Evansville Thunder... Since 1938

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

"Ideal Evansville" replaced Owensboro, Kentucky, on the Unlimited hydroplane calendar in 1979. Evansville, Indiana, was the world headquarters of Atlas Van Lines, Inc., which sponsored Bill Muncey's race team. Muncey played a major role in Evansville being awarded its first sanction.

"Thunder On The Ohio" has been an Unlimited mainstay for 27 consecutive years.

The 725 Cubic Inch Class boats, the forerunners of the modern Unlimited hydros, raced at Evansville in 1938-39-40.

1938 - HERMES III

Future MISS MADISON driver (in 1961-62) Marion Cooper piloted HERMES III to victory in both heats of Evansville's first-ever Thunderboat race, sponsored by the local Jaycees.

HERMES III was a step hydroplane, powered by a 1914 vintage Hispano-Suiza ("Hisso") aircraft engine. Cooper and riding mechanic George Davis posted heat speeds of 54.545 and 49.328 miles per hour.

Davis went on to drive the famed IT'S A WONDER in the 1950s.

The starting field in 1938 included the likes of Chuck Wilkinson in PIN BRAIN II, W.E. McGregor in WHO CARES, Bill Cantrell in WHY WORRY, and Ray Vetter in WARNIE.

The pit area was the exact same as the one used for "Thunder On The Ohio" since 1979.

1939 - WHY WORRY

Racing legend "Wild Bill" Cantrell claimed the top prize--the Seagram Trophy--in 1939 with WHY WORRY, a non-propriding three-point hydroplane. WHY WORRY was a product of the famed Ventnor Boat Works of Ventnor, New Jersey, the firm that popularized and patented the three-point design (two sponsons and a propeller) in the late 1930s.

WHY WORRY was originally a 225 Cubic Inch Class hull, beefed up to handle the 719 cubic inch "Hisso" engine.

The V-8 power plant cost Cantrell $175. When he discovered that the type of pistons that he needed would cost $700, he did the work himself at a cost of $3.50 per piston.

WHY WORRY's fastest heat was 62.284 miles per hour.

John Brown, driving KING STATEN, finished second in 1939, followed by Marion Cooper in MERCURY, George Davis in HERMES IV, Chuck Wilkinson in PIN BRAIN IV, and Bill Mennen in WHO CARES.

1940 - MERCURY

Marion Cooper was back in the winner's circle in 1940 at Evansville with MERCURY, a home-built non-propriding three-pointer with a "Hisso" engine.

The 1939 winner, Bill Cantrell , drove a new WHY WORRY to second-place and gave Cooper a battle before flipping in Heat Two.

Third-place KING STATEN, driven by John Brown, was a rear-engine step hydroplane without sponsons with the cockpit located amidships.

In retrospect, MERCURY was ahead of its time in terms of riding characteristics, although no one was aware of that then. The boat would tend to "walk" on its sponson tips and kept wanting to "propride."

During an era when all boats were stern-draggers and had propellers that were completely submerged, this was unheard of. So, in deference to popular practice, the MERCURY crew incorrectly shifted the weight toward the stern rather than toward the bow.

This slowed the craft down somewhat for driver Cooper and riding mechanic Charlie Schott by keeping the back end down, because no one knew much about such a radical concept as a semi-submerged propeller.

If they had moved the weight forward, MERCURY--not SLO-MO-SHUN IV--might have gone on to become the first successful three-point proprider in the Gold Cup/Unlimited category. And this was ten years before SLO MO ever wet a sponson!

With the onset of World War II and gasoline rationing, competition at Evansville and most other venues was suspended. Not for 39 years did Thunderboat racing return to Evansville.

1979 - ATLAS VAN LINES

When Owensboro, Kentucky, failed to exercise its option of continuing its Unlimited series after 1978, Evansville's Freedom Festival committee was the first in line to take Owensboro's place.

Bill Muncey, the all-time winningest Unlimited hydroplane driver, was really on a role in 1979 with his famed ATLAS VAN LINES "Blue Blaster", powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin. His victory in the first annual "Thunder On The Ohio" was one of seven consecutive race wins scored by Muncey en route to that year's National High Point Championship.

Steve Reynolds, a promising rookie, finished second with the casino-sponsored MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS. Steve would go on to take second-place at Evansville five times between 1979 and 1987 but never achieved the winner's circle.

Jack Schafer, Jr., driving MYRNA KAY, finished third, followed by Bob Maschmedt in DR. TOYOTA and Jon Peddie in MISS BUDWEISER. (The latter was the 1966 vintage MY GYPSY, co-owned by Bill Cantrell and Graham Heath, reactivated as a stand-in for the "real" MISS BUDWEISER, which was under construction and not ready in time to race at Evansville.)

The best heat of the day at Evansville in 1979 was preliminary Heat Two. MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS led out of the first turn and throughout, while second-place ATLAS VAN LINES challenged all the way but to no avail. Reynolds checked in at 111.975 miles per hour to Muncey's 111.317.

1980 - MISS BUDWEISER (Griffon-2)

Dean Chenoweth would not be denied in 1980 with Bernie Little's Rolls-Royce Griffon-powered MISS BUDWEISER, nicknamed the "Juggernaut". Dean won all four heats of "Thunder II" and trounced second-place Steve Reynolds in MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS and third-place Bill Muncey in ATLAS VAN LINES.

Chenoweth posted the fastest lap of the race on the first round of the Final Heat at 128.114 miles per hour and the fastest heat at 122.241 in the finale. No one else was even close.

The Griffon engine, which boasts much more horsepower than the Merlin, had not been used extensively in Unlimited racing since the HARRAH'S CLUB team tried it in 1968.

MISS BUDWEISER would go on to set an Unlimited Class record of twenty consecutive heat victories in the first half of the 1980 season. Designed and built by Ron Jones, Sr., the Griffon-2 hull would win 22 races between 1980 and 1984.

1981 - ATLAS VAN LINES

The thousands of spectators lining the Ohio River in 1981 could not have known it at the time, but to them was accorded a rare privilege--one that sports fans dream about. Bill Muncey scored the 62nd and last victory of his historic career, which dated back to 1950. It was something akin to watching Babe Ruth--the immortal "Sultan of Swat"--hit his record 60th home run in the final game of the 1927 baseball season.

Muncey and ATLAS VAN LINES took over the lead in the Final Heat at "Thunder III" after Dean Chenoweth and MISS BUDWEISER (Griffon-2) conked out due to mechanical difficulties.

Three months later, Bill would lose his life in a "blow-over" accident at the World Championship Race on Laguna de Coyucca in Acapulco, Mexico. Chenoweth would follow Muncey in death in 1982 while attempting to qualify for the Tri-Cities Columbia Cup.

1982 - ATLAS VAN LINES

The team that Bill Muncey founded in 1976, under the sponsorship of ATLAS VAN LINES, did not die with him.

Fran Muncey (Bill's widow) hired Lee "Chip" Hanauer as driver and commissioned a new hull, designed and built by Jim Lucero. Chip picked up where Bill left off and won five out of nine races in 1982, including "Thunder On The Ohio".

Steve Reynolds took a distant second to ATLAS VAN LINES in 1982 with MISS PRODELCO, followed by Tom D'Eath in THE SQUIRE SHOP--the team that Hanauer departed after 1981in order to drive for ATLAS.

Who would have thought that a team leaderless at the end of 1981 and its boat destroyed at Acapulco could have fired back every bit as strong the following year and achieved National Championship results.

Bill would have been proud.

1983 - ATLAS VAN LINES

Evansville hosted its first APBA Gold Cup in 1983. Chip Hanauer and ATLAS VAN LINES had won the Crown Jewel of power boat racing at Detroit the year before and made it two in a row in 1983.

The race was a heartbreaker for MISS BUDWEISER (Griffon-2) driver Jim Kropfeld who had a substantial lead in the Final Heat when his boat went dead in the water due to a blown supercharger gear.

Hanauer himself almost didn't finish the race. Roostertail spray from another boat damaged his helmet visor and he was in need of oxygen. After a few minutes inside an ambulance, a revived Chip Hanauer stepped up on the reviewing stand and accepted the first-place trophy.

The win was especially satisfying for Hanauer's crew who had thrashed repairs the previous night after the rudder and one propeller blade let go during a Saturday test run.

The 1983 season was the last year of an "All Piston" Unlimited Class. Three turbine-powered entries were already in preparation for 1984. Quite frankly, no piston power plant in the world had the horsepower to compete with MISS BUDWEISER's Rolls-Royce Griffon.

After four decades of dependence on World War II vintage reciprocating engines, the "thunder" was soon to go out of the Thunderboats.

1984 - MISS BUDWEISER (Griffon-2)

After losing three Evansville races in a row to the ATLAS VAN LINES team, the Rolls-Royce Griffon-powered MISS BUDWEISER "Juggernaut" came home a winner in 1984 with Jim Kropfeld driving. THE SQUIRE SHOP with Mickey Remund ran close behind the BUDWEISER in the Final Heat until Kropfeld pulled away for a decisive win.

Of equal importance at Evansville in 1984 was the debut of the new turbine-powered ATLAS VAN LINES, owned by Fran Muncey and driven by Chip Hanauer. On Chip's very first time around the buoys with the new boat, the turbine ATLAS set a world qualification lap record for a 2-mile course at 140.818 miles per hour! This was faster than the world record for the 2-1/2-mile distance of 140.801 at the time!

The new ATLAS VAN LINES, co-designed by Jim Lucero and Dixon Smith, experienced mechanical difficulties and did not finish the race in 1984 but would become the first truly competitive turbine boat.

This hull, renamed MILLER AMERICAN in 1985, signaled the beginning of the Turbine Era in Unlimited racing. After nearly forty years of dominance, the venerable Allison and Rolls-Royce Merlin would soon go the way of the Hispano-Suiza into obsolescence.

1985 - MILLER AMERICAN

In the words of Chip Hanauer, "There are a million ways to lose and only one way to win. For five long minutes [just prior to the Final Heat], I thought I had found another way to lose."

Then, Hanauer's MILLER AMERICAN came to life just in time before the one-minute gun and went on to grab all the marbles before 75,000 sun-drenched spectators at "Thunder On The Ohio".

Hanauer averaged 121.211 miles per hour in the 10-mile Final Heat around the 2-mile tri-oval course. Steve Reynolds and MISS 7-ELEVEN checked in second at 116.710 ahead of Scott Pierce in EXECUTONE, which did 111.457.

MILLER AMERICAN thus became the first turbine-powered "Thunder" winner. Not until 2003 would a boat with a reciprocating engine again take first-place at Evansville.

1986 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-1)

Hardly anyone expected the MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-1) hull to be much more than a test vehicle. The craft was terribly difficult to drive through the turns and had failed for its previous owner.

Owner Bernie Little reluctantly sent Turbine-1 to the starting line only because the new Turbine-2 wasn't ready to enter competition.

And yet, this craft treated the fans to one of the great shoot-outs in Unlimited hydroplane history at the 1986 "Thinder On The Ohio" with Jim Kropfeld driving.

Four boatsthe MISS BUDWEISER, the JOE RICCI SPIRIT OF AMERICA with Tom D'Eath, the MISS 7-ELEVEN with Steve Reynolds, and the MILLER AMERICAN with Chip Hanauer--ran on the same quarter of a lap with each other for the entire five laps of the Final Heat.

D'Eath, the only one of the four with a reciprocating engine (a Rolls-Royce Merlin), held off the three turbine-powered teams--while maintaining the inside lane--for the first four laps until he ran out of Nitrous Oxide and the MISS BUDWEISER went by him.

Those four boats finished within twelve seconds of each other with Kropfeld taking the checkered flag and victory. From a competitive standpoint, the race was simply superb.

1987 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-2)

Jim Kropfeld powered to his second Evansville triumph in 1987 with the new state-of-the-art MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-2). Unlike its rough-turning predecessor, Turbine-2 cornered like a dream.

MISS BUDWEISER posted the fastest heat of the race at 125.625 in section 1-A. By comparison, the next fastest was by Chip Hanauer and the new MILLER AMERICAN (which was having a difficult season) at 120.500 in Heat 1-B.

After a closely bunched start in the Final Heat, MISS BUDWEISER pulled away to a commanding lead. Second-place Steve Reynolds, driving CELLULAR ONE, held off a persistent challenge from third-place Scott Pierce in MR. PRINGLE'S.

Sadly, 1987 would be the final Evansville appearance for the popular Reynolds who, a week later at Madison, Indiana, would suffer critical injuries in a "blow-over" accident that ended his racing career.

1988 - MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS

In 1988, Evansville once again hosted the APBA Gold Cup. The race was a real destruction derby, marred by extensive hull damage but fortunately no driver injuries.

For a few brief moments, it appeared as though Chip Hanauer's Gold Cup victory string, which started in 1982, was at an end. Hanauer's MILLER HIGH LIFE was damaged in a collision with George Woods in OH BOY! OBERTO during the warm-up for Heat 1-A and had to be withdrawn.

Hanauer was subsequently offered the seat in the other Fran Muncey hydroplane, the MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS, which had been driven in the first two heats by John Prevost. This was after Prevost had been involved in a crash with Mike Hanson and SUTPHEN SPIRIT during Heat 2-A.

Crew members of the two Muncey boats then concentrated all of their energy and equipment into the casino-sponsored craft. They stripped parts off of the MILLER and installed them on the CIRCUS.

MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS, incongruously equipped with MILLER HIGH LIFE's tail assembly, went on to win Gold Cup Heat 3-B and the Final Championship Heat.

MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-2) did a horrifying backward somersault, while leading MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS by a wide margin in Heat 3-B. The BUD's sponson tips caught the water and slammed the craft upside down. MISS BUDWEISER then bounced right side up again, a shattered wreck. Driver Tom D'Eath emerged shaken but uninjured.

The F-16 safety canopy that Ron Jones had pioneered two years earlier for the BUDWEISER team was credited with saving Tom's life.

1989 - WINSTON EAGLE

The 1989 renewal of "Thunder On The Ohio" emerged as something less than an artistic success.

Chip Hanauer in MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS hit a buoy prior to the start of the Final Heat and was penalized a lap. Hanauer physically led from the first turn onward but was officially scored in fourth position.

Jim Kropfeld in MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-3) was washed out, coming up to the starting line for the Final Heat. Kropfeld stopped, restarted, and took a distant fifth.

Larry Lauterbach, driver of WINSTON EAGLE, managed to avoid all of the confusion and won the race, outrunning second-place Scott Pierce in MR. PRINGLE'S and third-place Todd Yarling in RISLEY'S.

A champion Grand Prix Class competitor, Lauterbach did not enjoy the same level of success with the larger boats. Evansville 1989 was Larry's only Unlimited victory.

1990 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-2)

The 1990 campaign is remembered for the season-long battle between arch-rivals Tom D'Eath in MISS BUDWEISER and Chip Hanauer in MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS. D'Eath and Hanauer--never the best of friends--went all out against each other in race after race.

At season's end, it was Hanauer with six wins and the National Championship and D'Eath with five wins.

MISS BUDWEISER managed to grab the top spot at Evansville in 1990 with MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS taking second. BUD and CIRCUS were drawn apart in the preliminary heats and didn't face each other until the Final Heat, which was won by MISS BUDWEISER at 140.988 miles per hour, compared to 132.011 for MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS.

Jim Kropfeld, driving WINSTON EAGLE, took third-place at 126.370.

1991 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-2)

A few days before the start of the 1991 season, MISS BUDWEISER pilot Tom D'Eath broke his neck while participating in a NASCAR event and had to retire from racing. Back-up driver Scott Pierce replaced him.

Pierce had difficulty at the first race of 1991 in Detroit when he jumped the gun in the Final Heat. But Scott had his act together at the next stop on the tour in Evansville.

MISS BUDWEISER and the Mark Tate-chauffeured WINSTON EAGLE traded heat victories during the preliminary actions and were the obvious co-favorites heading into the Final Heat.

Pierce led out of the first turn in the finale and never looked back. Tate stayed close to Pierce and would gain in the turns but couldn't match MISS BUDWEISER's straightaway speed.

At the finish line, it was Pierce the winner by a roostertail length over Tate--139.136 miles per hour to 137.375.

1992 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-2)

Chip Hanauer returned to Unlimited racing after a one-year hiatus in 1992, following the retirement of MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS. To the surprise of many, Hanauer signed with Bernie Little's MISS BUDWEISER team.

"It's no secret that Bernie Little and I have been fierce competitors in the past," Chip admitted. "But I can tell you that as hard as I worked to try and surpass Bernie, I'll be working just as hard for him--as the driver of the MISS BUDWEISER."

Hanauer did exactly that. He went on to win seven out of nine races, including "Thunder On The Ohio", in 1992 and the National Championship.

Chip scored a clear-cut victory at Evansville. Second-place Steve David in MISS T-PLUS stayed within two roostertail lengths of Hanauer in the Final Heat but didn't have the stability to really challenge MISS BUDWEISER.

1993 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-3)

Chip Hanauer claimed a second straight "Thunder" title for the MISS BUDWEISER team in 1993, this time with the Turbine-3 hull.

Throughout his five-year tenure with the BUDWEISER organization, Hanauer let it be known that he preferred Turbine-2, although the crew chose to emphasize Turbine-3. Turbine-2 hadn't blown over since 1988, but Turbine-3 put Chip in the hospital several times.

In the Final Heat at Evansville in 1993, Mark Tate and WINSTON EAGLE led out of the first turn with MISS BUDWEISER in hot pursuit. Tate held the advantage until Hanauer, on the outside, went by and pulled away to a decisive lead. Tate was physically second the rest of the way but was penalized a lap for destroying a buoy.

Mark Evans ran behind Hanauer and Tate in the Final with Fred Leland's ARC CONSTRUCTION but was officially second in the corrected order of finish.

1994 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-3)

Once again, Chip Hanauer and MISS BUDWEISER were the class of the field at Evansville, Indiana. But Chip almost didn't make it to the starting line.

Hanauer had an injury accident at Detroit and had to be replaced by Mike Hanson for a couple of races. Chip fractured several vertebrae when the escape hatch on the underside of MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-3) blew out just prior to the start of Gold Cup Heat 1-B.

"I'll never forget Detroit," Hanauer recalled. "Finding myself in the hospital and being told that the season was over, before it had even begun. That was horrible."

And yet, somehow, three weeks later, Chip was back in the boat--and back in the winner's circle--with victories in all four heats at "Thunder On The Ohio."

Mark Tate was a distant second with SMOKIN' JOE'S. Fan favorite Jack Barrie, in his only podium finish as an Unlimited driver, took third-place with BUEHLER'S BUY-LOW.

The initial running of the Final Heat at Evansville had to be stopped on account of an accident to Nate Brown and THE TIDE. Brown rode up a roostertail in the first turn and landed upside down. Nate climbed out through the escape hatch and signaled that he was okay.

1995 - SMOKIN' JOE'S

The five-year win streak at Evansville by the MISS BUDWEISER team came to an end in 1995. Driver Mark Tate scored his first and owner Steve Woomer's second "Thunder" victory with SMOKIN' JOE'S.

Woomer had won in 1989 with WINSTON EAGLE.

Defending champion Chip Hanauer qualified fastest with MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-3) at 164.103 miles per hour on the 2-mile tri-oval course but relinquished the cockpit to back-up driver Mark Evans on race day on account of persistent pain from a muscle tear in his rib cage.

The personable Evans posted two firsts and a second in the preliminary action but experienced mechanical difficulty in the Final Heat and failed to finish. MISS BUDWEISER stayed ahead of SMOKIN' JOE'S for two laps in the finale but started to lose power on lap-three.

Tate averaged 140.855 for the five laps, compared to 137.495 for second-place Dave Villwock, driving PICO AMERICAN DREAM.

1996 - PICO AMERICAN DREAM

After going winless throughout the 1995 season, Dave Villwock and PICO AMERICAN DREAM, the Fred Leland entry, could hardly do wrong in 1996.

Their victory at Evansville was their third in the first four races of the season. They would go on to win six out of ten and claim the 1996 National Championship.

PICO averaged 143.948 miles per hour in the Final Heat, while defending "Thunder On The Ohio" champion Mark Tate checked in at 140.344 with SMOKIN' JOE'S.

Tate blamed himself for not winning by mistiming his start: "I gave him a four boat-length advantage at the start. It was a mistake and very frustrating because I thought we had an opportunity to win the race."

Villwock was all smiles when accepting the traditional Four Freedoms Trophy. He compared PICO AMERICAN DREAM to the late Bill Muncey's "Blue Blaster" ATLAS VAN LINES of the 1970s and '80s."Maybe this is 'Blue Blaster II.' It's a sweetheart."

MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5) finished a disappointing third at Evansville with Mark Evans driving. Chip Hanauer had left the MISS BUDWEISER team a few weeks earlier after crashing the Turbine-3 hull at Detroit.

Dissatisfied not only with Turbine-3 but also with the Turbine-4 and Turbine-5 hulls, Chip never drove the "Beer Wagon" again. Mark Evans finished the season as his replacement and won two races (at San Diego and Honolulu). Hanauer would not return to Unlimited competition until 1999.

1997 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5)

In 1997, MISS BUDWEISER pilot Dave Villwock became the first driver to win at "Thunder On The Ohio" in back-to-back years driving for different teams. He had previously won with PICO AMERICAN DREAM.

Villwock led out of the first turn in the winner-take-all Final Heat and throughout. Second-place Mark Evans in PICO AMERICAN DREAM and third-place Mark Tate in CLOSE CALL stayed within MISS BUDWEISER's roostertail length throughout lap-one. Villwock then pulled away on lap-two. Evans and Tate see-sawed back and forth for several laps before Evans pulled away.

The average speeds for the top three Final Heat finishers were 140.204, 138.369, and 133.824 miles per hour respectively.

This was the first time that Villwock and raced the rebuilt Turbine-5 hull, which now sported a new center section. In earlier 1997 races, he had driven Turbine-3.

Dave admitted to being apprehensive. "We knew it was a really fast boat. But many times a really fast boat doesn't handle well in racing conditions."

These words proved all too prophetic. While driving MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5) a few weeks later at the Tri-Cities Columbia Cup, Villwock had a very serious injury accident that almost ended his racing career. The boat blew over in the first turn of the Final Heat and Dave suffered the loss of two fingers on his right hand.

1998 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-3)

At the outset of 1998, the burning question in almost everyone's mind was whether or not MISS BUDWEISER driver Dave Villwock still had what it took to drive safely and competitively following his 1997 Tri-Cities, Washington, accident. Villwock had lost two fingers on his right hand and had undergone no fewer than sixteen surgeries during the 1997-98 off-season.

But when the checkered flag dropped at the first race of 1998 in Evansville, Indiana, it was Villwock the winner with MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-3). And it was the same story at race after race that year. It was as if Villwock had never been away.

"Super Dave" won all three heats of "Thunder On The Ohio" in addition to being fastest qualifier at 155.162 miles per hour.

The victory, however, wasn't handed to him. Steve David in ARC CONSTRUCTION made Villwock work for it in the Final Heat.

ARC CONSTRUCTION led MISS BUDWEISER out of the first turn and by half a boat length after lap-two. Villwock then passed David and pulled away on the third backstretch.

Despite being out of action for eleven months, there could be no doubt that Dave Villwock was back--and as competitive as ever!

The 1998 Evansville race marked the debut of new MISS BUDWEISER crew chief Mark Smith, a replacement for Ron Brown, who had been lead wrench for the "Beer Wagon" since 1986.

"To promote Mark to that position was Dave's call," owner Bernie Little explained, "and it has proved to be one of the best decisions we could have made."

Indeed, it was. In each of the final seven years of the MISS BUDWEISER racing team, they never failed to win the National Championship with Mark Smith as crew chief.

1999 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5)

After three consecutive wins at "Thunder On The Ohio", defending champion Dave Villwock found himself with major competition in 1999. That competition was in the person of his former teammate, Chip Hanauer, newly returned to the sport after a three-year lay-off as driver of Fred Leland's MISS PICO.

Dave had served as Chip's crew chief on MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS in 1989 and 1990.

Hanauer beat Villwock in the 1999 season-opener at Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Dave had then triumphed over Chip at Barrie, Ontario. With Evansville as the third stop on the tour, it was anybody's boat race.

Coming up for the start of the Final Heat, MISS PICO jumped the gun and was penalized an extra lap.

According to Villwock, "Chip got on the gas just a split second before I did and he was over by a boat length, maybe two. The competition is getting really tight and as a result everyone is squeezing the clock to get the lead on the start. We are all going to jump a few times this year, it just goes with being aggressive."

"I wondered why Dave wasn't up there alongside Chip at the start," said MISS BUDWEISER team owner Bernie Little. "Then, when we realized that Chip had jumped, we knew why. These guys are really charging the starting line."

2000 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-6)

There was no stopping Dave Villwock as he nailed down "Thunder" victory number five in as many years in 2000. Piloting the new MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-6), Villwock finished first in all four Ohio River heats. This was in spite of a reduction in fuel flow, imposed by the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association (UHRA).

Having won the season-opener at Lake Havasu a month earlier, MISS BUDWEISER's fuel was reduced to 4.2 gallons per minute instead of the standard 4.3 gallons. The reduction in fuel cost the "Beer Wagon" approximately 100 horsepower.

The MISS BUDWEISER team was at a further disadvantage because they chose to unveil their previously untried Turbine-6 hull at Evansville. "It will be a roll of the dice with this new boat," admitted crew chief Mark Smith. "We are not quite sure what to expect. You never really know about a new boat until you race it."

Despite having the cards stacked against the MISS BUDWEISER crew members, the race was theirs to win. The new MISS BUD was a contender right out of the box and proved her mettle in the all-important Final Heat.

Three boats exited the first turn together in the winner-take-all Final Heat. After one lap, MISS BUDWEISER, ZNETIX with Greg Hopp, and WABX 107.5 with Mike Hanson were two roostertails apart. Hanson stopped on lap-two but restarted. Hopp stayed within striking distance of Villwock for four laps until MISS BUDWEISER pulled away on lap-five.

Villwock averaged 134.676 for the 10-mile distance to Hopp's 131.659.

According to Villwock, "It's a great feeling to come to a place where we have had success and to produce results once again."

2001 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5)

HYDRO-PROP, Inc., the new administrative arm of the American Power Boat Association's Unlimited hydroplane division, assumed leadership of the sport in 2001 and remained until 2004.

The new regime had its share of proponents and opponents. But the overall quality of competition in the races themselves was quite good.

In 2001, five different teams emerged as winners in the six scheduled races. Not until the last day of the season (at San Diego) did the fans see a repeat winner (MISS E-LAM PLUS). Not since the vintage year of 1989 had that many boats achieved victory during the same season.

Bernie Little's MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5) won the 2001 lid-lifter at Evansville with Dave Villwock driving but went winless the rest of the year. The "Beer Wagon" did, however, retain its National High Point Championship, based upon overall performance during the season.

Despite being restricted on fuel, as per the prerogative of HYDRO-PROP, Inc., MISS BUDWEISER and Villwock turned in a crowd-pleasing performance at "Thunder On The Ohio." They averaged 135.085 miles per hour in the Final Heat, compared to 134.331 by Mike Hanson and WABX 107.5.

Hanson stayed close to Villwock from start to finish in the Final and crossed the finish line less than a roostertail length behind MISS BUDWEISER.

Greg Hopp, driving ZNETIX, started as the designated "trailer boat" at the back of the pack. Hopp worked his way past four other boats to take third-place.

2002 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5)

Thirteen Unlimited hulls crowded the newly remodeled pit area for the 24th running of "Thunder On The Ohio."

Dave Villwock and the MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5) began their defense of the National High Point Championship with a victory at Evansville. The BUDWEISER team had been winless since the previous year's "Thunder On The Ohio."

The win marked Villwock's seventh consecutive victory at Evansville and the 37th of his career. (No other driver has ever won seven races in a row at the same venue.) Owner Bernie Little also celebrated his 132nd career victory and his 15th title at Evansville.

Villwock made a perfectly timed start in the Final Heat and led from the first turn onward with fast pursuit from Terry Troxell in WGAB 1180 AM and Mike Hanson in WABX 107.5, sponsored by a couple of local radio stations.

"It's always beneficial to start every race season off with a win," said Villwock. "The first race is important to the whole team and tends to lift everyone's spirits heading into the rest of the season. The competition this year will be tough and getting an early points lead is a must."

Sadly, the 2002 "Thunder On The Ohio" would mark the final Evansville appearance of MISS BUDWEISER team founder Bernie Little, who passed away on April 25, 2003.

Joe Little, Bernie's son, would assume leadership of his late father's team in 2003 and 2004.

2003 - MASTER TIRE

The pleasantest surprise of 2003 was the amazing performance of the Allison-powered MASTER TIRE, based in Evansville, owned by the father-and-son team of Ed Cooper, Sr., and Ed Cooper, Jr., and driven by Mitch Evans.

In a category dominated by Lycoming jet turbine engines, the piston-packing Cooper team claimed three race victories in 2003: "Thunder on the Ohio" at Evansville, the APBA Gold Cup at Detroit, and the Bill Muncey Cup at San Diego.

The last time that a boat with a reciprocating engine had won an Unlimited race was in 1989. That was by an earlier Cooper craft, also driven by Evans.

The 2003 Evansville race saw six different winners in the six preliminary heats. But MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5) with Dave Villwock appeared to be the one to beat, fuel restrictions not withstanding, having posted the fastest heat of the race at 141.835 in section 2-A. But this was not to be. The BUD broke a propeller shaft while attempting to start in the finale and missed the show. LLUMAR WINDOW FILM with Mark Evans also failed to answer the starting gun.

Evans and MASTER TIRE led out of the first turn and pulled away before the end of lap-one. Mitch averaged 140.515 for the 10-mile distance, compared to 137.658 for second-place Mike Hanson and MISS WABX 107.5.

2004 - MISS BUDWEISER (Turbine-5)

The 2004 Unlimited hydroplane season shaped up as a farewell tour for the legendary MISS BUDWEISER racing team, which was ending its involvement with the Unlimiteds after 42 years of participation.

At season's end, the Anheuser-Busch-sponsored "Beer Wagon" had five victories in seven races and yet another National High Point Championship.

"Thunder On The Ohio" was one of three Unlimited venues in 2004 (together with the Tri-Cities and San Diego) to race independent of the long-established American Power Boat Association (APBA) on account of contractual issues with HYDRO-PROP, Inc. The three independent regattas were sanctioned and administered instead by the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA).

Dave Villwock in MISS BUDWEISER and Mitch Evans in MASTER TIRE ran head to head all weekend long at Evansville in 2004. The BUD took first-place in Heat One by barely a boat length--138.320 miles per hour to 138.116.

MASTER TIRE rebounded to win Heats Two and Three, while BUDWEISER experienced mechanical difficulty. The "Beer Wagon" nevertheless had its act together in the Final Heat and outdistanced MASTER TIRE by three roostertail lengths. J.W. Myers in LLUMAR WINDOW FILM wasn't far behind in third.

2005 - OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS MADISON

When the fleet arrived for the 2005 "Thunder On The Ohio", a rejuvenated format was in evidence as well as a new sanctioning body--the American Boat Racing Association (ABRA). Gone was the "managed" competition of recent years.

All turbine-powered teams were regulated at 4.3 gallons of fuel per minute. No longer were boats assigned starting lanes. In every heat of every race, the drivers had to fight for lanes as in days of old.

The winner-take-all Final Heat at Evansville saw Greg Hopp and RE/MAX , the Fred Leland entry, first across the starting line in lane-one, followed by OH BOY! OBERTO/MISS MADISON and Steve David. Hopp exited turn-one with David "on his hip." Steve stayed within Greg's roostertail length for two and three-quarter laps until Hopp blew his Lycoming turbine engine.

J.W. Myers in MISS E-LAM PLUS inherited second-place when Hopp conked out and took off after OBERTO but fell three-quarters of a roostertail short at the finish line. OBERTO averaged 137.374 miles per hour for the 5-lap/10-mile distance, while E-LAM did 135.977. MASTER TIRE checked in third at 128.043 with Jimmy King at the wheel.

"It was great to race with Greg," exclaimed the victorious Steve David. "He raced us hard and clean. I feel bad that he couldn't finish. He and his team have worked hard. But that's racing."

2006 - MISS E-LAM PLUS

Ten boats made the scene for the 28th annual "Thunder On The Ohio", the 2006 season-opener for Unlimited hydroplanes.

The fleet included four former MISS BUDWEISER hulls: the U-5, the U-7, the U-10, and the U-37.

With the retirement of the MISS BUDWEISER team after 2004, BUD pilot Dave Villwock found himself without a "ride." But no one doubted that "Super Dave" would remain in absentia for very long. And he didn't. By mid-season 2005, he was driving for another top-notch team: Erick Ellstrom's MISS E-LAM PLUS.

Villwock and MISS E-LAM PLUS led out of the first turn of the Final Heat at Evansville in 2006 and pulled to a one-roostertail length lead at the end of lap-one. Jimmy King in MASTER TIRE (U-3) and Mike Weber in FORMULABOATS.COM (U-5) battled head to head all five laps for second and third with King taking it by a narrow margin.

It was the ninth Evansville win for Villwock since 1996 and the 49th of his Unlimited career since 1992.

2007 - MISS E-LAM PLUS

Spectators at the 2007 “Thunder On The Ohio” were treated to a couple of world record performances by Dave Villwock and MISS E-LAM PLUS. These were a 2-mile qualification lap record of 161.167 and a 6-mile heat record of 150.096, the fastest of the turbine/restricted era, which began in 2000.

MISS E-LAM PLUS and driver Villwock went on to win Fastest Qualifier honors at all six ABRA races in 2007.

The preliminary heats at Evansville were memorable to say the least. The two FORMULABOATS.COM entries (U-1 and U-5) and MISS BEACON PLUMBING (U-37) all crashed in spectacular fashion--one after the other--during Heats 2-A, 2-B, and 3-A. This had never happened before in the entire history of Unlimited racing. All three accidents occurred in the same corner at the end of the backstretch.

Jeff Bernard and the U-5 were able to continue racing as did Jean Theoret and the U-37, while the U-1’s Mike Allen had to watch from the beach. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

Villwock went on to win his tenth “Thunder On The Ohio” race in the past twelve years. But it was no ordinary win. Villwock had to hold off one of the drivers that flipped (Theoret) in the winner-take-all Final Heat.

Dave and MISS E-LAM PLUS averaged 140.167 miles per hour to MISS BEACON PLUMBING’s 136.167 in the five-lap finale. Theoret, in lane-one, fought Villwock until late in the second lap when Jean cut the corner a little too close and almost took out a buoy.

Ed Cooper’s MASTER TIRE (U-3), the Evansville host boat, was a fast-closing third behind Villwock and Theoret at 135.982 with Jimmy King driving.

"Ideal Evansville" has established itself as one of Unlimited racing's most important venues with superb spectator viewing areas. Historically, most of the world speed records for 2-mile courses have been set on Evansville's sporty tri-oval.

Having hosted its first Thunderboat classic in 1938, only two current race sites pre-date Evansville, Indiana. Madison, Indiana, conducted its first major event in 1929 and Detroit, Michigan, debuted in 1916.