Episode 125: Radio Broadcast of the 1985 Budweiser Columbia Cup

Buckle up as we take you back to the scorching summer of 1985 and the unforgettable Budweiser Columbia Cup. Relive the fierce rivalry between Jim Kropfeld's Miss Budweiser and the high-powered turbine boats of 7-11 and Miller American. Feel the heat of the Columbia River as we recount the action-packed heats narrated by the legendary Jim Hendrick, Pat O'Day, and Don Poier. After the radio broadcast you can relive interviews from hydroplane legends Bernie Little, Jim Kropfeld, and Steve Reynolds. If you are still hungry for more racing, listen to the radio broadcast of the 1985 APBA Gold Cup, which was held in Seattle, Wa one week after the Budweiser Columbia Cup in Episode 108.

Chapters

• 0:25 Rooster Tail Talk
• 6:25 Tri-Cities Boat Race Championship Heat
• 17:16 Miller American Wins Tri-Cities Championship
• 22:58 Post-Race Interviews and Reflections

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:25

Rooster Tail Talk, the podcast dedicated to everything about the sport that we all love. Hi, dr Blaine Rees. I am your host, david Newton, and it's time once again. So sit back, relax and welcome to Rooster Tail Talk L-TALK. Hello race fans, welcome back. It's episode 125 and it's August 6th.

Speaker 1: 0:56

We just concluded a great Seafarer race and I don't know about you, but growing up here in the Pacific Northwest, it feels like summer is almost at an end. It always feels like summer is at a close once seafare is over and we had some great racing. But unfortunately we have a break in the racing schedule. H1 Unlimited's not. It's in San Diego for another month, month and a half. They'll be there in mid-September. It's going to be exciting because the Gold Cup is going to be there, some fast racing going to be happening, but not for a while.

Speaker 1: 1:26

So I want to break down the racing action of the h1 season so far, but before we do so, I'm just. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, whatever you want to say, I just want more racing. So I dove back into the archives and I found audio footage from the radio broadcast for the 1985 budweiser columbia cup, and I wanted to share that with you this week because I just I need more racing. I'm not, I'm not ready for racing to be done with H1 Unlimited. So we're going to travel back in time and we're going to revisit this race. Don't worry, I'm going to cover the first four races and do a race recap of the season so far in the next episode or two. But I just need more racing and so we're going to revisit this classic.

Speaker 1: 2:09

Think back to the season in 1985, going into Tri-Cities, the points race was really up for grabs. The Executone telephones, with Scott Pierce driving, actually held the national high points lead going into Tri-Cities he had a little bit over 300 point lead over the rest of the field. And the first few races 7-11, miller American they were fast but they were trying to get consistency and trying to figure out all those bugs that they had. Going on had a brand-new Miss Budweiser hydroplane revolutionizing the sport because they had the first enclosed canopy for Jim Kropfeld in that Miss Budweiser. They put safety first in 1985 and really took a back seat to the rest of the field as they built a hole that was a little bit too heavy and wasn't really up to par for those fast turbines with Miller, american and 7-Eleven. Now you're going to hear some great names Steve Reynolds, chip Hanauer, jim Kropfeld, tom Deeth. To hear some great names Steve Reynolds, chip Hanauer, jim Kropfelt, tom Deeth, todd Yarling, jerry Hopp.

Speaker 1: 3:07

And it's an exciting race because there's a lot of records broken here. In qualifying, chip Hanauer, he broke the qualifying record for a two and a half mile course and actually the first time there was a qualifying lap of over 150 miles an hour. He qualified the Miller American at 153.061. And the weekend was fast. It was fast for him and 7.11.

Speaker 1: 3:27

There was several times where 7.11 and Miller American broke competition lap records, just blowing away the field, and they had some big motors to do that. They had the L11 turbine engine in there, which is different than what they race today. They didn't have any fuel flow restrictions. They didn't have any N2 restrictions. It was open season for whatever you wanted to run back then. It was truly unlimited back in that day and they had some big motors. The L11 actually produces over 1,100 more horsepower than the L7s that they run today. So it was big and nasty on the water, the L7s that they run today. So it was big and nasty on the water. In fact, they nicknamed the 711's motor Big Wally and they nicknamed the Miller American's motor Big Bruce. So crazy fast on the water, big speeds and some of the notable things for this episode.

Speaker 1: 4:20

After the radio broadcast they have some interviews Talked with Bernie Little about the lack of performance that Miss Budweiser was having that season, their new turbine program that was underway, how Ron Brown was spearheading that project and when they would expect to see that on the water. Also another interview with Jim Cropfield and you can hear the distaste in his voice and his discouraged nature as they just were not able to produce a really fast craft that year. I'll also talk a little bit with Steve Reynolds after his unfortunate race in Tri-Cities. If you enjoyed hearing the radio broadcast of the 1985 Columbia Cup, I have an old episode. Episode 108 is actually the following week's race at Seafair. They actually held the APBA Gold Cup in Seattle that year, so I'll put a link in the bio. You can hear that one after this if you want. If you want to hear more of the radio broadcast footage, you can go back and listen to that episode after this. All right, enough of me talking, let's listen in to the radio broadcast of the 1985 Budweiser Columbia Cup.

Speaker 2: 5:23

It's the Budweiser Columbia Cup Regatta Thunderboats 1985.

Speaker 2: 5:36

The fastest race boats in the world, the Unlimited begin their West Coast swing today in the Budweiser Columbia Cup Regatta. Today's action, brought to you by Hertz Penske Truck Leasing and Rentals, the winning team Hertz Penske Truck Leasing and Rental, the winning team Hertz Penske, and you by Mercury Outboard, put the legend behind you, by Budweiser, king of Beers. For all you do this Bud's for you. And brought to you locally, in your area, by by Giza Federal Credit Union, kennewick and Richland, by P&K Auto in Richland, coit Cleaners, haas Western Wear, haas Plaza, kennewick and K-Max Travel in Kennewick, pasco and Richland. And now, from the shores of the Columbia River, here's Jim Hendrick Good afternoon, from the Budweiser Columbia Cup, the sixth race of 1985.

Speaker 2: 6:25

Here on the Columbia River, the weather is 94 degrees, sunny Water is perfect, and with us on our broadcast team on this, the sixth race of 1985, is a guy that we've known for a long, long time. We'll be talking to Mr Pat O'Day. He'll be our sidekick, of course, don Poyer, our regular sidekick throughout the season. We'll be down in the pit area. He'll be describing Kieran's number one, and down the back chute will be Pat O'Day. And here's, truly, Jim Hendrick, around the corner and down the start and finish. We've had plenty of action so far here today and more coming up after this Time out. This is Jim Hendrick along with Pat O'Day and Don Coyier on the Columbia River and back here in earlier action today, heat 1A and 1B. It was Heat 1A and 1B. It was Steve Reynolds taking 1A at a record-setting 129.577 and a record lap of 137.931 in competition in the Turbine 7-11. Reynolds had this to say after his record-setting run.

Speaker 4: 7:18

I tell you, jim, you know it's nice when you get out in front. You've got command of the whole race course. I got to choose and take up the good water and that's where we put the 7-11, and she ran beautiful. She really did. I had no problems with it all day.

Speaker 2: 7:31

Second place in Heat 1A to Jim Croft. Todd Yally took a third in the cellular one, fourth to Mitch Evans in the Miss Rock KISW American. Speedy Printing did not finish. Heat 1B was taken by Chip Hanauer in the Miller American Turbine at a 12 hundred and twenty nine mile an hour average and, uh, yet really side by side battle with second place time. A deep in the square shop for ten years who described that side by side battle with an hour earlier today?

Speaker 5: 7:57

with a heck of a battle and that he was, uh, the miller american, chip and our driving, uh uh. I got a beautiful start and was able to hold chip off for recalls, the three last lady executive own a good strong third for a while, but then it was just a battle between Chip and Miller American and myself and the Squire Britannia. I ran out of nitrous on lap four and then Chip took over and won the race Second place, Tommy D.

Speaker 2: 8:20

Third place was the Joey Hoppin' Old Boy. Alberto had problems with the Executone telephone for Scott Pierce. He did not finish. We're a minute away from the championship heat here in Tri-Cities, Washington and we'll be checking with Pat O'Day for action of heat 2A and 2B. But let's take time out for this word from your local sponsor, Jim Underglow.

Speaker 2: 8:39

With Pat O'Day and Don Boyer, on the Columbia River, Tri-Cities, Washington, as the Squire's Shop Britannia comes drawing by, as the Squire's shop Britannia comes drawing by, the boats are sighted on the pits and briefly, let's see before we check the pad of day on each 2A, 2B. Don Clark, can you hear me down the pits, Don, can you hear me? Yeah, I'm down here right now on the pits. We can hear the Budweiser. Okay, we cannot hear Don too much. We've got some shorts and we'll show you.

Speaker 2: 9:04

I guess for our unlimited friends and fans all over the nation, we're all saying to ourselves today how fast can they go? Because we saw a new lap record in E2A set by Chip Hanauer in the Miller American of 141.331 miles an hour. Steve Reynolds in the 711 was right on his hip Three quarters of the way through the lap. He had an engine vibration and dropped out. Second place to scott pierce, the executive tone. Third to todd yarling, cellular one. And fourth to jerry hop. In the alberto 2b saw tommy d for one of the wire victory in this choir. Shot for tanya top lap speed 123 061 miles an hour matter of fact, that was a heat average, jim crop fell neither to finish second to make the final heat.

Speaker 2: 9:44

He did in that new miss budweiser third. Third place in that particular heat went to Mitch Evans, he also debuting out here today, his first race of the season in the Rock KISW. He took third place to make the final. Well, he's the alternate for the final heat of the day. Okay, now I think we're ready. Thank you, pat O'Dea. Let's see if we can pick up Don Poyer. Don, I'm down here right now, jim, as a matter of fact, and all the boats are out there. The two alternates are waiting here in the pits Miss Executone, telephones and Miss Rock, the KISW. Okay, thank you, don. We'll be talking to you. You could be covering corner one for us. Did you see them coming down your way? Yes, I've got the 7-Eleven coming at me right now past the entrance blue here on the first turn. It's getting a little choppy down here, as a matter of fact, but of course with the current down here the waves don't go away very fast all right, don do me a favor and do not eat your microphone.

Speaker 2: 10:39

Hey, you know, you take a tv guy and put him in radio and he doesn't know what to do there you go.

Speaker 2: 10:41

We can hear you don all right thank you yeah, just just come on back a little bit on that microphone. If you over modulate you're up on us, but you can play that one about a minute and a half away. Well, right now let's spot our field and we're getting closer to that one-minute gun and one, two, three, four, five, six, all six root stills we can see. We'll run down the final field after this From your local sponsor. All right, we're down, getting close to the one-minute gunner. The Missed Rock KISW is the alternate on the course, but she'll probably turn to this field as our final field is set. Run them down, if you will really quick. We'll have the Miller American, owned by Fran Muncy and Jim Lucero. We'll have the 7-Eleven Steve Woomer, the owner, steve Reynolds, the driver, the Squire shopper, tanya Tommy-Deet, the Budweiser, bernie Little owner, jim Kropfeld driving the Cellular One, todd Yarling, jim Seedem's boat and Oval Alberto with Bob McFarlane, the owner, bill McFadden rather, and Jerry Hop11, lane 2. Miller American, lane 3. The Cellular 1, lane 4. Outside somewhere is the Budweiser hitting the net, coming up late. We have about 25 seconds to start. As we look over, it's still the Squire Shop in lane 1, coming around the apex of corners 3 and 4. Lane 2 is now sliding against Miller American. Now 7-11 will take lane 3. Budweiseriser, lane 4. On the outside it'll be the Cellular 1. As they come down now it's going to be a very close start. 4 seconds, 3 seconds, 2 seconds, 1, start and it's the Miller American and the Spurs shops and the Cellular 11 and the Alberto and the Budweiser and the Cellular 1 as they come down towards UDON. I can just see them.

Speaker 2: 12:31

Now here comes the 7-eleven in lane number one. But in lane number three is the middle american. Check that lane number two on the outside is 7-eleven. So middle american with a pretty good lead going into the first turn. Already, middle american in first place. But in lane number one is the spires. They go down the back to you, back to you, jim pat, and on the back stretch they go, you, you, jim Pat, and up the back stretch they go. You've got the Middle American, chip Hanauer and that mighty, mighty, mighty German engine. Look at him, turn it on. The rooster tail kicks high in the air as it heads down the Franklin shore on the outside, and coming up on him Right on the tip now is the 7-11 of Steve Reynolds. The distance between the two boats about 75 to 80 yards.

Speaker 2: 13:04

It's a dandy battle for the lead between the 7-11 and the Miller American with Jeff Hanauer. Okay, it looks like it's going to be the 7-11 on top as he comes off of corner number four. They come around and complete lap number one and the Miller American comes bouncing through the straight Right at his hip. Look at the Miller American, he's going to get a challenge for the 7-11. 7-11 pulls alongside. They're at dead heat at the end of lap number one. 7-11 close right alongside. Third place is this fire, fourth is the Budweiser, fifth is Alberto and sixth is Celia Rund. Down to you, don. All right, they just come into view now. It looks like right now about a one-bowl-leg lead for the Middle American in lane number one On the outside hip of the Middle American is the 7-11 with Steve Reynolds. Pretty choppy water as they go back into the back chute. Third place Squireshop just coming into the turn as the first two place boats come out of the turn. Back to you, pat. Okay, now we've got a dead even tie as they go down the back chute as the two turbine boats are side by side Now to bow the Sciller American on the inside, the 7-11 with Steve Reynolds on the outside Halfway through the back stretch, but right now for for the Miller American it's about 50 yards, the Budweiser is down in the water and they head into the third turn.

Speaker 2: 14:13

On the second of five times around the course, the leader is the Miller American with a 100-yard lead right now over the 7-11 of Steve Reynolds. Steve Reynolds on the outside, the Miller American on the inside and now Steve Reynolds has disappeared as Steve Reynolds has gone dead in the water. The second Thurman boat, the 7-Eleven, has gone down and the Miller American has the lead. Jim 7-Eleven is down, budweiser is down, the Miller American all by himself 138.8 on the lap number one. Lap number two, another world record, lap number two 143.198 for Chip Hanover as he comes by you. Here comes your second place vote.

Speaker 2: 14:50

Now the Squire Shop, and I see that the O'Boy Alberto is also returning to the pit. What's happening down there, don? Well, right now, as you said, the O'Boy Alberto coming back into the pit, the Miller American now in a cakewalk 143, a world record. That's incredible. Second place Squire Shop just coming into the first turn as the Miller American is just about going into the second turn. Three corners to the lap. The Miller American riding absolutely beautifully. Chip Hanauer, that boat's had some real experiences. It lost two runners in practice this week. But here it is. This is all the money.

Speaker 2: 15:22

This is the finale, and Chip Hanauer's got it going all his way once Steve Reynolds' German 711 expired in the second lap and there's the completion of lap number three. After a world record 1-4-3-1-9-8, it's 1-4-3-0-6-1 on his third time around the course, jim. Well, he's got a lot of room and I don't know if that's a hot section because he was really being pressed by 7-11. Steve Reynolds was giving chase and then went dead. Steve is down in corner number four floating. The Budwars are floating in front of us. So our first place vote. There's only three left of the six. The border has returned. It's the Miller American first. Second place is Squareshop with Tommy Deeds. At third place is the cellular one with Todd Yardley, and if he keeps his feet up we wonder if he'll lift there Lap and a half.

Speaker 2: 16:08

What a sensational duel the Turbans have put on here at Pasco. They've been side by side, keeping the fans on their feet and now we're in the fourth of five times around the course. Records have been smashed. Listen to that lap, and even without Red Sea Brutals chasing it. 143.06 the last time around for the Miller Americans Absolutely astounding.

Speaker 2: 16:28

We keep saying, after that 153 qualifying lap, how fast can they go? Here comes off the corner Chip Hanauer and his Miller American, jim Hendricks, Anyway, way around the 7.11. Now dives inside the Budweiser. He's all over the course. He's going to lap Todd Yarling and that's the way it is. With one more lap to go, the green flag is out for the Miller American and his speed is 100. 22.6. He's finally floated down and as he comes down towards you, don Coyer, how's he look? Well, he looks gorgeous, looks like a world record setter. As a matter of fact, let's face it, folks, we're watching history in the making. We've never seen a competitive lap run at better than 140 miles an hour. Skip lap run at better than 140 miles an hour. Chip's been doing it all day and before that, steve Reynolds, of course, set a record in the 7-11, competitively speed-wise as far as the lap.

Speaker 3: 17:14

So we've seen a lot of history, a lot of records broken.

Speaker 2: 17:16

Today we call this final lap as the Miller American goes off the exit buoy headed up the Franklin County side of this beautiful course in the Tri-City, washington, on the Columbia River. The Miller American, the rooster tail is so smooth and so high. Jim Lucero designed and built the boat. He owns it with France Muncie. It's sponsored by Miller American, driven by the great Chip Hanauer. He had a whale of a battle for the first lap and a half with Steve Reynolds. Finally the Reynolds turbine gave up and Chip Hanauer and I guess he must have thought Reynolds was still after him as he turned 143, that third lap. Anyways to the apex buoy, his final corner. He's got a quarter of a lap to go. Jim Hendricks, as he comes off, corner number four goes around the 7-11, steve Reynolds and the other spectator, jim Cox, the little spud riser. The second flag is out and it's the third win of 1985 for Chip Hanauer and the Miller American. Second, and it's the third win of 1985 for Chip Hanauer and the Miller American. Second place will go to Tommy D, third place, and that's Tommy D from Squash Upper Chattanooga. Third place and a creditable third place finish for Todd Yelling out of Madison, indiana, and Jim Sadam in his cellular one, and they've been improving every single race. The Budweiser and the old boy, alberto, and of course the 7-Eleven were unable to complete the heat, but what a dandy start. It was Beautiful, unlimited racing competition, just astounding. All right, we'll be back with more of Budweiser, columbia Cup Ragada 1985 after this timeout, jim Hendrick, along with Don Poyer and also Pat O'Day, as this race is now history, it's the first race of the West Coast Swing. It is the sixth race of 1985. Next week at this time, the APBA Gold Cup. And boy, we've had our act of attrition, if you will. In the finale.

Speaker 2: 19:04

Six boats started, three boats finished and of course the Miller American with Chip Hanauer is his winner and it's his third win out of six races for 1985, the turbine. And of course they had a lot of problems, pat, a day earlier, because they had first the right rudder go on test run and then, when they set that record of 153.061 in qualifying the other day, after they finished that lap, the left rudder let go. Well, that crew was up all night last night, jim, and they just solved the problem with pure steel. They went inside the trans of the boat and put in giant plates of steel so that that rudder couldn't possibly come loose today. And with that configuration and a jury-rigged job that Lucero's crew brilliantly did during the night, they came out and took it all home today.

Speaker 2: 19:46

But I think in Seattle and Seattle hang on, because don't count Steve Reynolds out he's got a fine running machine there. He encountered a couple of problems today, but we're going to see these two turbines tangle again over in the Emerald City for the Gold Cup next week. The Squire Shop's running brilliantly. We think the Budweiser will be running more quickly by then. The Executone has been looking good, it's just great racing at the top end the boats are performing and again, that lap speed this afternoon a competition lap speed of over 143 miles an hour and now we have a qualification speed of 153. How fast will they go? We'll find out.

Speaker 2: 20:19

On Lake Washington See how fast your memory is, let's find out. We know that. Miller Americans, the winner. Squire Bacani is second S so there was a third and I have a doctor. Fourth-place was the book. The return to the pets was the overall. Fifth was uh, the uh, uh, but, or fourth-place rather, with a seven eleven. Steve reynolds, which is the last to expire the plate with your board over the, then return to the pit, to the but why they would have finished six I.

Speaker 2: 20:42

I think that I've got a good look at that I find out that they do get order finished by the length of activity on the water. Even though they don't finish, they get awarded a finale or a point of finish because of the length of the track they go. Jim will be looking forward to seeing you and working with you at the gold cup in seattle next week. That's right. Of course we want to thank the gang here at the local station in tri-cities, kona, the power boys of powerboat racing, and they do a whale of a job. Uh, dean mitchell, the gang working with us. And then next week we'll be working with Shannon Switt and you and all the gang at KVI, I think some of the floor you call them the floor boats, but they're doing a good job, consistent job. As you saw, mitch Evans come out and have a good run today. Todd Yarling just drove beautifully all day long. The American Speedy had some tough luck today, but they'll be running good by Seattle.

Speaker 7: 21:32

And it was just great racing on the part of the entire field. Let's see if Don Porter is standing by yet with the winning driver, Jim. This is Frank Murray. Don is still trying to get to him with ESPN.

Speaker 2: 21:38

Is Chip still in the cockpit? Okay, we'll wait for that and while we're waiting, let's take time out for this word Run down, if you would. The brilliant Miller American with one competition lap speed of almost 144 miles an hour was the winner, chip Hanauer, the owners Fran Muncy and Jim Lucero. And, of course, the second place boat was the Squire Shop and a great day for Tommy Deet as Bob Stiles' boat reentered the circuit as the Squire Britannia bringing home. Second. Third went to Todd Yardley and a proud day for Jim Steedham and the cellular won. Fourth place the 7-Ele11 and Steve Reynolds, which did not complete the heat after battling for a lap in three quarters of the Miller American. Fifth place will go to old boy Alberto Jerry Hopp and sixth place Jim Kropfeld and Bernie Little's Miss Budweiser, and they'll all be out in Dooling and Seattle next week. Okay, as I watch Jim Kropfeld, he's being towed right across, he's waving, he's sitting in his open cockpit. He said well, I watched the last three laps here from here.

Speaker 2: 22:29

People in Seattle will be anxious to see this new boat. It looks like an airplane. It has a complete bubble canopy. It's one of the most innovative boats. It's surprisingly heavy. They've got a lot of work to do with it, but it's a glorious boat to look at. Now let's get out of Frank Gore to Don Poirier. Let's see who's on the Congratulations. Victory number 16 officially now.

Speaker 6: 22:47

Yeah, thank you. It was a tough weekend. You know going fast and losing rudders, and you know we still had troubles with rudders this morning and not getting started in the first piece, but this one feels good. A lot of excitement though in the early laps now in this final against the 7-Eleven. Yeah, he pushed me harder than I thought we were going to have to go and I just found a nice comfortable pace and I was just going to run there, unless he showed me his bow. And he showed me his bow, so we had to kind of get with it all. Right now they call their big uh like homing 11 engine big wally. What yours is big, what now?

Speaker 1: 23:14

just brucey just brucey brucey against wally huh it sounds like a mismatch.

Speaker 6: 23:19

Congratulations chip.

Speaker 3: 23:21

Thank you very much, okay chip, hannah, our driver, winning driver of the middle american. Back to you, pat and jim okay much Don Pat.

Speaker 2: 23:28

I don't know if he's really aware of what he did today in his historic moment. He doesn't sound excited at all. He just climbed out of the cockpit of an unlimited hydroplane that has run two competition laps in one heat of 143 miles an hour. It's like, well, let's get out of this rocking chair. It's a compliment and a salute to Jim Lucero Engineering. I will say that this sport, which experienced blowovers two and three years ago they said we can't go any faster. They overcame those problems and look at it today 143, the bull riding with enormous stability, and the sport just goes onward from here. How fast will they go? We find out in Seattle More from Tri-Cities, washington, on the Columbia River. After this from your local sponsor, jim Hend, on the columbia river. After this from your local sponsor, jim hendrick, along with don poyer, pat o'day on the banks of the columbia river and tri-cities washington, race number six, now history. And it's on next week. And what do we expect to see, pat, from these turbines and the new miss budweiser and the squires shop pretending as is really, you know, getting this back together.

Speaker 2: 24:23

Last race, two weeks ago, I tell you, in evansville, was the best race of them all. This even beats that in speed and excitement. I think we're going to see Steve Reynolds try and get the inside lane when he faces the Miller American. Again, he tried the outside and I think Hanauer had a little bit too much for him. That is a new generation Lucero boat that Hanauer drives, a one generation older that Reynolds drives. I think he's going to try. We're going to see interesting starts. He's going to want that number one lane because he's going to need it. That's about an 8-mile or a 10-mile-an-hour advantage there and I think we can look for some real scrambling at the starts next week.

Speaker 2: 24:53

Up until today, this is the second time as we watch the 7-11 come by us towed. Up until today he had the record for turbines for 10 straight heats without a failure and the last two heats, bam. I know what happened the last time out. In the earlier heat today we stood back in. That was he. It was the hot section went right. I don't know what happened. Now we can, of course, talk to the driver at this point. Every piece of equipment is being tested to it very. They've never done this before and every time out it's a brand new experience. Something's going to break. We'll have a final word, final check, final lineup. After this time out, don Boyer and Pat O'Day. Pat wrap it up. Final order, finish, if you would.

Speaker 2: 25:32

Well, just a disappointing day for the Executone, but a day of great elation for the crew and the owners of the Miller American and Chip Hanauer. New world records smashed all over the place Qualification records, heat records, single lap records, the winner of the Miller American, second to the Squire Shop just coming out of its spring mothballs and back at the competition with a big second place with third to cellular one, jim seedham with todd yarning driving. We bet we better do that sedan, otherwise they're going to kill us in madison. They don't like us and jim, my apologies, my friend anyway, and a disappointing day for the executive. Only we're leading in the national point chase, but they'll be back going hard in seattle next week. That's right they. They were leading by 319 going into today and now they're trailing by about 71 points.

Speaker 2: 26:16

The Budweiser was sixth, fifth was Oboe Alberto, and third place, of course, was 7-11, or fourth place was 7-11 with Steve Reynolds. Well, until next week when we continue on Lake Washington for the seventh race of the year, the Budweiser APBA Gold Cup. On behalf of Don Poyer, of course, pat O'Day, our engineer, eddie Bush. This is Jim Hedrick. So long.

Speaker 3: 26:40

Something here in our first heat last year in six-boat competition we don't really go to qualify Jim is not a qualifier and he just likes to go racing but that's going to be tough. I'll racing, but it's going to be tough. I'll say that it's going to be tough, even with 2650.

Speaker 7: 26:57

What about your turbine?

Speaker 3: 26:58

And that could be your boat of the future then, well, I would probably be very happy if I never put it in the water. I would like to see him. Let me stay with the piston engines. But I built the turbine because you know I'm not going to be sitting back watching the world go by.

Speaker 7: 27:16

We were trying to figure out if you've gone as long without a win at a certain race course as you have on this one, yeah that's been quite a while.

Speaker 3: 27:25

I think we won the first one 20 years ago. This river has been very tough for us. We've lost our good friend Dean Chenoweth here, and we've sunk our boats here a couple times. We've flipped them and I don't know why. I don't know what. I've got to talk to the Lord a little more and something's got to happen.

Speaker 7: 27:45

Well you're going to Seattle. That's been better for you lately.

Speaker 3: 27:48

Well, yeah, true, but we're not ready to go racing and we told our driver to go up to 150-mile line, wherever that finished. You, that was it. The boat's not riding good yet and we've got some major changes to make. Good old Ron Jones over there, we'll get a big stick and get it done.

Speaker 7: 28:06

Well, we'll be looking forward to seeing you come back, understandably, after Seattle, maybe with the turbine.

Speaker 3: 28:11

Well, after Seattle, maybe with the turbine? Well, after Seattle, yes, I got a great guy, ron Jones, and our heading up our turbine program. Ron's got a lot of background born and raised in building and racing boats and I feel very confident he'll come out with one hell of a racing team.

Speaker 7: 28:28

Okay, bernie, always good to have you in the track.

Speaker 3: 28:30

Thank you very much.

Speaker 4: 28:30

Great to be here.

Speaker 7: 28:31

All right, bernie Little from a world record in your first heat and then two busts there.

Speaker 4: 28:37

That's racing, isn't it? You know 7-Eleven comes out to race hard. Every time we heard speculation about we were going after national points. I don't think those last two heats were evident. They were after points. We're here to win.

Speaker 4: 28:48

Is it evident that perhaps your boat just isn't as fast as the Ann Allen? Now I'll sit in and interview you. Don't insult me, my boat is every bit as fast as the Miller American. I'm just teasing you. That's just a hard question to answer.

Speaker 4: 29:02

I think that the speeds we're running, you know, like their rudder failure and now I've had two coupler failures and those couplers have been like iron, you know, all year long. It's just when you start running competition speeds over 140 miles an hour that a year ago was absolutely unheard of you're starting to strain other parts of the motor. You know we're just going to have to take a good close look at all the running gear. I mean right down to the rudder and the skid fin. Now our couplers you know we broke two of those and all that is just stress. We thought that was one of the strongest parts on the motor. That's just indicating how much torque is out of those big 11 motors. Boy they are. They really put out the power you said you're sure. Bad luck here too yeah but you know that's racing.

Speaker 4: 29:44

You got good luck and you have bad luck, but we just, if you try as hard as you can and your best isn't quite good enough that day, then you've got no regrets. Really, I'm just a fighter, you know, and I hate to lose when I didn't watch everybody else run while I'm sitting out there.

Speaker 7: 29:57

But it's not the first time and it won't be the last, thanks steve uh, steve reynolds, the driver of the 7-eleven, two heats as far as basically performed the same. You were gonna run it about what? What? 150? I tried to go. I went 150 or so on the start but I couldn't run over about 130 after I got back in the rough water. It's just not handling right. So that's as fast as I can go and feel safe. I don't want to take any chances, especially hurting myself or somebody else, and so, basically, frustrating day for you.

Speaker 7: 30:32

Jim, what do you look for now for next week? Anything better, or is it more of the same? Oh, we'll go back and do some thrashing. We have to do some talking and get together with the crew and decide what we want to do next week. Uh, I don't know what we can do with this boat to change it. It's uh, my opinion is that the changes that we have to make we need to winter to do it. We can't do it between now and Wednesday, and it's major changes, and the things that we're doing are nothing more than a temporary band-aid, which they're really not. We just haven't been able to change anything and make the boat change attitude or change the way it handles or anything. No matter what we do. It's the same old thing. So I think it's a major design. It's not a design error, but I think when we put the safety capsule on and all that, it changed the balance of the boat, maybe the air flow and whatever, and I think we're going to have to have that analyzed.

Speaker 7: 31:24

So, basically, you could have gone faster, but it would have been unsafe to do so or not. Well, I don't know if I could have went faster or not. I might have went five mile an hour faster and been dead. So, who knows, that's as fast as I wanted to go, the way the boat was handling, and that was all I was going to do. If they feel that they need the boat to go faster, then I'll have to find another driver.

Speaker 7: 31:45

Obviously they don't. They think you're the man. Well, that's right, that's what I get paid for. I've been driving 25 years and I feel that I know what I'm doing. I may not be perfect, but the reason I'm here is because I'm a professional. I'm supposed to know what I'm doing, and if I didn't think that I knew what I was doing or what I was talking about, I would quit. I wouldn't wait until they fired me, I would get out of the boat before I hurt somebody or hurt myself. I'll get better luck next weekend, certainly next year. Well, we may get a couple of those inflatables out and run those around the little Budweiser boats. It wasn't fun anyway. Okay, thanks, jim. Jim Kroppfeld, driver of the Miss Budweiser.

Speaker 1: 32:23

Well, that's all the time we have this week race fans. Hope you enjoyed listening to the 1985 Budweiser Columbia Cup. I want to make a quick shout out and thanks to John Osterberg at Puea Poo Publishing for providing the audio footage for this race. I really appreciate all the work John has done over the years to capture the history and, if you haven't had a chance, check out his book Dragon Days on Amazon. You can get an e-book for your e-reader A great book all about Bartle racing in the 1950s and 60s and what it was like growing up in the Pacific Northwest.

Speaker 1: 32:54

Now I said I'm going to cover some of the races that we've had this year. We've had four great races in the H1 Unlimited racing season for 2024. We're going to get to that in the next episode. Until then, check us out on social media. We're on Facebook, instagram and our website, richardhalltalkcom. On there you can sign up for a subscription list so you can get early access to all episodes. I send out an email the night before the release of our episodes and I'm going to do a better job of getting some consistency with our episodes. I've got some great interviews on the way. I'm not going to share what I have yet, but you're going to have some great interviews to hear. I'm going to get some more race footage captured and some other fun surprises along the way.

Speaker 1: 33:36

Now, this is a free podcast to you listeners out there in hydroplane land, but it really runs on sponsorship and support from you. If you go to my website, roostertailtalkcom, you'll find a support tab and on there you can find a link to give contributions to the podcast. I really appreciate those out there that have done so and contributed to the podcast, because it helps with all the expenses that I have of this podcast. It does add up between the website hosting fees, my travel, getting to interviews, the races, etc. So I appreciate any contributions you have to that and I'm open for sponsorship. So if you're looking to sponsor a podcast, you can reach out to me at richardteltalk at gmailcom and we can talk more about that, because I'm looking to get some sponsors for the show and hopefully give us to some some better heights and get some better interviews for you out there. But that's all I have for this week, so until next time, I hope to see you at the races.