Roostertail Talk

Episode 121: Jerry Schoenith, Part 3

July 09, 2024 • David Newton • Season 6 • Episode 9

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Join us as we wrap up our trilogy with hydroplane racing icon Jerry Schoenith. In this episode he shares his candid thoughts on the state of H1 Unlimited and hydroplane racing as well as reminisces about hydroplane days past. Jerry also reflects on the fading legacy of boat racing on the Detroit River and his personal and family history within the sport, shedding light on efforts to engage younger audiences through inventive events. 

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Speaker 1:

Ruchetel Talk, the podcast dedicated to everything about the sport that we all love, Hydroplane racing. I am your host, david Newton, and it's time once again. So sit back, relax and welcome. Rooster Tail Talk, talk. Hello, race fans, and welcome back.

Speaker 1:

We're at it once again and this is the thrilling conclusion to my trilogy of episodes for my interview with Jerry Shaneth. We're on episode 121, and last week he talked a lot about his involvement in hydroplane racing in the 1980s, owning the Renault racing team, starting up the ETA class. But he's going to talk more about the current state of hydroplanes, where it could and where it should go in the future, but also a little bit more about the E1 racing series. We talked a little bit about that as well, that new series that started up in Europe this last past year. Many of you know he also is an owner of the Rooster Tail nightclub and he's going to talk more about his experience with that nightclub and how that kind of bridged a lot of gaps for him with hydroplane racing and opened a lot of doors for the sport.

Speaker 1:

Now, keep in mind this interview was done in the spring and it was done before a few events happened with H1. Back when I talked to Jerry, detroit was on the schedule. It was supposed to make a return to hydroplane racing. Unfortunately, since I talked with Jerry, that race has been canceled. It's not happening this year and also the U11 since then has gotten a major sponsor with Mercury Coffee. So let's get into it. Let's listen to the conclusion of my interview with Jerry Shaneth as I ask him a little bit more about the ETA series. Well, say you were in a dream world and you could do the ETA experience over again. What would you?

Speaker 2:

do differently If I did the ATA.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

No, it's gone. There's no way to do it because the car companies have, for some unknown reason, thought the electric engine was going to be the deal, and of course that's bombed already. Of course I said that three years ago. I put out a deal on Facebook that you guys are nuts, we're not going to do it. We're not going to do it. I mean, I give an example of that I was in Alex Bogart's mother's sobber. Some damn thing, it's not a new one. We couldn't even figure out how to get the radio on.

Speaker 2:

I said oh, we got an electrical car where there's a screen, the whole thing. There's no way. The people that want them can't afford them. That's the young people and the older people. They don't want to get involved in that, you know. So now all the car companies have switched, stopping electric and going the way they should have gone with the hybrids or whatever you know, but, now the automotive companies right now are really not into that and besides, my God, it's cheaper to go turbine.

Speaker 2:

I mean I can get a turbine engine cheaper than I can with any of these NASCAR engines now.

Speaker 1:

Oh really.

Speaker 2:

Oh God, they're awful expensive. And they don't last as long when a turbine, if you play it right. Well, that was what they were supposed to do in the beginning was play it right, but that didn't last long. But you know, now automotive is dead in boat racing and the other thing that stopped the automotive is that all the boats nowadays and it's that way here are run by outboards.

Speaker 2:

You know, and Mercury's got that all locked up and the only one that went with outboards was Mark Evans and his four-seater, and you know that was probably the way to go, but outboards just wouldn't even make it, even if they were fast and sleek and all that. But most of the boats you see now on our river are outboards, big ones, I mean they're huge but fast, and all you look at offshore racing, those engines are a fortune now.

Speaker 1:

I mean well over $100,000. You know they need two of them. Yeah, at least, yeah, at least, yeah, geez Well, have you looked much into the E1 series? Have you seen much of that new?

Speaker 2:

one. Yeah, I watch it Again. I look at the series as being more of a fake showcase to push it. But why not If they got the money to spend to buy?

Speaker 2:

their half hour on TV or whatever. Do it. It's interesting and it does open it up to. I like how there's a lot of women racing in it, which is nice, but again it is only made for television, because I don't see any people there. Naturally it's in the middle of God knows some desert. Yeah, you know, but that's what we should do. I always joked about Unlimited.

Speaker 2:

years ago I said we should get a lake in Michigan somewhere rent the thing and just put races on at this site only and then televise it all, because we'll reach more people that way. I mean my God, you look at NASCAR they reach more people in 10 minutes than our whole sport does in three years. And you know it is television and the owners don't want television, they don't want to spend for it. You know, they don't realize that it was Bernie Atlas and Renault that paid for a lot of that television.

Speaker 1:

Bernie, here we go. I said I'll help you out.

Speaker 2:

You know Renault adds in and then Atlas or Speedy Printing, and you know some of them would get involved. But you know we had to pay for it and I think that if I was running the sport and I shouldn't say this because I don't want anyone to think I want to, but I would come up with a half-hour show and give it to any station anywhere in the world free. You throw in some ads and you know, because you go on television now at 2 in the morning, you know they would. You know they show everything.

Speaker 2:

When I ran ads for the Rooster Tail and I was the first one to go on television and advertise in a nightclub here and I started going late at night, past midnight, and people well, who was watching at 3? I said, did you see the ad? Yeah, I said, well, you are. I mean, look at it this way, you might have diarrhea, and you're up all night. What a perfect way to watch something that's boat racing. True, that's true.

Speaker 2:

You know, and you know so and I started when I was with the upper deck at the Roostale, the rock room, with the Alice Coopers and Mary Clapton, and all that. I advertised on CKLW here and bought the whole night. After 12 o'clock People said what are you doing that for? I said, well, it's going to help the roostale because it goes to New York, it goes to all the in Canada, it goes literally everywhere. And no, I mean, we don't do that. I mean, I got an idea now that I guarantee national publicity Guarantee it.

Speaker 2:

National publicity, but some owner's going to have to call me and say, hey, can you help us out? I got an idea, but the problem is you got too many Democrats out there and they want nothing to do with conservatives, but I'd still give it to them if anyone ever called it would be national publicity and they'd get a ton of publicity in Seattle.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well, I mean, that's that's what they need. They need as much publicity as they can.

Speaker 2:

Well, they need any publicity, yeah I don't care where it is. I mean, jeez, I was on some of the cooking shows. I mean we went everywhere. I remember doing one one with the renault and they said but why do you have cooking things here? I said because the cook guy's going to show me how to cook at a barbecue, at the boat races.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I mean, I don't care, you have to come up with ways that you almost have to write the story for them in a way, but let them think it's their idea and you know that's I don't know. Seattle's rough now because the poor city's going through what Detroit went through years ago and it sort of worries me about the future because of. I'll give Detroit an example Back when we had a bad mayor here won't mention his name, don't want to give him any publicity he literally did everything wrong besides being caught stealing and all that stuff, and the city got so bad that nobody wanted to put their name on anything.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, city got so bad that nobody wanted to put their name on anything, nothing.

Speaker 2:

It took LH to buy the Fox Theater, which then he did the Tigers and Red Wings also, and it took him to really revitalize the city. And I talked to Illich one night at his Fox Theater. Tony Bennett was there and I said why did you do what you did? He said it was because of you. I said don't blame everybody. I followed the roost tail do what you did. He said it was because of you. I said don't blame everybody.

Speaker 1:

I got me I followed the roost tail.

Speaker 2:

And I saw that what you were doing. And I said, if he can do it, I can do it. Wow, and you know that was it, because I think they're full of it at times. But you know they're doing a thing about the riots here in 67. And oh. Detroit's prejudiced and Detroit's this, and blacks couldn't do this, but wait a minute In 66,. I had everybody, from Dionne Ward, Della Reese, Diana Ross you name every black entertainer. So don't tell me that Detroit is racist because I was pulling them all in with white folk.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2:

But you know it's an easier sell when you're knocking something than it is to try to say something good. It is to try to say something good, but you know, yes, detroit has problems, but all cities have problems, especially one that has always. Well, hell, no one lives here anymore. I mean, you know why should they? When they go to the suburbs and you got all the malls out there and you know all that. And now all the malls are dying because you can buy it online. That's the scary part. I went out the other day to get my tuxedo, bought for my nephew's wedding at the roost sale, and I'm driving and I'm going. Every store is closed, every store.

Speaker 1:

And.

Speaker 2:

I can't believe it. I just you know. So you know that's a complete change, which is a shame, but you know that's the way it is.

Speaker 1:

I've noticed that here too, a lot of places the rent is going up. But you know, that's the way it is. I've noticed that here too, a lot of places the rent is going up and it's cheaper just to sell products online.

Speaker 2:

Well, that's it, yeah, and now everything's fairly secure, so you don't have to worry about getting screwed and all that stuff. So why not? I buy a lot of stuff online, but that of course. I don't want to blame everything on COVID, but when COVID happened, I had nothing better to do. I wrote a book and spent money on everything, so COVID didn't bother me at all. And I always say and it started in Seattle. I blame everything on Seattle.

Speaker 1:

Speaking of that, there's a question I haven't asked you yet. I've gotten a lot of Seattle input because I'm a Seattle native. A lot of Seattle input because I'm a Seattle native. Uh, but you know, long going Seattle Detroit rivalry back to Muncie and and, uh, you know, over here and and so what, what does that Seattle Detroit rivalry mean to you?

Speaker 2:

Today Nothing. There is nothing. I mean nobody knows boat racing here. I mean you look at the races If they right there and get the money out of them. And we don't care about the Bill Isle Beach. Well, they didn't care because it was free and you know, it was all about the money and I was the opposite.

Speaker 2:

I said you know the only thing we could sell anything on was the people, the hordes of people I mean. Even today people come in the book of wedding and they say, oh good, it'll be during the Gold Cup. Oh, where do I want those crowds? And my nephew says crowds. He said are you kidding? Don't worry, you know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but in the old days it was crowded.

Speaker 2:

I remember driving up one year and here's Dean Shenoweth walking with his helmet and down the street because he couldn't get in and he had to walk this whole mile down to get to the pits. I mean, you know it was crowded in those days.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I mean yeah, I've seen the videos of it back in the 70s and early 80s.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

Shoreline just packed to the max.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it all went away when they started worrying about the bottom line charging people which I'm not against charging, I know all the old time, oh bitch, oh my God, it costs so much. Well, yeah, but they still should have some free area somewhere. And we were lucky to have Belle Isle Beach which would hold a good $100,000, and, if I'm overstating it at least would hold $5,000 free, plus two or three other parks. And of course I was very friendly with Coleman Young. He lived at the Magnugian Mansion, the Delta Faucet guy which we're still very friendly with, and he would always entertain on race day and always have all the senators and congressmen and bigwigs at the deal. So I would tell him I said now when we go by, we're going to wave.

Speaker 2:

And we'd go by. We're going to wave and we'd go by. I remember Mark Evans shut the boat off and opened up the canopy and hi, there, hi. You know, I mean Mark knew how to do it. Mark's an expert at that and you know. But those were the days. We need more drivers like Mark and Steve Reynolds. You know our old Boyle Bernal guy and you know we need drivers that like people.

Speaker 1:

Yeah exactly right.

Speaker 2:

And that's not hard to do. I mean, there's people that don't like people, but it's a big thing which was from that area out there you might remember the name from the metal worker and a number of other things packed in place. But when she was at the Rooster Tail I said to her. I said how do you go? She was promoting her latest movie. I said how do you go to all these cities and talk to all these people? She says it's simple. I go up to them, I look at something they're wearing or got in their hand. I say where did you get that beautiful shirt?

Speaker 2:

And then they start talking. Well, I've done that all my life. I could go up to the Pope and say something and get him talking. I could go up to anybody and I've done that and it works. And, to be honest, I'm a short little guy that's not that good looking. That you know, I can do it and I've been able to do it, and I also find out what they like. I mean, when I had the Rolling Stones at a party at the Rooster, I knew exactly what they liked and what food they liked, because I studied it.

Speaker 2:

And you know you don't get Eric Clapton to do a live album or Alice Cooper to do live and these people who? And these people to stop in for the heck of it, unless you had a reputation of taking care of these entertainers and giving them what they want right, no, yeah, exactly, exactly Wow.

Speaker 2:

It just boils down to people and liking people. And you know, I wish I was in Seattle because I know the corporations are down on it and all. But I'll guarantee you I'd figure a way I've never understood. You've got two major companies or three I mean worldwide companies there and they're never involved in boat racing. Why?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, microsoft, amazon, yeah, real wide companies there, and they're never involved in boat racing why?

Speaker 2:

yeah, yeah, microsoft, amazon, yeah, and you know, the only one that got microsoft involved in boat racing was me. I had a sponsor, a race here once right out of there, yeah, directly, but I traded off something, I gave them something they wanted and they they gave me the money and the name.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

And you know you can do it. It can be done. I mean, there's so many companies out there that they could get involved with, but you've got to study them, you've got to find out who's who and the old days of oh I used to sit on the dock and put my feet in the water and watch the thunderboats go by. No, you've got to find out what their business is, who they want to contact. How do they want to get them?

Speaker 1:

and then say the rice is there.

Speaker 2:

This we can do for you. You've got to do that Now. I will admit that some of the race sponsors and that includes Detroit has a tendency to not taking care of outside sponsors as well as they should. As well as they should, you know. I mean, I remember once here I had 1,000 people invited and I had paid $25,000 extra just to have the tent next to the grandstands, and somebody got all bent out of shape and moved it. Why did you move it? I said you guys are unbelievable. And they fought me. Well, they were a little jealous because I sold a thousand tickets to something that they couldn't sell, you know.

Speaker 2:

so, instead of figuring, out how I did it and steal the ideas of how I did it they didn't, but I pulled. How I did it, they didn't, but I pulled it off anyway, as usual.

Speaker 1:

Well, I'm a little excited this summer because they say there's going to be a race in Detroit. I'm really hoping there's going to be a race in Detroit, because I've never been to Detroit, so I'm hoping to just you should come.

Speaker 2:

I mean. I can take good care of you at least.

Speaker 2:

All right, all right, I might take you up on that yeah no, I'll get you to the roost tail and we can take a drive down Lakeshore and I'll show you where the Fords lived and the Dodges. Of course they're all new modern homes, but you know, I can give you a tour of that new modern homes but you know, I can give you a tour of that. No, I call it the world's greatest aqua theater. It is such a perfect place to put any water event of its type, and when I had my river cruise here.

Speaker 2:

we brought in first time ever, we brought in jet ski shows and I even had a kite boarding troop brought in expecting the wind to get up and never got windy, so they had to sit there. I said well, just shake hands or you know something, uh, but you know well hopefully I can make it there and meet you in person.

Speaker 2:

I love that and uh well, I really want to experience this. Yeah, you should. Um, I I don't know who the sponsor is going to be. I haven't talked to Weber because Weber ain't going to say anything until he's got it completely lined up. It doesn't help to get sponsors for boats that way, because you know we've got to start on getting that. If I wanted to get, like the U-11, a sponsor, I'd be starting now. I should have started in December, but it is hard when we don't have a sponsor's name. You know I try to stay away from you know, if it's Coca-Cola, I don't want to have Pepsi all over my boat, right?

Speaker 1:

You know Well hopefully it will happen. Hopefully it will happen. Love to be out there and just experience that. Well, I have one last question I wanted to ask you here at the end, Reflecting back on yourself and your family. How do you want that to be remembered?

Speaker 2:

Well see, you guys are into that stuff. I mean, I look at anybody that knows me so old. They're going to die anyway shortly, you know. And as for the roostale, the roostale doesn't even promote boat racing anymore. There isn't a thing in the roostale that has to do with boat racing anymore. Because, they said nobody even knows what it is.

Speaker 2:

You know, in the old days we had huge shelves with trophies and boat models and all this. They just said the public don't get it. I mean, you know, I would like to have a if I had the money. I'd like to have a museum here and do it totally differently more computer-driven and videos and all that. I have Chuck Thompson's seat that he was in when he got killed.

Speaker 1:

I can't give it away.

Speaker 2:

I'm going, yeah, but it's an unlimited seat at least. But yeah, I look at it. That the only way I look at the Sheamus is we're always going to be famous for the Rooster. We're always going to be famous for the Rooster turn. Now always going to be famous for the roost tail turn. Now, everyone thinks the roost tail turn is because of the roost tail. Well, it probably is, but nobody else knows. I tell people, even the roost tail, the younger generation don't even know what they're talking about, unless they had a wedding or a prom there.

Speaker 2:

You know, I mean, it's a different world. I've been talking to my nephew, michael, that runs it and we're trying to come up with something that will draw in young people. He used to be able to draw in 3,000, 4,000 people on what he called his hottie fest and on Friday. But he said, as for Sunday, he said the last two races we had we couldn't sell 20 tickets at any price.

Speaker 1:

Wow.

Speaker 2:

At any price, wow, you know. So the last two races here he booked weddings because he couldn't sell any seats and everyone there were freebies, you know, and because I said, well, let me try to sell tickets, nobody cares. So that's why I said, well, we'll push the hottie fest concept At least we'll try to get some young people in and do that. But, as beautiful as it is, the Detroit River isn't what it used to be. There's no boats left. All the mariners are basically closed.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you've got one yacht club, the DYC, and that's the DYC, and there just isn't anything here, and I had tried to bring in some black owners in the racing, but unless it has something to do with what they do, it's hard, which you know I try to do my best on it. You know I brought in a lot of sponsors. I mean, it was me that brought in Tosteasti. It was me directly that brought in Tosteasti. American Speedy Printing oh, there's two or three others that I brought in. Tosteos, the American Speedy Printing oh, there's two or three others that I brought in and I did because they were all Roussel customers.

Speaker 2:

I mean the owner of American Speedy Printing I knew as a rock and roll customer, Tosteos. He sold us, he was the distributor, he was the distributor. All these people that I brought in were all customers of the Roussel first, and you've got to wine and dine them, you've got to get them to a race. I mean when I got 8-1-1 involved, which the sport didn't think was much, but boy were they dumb. 8-1-1 was number one owned by the government the United States.

Speaker 2:

It was in every city in the United States city in the United States, and we had thousands and thousands of potential people to promote the sport through.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

You know, you look, they just had the 8-1-1 car race that they sponsored and I got such a cold shoulder on that one. I know Jeff Kelly, he was the one that really helped me out on 8-1-1. But you know, we knew what could happen because I'd gone to all their conventions in advance and got to know how they worked and see why I like 8-1-1 was they dealt with all the road commissioners, one one was they dealt with all the road commissioners, all the lighting people, all the big uh factory um shovel machines, I mean. I mean we could have brought in a ton of big name uh sponsors but uh they got mad when we asked for some video, uh uh, to use at one of their shows and they said no.

Speaker 2:

So I said okay, they quit, Goodbye so now 8-1-1 is doing NASCAR races.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that's too bad.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm. Hell, I was the one to bring in Bushnell Ray Ban. Just a ton when I got in Bushnell, which was Ray Ban I had sent out. In those days you sent letters and I sent a letter and the guy sends me one back saying I don't know if it's worth the buck. So I sent him a dollar bill. I said get your ass down to San Diego and I'll prove it to you. He went down there and they went crazy. The next day I get $15,000 worth of binoculars, sunglasses and all I needed. So I'm passing them out to all the TV people, the radio people, the newspaper.

Speaker 2:

Here's your $300 pair of Bushnell binoculars and we really worked hard with them, but again, I'm an expert at it. Put it that way, I'll guarantee you that if I had a boat I would have the biggest sponsor the sport has seen since Renault Period. That's the way I think and I'm not afraid to think that way. You know that's just me. You know I feel sorry for the 11 because if they had a little more money they would do very good.

Speaker 1:

Oh, yeah, and same with the U40.

Speaker 2:

They need more money Now. Do they have a sponsor this year?

Speaker 1:

I haven't heard officially of any sponsors for them.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, Is it the Flavor?

Speaker 1:

Pack. It was the Flavor Pack last year. Unfortunately, the owner of the company- passed away. Yeah, so I don't know if it's continuing or not. They haven't released anything on that yet, but yeah, it's been impressive what those teams have done on a limited budget.

Speaker 2:

Well, yeah, and you know those are have done on a limited budget. Well, yeah, and you know those are the people I feel sorry for. You know the guys with the money they got money, they can do it.

Speaker 1:

Right, but it ain't like the good old money days.

Speaker 2:

I mean, my God, our last names with Harris and Bardo and Mendel and all these names I mean we had some big, big people.

Speaker 1:

Well, good memories, great stories. I appreciate your talk today, jerry. Thanks for taking the time and that's all the time we have for today's episode. Hopefully you enjoyed the interview. I really enjoyed talking with Jerry. I had a nice conversation with him and I really appreciate him taking the time to talk me through a lot of those years and his life and legacy of racing, unlimited hydroplanes and the city of Detroit and all of those in between.

Speaker 1:

Love talking with people around the sport and really appreciate you, the listener, and getting in touch with me. And let me know who you want to hear from on this podcast and please let me know what did want to hear from on this podcast and please let me know what did you think about this episode. What'd you think about my talk with Jerry? Love for you to reach out on email you can reach me at roostertailtalk, at gmailcom or on social media on Facebook, on Instagram and let me know what you thought about this three-part episode. And if you have more insight and more people you want me to interview and reach out to, please don't hesitate to shoot me a message, get in my DM, send me an email and let me know who you want to hear from on this podcast, because this podcast isn't about me. It's about the sport of hydroplane racing that we all share that passion and love for, and I want to hear from you, and I really appreciate those who have reached out to me in this journey with this podcast, because I love to get ideas on where it should go.

Speaker 1:

I've talked to a lot of people that I've wanted to talk to and heard some stories that I've been dying to get more information on, and I'm sure you probably have some of those as well. So don't hesitate to reach out and give me your insight on who I should reach out to next for an interview. I've got a couple more interviews lined up, though I'm excited to get those out to you. I'll be doing those this week. I'm hoping to get those done and get those out to you before the next race, which is going to be the Columbia Cup end of the month here. It's hard to believe summertime is here. We're in the midst of hydroplane racing season. I'll be heading over there. I'll be going to Seattle and Seafair as well. Make sure you say hello and hope to see you at the races.