Like does anybody remember last September?
Yeah, it feels like a really, really long time
ago when I tuned in for Heat 5 of the Bill Muncey Cup from Bayfair in San Diego
via H1 Unlimited’s Hideous Youtube channel Wayback’ on September 14th! As I
still don’t understand why I need to jack up the volume an excruciating 46-48
levels! Just in order to be able to hear Brad Luce and Tanner Foust, Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot!
Came into the broadcast when Luce was
pontificating over Ray Fageol, grandson of the legendous’ Lou Fageol. And
everything Ray had done for Bayfair and San Diego regarding Unlimited
Hydroplane racing. And “With a little Help from some Friends”, i.e.; the Fageol
Family and Fran Muncey, widow of Mr. Hydroplane Bill Muncey. Ray’s ashes were
riding along with Dave Villwock aboard the U-27 Miss Apollo. With Luce saying
it wasn’t planned, but there goes Villwock as the whoosh of a turbine filled my
speakers, Whoosh!
While they were killing time for the apparent
winner of Heat 4, Villwock to be confirmed. They ran a piece about how the U-11
Flav-R-Pac out of Cle Elem, WA has the youngest crew in the pits. With five
30-somethings working on the boat. As co-owner Sharon Reiny noted their
youngest member was only 21 and had been with them since age 11!
As they were busy the entire weekend in Mission
Bay. With Luce and Foust making jokes about diving deep in the trailer when
pulling out their fourth Lycoming T-55 Chinook Helicopter turbine for the final
heat…
Yet it wasn’t to be for Villwock, who was
handed a one minute penalty for encroachment upon J. Michael Kelly in the U-8
Beacon Z. As Kelly had backed out during the race in order to keep from
ingesting Salt water, which apparently does grave damage to the turbines. With
Kelly electing to save His equipment for the finals.
Tuning in early for the final Heat, the Bill
Muncey Cup. Luce eulogized Ron Snyder, who passed away that afternoon at age
86. As Snyder drove for many, including the late Bernie Little aboard the Miss
Budweiser.
Once again had to jack up the volume, come on
guys, this is so Mickey Mouse! And even though only four boats were competing
it was indeed a Barn Burner! As Brad Luce called a Whale’ of a boat race, in
His usual exuberant style…
After the four boats played Hide ‘n Seek during
the five minutes milling period to the 1:15 minute score-up. Luce mentioned how
He hoped Jamie Nilsen had brought His fishing line with Him since the U-11 was
practically dead stop floating at the top of the course. With Foust cracking up
over this quip!
3-2-1 looks like a clean start! With three
boats side-by-side. With J. Michael Kelly in the U-8 Beacon Electric in lane
two, and the two Bruce Ratchford (BWR Racing) Hydros of Dave Villwock’s U-27
Miss Apollo in lane three. And Andrew Tate’s U-91 Goodwin Real Estate on the
outside in lane four.
As the boats accelerated down the backstraight,
believe Villwock lifted, albeit later Tanner Foust would claim He’d heard a
compressor stall, turning it into a two boat battle royale for the bill Muncey
cup.
Although Tate, the newly crowned 2025 APBA
National High Points champion was having to take the longer outside route, with
Kelly having boat speed, the two played leapfrog for the lead over the
remaining four laps. With Kelly having a two and-a-half boat lead on lap two.
Then Tate flexed the U-91’s muscles and led on lap three.
Then Kelly led by a slim one and-a-half boat
lengths on lap four. While it appeared Tate was pulling away down the
backstretch, with Foust saying both drivers were flying their boats!
Then Luce emphatically shouted that Kely had
taken the lead at the north’s top end corner and would hold on to beat Tate by
a very slim margin. Before an exhausted Luce said He was going to sit down!
Claiming that was worth the trip, the whole
weekend, the whole season. With Foust saying He’d never witnessed a closer boat
race…
As have to say it totally reminded me of my
All-time favourite race on Lake Washington. Which unfortunately today, some
fifty-plus years later, I still haven’t been able to decide which year it was
between 1973-1975 when the Miss Budweiser and Pride of Pay n’ Pak went
deck-to-deck for all five laps with the dreaded Pak winning by 100 yards…
But Hey, that was some friggin’ eight and one
half Gory months ago! And how many people remember it or watched the race?
BWR Racing: Bruce Ratchford’s bold vision for Hydroplane’s future
