Key Figures · Organiser

Jim Russell

President of Desert Steel Motorsports, named by the IJSBA as co-producer of its 2003 World Finals, and named in the Mark Hahn Memorial 300's releases as a co-promoter of the race from 2006.

1. The early years, in print, 1981 to 1993
2. The makers and their machines, 1985 to 2005 (this page's records)
3. Noise, safety and federal rules, 1996 to 2002
4. The rule book years, 2002 to 2018 (this page's records)
5. Three rule books, 2021 to 2026

1990200020102020

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Organising the sport

2003 · Confirmed

The IJSBA's release of 28 September 2003 for its 22nd World Finals, 5 to 12 October 2003 at Lake Havasu, says the event was co-produced for the first time in association with Desert Steel Motorsports of Lake Havasu City and quotes him as the company's president. The association's Executive Director is quoted on adding Jim Russell and his Desert Steel Motorsports as co-producers. The same release says Desert Steel Motorsports would produce and promote the event, and that it was the first time DSM Events had completely co-produced the World Finals.

Sources: IJSBA 2003 World Finals release

2006 · Likely

The IJSBA's list of key staff for its 2006 World Finals, posted on 11 September 2006, prints Jim Russel under Director of Production Operations and Logistics. Reading this as the same man rests on the name and on the Lake Havasu World Finals, which documents of 2003 and 2011 tie to him and his company; that is the archive's inference.

Sources: IJSBA post 2006 Finals staff

2006, 2007 and 2008 · Confirmed

The Mark Hahn Memorial 300 endurance race's own releases, dated 6 December 2005 and 9 September 2006 and carried on the IJSBA's site, 8 November 2007 on the APBA's racing site, and 20 March 2008, name Jim Russell, DSM Events owner, and Mike Follmer as the event's co-promoters for the APBA-sanctioned races of 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 at Lake Havasu. Each later release reports the previous race run, which shows the races of 2006, 2007 and 2008 held. Two of the releases also print the title Executive Producer in a sentence that can be read as describing either man, so it is not given to either here.

Sources: Mark Hahn 300 release 2005; Mark Hahn 300 release 2006; APBA Mark Hahn 300 page 2008; Mark Hahn 300 announcement 2008

2011 · Confirmed

The IJSBA's release of 27 July 2011 for its 30th World Finals, 1 to 9 October 2011 at Lake Havasu, says the event is sanctioned under IJSBA rules and produced in association with Jim Russell's DSM Events of Lake Havasu City. A BRP release of 1 December 2011 says that year's hall of fame induction took place at the World Finals in Lake Havasu City in October, so the event was held.

Sources: IJSBA 2011 World Finals release; BRP release on Laham 2011

Confirmed

The IJSBA's promoter lists give him as the contact for Desert Steel Motorsports, Region 1, on its United States promoters pages captured in October 2008 and July 2013, and in its rule books of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 and its 2015 draft rule book; the books of 2010 to 2012 list the company under the heading Promoters Organized By The American Power Boat Association (APBA). None prints a post beside the name.

Sources: IJSBA US promoters page 2008; IJSBA US promoters page 2013; 2010 rule book; 2011 rule book; 2012 rule book; 2014 rule book; 2015 draft rule book

2017 · Confirmed

The IJSBA's rules page for the 13th Mark Hahn Memorial 300, as of 20 January 2017, lists him as Event Director on the race committee, and a letter from Mike Follmer posted by the IJSBA with the date 22 February 2017 thanks Jim Russell of DSM after the thirteenth race, which the letter says was held on February 18, 2017. The rules page sets the race for 12 February 2017; the two documents give different dates.

Sources: Mark Hahn 300 rules 2017; Mark Hahn 300 thanks 2017

Names as printed

Jim Russel (IJSBA post 2006 Finals staff)

Elsewhere in the archive

• History chapter: The IJSBA and the World Finals
• History chapter: Endurance and offshore, by the rule book
• Event: IJSBA World Finals
• Event: Havasu 300 and Mark Hahn Memorial 300
• Organisation: International Jet Sports Boating Association
• Organisation: American Power Boat Association
• Era: The makers and their machines
• Era: The rule book years

What the archive has not read (2)

• The IJSBA's 2003 release calls the co-producer Desert Steel Motorsports and, in the next sentence, DSM Events, and the association's rule books of 2010 to 2012 give the Desert Steel Motorsports listing the DSM Events website, so the archive reads the two names as one company; the documents of 2005 to 2017 name DSM Events, and the record lists the company under the name he is printed as president of (read 2026-10-09).
• No held document names him or his companies in the World Finals' production for any year but 2003, 2006 and 2011 (searched the archive's mirror and the set 5 research cache for Russell, Russel, Desert Steel and DSM, 2026-10-09).

Documents cited on this page

• IJSBA 2003 World Finals release (web.archive.org): 2003 WF Press Release of 28 September 2003 (ijsba.com, Wayback capture of 12 October 2003), International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2003-09-28; sanctioning body, high. The association's release for its 22nd World Finals, 5 to 12 October 2003 at Lake Havasu. It says the Finals were co-produced for the first time in association with Desert Steel Motorsports, quotes Jim Russell as that company's president, and quotes the association's Executive Director on adding him and his company as co-producers. Further on it says Desert Steel Motorsports would produce and promote the event and that it was the first time DSM Events had completely co-produced it, so it uses both names for the co-producer. High for whom the association names. Its account of DSM Events' start in 1994 is the company's own history and dates nothing; its grading words about the event are not used.
• IJSBA post 2006 Finals staff (web.archive.org): IJSBA announces key staff positions for 2006 quakysense World Finals (IJSBA news post dated 11 September 2006, Wayback capture of 22 September 2020), International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2006-09-11; sanctioning body, high. The association's own list of the key staff posts for its 2006 World Finals, each post printed above the people named in it: a competition manager, race directors, technical directors, scoring, registration, safety, Coast Guard compliance, production operations and an event executive director. High for whom the association names in each post. The page prints "Lead Racer Director" and "Jim Russel" as given. The text prints 2006 in its heading.
• Mark Hahn 300 release 2005 (web.archive.org): 2006 Mark Hahn Memorial (the promoters' release as posted on ijsba.com, dated 6 December 2005, Wayback capture of 19 September 2020), International Jet Sports Boating Association (carrying the promoters' release), 2005-12-06; editorial, medium. The race's own release, carried by the IJSBA, naming DSM Events owner Jim Russell and Mike Follmer as event co-promoters of the 2006 race of 25 February 2006 at Crazy Beach, Crazy Horse Campground, Lake Havasu, sanctioned by the APBA, and referring to the inaugural event of the year before. Medium: an event's own account carried by a body. Telephone numbers and the contact lines are not copied; its grading words are not used.
• Mark Hahn 300 release 2006 (web.archive.org): 2007 APBA National Mark Hahn Memorial (the promoters' release as posted on ijsba.com, dated 9 September 2006, Wayback capture of 26 September 2020), International Jet Sports Boating Association (carrying the promoters' release), 2006-09-09; editorial, medium. The race's own release, carried by the IJSBA, naming Jim Russell, DSM Events owner, and Mike Follmer as event co-promoters of the third race, 24 February 2007, APBA sanctioned, and giving the record set at the previous year's event and the 60 teams there, so it shows the 2006 race run. (as Mark Hahn 300 release 2005 above)
• APBA Mark Hahn 300 page 2008 (web.archive.org): APBA Regional: Fourth Annual APBA National Mark Hahn Memorial Havasu 300 (apbaracing.com, releases of 8 November 2007 and 13 February 2008, Wayback capture of 8 September 2008), American Power Boat Association (apbaracing.com, carrying the promoters' releases), 2007-11-08; editorial, medium. The APBA racing site's page for the fourth race, 23 February 2008, with links to its 2008 overall and class results and two of the race's own releases. The release of 8 November 2007 names "co-promoters Jim Russell, DSM Events owner and Executive Producer, Mike Follmer"; whom "Executive Producer" describes cannot be read from the sentence, so no page uses that title. It gives the 70 teams of 2007, so it shows the 2007 race run. (as Mark Hahn 300 release 2005 above)
• Mark Hahn 300 announcement 2008 (web.archive.org): Fifth Annual Mark Hahn Memorial Havasu 300, announcement of 20 March 2008 (pwcoffshore.com, Wayback capture), pwcoffshore.com, 2008-03-20; editorial, high. The race's own announcement, headed as issued from Mike Follmer of Team Yamaha, setting the fifth running for 28 February 2009 at Lake Havasu and naming its co-promoters. High for what the event said of itself and who it named; one sentence can be read two ways about who held the title Executive Producer, so no page uses that title (checked 2026-10-06).
• IJSBA 2011 World Finals release (web.archive.org): Lake Havasu City Convention & Visitors Bureau approves Special funding for 30th quakysense IJSBA World Finals (ijsba.com release dated 27 July 2011, Wayback capture of 16 October 2011), International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2011-07-27; sanctioning body, high. The association's release for its 30th World Finals, 1 to 9 October 2011. It says the Finals are sanctioned under IJSBA rules and produced in association with Jim Russell's DSM Events of Lake Havasu City, and quotes Scott Frazier as Managing Director of the IJSBA. Its grading words about the event are not used. (as IJSBA 2003 World Finals release above)
• BRP release on Laham 2011 (prnewswire.com): BRP's Steve Laham inducted to the IJSBA Hall of Fame (BRP press release, PR Newswire), BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products), distributed by PR Newswire, 2011-12-01; manufacturer primary, medium. BRP's release on its own executive's induction into the IJSBA hall of fame, with his years at Butch's Jet Ski Shop and his BRP posts. Medium for the posts and the induction; its praise, and the quoted praise of the association's managing director, are the release's words and no page repeats them. PR Newswire's phone numbers are replaced in the held copy.
• IJSBA US promoters page 2008 (web.archive.org): US Promoters (ijsba.com page, Wayback capture of 12 October 2008), International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2008-10-11; sanctioning body, high. The association's directory of United States promoters, each a company with its region and a "Contact:" name. High for the listing; it prints no post. The page shows the day's date, 11 October 2008, the day it was captured; the listing itself is undated. The held excerpt keeps four entries and drops addresses, telephone numbers and email.
• IJSBA US promoters page 2013 (web.archive.org): United States Promoters (ijsba.com page, Wayback capture of 12 July 2013), International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2013-07-12; sanctioning body, high. The association's directory of United States promoters as captured in July 2013. Most entries print a contact name only; the RPM RACING ENT. entry prints "Ross Wallach, President". High for the listing. The held excerpt keeps three entries and drops addresses, telephone numbers and email. The page prints no date; 2013 is the capture's.
• 2010 rule book (web.archive.org): IJSBA 2010 Official Competition Rule Book, International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2010; sanctioning body, high. The complete 2010 book, kept by the Czech affiliate after IJSBA removed it. Part 8 is headed Open Class with Superstock as an addendum; the Stock part carries the Lites and class naming addenda; part 4 prints the 500 unit figure without a Ski exception and the 100 unit route below it; the appendix adds Special Production homologation below 100 units.
• 2011 rule book (web.archive.org): IJSBA 2011 Official Competition Rule Book, International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2011; sanctioning body, high. The complete 2011 book from the Czech affiliate's server. Repeats the 2010 Lites addendum (85 and 220 horsepower) and the class naming addendum, and its competition classes appendix still prints 500 (200 for Ski Division) while its part 4 prints 500 flat.
• 2012 rule book (web.archive.org): IJSBA 2012 Official Competition Rule Book, International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2012; sanctioning body, high. The complete 2012 book. Its Lites addendum redefines Runabout Lites as four-stroke naturally aspirated Stock runabouts under 2000cc, and its Ski sponson rule is dated to itself, as of 2012, for the four-sponson allowance on Lites-eligible Ski.
• 2014 rule book (web.archive.org): IJSBA 2014 Official Competition Rule Book, International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2014; sanctioning body, high. The complete 2014 book. Runabout Lites is renamed Runabout Rec Lites in the addendum, and the class list adds Vintage Ski (JS type hulls only, 550cc maximum), Sport GP and Runabout 1000 Superstock.
• 2015 draft rule book (web.archive.org): IJSBA 2015 Official Competition Rule Book (draft), International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2015; sanctioning body, high. A draft, as its file name says, so cited only where it repeats earlier books. Its class list is the 2014 list unchanged, Vintage Ski included.
• Mark Hahn 300 rules 2017 (ijsba.com): 13th Mark Hahn Memorial 300 Race Rules (IJSBA page), International Jet Sports Boating Association, 2017-01-20; sanctioning body, high. The rules for the race of 12 February 2017, as of 20 January 2017, with its classes, the race committee and three contacts. The held copy has the contacts' email addresses removed.
• Mark Hahn 300 thanks 2017 (web.archive.org): Mike Follmer Offers Thanks For 2017 Hot Products Mark Hahn 300 (Mike Follmer's letter posted on ijsba.com, dated 22 February 2017, Wayback capture of 24 September 2020), International Jet Sports Boating Association (carrying Mike Follmer's letter), 2017-02-22; editorial, medium. A letter of thanks after the thirteenth race, which it says was held on February 18, 2017 with 36 teams, posted by the IJSBA. It thanks Jim Russell of DSM and Ross Wallach, the race director. The date it gives differs from the 12 February 2017 of the IJSBA's rules page (ijsba-mark-hahn-rules-2017); the letter also speaks of a Sunday race date, which fits 12 February. The list of sponsors and their people is not copied. (as Mark Hahn 300 release 2005 above)

Cite this page

“Jim Russell”, BaddJet archive, https://baddjetarchive.com/key-figures/jim-russell/

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