed. But, in the turns, all the forces on you are tremendous.”

Steve David, who won the Albert Lee Cup Aug. 8, said he was impressed with Mallory and described her as “a very talented boat racer.”

Mallory then took second in the unlimited light Graham Trucking Cup Aug. 8.

Meanwhile, Perkins won heat 2A, which forced David and Auburn native Dave Villwock to race for third and fourth as the pair battle for the national high points championship. David won it in 2009.

The teams now prepare for the final race of the season in November in Qatar.

Mike Hanson, crew chief who makes his home in Bonney Lake, approached Mallory in January and asked if she was interested in taking the boat out.

“It was really, really exciting,” she said. “Everything in this sport, there’s so much talk. With this sport, you don’t count on anything until it happens.”

David was also excited about seeing Perkins test the boat.

“There are few opportunities to drive unlimiteds for up-and-coming drivers,” David said in a statement. “When a seat does open up, it’s rarely a national championship boat and team. Kayleigh genuinely recognizes this gift and we are pleased to offer the chance.”

In the middle of this opportunity Mallory got married. Racing was never far from her mind – the couple’s wedding cake was in the shape of a hydroplane with her groom on the dock waving a checkered flag.

Mallory and Perkins grew up at the races. Their parents began volunteering at Seafair as teenagers and through the years they brought their children with them.

Perkins began racing seriously as a teenager and worked his way through the ranks.

He encouraged his sister to try racing and she started in a four-cylinder boat at the age of 16.

Mallory has had a quick ascension. In 2007 she was named the Unlimited Light Hydroplanes rookie of the year and was driver national champion the same year.

She is the fourth on the wins list in the Unlimited Light Hydroplane class with 10 victories including a win in the Atomic Cup in Kennewick and at Seafair in 2009.

“Winning last year at Seafair was a huge deal to everyone in my family,” she said. “Brian and I kind of grew up inside the middle of the race course. Getting to actually be there with my brother…and to get to win was a beyond special moment.”

Perkins is having a good season as he sits in fourth place in the National High Points in the Unlimited class.

Perkins thinks his sister could get a seat in one of the big boats in the future.

“We’ll have to see how that goes in the next couple of years,” he said. “There’s only so many spots available, but, I think she’s capable.”