December 31, 2024 • 46 mins
Join us for an exhilarating ride as we wrap up our journey with hydroplane racing legends, Mark and Mitch Evans. These two icons share vivid recollections from their illustrious careers, filled with thrilling adventures and strategic partnerships. From Mitch's collaboration with Jerry Rise during the Apian Jeronimo years to Mark's strategic maneuvers in the sport, they reveal the intense competition and technological battles that defined their era. Let's reflect on the extraordinary legacy of these racing legends and look forward to the exciting projects that lie ahead.
*Photo by Jon Osterberg
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Ruchetel Talk, the podcast dedicated to everything
about the sport that we all love.
Hi, dreamland Racing.
I am your host, david Newton,and it's time once again.
So sit back, relax, and this isepisode 136.
(00:50):
In today's episode we have ourconclusion, part four, and our
last portion of my interviewwith Mark and Mitch Evans.
Now I hope you've enjoyed thelast three parts as I have as
(01:11):
well.
This is probably going to bethe longest episode it's over 40
minutes long.
I thought about breaking thislast part into two more parts,
but I didn't want to drag it outanymore.
Once again, I had a greatconversation with Mark and Mitch
Evans down at Sunshine Marinaover in Chilean Washington, and
really you're going to hear themtalk about their careers in the
(01:33):
late 90s, as Mitch joined upwith Jerry Rise and talked about
the African Geronimo years.
He talks more in depth aboutbuilding that brand new boat for
Ed Cooper in 2002, and thesuccess he had with that boat.
It was such an amazing feat andaccomplishment he did in that
time of age in hydroplane racing, and Mark's going to talk more
(01:53):
about the four-seater, theirentry into the vintage class and
just what's going on aroundChelan for them.
Now I won't keep you any longer.
Let's jump in and listen tothat conclusion of my talk with
Mark and Mitch Evans.
So then you went over to theFred's with the people
sponsorship and at the same time, mitch, I believe, you hooked
up with Jerry rise and happy andGeronimo team, so you both were
(02:17):
in some some pretty good boatsat that time.
Yeah yeah, get some good heatsand good battles, yeah it was.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It was a fun time with them.
It was such a huge Change, youknow, obviously going for me,
from what, what Ed and I did foryears and years.
You know a couple bouncesaround, but yeah, and another
one of those, it was the JohnWalters calls up on that.
This boy, you know we're gonna.
It's a Fred's, a Fred boat.
There's a lot of history here.
(02:45):
I think it could be great, andthey were looking for help too
to work on it, and so it was abig change, but a fun one.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And again same thing.
You got cut up.
They had all the money in theworld.
But technology, you know,trying to bypass fuel, all the
cheating going on.
I'll just go ahead and say itAll this cheating was going on,
man yeah it was nonstop and likethe Bud guys.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I mean, we developed the dyno, you know, so we were
able to run some stuff.
But gosh, it's just that,putting that whole package
together, you have to have theengines and the gear ratios, you
know, propellers, and all of ithad to come together and you
just got to have a lot of racingAgain.
Great, great experience andgreat people to work with.
(03:30):
Yeah, that was fun.
Jerry was an interesting dude,you know, was full committed,
you know, to whatever we neededto to win and to run.
Well, he, um, he supplied thatto us.
And then, uh, basically he gotin his life an offer to sell the
company and as quick as itstarted, it ended.
(03:51):
That was the first time I'dreally been involved in anything
like that, but it was literally.
Here's your last paycheck.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Off you go.
That's why the team ended then.
Yeah, that's too bad.
I think for a long time youwere towards the top of
qualifying and there's a fastboat and I was really rooting
for you to get a victory withthat and I thought maybe a
little bit more and you're goingto get that, but it just didn't
happen.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
We needed a little bit more time and we were just
like you say.
It was really kind of allcoming together, but
unfortunately by that timeJerry's business and all that
stuff was coming to an end.
Yeah, but it was a door thatclosed and obviously then
another one with Ed that openedto build his last one.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Yeah, that was a good opportunity Before we get there
.
I'm just curious Was it hard togo from a turbocharged Allison
to a turbine?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, it's a totally different driving
experience, I guess you couldput it, because literally the
turbine thing, you're kind ofjust on the governor.
You know the piston boat,you've got to be careful with it
.
You know and the throttle andsteering and that, so it was,
and especially because at thatpoint that was the, the tubby
(05:07):
area, the second boat, you knowthat you went from one extreme
to the other and just handleddifferently and everything about
it was different.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, thing about a turbine is you're full out and
you lift the throttle, it takesa long time to slow down.
There's no compression like apiston let up, and that'll start
slowing down immediately wherea turbine doesn't and the
re-acceleration on the torque istotally different so it takes a
little bit longer to wind backup during turbines.
(05:39):
It got to the point I almostjust wanted a toggle switch for
the throttle to turn it off andthen use your wing to keep it on
the power band because yeah,yeah, like mitch said, if you
let up all the way in those,they go into a ground idler,
yeah, and then you match the gas.
It takes a few seconds to getgoing, by then they're gone so
right, right.
You can't.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
You got to stay on the throttle wild yeah, in 2002
you built the new boat I believethat was the year, yeah, and
that was that was a big project,yeah, and that was a great
project.
Yeah, it was a successful boatand, yeah, blew away some
records, got some great wins onthat, yeah, and how, how was ed
able to do that?
(06:19):
And how how did he get hookedup with budweiser?
Because I think Budweiserreally supported the project.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Well, Dale Van Weerden.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, Dale was the key to that.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Both in the design and Rick.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
yeah, it was the people again.
It was this group of peoplethat somehow we were able to put
together to do it.
And some luck and some timing,and yeah, going to Dale and
reaching out and then being ableto use the molds to build the
parts, I mean that was the hugething.
(06:54):
And Ronnie was just willing todo that, and Bernie, I mean
everybody just stepped up andsaid listen, we'd like to help
you out.
I don't think they really everdreamt it would run like it did.
Probably were thinking about itin Detroit that one day that's
the best part and it really was.
(07:14):
And we were thinking, man,because the evolution of the
other two boats was pretty long,a lot of learning, but by that
time the engine program had comea long ways and it was, it was
good, it was reliable.
I mean, that was, that was thething we always worked on,
starting and finishing every, nomatter if it was a hundred mile
(07:34):
, an hour lap or 200, it didn'treally matter.
But but so that was a classicuh, of having everything come
together?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
yeah, at the right time.
Do you feel like they're openand honest with everything, like
all the the technology andsecrets of building the boat, or
oh no, I mean they chose andand I respect that they.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
They said, okay, this is the parameter, you can use
this mold and you can build thepart however you want.
This is, and they madesuggestions along the way, but
we never knew or never couldfind out how they actually built
it.
You know, it was just you could, I could, you could.
Obviously the boat was there,you could look at it, you know,
but there, as we discoveredlater on, there's so many things
(08:15):
that went into each and everyone of those pieces.
You know it wasn't what youthought when you were seeing.
Um, there was different changes, so so, but at that point we we
knew we had to build.
We were building the boat aroundan allison, yeah something,
something nobody else had everdone and so we took, we took
what we learned from the othertwo boats, the suggestions from
(08:38):
everybody else, and literallyjust built the boat around
around the allison the gearboxyou had, um it, everything about
it was so much different thanthe turbine.
Around the Allison, the gearboxyou had.
Everything about it was so muchdifferent than the turbine just
the physical size, theplacement of the engine.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
So there was a lot of that, you know let's try this.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
And it worked out.
I mean it really did.
Would you say that was yourfavorite boat to drive?
Oh, absolutely yeah, that thingwas just when we got the right
gear combination and propellers.
The props were obviously thekey to most of all of that that
boat running well and thesuccess, but it just was a great
(09:16):
boat all the way around, justeasy to drive.
I mean, it truly was theeasiest boat.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
I'd ever driven.
Yeah yeah, it didn't take long.
I mean you were setting records.
I'm probably wrong on this, butit feels like it wasn't
probably the first year you weresetting records with it.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
The second year in particular, you know San Diego
running a 160.
Right, that was like the oldyeah, yeah.
And then you come back, youknow, and in 03, that's when it
just all started clicking,obviously from the get-go.
I mean, unfortunately, you know, the Evansville win was Dave
lost a prop at the dock, right,I mean we're literally icing it
(09:53):
out, but I knew everybody elsewas running really fast and if I
got that thing close to theinside lane it just had so much
speed that I could drivewherever I needed to, and you
know, just try to stay out oftrouble.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yeah, and hang on, yeah.
And then you, you got the, yourgold cup victory, yeah, that
year.
And just how meaningful wasthat for you it was.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
You know, after all the years, all the work, um, it
was the mrs pinnacle your career.
Yeah, it's a gold cut.
It was so long in coming that Ithought.
I don't think that this couldprobably really ever happen, but
as the weekend went on and westarted running the heats.
(10:39):
I knew this thing was reallyfast and I knew that I had a
good chance If I did my job andif the motor stayed together,
you know, and all the parts hadto stay in because Detroit, like
San Diego, was one of thosethat just, it seemed like you
were in the boat forever, youknow, you go down that front
(11:00):
straight and around and then,and then you're driving down
into this little, you know,hairpin, corner right, just
praying that everything stays onthe boat, time after time after
time.
So, yeah, and I knew afterabout the second, after getting
to the start, that first bigturn, mike was right there, you
know, made it to the bounce andand came out.
(11:20):
Basically, first, you know, Iknew day was outside, and then,
um, and then I just prayedthat'd stay together after that
and just kept going.
And that boat, that was thething that we learned, it really
got because of the fuelcapacity, I mean the thing it
was getting faster every lap.
I was losing 200 or 300 pounds.
(11:41):
Right, I mean, think of that.
I was losing 200 or 300 pounds.
I mean, think of that.
We used 150 gallons of fuel torun those five laps.
Wow.
So by the end of the day it waslighter, so it was even faster
than the first two laps.
And it was looser but it wasgetting a better ride.
(12:02):
It really felt like kind ofthat tank at first.
Second lap it was loosening.
Second lap it was just free andthat's why that fast was
handled and we had tanks inevery compartment that we could
because we were out of room.
But we had it well balanced and, as it turned out, in the right
places.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
And it just kept running better and better all
the time.
Well time, I'd say that wasdefinitely a popular Gold Cup
victory for you.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
The fans loved it and , being in Detroit, huge fan
base support.
It was just it all cametogether at the right time, so
that was awesome well,unfortunately, mark, he was in
the hospital.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Well, thrill of victory.
Yeah, I know the other side ofthings.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
You had a gnarly crash on the backstreet share
really close to the DetroitYacht Club and you got hurt
pretty bad from that right.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Yeah, well, it just was.
Actually, the end result wasmore of a bad infection in my
leg that was broke, so bad, andit got so infected, you know,
and from uh staff and the mercerand whatever else there was.
They darn near chopped it offat one point because it was
getting pretty bad.
Yeah, that was nuts.
So, yeah, a few neck crack andribs and elbow and all sorts of
(13:18):
stuff.
It was a wadded up thing, buthey, it was the way it was.
We were fast, I, I felt we hada really good shot at it.
And there there's a example ofum.
To this day, scott rainey, mycrew chief, and brad haskins are
so upset I didn't need to winthat heat.
You know, I kind of messedaround on the start.
I was trying to mess with theseguys and so I could have just
(13:39):
finished the heat where I was atand still made the final see.
But ah, we to go for it andScott was even going go, go, go.
Steve David said he looked outhis window and he saw me upside
down.
And Steve said when it blewover it turned to the right.
He felt when I hit it floppedagain because my that hole in
the back of my helmet, hit thisbolt this way up there.
(14:00):
And these guys, the manage,everybody kept my helmet and
they got in the boat and theytried to.
You know the body stretch wasincredible.
So that's way up there.
And these guys, the medics,everybody kept my helmet and
they got in the boat and theytried to.
You know the body stretch wasincredible.
So that's what cracked thevertebrae there.
Yeah, just multiple injuries,but it was that bad infection,
you know, from the hospitalstuff and taking all the rods
and crap back out.
You know that's what the bad.
(14:22):
It was interesting, it was notsilly, but I'll never forget.
My wife at the time says hey,mitch and Rick are coming to the
hospital.
Mitch would call me, you know,said that he won.
I said are you kidding me?
This is great.
But then they said Mitch andRick, or Johnny Walker was
coming to the hospital.
And I laughed.
I go no, they don't likehospitals, they both get sick in
(14:44):
a hospital, anyway.
So I had a little bit of tunnelvision.
I'll never forget.
They go, mark, mitch and Johnnyare here.
And I looked over and my tunnelvision went like this and then
I focused in on they both hadthis fake grin.
Hi, I started laughing.
Good seeing you guys get lostwhere you grow up, in here, yeah
.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I want to lose.
Oh, I grew up in here, detroitgeneral.
I want to lose.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Anyway, I had some experience.
You go through that, you knowpart of the deal?
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Did those injuries last long?
Was it hard for you to get backin Like?
Did you downplay those injuriesto get back in the boat?
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, the next year I jumped in
just to try it at Detroit.
I got something.
Yeah, I shouldn't have done it.
I just to try it at Detroit, Igot something.
Yeah, I shouldn't have done it.
And I was still pretty hurt.
It took about 18 months to getover it.
Just my body was the infection.
I just fucked it all through mybody and then, not being as
active, you know, the leg wasjust bad man, and then some of
(15:37):
the other back injuries and soon, just was.
You can't, when you get atrophyand you're not active, it just
slows you down, it takes a whileHead spinning and so on.
So, yeah, it was a trip.
So, yeah, it took about.
Yeah, I got in five years later.
So, yeah, that goes.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Yeah, but you had a big win in Tri-Cities with Lumar
.
Yeah, yes, in Booster.
I remember sitting on the beachand watching it and at that
time it was a dynamical-lookingboat, the Budweiser.
You came out of that turn andthe glare was so bad in that
corner, everyone on the beachthought it was the Budweiser.
Oh, I see, but then you'recoming down and they realize it
(16:18):
was Lumar and it was a big cheer.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Well, you know, ironically that was parts and
pieces from the two-winged bud.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Right, so it was a Bud.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Ironically, that was parts and pieces from the
two-winged bud.
Right yeah, so that's what'sironic.
Well, again, Mitch was outsideme, man, and he was honking on.
I did one of the most dangerousthings ever is.
I went into that turn and Ijust gave her full wing down
when I turned because I was out.
You know wing four and you'rein five.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, I was all the way up there.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
I just decided I did not want to hit those waves that
hard and give me some momentumand so I floated around that
turn and it held on and thenreally that spit me up the exit
of the turn and we had some goodspeed going up the backstreet,
although I could hear and feelhis boat rumbling.
I could feel it coming up.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
I was touching it hard.
I think the boat was just as upI was touching it hard.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
I was like this is going to be my only shot the
boat was just as scared as I was.
And then of course Troxel was onmy inside and he got hosed and
that kind of brushed mid-job.
So anyway, it just worked outreally good.
It was a great throw for Billand all of us.
Yeah, that was fun.
That was not to get into thisfull detail, but man, the race
(17:28):
before the boat, just wecouldn't get it right.
And at Tri-Cities Scott Raineycut off the trailing edge, I
think only a half an inch or aninch, not much, but it made all
the difference in the world.
It was just incredible thatsmall of an adjustment and the
boat just was a total goodhandling boat.
(17:49):
But it did hurt two otherdrivers after me too.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
So so Mitch told me his favorite boat.
What was your favorite boat todrive?
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Well, the Bud was fun and a very good boat to drive.
I had a good time in theAmerican Spirit.
But I'll say that one year in95, when we were at Campbell on
the boat and it was the rockboat and we were just messing
around having a good year wecould drive the thing wherever
we wanted, just ran the heck outof it.
(18:23):
We just had a blast that oldrock boat in the fridge.
It was pretty fun.
I had a real good time withthat.
No stress, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
You had some big sponsors then.
I think Waffle House was asponsor, yeah, and Phoenix, yeah
, phoenix.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Yeah, that was it, you know.
Yeah, and again I've got tothank Steve.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Lampson, for you know , coming up with all this stuff.
He was our guy trying to keepus on keep us going.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
So you know Waffle House.
We were in Firebird down inPhoenix and the guy goes hey,
would you take a waffle with youso I can have the world's
fastest waffle.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And I get a kick out of that I go.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You take a waffle with you so I can have the
world's fastest waffle and I geta kick out of that, I go well,
it's not a problem, but I go,you might want to cook that a
little extra, because I think bythe time we get back it'll be
all squished into the corner ofthe box.
So um uh, ironically, I threwit in the back of the seat so
that I could do something withit.
I don't know what and I blew thebroke down, blew the gearbox,
(19:25):
so as we're getting towed infront of the grandstands, you're
so close there someone screamed, hey, you should have had
another waffle.
That was my cue.
I went, got the cockpit open itup, had the box.
I showed the whole crowd, Ipulled it out, took a big old
bite of it.
Well, guess what?
It was dry as could be.
I got cotton mouth.
I oh I about gag and I'mlooking at that brackish water.
(19:47):
I was going to take a scoop ofit.
But there's no way.
Oh man, I'm about choked onthat waffle from Waffle House.
But they got good advertisement.
We gave it back to the guy withthe big old bite out of it.
He thought that was the coolestthing ever.
I had two like that.
We didn't even win the race andthat guy was so happy with that
damn box.
You know, we all signed it andstuff it's hanging in the waffle
house.
(20:07):
Well, the other one.
We got hooters one time down inmiami yeah well, we did
terrible because of thesaltwater.
Best thing that could everhappen is I hit the buoy and
they gave us the orange buoy.
So champ, one of the owners ofhooters, just loved that.
We all signed that, so that'shanging on the wall so you know
sometimes you don't have to winyou know, oh man, funny, funny.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Well, I want to go back to that what if file,
because a birdie told me aboutpossible straightaway record
event that you wanted to havehere in lake chelan oh yeah, 20
plus years ago, but it's neverhappened.
What happened?
Why not Well?
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Johnny was promoting that, I just think I can't
remember.
I think a lot of people wereworried about driftwood weather,
so on and so forth.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
It was scheduling, it was trying to get it at a time
when we weren't racing and therejust seemed to be a lot going
on.
And then insurance right popsup.
It's just a whole differentthing where you're not putting
on a circle event right, it'skind of a special event.
So it's very, it's veryexpensive too.
I mean, you're you're nothaving these huge crowds to kind
(21:23):
of help pay the bill.
And there were just a lot ofthings we hadn't really thought
about until you start goingthrough the process of trying to
put an event on um and, like Isaid, it was really just
conflicted with the other racingwe were doing at the time.
We just couldn't ever come upwith a uh a time.
And then, and then even at thatpoint you know we're starting
this m&m thing, we're doing thislittle thing late in the year,
(21:45):
and then the inboard racing camealong, right with Chelan and
Manson and all around us, and wejust basically ran out of time.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Was that intended for Unlimited to do?
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Wanted to crack 200.
Because we'd been going over200 in the turbines when we were
running.
So I kept telling Jim gosh, letme go out and go 205 you know,
whatever you know, just get therecord.
I know your dad and I buttedheads about Russ Wicks and that
old thing.
I did not like that deal at all.
I was against that all the way,unless they would let a bunch
(22:20):
of press ups come in, like theold rules said, right did you
have a?
Speaker 1 (22:26):
were you trying to get a team out there?
Because?
I think you were with elam.
Uh, yeah, yeah, were you tryingto get you?
Yeah, oh, eric said he wouldput it together.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Yeah, I'll go.
Yeah, I said good, and then Iwanted to bring the four-seater.
We just finished it up, yeahand it was well balanced.
That four-seater ended up being, uh, about 6850.
I mean, we're right in theballpark, everything.
I would have just taken all theseats out, and I was going to
take that too if Elstromwouldn't have.
And then, plus, there's theguy's bud.
Who else?
I mean, that was supposed to bethe deal.
One guy wants to do it, butanyway, that's the way that goes
(22:58):
.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
You should have had it, so the free-eye went, first
got the record, then you got therecord.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah Bumped it up.
Yeah, yeah, that's kind of whatwe were thinking, you know,
because we were all kind ofgoing free high.
Well, nothing against RickGamble and those guys you know,
and your dad and all, but anyway, I'll let that opportunity come
to that.
I don't know why it was such athorn in my side and I even told
Russ Wicks I go okay, goofball,you come out of who knows what.
(23:22):
You said.
You did go-karts.
What the hell did you race yourmotorcycle and you're gonna
come in and take our.
You took our record, you knowhere's all us other guys you
know that have been in the sportfor years.
I for some reason that kind ofgot me.
He laughed, he called me up andsaid well, if it wasn't for you
I wouldn't have got the record.
I said, don't say that to me, Ilike, I like to rip him about
it.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
You's all kind of fun that boat was not a good boat.
That was, one side weighed 600pounds more than the other.
Rick Campbell laid it up byhand.
It wasn't bagged.
I remember Ken got Jim Lucerodown at Seafair and was looking
(24:04):
at it.
Ken finally asked him what youknow, trying to look at it and
all that.
And Ken finally asked him well,what would you do with a boat?
And Jim said I would take itback to the shop.
And it was Saturday at Seafarerand they were like we're not
doing that.
Yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
That's funny.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Thanks, but no, yeah, yeah and that was our other
worry.
A new guy comes in, blows aboat up, gets killed or
something.
He's going to come on and let'sdo it.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
A lot of things could have happened.
You mentioned your four-seaterthat you had.
That was a crazy concept andcool project.
You had a turbine first offBecause that was Mitch's boat he
drove.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
That was the flip and win boat.
That was the flip and win boat.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
So that's why the paint scheme had the lines of
the Geronimo, but we did whiteand blue and red.
That was kind of a combinationof the two of us Now, after we
did the Fendler thing and it wassuch a hit you know giving
rides I wanted to do another onebecause Tom had crashed that
(25:04):
and destroyed it in Tri-C, intri-cities.
So I got to looking at thisthing and through the years
we've been moving the turbineengine back and the gearbox so
far that there was all this roomback there in the computer
department.
I called it and so when Icommitted to it and we bought it
from jerry, jerry rice gave mea heck of a deal on it, by the
way, and I mean way cheap, so wecouldn't pass it up.
But when we started cuttinginto it and Marky and the rest
(25:27):
of them and Greg Fogle, they gowow, there is a lot of room.
You don't realize until youstart opening it up and then
weight and balance, it was just,it was fun.
I had an insurance company thatwas going to back me and that
fell through, but that's the wayit goes.
We got it in the water and weran.
After I got busted up, a lot ofpeople had been sending me money
(25:49):
and I hadn't sent it back,except for three guys.
Those three guys gosh, I hopethey're still around.
They refused to take theirmoney back.
They wanted their ride.
You've got to take these guysfor a ride, so he did.
They were laughing their earsoff.
It went pretty good.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
How fast did you get up to for the ride?
Speaker 2 (26:10):
We ran pretty close to 150.
Yeah, because it needed to havesome speed.
It was the slower you know,like the first time.
Who was it?
I think Dr Ken.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I took and Scott Pierce, right Pierce and Marky.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
So we kind of for the first trial.
Aaron went out and I'm like, ohboy, this has got a lot of
weight on the steering wheelhere.
You know, as you just keepstepping it up, you know it felt
(26:43):
safe and could go around,because I figured we were going
to be running it that way forsome time.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Yeah, don Maka, there's a video out there,
there's some good air under it,you know especially when he took
those other three guys too.
Yeah, that was the first timewe ever got running.
And then finally they refusedto let me sell any rags.
So then the next year we got torun it at Tri-Cities and take
the journalists and stuff, andthey didn't want us going over
(27:09):
150.
In fact, what was the insuranceguy for APBA for years?
Rick Feltz?
Yeah, italian guy, about fiveminutes for him getting in the
boat to take these guys for aride.
Um, gal come up, says hey, theinsurance guy wants to talk to
you.
I go five minutes for himgetting in the boat.
Don't tell me you're cancelingthis thing.
(27:30):
Well, he's Italian.
He goes hey, this is Rick.
I just want to know which legdid you break when you crashed
your boat?
I go what are you asking methat for?
I mean, I'm just he goes, justtell me what leg.
And I said I broke my right leg.
He goes okay, I'm going tobreak your left leg if you go
over.
I'll never forget this.
I'm getting a full Italian job.
(27:56):
It was great man.
Okay, dude.
So I called him up.
I said I think six journalistsout, that was it.
Yeah, the big room, yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
So was it insurance that killed that for you then?
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Yeah, yep, they wouldn't let me sell rags, you
can't.
Just similar to what thevintage guys are going through
now.
They've got to be APBA members,members, and you're gonna have
a driver's school.
If I would have got a sponsorand gone to the races just given
the right, that'd been allright, but I needed to sell the
(28:27):
rights to make the money, and soit's catch 22.
So, yeah, the company hadfolded and the guide went away
and I just couldn't afford it.
So and then, as time went on, Isold all the turbine stuff and
then got the other crazy ideajust to put the outboards on and
make a pleasure boat out of it,which I did.
I got it all certified, butagain, the insurance to sell
(28:50):
rides just even that was $20,000for the summer.
And they said it was a reallyeasy payment plan.
Just one payment up front.
Yeah, so yeah.
And then locations we're not.
Yeah, I based it right off ofhere, off the seaplanes office
(29:10):
and the insurance, that theowners needed gaps of insurance.
Pretty much did it.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Golly, I always thought that would be just a
great promotional tool if youcould have somehow tied it with
H1 and gone to the races.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Oh, at the time every race site said we've got you a
spot, roll out the red carpetplease.
And they all would go.
I want to go first.
Everybody I talked to okay, youcan do it, but I want to go
first.
I could have made a fortune.
At the time we even figured outhow many rides to do at each
race site and coordinated theseguys and we could have raked in
a million bucks 980 000, I think, is what, the, what the income
(29:47):
would have been, what, the, howmuch it would have cost.
I'm not sure you know.
We'd have made some money offof it plus paid expenses and
thrilled the heck out of people,possibly got another sponsor or
helped the existing sponsor,because what I want to do I
didn't.
I didn't want to be the driverall the time.
Some people would want to gowith steve david or dan millwook
or somebody else.
So that sure, yeah, I mean, youknow whatever, that's what I
(30:09):
said.
But then then I had one guycall up and says, why aren't you
gonna have any other driver?
And I said, sure he goes, Iwant to ride with jack berry man
yeah, too bad.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Well, where is that boat now?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
uh well, I can say it now it's in indiana, ted
porters okay yeah, he.
Uh, it's been 20, over 20 years, 22 years since we did it and
it needs a paint job andupholstery and new engines.
So yeah, ted is going to workon it this year at the factory
there at Formula and see if theycan recondition it and bring it
(30:50):
out next year.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
As a pleasure boat to give rides Correct, just the
simple thing.
Without boards, nothing, notrace, not turbine.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
So again, because he found out, so you know I can
give rides, you know I did Iparked it right out here for a
couple of summers.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
And just jumped in and cruised around.
It was fun.
It floated out here for fivemonths.
That was the longest I everleft in the water.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Turned on a bilge pump once in a while.
Man foot down, that was thelongest I ever left in the water
.
Well, you even took it aroundour model course one year.
Yeah, that's right, you took itdown there.
I just keep looking at Mitch'sshirt here.
That beautiful red boat, yeahman and it's not racing right
now and you've got a motor overthere.
How easy would that motor dropdown in that?
Speaker 3 (31:38):
boat.
Oh, one of Mitch's Allison's,you mean no, the blower motor
you never know, you just have totry it.
Yeah, absolutely it's in theretirement mode, hopefully
somebody will pick it up and go.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
We talked about that, or is that going to come out
for Eminem here next week?
Yeah, how do you just walk away.
We talk about that, or is thathe comes, or is that going to
come out for?
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Eminem here next week yeah, and you know you always
ask how do you?
How do you just walk away, howdo you just?
Speaker 2 (32:05):
quit driving one day you just say this is it right,
I'm coming home, I got to go towork and anyway.
So he, of course he made thedecision this year himself.
But when we talk about it, Ihope somebody would pick it up
and continue on, because of thetechnology, to where it is, even
the boat's 20 years old, right,right.
(32:26):
But if someone would take theAllison thing and go to that
next level.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Wait a minute.
You're right, david, forget theAllison.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Not modern, it could be anautomobile.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
There you go.
That's what I'm saying.
I'm going to start leaning onit.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Thank you very much.
You're right, it would beperfect.
It would be a great platformold buddy.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
I think your brother knows him pretty well yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Ed knows me.
Yeah, that's the best of thestory.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
He'll just go oh, what now?
Speaker 1 (33:07):
um?
Has he had any serious offerson the boat he's?
Speaker 2 (33:09):
had some tire kickers , nothing real serious, yet you
know, same old deal he couldsell.
Puller, the tractor, trailer.
You know engine parts.
Oh, did the tractor pullers?
Yeah, that's right, he just andthe truck.
You know engine parts.
Oh, did the tractor pullers?
Yeah, and the truck.
You know it was a great truckand good for whatever.
But he's holding on.
He's going to keep it as apackage at this point for the
sport Yep, and see what that'sgood, see if somebody will bring
(33:30):
it out again, yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Well, I mean, you talk about being out of the
sport, though, and stop racing,but you're still in the sport.
You've got a vintage boat thatyou're messing around with, so I
don't think you ever trulystopped driving, right.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
No, no, you just kind of take hiatuses.
Sometimes they're just periodsof time in life, and that was
exactly me.
I had the opportunity to buy apiece of property and open up my
business and go back at it andI just thank God I did because
it was really the right decision.
But no, now to be able to comeback and do the vintage thing
has just been a blast.
So it keeps you involved andthen you can re-involve
(34:09):
everybody else you know and keepgoing.
So we're so lucky, obviously,to live here and be able to take
advantage of the lake and gofor a ride, take some rides, so
it was the perfect way to end.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
But I've got to tell you how this started, though.
I've been bugging Will Muncyfor years.
I just wanted an Allison enginestock, that I could have an
engine stand, just start it up.
I didn't have the money or timeto put it into a boat, I just
wanted to do this.
So he called me up one day andsays come on over, man Dick, do
this stuff, I'll make you a heckof a deal.
Did some trading.
So I wish I would have had aGoPro camera up my head, because
(34:45):
you know the story's aboutWill's place and you know just
stuff everywhere and beenthrough a few floods, so he was
really great.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Was it like Great American Pickers, oh man big
time.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
I didn't even know where to turn next.
So I'm grabbing pistons androds and we found a block.
And he goes how about thisblower?
How about this carburetor?
I don't know.
So I'm filling up a trailerfull of stuff and so I'm driving
over the pass thinking what inthe heck am I doing here?
Oh, my gosh, to put an Allisontogether.
So I pulled into the shop.
Mitch was standing there.
He walked up and looked in thattrailer and when he looked up I
(35:24):
could see the look in his eyes.
I go, man bro, I tell you whatI'll make you deal on this
allison stuff here right now.
How about that?
So mitch is the engine builderguy.
You can.
Then we got some uh manuals.
Oh boy, yeah, then, ed cooper,you know mitch has been involved
with him so long.
Then, ironically, uh mitch anduh johnny were messing with that
hawaii kite boat and and Johnnyhad me tear it apart to rebuild
it, and that all kind ofstopped for a while and then one
(35:46):
day Mitch goes hey, let's getthat thing back, turn it into
the Breathless and put theengine in.
That's how that all kind ofstarted many years ago.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
I think it was when we started.
Yeah, that when?
When did you first run it?
So?
Speaker 2 (36:04):
I'd see 18 would have been, because then when I went
to detroit, um, when we the yearbefore actually, so 17, well,
let's see back at 16 actuallybecause, um, we ran it here.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
That just popped up in the memory.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Yeah, as the Breathless, because that was
obviously what it was, so Icalled it the Breathless 3.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Oh yeah, because Chris Dinslow, my four-seater,
we chased you around, we cameabout.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
That's right, it was here, definitely.
And then the following year metthe Gordon family, the
grandkids, you know, of course Iknew Rick in particular working
with the Geronimo thing, and hereally helped us with the, the
gearboxes and trying to, youknow, update it to the Fairlane
(36:51):
type specs and so, anyway, thenthey said, hey, would you ever
think about bringing that oldboat out here?
You know, we heard my granddadowned it, you know, and ran it
as the blue chip in the what, 65, 67, whatever.
I said, man, yeah, I'd love tocome back to Detroit.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
I hadn't obviously been there since the time, the
day I left, basically, and yeah,so I got to go out make some
laps and then, of course, beendoing the the dry cities thing,
yeah, and here ever since.
Yeah, okay, you ever thoughtabout putting a fake?
Uh, like what was it?
(37:28):
Mahogany deck, was it?
Was it a birch?
Speaker 2 (37:28):
yeah, yeah, about putting like a fake.
So the boat is obviously basedwhite and then we put the blue
chip wrap and stuff on it.
Man, one day you could makethis thing look like anything,
right I?
mean, just roll it, roll it out,yeah, and and yeah so, uh, so I
I just I've left the blue chipthing on there.
The family still sponsor me tothis day.
They, they help out financially, so I just kind of left it
(37:49):
alone.
But at some point um, when theday comes it'd be great to you
had to take it back to itsoriginal look and and uh, run it
one more time, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
So it's cool now what they can do with wraps.
Oh my gosh.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Absolutely.
You could literally roll thatout in one day and put your
numbers on there and you couldmake it look just like the day
it came to Seattle in 57.
Speaker 3 (38:13):
I recently saw a big, beautiful, brand new offshore
boat, but the wrap is like oldplanks, know, like old plank
boat.
So you look at it, it's aswoopy offshore boat, but it
looks like it's all wood, it's awrap, pretty cool the gp boat.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
It's that plate rivets.
You know, it looks like, yeah,armored.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Oh, yeah, yeah, the trust company boat yeah, my
son's like wow, yeah, that'scool, yeah, so when you got a
vintage boat mark, oh, I'veactually got a couple in the
backyard.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
I got my little two and a quarter red wolf that I
used to race years ago in the80s.
Jimmy labrie helped me.
Uh holes done and I finishedthe trailer.
My engine program is reallyslow and then I do have what we
call the bat boat.
That's not occurred in mybackyard that's right, that's
right.
I need to pull the wood off ofthat.
See, see if it's any good.
So I've got a few projects.
I also have a 1957, what's itcalled?
(39:05):
Barracuda and that was built byDan Arena the guys that started
the arena gearboxes for theAllisons.
They built these pleasure boatsfor a while, and so Dan Arena's
son came up here a few yearsago.
I saw him down in Sacramentoyears ago.
He thinks it's either numberone or number two.
(39:26):
It's early, early, so it'ssitting out there, but it's a
mess.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
It needs a full rebuild.
It's kind of a runabout typeboat, but it's got these little
wings on the back.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
It's pretty crazy, so I've got three projects.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
Just a couple.
Yeah Well, it was a number ofyears ago, mark.
You had a book that you workedwith Dave Williams.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
Dancing with the Devil Dancing with.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Disaster.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Or Dancing with Disaster.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
That was a fun read.
A lot of crazy stories in there.
I feel like you didn't shareall of them.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
No, Well, at that time it cost a lot to put a book
out and David Williams and hispublisher kind of.
I wasn't into autobiography, Ijust wanted new stories.
But they kind of turned it intothat and, yeah, david still got
a bunch of them stories that wejust couldn't put in.
We had to narrow it down.
(40:22):
It became very short stories.
I'd like to elaborate on itsomeday.
We'll see what goes.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Was there any stories you want to elaborate right now
?
Speaker 3 (40:29):
No, those are the other stories we couldn't put in
.
Yeah, it was pretty fun, thoughI had some calls from a few
drivers and ex-wife that said,don't tell this story, don't
tell that story.
So that was kind of fun, but no, all in all it was a kick, and
(40:50):
there's a few of them that Icould elaborate on even more, so
maybe someday Great to readsomething like that and do the
tips down memory lane.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
I didn't get a lot like you were to be raised to
live here you know, enjoy thearea.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
What was really enjoyable is getting uh calls
from some people going well, Ididn't live there, I didn't grow
up like you guys, but it madethem think about their childhood
and some like goofy things theyhad, you know, like throwing
rocks at beehives.
You probably shouldn't do thatsomeone's Mitch's version coming
out.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Yeah, yeah, it'll just be the rest of the story.
At some point we'll have tomaybe revisit that.
And I can include I livevicariously through him.
Everything that happened I waspretty close by.
It was as much my story as hisand the family's and everybody
else but no, we appreciate youcoming in.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
Yeah, a lot of questions, yeah yeah, I
appreciate it stories?
Speaker 1 (41:48):
yeah, for sure yeah, well, I appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
It's been fun sitting here with you and recalling
some great years of racing andliving and, uh, I look forward
to what you have to give us nextsure we're very blessed, I mean
, uh, seeing mark tate there attri-cities this year and we both
said, man, we, we raced kind ofin the heyday and we had the
money and wow, the big sponsorsyou know, and gosh, we're so
(42:13):
thankful and blessed and we sureappreciated it and you're still
here to recall it.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah actually.
Speaker 3 (42:20):
Yeah, no kidding, we talked about a couple of crashes
.
That's the evolution of thesafety things.
That's why I'll tell you thefirst boat we built, the first
time we put a cockpit on, Istarted getting nervous after
seeing a few crashes.
I'm so glad Mitch didn't blowthat boat over because that
cockpit might not have lasted.
Oh really, oh yeah, not elastin.
So really, oh yeah, yeah, weonly had a one inch wall behind
it.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
you know, we didn't know at the time, yeah, you had
roll bars, you know, tubing on.
It seemed like it was wellattached.
But then then you look at whereit evolved to.
You know this carbon fiber, agrade that was super strong, you
know.
So, um, it was great to be apart of the evolution, but it
was even better to finish it offin something really safe and
(43:00):
really fast.
You know Everything that I hadto drive for that.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Yeah, do you have any regrets?
Or sleeping on the table thatyou wish you had gotten?
Speaker 2 (43:10):
Not really.
I accomplished a lot, you know,in a long period of time, but I
knew we weren't gonna probablyknow contend for a national
championship.
We just wasn't in the cards.
So everything, I'm thankful foreverything that I have right
now.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
Yeah, we just feel very lucky to be able to do it,
you know, and, like I say,survive it.
So, no, if I had no regrets, itwouldn't have changed.
Oh, maybe a crash I do believethat was part of the deal.
Pretty cool, pretty cool career.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
All right, excellent, all right, well, thank you guys
, appreciate it.
Thanks, Rob Thanks for coming onin.
That's all the time we have forthis week.
Knuckleheads, really hope youenjoyed my talk with Mark and
Mitch Evans.
Again, thank you, mark andMitch, for your time.
I want to thank you foreverything you did to make this
happen.
It was fun doing this in Chelanat the end of the hydroplane
(44:01):
season and I also want to thankonce again John Osterberg with
Puyo Point Publishing for all ofhis help.
He helped me out with a lot ofbackground information, helped
me with some questions and gotme the photos that we had for
the episodes, so I reallyappreciate your help.
You can show him some supportby picking up a copy of his book
Remember he's the author ofDragon Days when he talks about
(44:23):
growing up in the Seattle areaand how influential hydroplane
racing was to the community backin the 1950s and 60s and his
passage into that era alongsidehis favorite boat, the Miss
Bardo.
You can pick that up online,amazon, and I'll throw in a link
here on the bio so you can getdirect access to that.
We just finished out season sixof this podcast.
(44:46):
I'm going to take a short break.
I think we're going to.
I'm going to spend January torecoup, get some interviews done
and we'll hit it strong forseason seven.
Oh my gosh, hard to believewe'll be going into season seven
of this journey, but it's gotsome fun talks planned out.
I'm excited to get thoseconducted and get some more
(45:07):
interviews out to you.
Hopefully you have a great newyear, hopefully you're happy and
healthy and let's start off2025 strong.
Until the next time, I hope tosee you at the races.
Ruchetel Talk, the podcast dedicated to everything
about the sport that we all love.
Hi, dreamland Racing.
I am your host, david Newton,and it's time once again.
So sit back, relax, and this isepisode 136.
(00:50):
In today's episode we have ourconclusion, part four, and our
last portion of my interviewwith Mark and Mitch Evans.
Now I hope you've enjoyed thelast three parts as I have as
(01:11):
well.
This is probably going to bethe longest episode it's over 40
minutes long.
I thought about breaking thislast part into two more parts,
but I didn't want to drag it outanymore.
Once again, I had a greatconversation with Mark and Mitch
Evans down at Sunshine Marinaover in Chilean Washington, and
really you're going to hear themtalk about their careers in the
(01:33):
late 90s, as Mitch joined upwith Jerry Rise and talked about
the African Geronimo years.
He talks more in depth aboutbuilding that brand new boat for
Ed Cooper in 2002, and thesuccess he had with that boat.
It was such an amazing feat andaccomplishment he did in that
time of age in hydroplane racing, and Mark's going to talk more
(01:53):
about the four-seater, theirentry into the vintage class and
just what's going on aroundChelan for them.
Now I won't keep you any longer.
Let's jump in and listen tothat conclusion of my talk with
Mark and Mitch Evans.
So then you went over to theFred's with the people
sponsorship and at the same time, mitch, I believe, you hooked
up with Jerry rise and happy andGeronimo team, so you both were
(02:17):
in some some pretty good boatsat that time.
Yeah yeah, get some good heatsand good battles, yeah it was.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It was a fun time with them.
It was such a huge Change, youknow, obviously going for me,
from what, what Ed and I did foryears and years.
You know a couple bouncesaround, but yeah, and another
one of those, it was the JohnWalters calls up on that.
This boy, you know we're gonna.
It's a Fred's, a Fred boat.
There's a lot of history here.
(02:45):
I think it could be great, andthey were looking for help too
to work on it, and so it was abig change, but a fun one.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And again same thing.
You got cut up.
They had all the money in theworld.
But technology, you know,trying to bypass fuel, all the
cheating going on.
I'll just go ahead and say itAll this cheating was going on,
man yeah it was nonstop and likethe Bud guys.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I mean, we developed the dyno, you know, so we were
able to run some stuff.
But gosh, it's just that,putting that whole package
together, you have to have theengines and the gear ratios, you
know, propellers, and all of ithad to come together and you
just got to have a lot of racingAgain.
Great, great experience andgreat people to work with.
(03:30):
Yeah, that was fun.
Jerry was an interesting dude,you know, was full committed,
you know, to whatever we neededto to win and to run.
Well, he, um, he supplied thatto us.
And then, uh, basically he gotin his life an offer to sell the
company and as quick as itstarted, it ended.
(03:51):
That was the first time I'dreally been involved in anything
like that, but it was literally.
Here's your last paycheck.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Off you go.
That's why the team ended then.
Yeah, that's too bad.
I think for a long time youwere towards the top of
qualifying and there's a fastboat and I was really rooting
for you to get a victory withthat and I thought maybe a
little bit more and you're goingto get that, but it just didn't
happen.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
We needed a little bit more time and we were just
like you say.
It was really kind of allcoming together, but
unfortunately by that timeJerry's business and all that
stuff was coming to an end.
Yeah, but it was a door thatclosed and obviously then
another one with Ed that openedto build his last one.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Yeah, that was a good opportunity Before we get there
.
I'm just curious Was it hard togo from a turbocharged Allison
to a turbine?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, it's a totally different driving
experience, I guess you couldput it, because literally the
turbine thing, you're kind ofjust on the governor.
You know the piston boat,you've got to be careful with it
.
You know and the throttle andsteering and that, so it was,
and especially because at thatpoint that was the, the tubby
(05:07):
area, the second boat, you knowthat you went from one extreme
to the other and just handleddifferently and everything about
it was different.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, thing about a turbine is you're full out and
you lift the throttle, it takesa long time to slow down.
There's no compression like apiston let up, and that'll start
slowing down immediately wherea turbine doesn't and the
re-acceleration on the torque istotally different so it takes a
little bit longer to wind backup during turbines.
(05:39):
It got to the point I almostjust wanted a toggle switch for
the throttle to turn it off andthen use your wing to keep it on
the power band because yeah,yeah, like mitch said, if you
let up all the way in those,they go into a ground idler,
yeah, and then you match the gas.
It takes a few seconds to getgoing, by then they're gone so
right, right.
You can't.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
You got to stay on the throttle wild yeah, in 2002
you built the new boat I believethat was the year, yeah, and
that was that was a big project,yeah, and that was a great
project.
Yeah, it was a successful boatand, yeah, blew away some
records, got some great wins onthat, yeah, and how, how was ed
able to do that?
(06:19):
And how how did he get hookedup with budweiser?
Because I think Budweiserreally supported the project.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Well, Dale Van Weerden.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, Dale was the key to that.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Both in the design and Rick.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
yeah, it was the people again.
It was this group of peoplethat somehow we were able to put
together to do it.
And some luck and some timing,and yeah, going to Dale and
reaching out and then being ableto use the molds to build the
parts, I mean that was the hugething.
(06:54):
And Ronnie was just willing todo that, and Bernie, I mean
everybody just stepped up andsaid listen, we'd like to help
you out.
I don't think they really everdreamt it would run like it did.
Probably were thinking about itin Detroit that one day that's
the best part and it really was.
(07:14):
And we were thinking, man,because the evolution of the
other two boats was pretty long,a lot of learning, but by that
time the engine program had comea long ways and it was, it was
good, it was reliable.
I mean, that was, that was thething we always worked on,
starting and finishing every, nomatter if it was a hundred mile
(07:34):
, an hour lap or 200, it didn'treally matter.
But but so that was a classicuh, of having everything come
together?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
yeah, at the right time.
Do you feel like they're openand honest with everything, like
all the the technology andsecrets of building the boat, or
oh no, I mean they chose andand I respect that they.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
They said, okay, this is the parameter, you can use
this mold and you can build thepart however you want.
This is, and they madesuggestions along the way, but
we never knew or never couldfind out how they actually built
it.
You know, it was just you could, I could, you could.
Obviously the boat was there,you could look at it, you know,
but there, as we discoveredlater on, there's so many things
(08:15):
that went into each and everyone of those pieces.
You know it wasn't what youthought when you were seeing.
Um, there was different changes, so so, but at that point we we
knew we had to build.
We were building the boat aroundan allison, yeah something,
something nobody else had everdone and so we took, we took
what we learned from the othertwo boats, the suggestions from
(08:38):
everybody else, and literallyjust built the boat around
around the allison the gearboxyou had, um it, everything about
it was so much different thanthe turbine.
Around the Allison, the gearboxyou had.
Everything about it was so muchdifferent than the turbine just
the physical size, theplacement of the engine.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
So there was a lot of that, you know let's try this.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
And it worked out.
I mean it really did.
Would you say that was yourfavorite boat to drive?
Oh, absolutely yeah, that thingwas just when we got the right
gear combination and propellers.
The props were obviously thekey to most of all of that that
boat running well and thesuccess, but it just was a great
(09:16):
boat all the way around, justeasy to drive.
I mean, it truly was theeasiest boat.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
I'd ever driven.
Yeah yeah, it didn't take long.
I mean you were setting records.
I'm probably wrong on this, butit feels like it wasn't
probably the first year you weresetting records with it.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
The second year in particular, you know San Diego
running a 160.
Right, that was like the oldyeah, yeah.
And then you come back, youknow, and in 03, that's when it
just all started clicking,obviously from the get-go.
I mean, unfortunately, you know, the Evansville win was Dave
lost a prop at the dock, right,I mean we're literally icing it
(09:53):
out, but I knew everybody elsewas running really fast and if I
got that thing close to theinside lane it just had so much
speed that I could drivewherever I needed to, and you
know, just try to stay out oftrouble.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yeah, and hang on, yeah.
And then you, you got the, yourgold cup victory, yeah, that
year.
And just how meaningful wasthat for you it was.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
You know, after all the years, all the work, um, it
was the mrs pinnacle your career.
Yeah, it's a gold cut.
It was so long in coming that Ithought.
I don't think that this couldprobably really ever happen, but
as the weekend went on and westarted running the heats.
(10:39):
I knew this thing was reallyfast and I knew that I had a
good chance If I did my job andif the motor stayed together,
you know, and all the parts hadto stay in because Detroit, like
San Diego, was one of thosethat just, it seemed like you
were in the boat forever, youknow, you go down that front
(11:00):
straight and around and then,and then you're driving down
into this little, you know,hairpin, corner right, just
praying that everything stays onthe boat, time after time after
time.
So, yeah, and I knew afterabout the second, after getting
to the start, that first bigturn, mike was right there, you
know, made it to the bounce andand came out.
(11:20):
Basically, first, you know, Iknew day was outside, and then,
um, and then I just prayedthat'd stay together after that
and just kept going.
And that boat, that was thething that we learned, it really
got because of the fuelcapacity, I mean the thing it
was getting faster every lap.
I was losing 200 or 300 pounds.
(11:41):
Right, I mean, think of that.
I was losing 200 or 300 pounds.
I mean, think of that.
We used 150 gallons of fuel torun those five laps.
Wow.
So by the end of the day it waslighter, so it was even faster
than the first two laps.
And it was looser but it wasgetting a better ride.
(12:02):
It really felt like kind ofthat tank at first.
Second lap it was loosening.
Second lap it was just free andthat's why that fast was
handled and we had tanks inevery compartment that we could
because we were out of room.
But we had it well balanced and, as it turned out, in the right
places.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
And it just kept running better and better all
the time.
Well time, I'd say that wasdefinitely a popular Gold Cup
victory for you.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
The fans loved it and , being in Detroit, huge fan
base support.
It was just it all cametogether at the right time, so
that was awesome well,unfortunately, mark, he was in
the hospital.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Well, thrill of victory.
Yeah, I know the other side ofthings.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
You had a gnarly crash on the backstreet share
really close to the DetroitYacht Club and you got hurt
pretty bad from that right.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Yeah, well, it just was.
Actually, the end result wasmore of a bad infection in my
leg that was broke, so bad, andit got so infected, you know,
and from uh staff and the mercerand whatever else there was.
They darn near chopped it offat one point because it was
getting pretty bad.
Yeah, that was nuts.
So, yeah, a few neck crack andribs and elbow and all sorts of
(13:18):
stuff.
It was a wadded up thing, buthey, it was the way it was.
We were fast, I, I felt we hada really good shot at it.
And there there's a example ofum.
To this day, scott rainey, mycrew chief, and brad haskins are
so upset I didn't need to winthat heat.
You know, I kind of messedaround on the start.
I was trying to mess with theseguys and so I could have just
(13:39):
finished the heat where I was atand still made the final see.
But ah, we to go for it andScott was even going go, go, go.
Steve David said he looked outhis window and he saw me upside
down.
And Steve said when it blewover it turned to the right.
He felt when I hit it floppedagain because my that hole in
the back of my helmet, hit thisbolt this way up there.
(14:00):
And these guys, the manage,everybody kept my helmet and
they got in the boat and theytried to.
You know the body stretch wasincredible.
So that's way up there.
And these guys, the medics,everybody kept my helmet and
they got in the boat and theytried to.
You know the body stretch wasincredible.
So that's what cracked thevertebrae there.
Yeah, just multiple injuries,but it was that bad infection,
you know, from the hospitalstuff and taking all the rods
and crap back out.
You know that's what the bad.
(14:22):
It was interesting, it was notsilly, but I'll never forget.
My wife at the time says hey,mitch and Rick are coming to the
hospital.
Mitch would call me, you know,said that he won.
I said are you kidding me?
This is great.
But then they said Mitch andRick, or Johnny Walker was
coming to the hospital.
And I laughed.
I go no, they don't likehospitals, they both get sick in
(14:44):
a hospital, anyway.
So I had a little bit of tunnelvision.
I'll never forget.
They go, mark, mitch and Johnnyare here.
And I looked over and my tunnelvision went like this and then
I focused in on they both hadthis fake grin.
Hi, I started laughing.
Good seeing you guys get lostwhere you grow up, in here, yeah
.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I want to lose.
Oh, I grew up in here, detroitgeneral.
I want to lose.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Anyway, I had some experience.
You go through that, you knowpart of the deal?
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Did those injuries last long?
Was it hard for you to get backin Like?
Did you downplay those injuriesto get back in the boat?
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, the next year I jumped in
just to try it at Detroit.
I got something.
Yeah, I shouldn't have done it.
I just to try it at Detroit, Igot something.
Yeah, I shouldn't have done it.
And I was still pretty hurt.
It took about 18 months to getover it.
Just my body was the infection.
I just fucked it all through mybody and then, not being as
active, you know, the leg wasjust bad man, and then some of
(15:37):
the other back injuries and soon, just was.
You can't, when you get atrophyand you're not active, it just
slows you down, it takes a whileHead spinning and so on.
So, yeah, it was a trip.
So, yeah, it took about.
Yeah, I got in five years later.
So, yeah, that goes.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Yeah, but you had a big win in Tri-Cities with Lumar
.
Yeah, yes, in Booster.
I remember sitting on the beachand watching it and at that
time it was a dynamical-lookingboat, the Budweiser.
You came out of that turn andthe glare was so bad in that
corner, everyone on the beachthought it was the Budweiser.
Oh, I see, but then you'recoming down and they realize it
(16:18):
was Lumar and it was a big cheer.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Well, you know, ironically that was parts and
pieces from the two-winged bud.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Right, so it was a Bud.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Ironically, that was parts and pieces from the
two-winged bud.
Right yeah, so that's what'sironic.
Well, again, Mitch was outsideme, man, and he was honking on.
I did one of the most dangerousthings ever is.
I went into that turn and Ijust gave her full wing down
when I turned because I was out.
You know wing four and you'rein five.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, I was all the way up there.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
I just decided I did not want to hit those waves that
hard and give me some momentumand so I floated around that
turn and it held on and thenreally that spit me up the exit
of the turn and we had some goodspeed going up the backstreet,
although I could hear and feelhis boat rumbling.
I could feel it coming up.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
I was touching it hard.
I think the boat was just as upI was touching it hard.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
I was like this is going to be my only shot the
boat was just as scared as I was.
And then of course Troxel was onmy inside and he got hosed and
that kind of brushed mid-job.
So anyway, it just worked outreally good.
It was a great throw for Billand all of us.
Yeah, that was fun.
That was not to get into thisfull detail, but man, the race
(17:28):
before the boat, just wecouldn't get it right.
And at Tri-Cities Scott Raineycut off the trailing edge, I
think only a half an inch or aninch, not much, but it made all
the difference in the world.
It was just incredible thatsmall of an adjustment and the
boat just was a total goodhandling boat.
(17:49):
But it did hurt two otherdrivers after me too.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
So so Mitch told me his favorite boat.
What was your favorite boat todrive?
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Well, the Bud was fun and a very good boat to drive.
I had a good time in theAmerican Spirit.
But I'll say that one year in95, when we were at Campbell on
the boat and it was the rockboat and we were just messing
around having a good year wecould drive the thing wherever
we wanted, just ran the heck outof it.
(18:23):
We just had a blast that oldrock boat in the fridge.
It was pretty fun.
I had a real good time withthat.
No stress, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
You had some big sponsors then.
I think Waffle House was asponsor, yeah, and Phoenix, yeah
, phoenix.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Yeah, that was it, you know.
Yeah, and again I've got tothank Steve.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Lampson, for you know , coming up with all this stuff.
He was our guy trying to keepus on keep us going.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
So you know Waffle House.
We were in Firebird down inPhoenix and the guy goes hey,
would you take a waffle with youso I can have the world's
fastest waffle.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And I get a kick out of that I go.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You take a waffle with you so I can have the
world's fastest waffle and I geta kick out of that, I go well,
it's not a problem, but I go,you might want to cook that a
little extra, because I think bythe time we get back it'll be
all squished into the corner ofthe box.
So um uh, ironically, I threwit in the back of the seat so
that I could do something withit.
I don't know what and I blew thebroke down, blew the gearbox,
(19:25):
so as we're getting towed infront of the grandstands, you're
so close there someone screamed, hey, you should have had
another waffle.
That was my cue.
I went, got the cockpit open itup, had the box.
I showed the whole crowd, Ipulled it out, took a big old
bite of it.
Well, guess what?
It was dry as could be.
I got cotton mouth.
I oh I about gag and I'mlooking at that brackish water.
(19:47):
I was going to take a scoop ofit.
But there's no way.
Oh man, I'm about choked onthat waffle from Waffle House.
But they got good advertisement.
We gave it back to the guy withthe big old bite out of it.
He thought that was the coolestthing ever.
I had two like that.
We didn't even win the race andthat guy was so happy with that
damn box.
You know, we all signed it andstuff it's hanging in the waffle
house.
(20:07):
Well, the other one.
We got hooters one time down inmiami yeah well, we did
terrible because of thesaltwater.
Best thing that could everhappen is I hit the buoy and
they gave us the orange buoy.
So champ, one of the owners ofhooters, just loved that.
We all signed that, so that'shanging on the wall so you know
sometimes you don't have to winyou know, oh man, funny, funny.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Well, I want to go back to that what if file,
because a birdie told me aboutpossible straightaway record
event that you wanted to havehere in lake chelan oh yeah, 20
plus years ago, but it's neverhappened.
What happened?
Why not Well?
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Johnny was promoting that, I just think I can't
remember.
I think a lot of people wereworried about driftwood weather,
so on and so forth.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
It was scheduling, it was trying to get it at a time
when we weren't racing and therejust seemed to be a lot going
on.
And then insurance right popsup.
It's just a whole differentthing where you're not putting
on a circle event right, it'skind of a special event.
So it's very, it's veryexpensive too.
I mean, you're you're nothaving these huge crowds to kind
(21:23):
of help pay the bill.
And there were just a lot ofthings we hadn't really thought
about until you start goingthrough the process of trying to
put an event on um and, like Isaid, it was really just
conflicted with the other racingwe were doing at the time.
We just couldn't ever come upwith a uh a time.
And then, and then even at thatpoint you know we're starting
this m&m thing, we're doing thislittle thing late in the year,
(21:45):
and then the inboard racing camealong, right with Chelan and
Manson and all around us, and wejust basically ran out of time.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Was that intended for Unlimited to do?
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Wanted to crack 200.
Because we'd been going over200 in the turbines when we were
running.
So I kept telling Jim gosh, letme go out and go 205 you know,
whatever you know, just get therecord.
I know your dad and I buttedheads about Russ Wicks and that
old thing.
I did not like that deal at all.
I was against that all the way,unless they would let a bunch
(22:20):
of press ups come in, like theold rules said, right did you
have a?
Speaker 1 (22:26):
were you trying to get a team out there?
Because?
I think you were with elam.
Uh, yeah, yeah, were you tryingto get you?
Yeah, oh, eric said he wouldput it together.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Yeah, I'll go.
Yeah, I said good, and then Iwanted to bring the four-seater.
We just finished it up, yeahand it was well balanced.
That four-seater ended up being, uh, about 6850.
I mean, we're right in theballpark, everything.
I would have just taken all theseats out, and I was going to
take that too if Elstromwouldn't have.
And then, plus, there's theguy's bud.
Who else?
I mean, that was supposed to bethe deal.
One guy wants to do it, butanyway, that's the way that goes
(22:58):
.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
You should have had it, so the free-eye went, first
got the record, then you got therecord.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah Bumped it up.
Yeah, yeah, that's kind of whatwe were thinking, you know,
because we were all kind ofgoing free high.
Well, nothing against RickGamble and those guys you know,
and your dad and all, but anyway, I'll let that opportunity come
to that.
I don't know why it was such athorn in my side and I even told
Russ Wicks I go okay, goofball,you come out of who knows what.
(23:22):
You said.
You did go-karts.
What the hell did you race yourmotorcycle and you're gonna
come in and take our.
You took our record, you knowhere's all us other guys you
know that have been in the sportfor years.
I for some reason that kind ofgot me.
He laughed, he called me up andsaid well, if it wasn't for you
I wouldn't have got the record.
I said, don't say that to me, Ilike, I like to rip him about
it.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
You's all kind of fun that boat was not a good boat.
That was, one side weighed 600pounds more than the other.
Rick Campbell laid it up byhand.
It wasn't bagged.
I remember Ken got Jim Lucerodown at Seafair and was looking
(24:04):
at it.
Ken finally asked him what youknow, trying to look at it and
all that.
And Ken finally asked him well,what would you do with a boat?
And Jim said I would take itback to the shop.
And it was Saturday at Seafarerand they were like we're not
doing that.
Yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
That's funny.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Thanks, but no, yeah, yeah and that was our other
worry.
A new guy comes in, blows aboat up, gets killed or
something.
He's going to come on and let'sdo it.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
A lot of things could have happened.
You mentioned your four-seaterthat you had.
That was a crazy concept andcool project.
You had a turbine first offBecause that was Mitch's boat he
drove.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
That was the flip and win boat.
That was the flip and win boat.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
So that's why the paint scheme had the lines of
the Geronimo, but we did whiteand blue and red.
That was kind of a combinationof the two of us Now, after we
did the Fendler thing and it wassuch a hit you know giving
rides I wanted to do another onebecause Tom had crashed that
(25:04):
and destroyed it in Tri-C, intri-cities.
So I got to looking at thisthing and through the years
we've been moving the turbineengine back and the gearbox so
far that there was all this roomback there in the computer
department.
I called it and so when Icommitted to it and we bought it
from jerry, jerry rice gave mea heck of a deal on it, by the
way, and I mean way cheap, so wecouldn't pass it up.
But when we started cuttinginto it and Marky and the rest
(25:27):
of them and Greg Fogle, they gowow, there is a lot of room.
You don't realize until youstart opening it up and then
weight and balance, it was just,it was fun.
I had an insurance company thatwas going to back me and that
fell through, but that's the wayit goes.
We got it in the water and weran.
After I got busted up, a lot ofpeople had been sending me money
(25:49):
and I hadn't sent it back,except for three guys.
Those three guys gosh, I hopethey're still around.
They refused to take theirmoney back.
They wanted their ride.
You've got to take these guysfor a ride, so he did.
They were laughing their earsoff.
It went pretty good.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
How fast did you get up to for the ride?
Speaker 2 (26:10):
We ran pretty close to 150.
Yeah, because it needed to havesome speed.
It was the slower you know,like the first time.
Who was it?
I think Dr Ken.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I took and Scott Pierce, right Pierce and Marky.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
So we kind of for the first trial.
Aaron went out and I'm like, ohboy, this has got a lot of
weight on the steering wheelhere.
You know, as you just keepstepping it up, you know it felt
(26:43):
safe and could go around,because I figured we were going
to be running it that way forsome time.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Yeah, don Maka, there's a video out there,
there's some good air under it,you know especially when he took
those other three guys too.
Yeah, that was the first timewe ever got running.
And then finally they refusedto let me sell any rags.
So then the next year we got torun it at Tri-Cities and take
the journalists and stuff, andthey didn't want us going over
(27:09):
150.
In fact, what was the insuranceguy for APBA for years?
Rick Feltz?
Yeah, italian guy, about fiveminutes for him getting in the
boat to take these guys for aride.
Um, gal come up, says hey, theinsurance guy wants to talk to
you.
I go five minutes for himgetting in the boat.
Don't tell me you're cancelingthis thing.
(27:30):
Well, he's Italian.
He goes hey, this is Rick.
I just want to know which legdid you break when you crashed
your boat?
I go what are you asking methat for?
I mean, I'm just he goes, justtell me what leg.
And I said I broke my right leg.
He goes okay, I'm going tobreak your left leg if you go
over.
I'll never forget this.
I'm getting a full Italian job.
(27:56):
It was great man.
Okay, dude.
So I called him up.
I said I think six journalistsout, that was it.
Yeah, the big room, yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
So was it insurance that killed that for you then?
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Yeah, yep, they wouldn't let me sell rags, you
can't.
Just similar to what thevintage guys are going through
now.
They've got to be APBA members,members, and you're gonna have
a driver's school.
If I would have got a sponsorand gone to the races just given
the right, that'd been allright, but I needed to sell the
(28:27):
rights to make the money, and soit's catch 22.
So, yeah, the company hadfolded and the guide went away
and I just couldn't afford it.
So and then, as time went on, Isold all the turbine stuff and
then got the other crazy ideajust to put the outboards on and
make a pleasure boat out of it,which I did.
I got it all certified, butagain, the insurance to sell
(28:50):
rides just even that was $20,000for the summer.
And they said it was a reallyeasy payment plan.
Just one payment up front.
Yeah, so yeah.
And then locations we're not.
Yeah, I based it right off ofhere, off the seaplanes office
(29:10):
and the insurance, that theowners needed gaps of insurance.
Pretty much did it.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Golly, I always thought that would be just a
great promotional tool if youcould have somehow tied it with
H1 and gone to the races.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Oh, at the time every race site said we've got you a
spot, roll out the red carpetplease.
And they all would go.
I want to go first.
Everybody I talked to okay, youcan do it, but I want to go
first.
I could have made a fortune.
At the time we even figured outhow many rides to do at each
race site and coordinated theseguys and we could have raked in
a million bucks 980 000, I think, is what, the, what the income
(29:47):
would have been, what, the, howmuch it would have cost.
I'm not sure you know.
We'd have made some money offof it plus paid expenses and
thrilled the heck out of people,possibly got another sponsor or
helped the existing sponsor,because what I want to do I
didn't.
I didn't want to be the driverall the time.
Some people would want to gowith steve david or dan millwook
or somebody else.
So that sure, yeah, I mean, youknow whatever, that's what I
(30:09):
said.
But then then I had one guycall up and says, why aren't you
gonna have any other driver?
And I said, sure he goes, Iwant to ride with jack berry man
yeah, too bad.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Well, where is that boat now?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
uh well, I can say it now it's in indiana, ted
porters okay yeah, he.
Uh, it's been 20, over 20 years, 22 years since we did it and
it needs a paint job andupholstery and new engines.
So yeah, ted is going to workon it this year at the factory
there at Formula and see if theycan recondition it and bring it
(30:50):
out next year.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
As a pleasure boat to give rides Correct, just the
simple thing.
Without boards, nothing, notrace, not turbine.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
So again, because he found out, so you know I can
give rides, you know I did Iparked it right out here for a
couple of summers.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
And just jumped in and cruised around.
It was fun.
It floated out here for fivemonths.
That was the longest I everleft in the water.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Turned on a bilge pump once in a while.
Man foot down, that was thelongest I ever left in the water
.
Well, you even took it aroundour model course one year.
Yeah, that's right, you took itdown there.
I just keep looking at Mitch'sshirt here.
That beautiful red boat, yeahman and it's not racing right
now and you've got a motor overthere.
How easy would that motor dropdown in that?
Speaker 3 (31:38):
boat.
Oh, one of Mitch's Allison's,you mean no, the blower motor
you never know, you just have totry it.
Yeah, absolutely it's in theretirement mode, hopefully
somebody will pick it up and go.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
We talked about that, or is that going to come out
for Eminem here next week?
Yeah, how do you just walk away.
We talk about that, or is thathe comes, or is that going to
come out for?
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Eminem here next week yeah, and you know you always
ask how do you?
How do you just walk away, howdo you just?
Speaker 2 (32:05):
quit driving one day you just say this is it right,
I'm coming home, I got to go towork and anyway.
So he, of course he made thedecision this year himself.
But when we talk about it, Ihope somebody would pick it up
and continue on, because of thetechnology, to where it is, even
the boat's 20 years old, right,right.
(32:26):
But if someone would take theAllison thing and go to that
next level.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Wait a minute.
You're right, david, forget theAllison.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Not modern, it could be anautomobile.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
There you go.
That's what I'm saying.
I'm going to start leaning onit.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Thank you very much.
You're right, it would beperfect.
It would be a great platformold buddy.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
I think your brother knows him pretty well yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Ed knows me.
Yeah, that's the best of thestory.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
He'll just go oh, what now?
Speaker 1 (33:07):
um?
Has he had any serious offerson the boat he's?
Speaker 2 (33:09):
had some tire kickers , nothing real serious, yet you
know, same old deal he couldsell.
Puller, the tractor, trailer.
You know engine parts.
Oh, did the tractor pullers?
Yeah, that's right, he just andthe truck.
You know engine parts.
Oh, did the tractor pullers?
Yeah, and the truck.
You know it was a great truckand good for whatever.
But he's holding on.
He's going to keep it as apackage at this point for the
sport Yep, and see what that'sgood, see if somebody will bring
(33:30):
it out again, yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Well, I mean, you talk about being out of the
sport, though, and stop racing,but you're still in the sport.
You've got a vintage boat thatyou're messing around with, so I
don't think you ever trulystopped driving, right.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
No, no, you just kind of take hiatuses.
Sometimes they're just periodsof time in life, and that was
exactly me.
I had the opportunity to buy apiece of property and open up my
business and go back at it andI just thank God I did because
it was really the right decision.
But no, now to be able to comeback and do the vintage thing
has just been a blast.
So it keeps you involved andthen you can re-involve
(34:09):
everybody else you know and keepgoing.
So we're so lucky, obviously,to live here and be able to take
advantage of the lake and gofor a ride, take some rides, so
it was the perfect way to end.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
But I've got to tell you how this started, though.
I've been bugging Will Muncyfor years.
I just wanted an Allison enginestock, that I could have an
engine stand, just start it up.
I didn't have the money or timeto put it into a boat, I just
wanted to do this.
So he called me up one day andsays come on over, man Dick, do
this stuff, I'll make you a heckof a deal.
Did some trading.
So I wish I would have had aGoPro camera up my head, because
(34:45):
you know the story's aboutWill's place and you know just
stuff everywhere and beenthrough a few floods, so he was
really great.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Was it like Great American Pickers, oh man big
time.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
I didn't even know where to turn next.
So I'm grabbing pistons androds and we found a block.
And he goes how about thisblower?
How about this carburetor?
I don't know.
So I'm filling up a trailerfull of stuff and so I'm driving
over the pass thinking what inthe heck am I doing here?
Oh, my gosh, to put an Allisontogether.
So I pulled into the shop.
Mitch was standing there.
He walked up and looked in thattrailer and when he looked up I
(35:24):
could see the look in his eyes.
I go, man bro, I tell you whatI'll make you deal on this
allison stuff here right now.
How about that?
So mitch is the engine builderguy.
You can.
Then we got some uh manuals.
Oh boy, yeah, then, ed cooper,you know mitch has been involved
with him so long.
Then, ironically, uh mitch anduh johnny were messing with that
hawaii kite boat and and Johnnyhad me tear it apart to rebuild
it, and that all kind ofstopped for a while and then one
(35:46):
day Mitch goes hey, let's getthat thing back, turn it into
the Breathless and put theengine in.
That's how that all kind ofstarted many years ago.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
I think it was when we started.
Yeah, that when?
When did you first run it?
So?
Speaker 2 (36:04):
I'd see 18 would have been, because then when I went
to detroit, um, when we the yearbefore actually, so 17, well,
let's see back at 16 actuallybecause, um, we ran it here.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
That just popped up in the memory.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Yeah, as the Breathless, because that was
obviously what it was, so Icalled it the Breathless 3.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Oh yeah, because Chris Dinslow, my four-seater,
we chased you around, we cameabout.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
That's right, it was here, definitely.
And then the following year metthe Gordon family, the
grandkids, you know, of course Iknew Rick in particular working
with the Geronimo thing, and hereally helped us with the, the
gearboxes and trying to, youknow, update it to the Fairlane
(36:51):
type specs and so, anyway, thenthey said, hey, would you ever
think about bringing that oldboat out here?
You know, we heard my granddadowned it, you know, and ran it
as the blue chip in the what, 65, 67, whatever.
I said, man, yeah, I'd love tocome back to Detroit.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
I hadn't obviously been there since the time, the
day I left, basically, and yeah,so I got to go out make some
laps and then, of course, beendoing the the dry cities thing,
yeah, and here ever since.
Yeah, okay, you ever thoughtabout putting a fake?
Uh, like what was it?
(37:28):
Mahogany deck, was it?
Was it a birch?
Speaker 2 (37:28):
yeah, yeah, about putting like a fake.
So the boat is obviously basedwhite and then we put the blue
chip wrap and stuff on it.
Man, one day you could makethis thing look like anything,
right I?
mean, just roll it, roll it out,yeah, and and yeah so, uh, so I
I just I've left the blue chipthing on there.
The family still sponsor me tothis day.
They, they help out financially, so I just kind of left it
(37:49):
alone.
But at some point um, when theday comes it'd be great to you
had to take it back to itsoriginal look and and uh, run it
one more time, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
So it's cool now what they can do with wraps.
Oh my gosh.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Absolutely.
You could literally roll thatout in one day and put your
numbers on there and you couldmake it look just like the day
it came to Seattle in 57.
Speaker 3 (38:13):
I recently saw a big, beautiful, brand new offshore
boat, but the wrap is like oldplanks, know, like old plank
boat.
So you look at it, it's aswoopy offshore boat, but it
looks like it's all wood, it's awrap, pretty cool the gp boat.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
It's that plate rivets.
You know, it looks like, yeah,armored.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Oh, yeah, yeah, the trust company boat yeah, my
son's like wow, yeah, that'scool, yeah, so when you got a
vintage boat mark, oh, I'veactually got a couple in the
backyard.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
I got my little two and a quarter red wolf that I
used to race years ago in the80s.
Jimmy labrie helped me.
Uh holes done and I finishedthe trailer.
My engine program is reallyslow and then I do have what we
call the bat boat.
That's not occurred in mybackyard that's right, that's
right.
I need to pull the wood off ofthat.
See, see if it's any good.
So I've got a few projects.
I also have a 1957, what's itcalled?
(39:05):
Barracuda and that was built byDan Arena the guys that started
the arena gearboxes for theAllisons.
They built these pleasure boatsfor a while, and so Dan Arena's
son came up here a few yearsago.
I saw him down in Sacramentoyears ago.
He thinks it's either numberone or number two.
(39:26):
It's early, early, so it'ssitting out there, but it's a
mess.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
It needs a full rebuild.
It's kind of a runabout typeboat, but it's got these little
wings on the back.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
It's pretty crazy, so I've got three projects.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
Just a couple.
Yeah Well, it was a number ofyears ago, mark.
You had a book that you workedwith Dave Williams.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
Dancing with the Devil Dancing with.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Disaster.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Or Dancing with Disaster.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
That was a fun read.
A lot of crazy stories in there.
I feel like you didn't shareall of them.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
No, Well, at that time it cost a lot to put a book
out and David Williams and hispublisher kind of.
I wasn't into autobiography, Ijust wanted new stories.
But they kind of turned it intothat and, yeah, david still got
a bunch of them stories that wejust couldn't put in.
We had to narrow it down.
(40:22):
It became very short stories.
I'd like to elaborate on itsomeday.
We'll see what goes.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Was there any stories you want to elaborate right now
?
Speaker 3 (40:29):
No, those are the other stories we couldn't put in
.
Yeah, it was pretty fun, thoughI had some calls from a few
drivers and ex-wife that said,don't tell this story, don't
tell that story.
So that was kind of fun, but no, all in all it was a kick, and
(40:50):
there's a few of them that Icould elaborate on even more, so
maybe someday Great to readsomething like that and do the
tips down memory lane.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
I didn't get a lot like you were to be raised to
live here you know, enjoy thearea.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
What was really enjoyable is getting uh calls
from some people going well, Ididn't live there, I didn't grow
up like you guys, but it madethem think about their childhood
and some like goofy things theyhad, you know, like throwing
rocks at beehives.
You probably shouldn't do thatsomeone's Mitch's version coming
out.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Yeah, yeah, it'll just be the rest of the story.
At some point we'll have tomaybe revisit that.
And I can include I livevicariously through him.
Everything that happened I waspretty close by.
It was as much my story as hisand the family's and everybody
else but no, we appreciate youcoming in.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
Yeah, a lot of questions, yeah yeah, I
appreciate it stories?
Speaker 1 (41:48):
yeah, for sure yeah, well, I appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
It's been fun sitting here with you and recalling
some great years of racing andliving and, uh, I look forward
to what you have to give us nextsure we're very blessed, I mean
, uh, seeing mark tate there attri-cities this year and we both
said, man, we, we raced kind ofin the heyday and we had the
money and wow, the big sponsorsyou know, and gosh, we're so
(42:13):
thankful and blessed and we sureappreciated it and you're still
here to recall it.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah actually.
Speaker 3 (42:20):
Yeah, no kidding, we talked about a couple of crashes
.
That's the evolution of thesafety things.
That's why I'll tell you thefirst boat we built, the first
time we put a cockpit on, Istarted getting nervous after
seeing a few crashes.
I'm so glad Mitch didn't blowthat boat over because that
cockpit might not have lasted.
Oh really, oh yeah, not elastin.
So really, oh yeah, yeah, weonly had a one inch wall behind
it.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
you know, we didn't know at the time, yeah, you had
roll bars, you know, tubing on.
It seemed like it was wellattached.
But then then you look at whereit evolved to.
You know this carbon fiber, agrade that was super strong, you
know.
So, um, it was great to be apart of the evolution, but it
was even better to finish it offin something really safe and
(43:00):
really fast.
You know Everything that I hadto drive for that.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Yeah, do you have any regrets?
Or sleeping on the table thatyou wish you had gotten?
Speaker 2 (43:10):
Not really.
I accomplished a lot, you know,in a long period of time, but I
knew we weren't gonna probablyknow contend for a national
championship.
We just wasn't in the cards.
So everything, I'm thankful foreverything that I have right
now.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
Yeah, we just feel very lucky to be able to do it,
you know, and, like I say,survive it.
So, no, if I had no regrets, itwouldn't have changed.
Oh, maybe a crash I do believethat was part of the deal.
Pretty cool, pretty cool career.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
All right, excellent, all right, well, thank you guys
, appreciate it.
Thanks, Rob Thanks for coming onin.
That's all the time we have forthis week.
Knuckleheads, really hope youenjoyed my talk with Mark and
Mitch Evans.
Again, thank you, mark andMitch, for your time.
I want to thank you foreverything you did to make this
happen.
It was fun doing this in Chelanat the end of the hydroplane
(44:01):
season and I also want to thankonce again John Osterberg with
Puyo Point Publishing for all ofhis help.
He helped me out with a lot ofbackground information, helped
me with some questions and gotme the photos that we had for
the episodes, so I reallyappreciate your help.
You can show him some supportby picking up a copy of his book
Remember he's the author ofDragon Days when he talks about
(44:23):
growing up in the Seattle areaand how influential hydroplane
racing was to the community backin the 1950s and 60s and his
passage into that era alongsidehis favorite boat, the Miss
Bardo.
You can pick that up online,amazon, and I'll throw in a link
here on the bio so you can getdirect access to that.
We just finished out season sixof this podcast.
(44:46):
I'm going to take a short break.
I think we're going to.
I'm going to spend January torecoup, get some interviews done
and we'll hit it strong forseason seven.
Oh my gosh, hard to believewe'll be going into season seven
of this journey, but it's gotsome fun talks planned out.
I'm excited to get thoseconducted and get some more
(45:07):
interviews out to you.
Hopefully you have a great newyear, hopefully you're happy and
healthy and let's start off2025 strong.
Until the next time, I hope tosee you at the races.
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