Don Mock's Page

Thirty years ago today, October 18, 1981 in Acapulco, Mexico, the legendary careers of Bill Muncey and his Blue Blaster Atlas Van Lines came to an end. It was an awful day not only for friends and family of Bill Muncey, but for the other drivers and crews involved in the final-heat crash. Muncey was leading after a brilliant start when the Atlas blew over on the first lap. It was one of the lowest points for the sport of Unlimited Hydroplane racing.

So much of the direction…

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum would like to sincerely thank Chip Hanauer for the high quality band saw and table saw he recently donated to the museum. The saws are a huge boost to the museum’s shop and will go a long way in helping maintain boats, trailers, display projects and restorations. Chip offered the saws in memory of his father Stan, who was a fine craftsman and built many of Chip’s first outboard hydros. Stan was also one of the first board members of the original Unlimited…

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum is sad to announce that Stan Hanauer passed away last evening at 8pm. His family was with him at the time. Services will be announced soon. Stan was 90 years of age. 

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As we have progressed on the restoration of Bill Muncey’s Atlas Van Lines at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum, the topic often comes up on which year of the boat should we recreate. To the casual observer, the Blue Blaster looked pretty much the same throughout its illustrious career. But like most race boats, the Blaster underwent subtle changes from its…