Forgotten World of Hydroplane Racing: Wartime Engines Second Life! (Hydroplane Raceboat Museum)

Back from the 1950s-1980s there was a whole segment of motorsports based around using leftover WWII Fighter Plane engines like the Rolls Royce Merlin, Griffon, and Allison made V12 engines. Some smart dudes in Seattle grabbed one of these engines and jammed it into a special boat hull designed to skim over the water. Some of the most recognizable raceboats of the day like Bernie Little's Miss Budweiser, The Squire Shop, Atlas Van Lines, and Miss Bardahl are on display at the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum in Kent Washington. They are the only facility in the world restoring, showing and operating these classic beasts.

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Mitchell: @stapleton42_
Logan: @Logann42_

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[Stapleton]

This one is pretty different isn't it? You will be amazed how awesome the hydroplane race world used to be. I had no idea they used wartime Rolls and Allison engines back then. If you like racing history you would love our other videos! Check out the channel!

[HUnlimited]

Glad you enjoyed learning about hydroplane racing! Our first race of the 2023 season will take place June 24-25 in Guntersville, Alabama. Every race will be broadcasted live for free on our YouTube channel!

[drdesmo]

Your tour guide was absolutely fantastic. This is what Motorsport does to people, his passion and energy have been going for 30 years in his museum tours.
And thank you very much for doing this video.

[NicPeterson-or]

As some one who grew up living by Mission Bay in San Diego the noise of those things pretty much guarantees that they won't be forgotten any time soon.

[DIARRHEA-PANIC]

The most under-rated Museum

SAVE THE HYDROS!!!

[mikemullay]

I grew watching these hydroplanes in Seattle. Guys like Bill Muncey, Ron Musson, Dean Chenowith, and Chip Hanauer were my childhood heroes.

[ronbuckner]

"Who's BILL MUNCEY?" He was my hero! That boat is/was a death trap waiting to happen. Watch some of the film. Bill was actually sitting on the boat, rather than IN the boat. Bill was the "Hydroplane God". I went school with his son. I'm 67 and live in San Antonio, but I still follow the hydro's from my youth.

[B_M_A]

The knowledge these OG museum workers / owners have is wild. Radiates passion.

[bartarkis]

The man you were interviewing is a great example of humility that knows and is right where he belongs. Do what gives you energy and joy that helps people and creates something, and you are rich.
Thanks Mitchell

[j.edward]

I live in Tri-Cities Washington and grew up on the sound of piston engines in unlimited hydroplanes when we used to call them thunderboats. You not only heard them as they flew by, but you felt them in your stomach. It was AWESOME, and I miss it so much. My reoccurring dream is that somehow we could go back to the old engines, but I understand the reasons and all the difficulties involved in servicing Rolls-Royce/Allison engines. During the piston days, you could be anywhere in the Tri-Cities, and you could hear the engines. It was like a call to get to the river and watch. There was nothing like the sound of 5 or 6 boats screaming towards the start line at the beginning of the heat.

[LarryMattingly-ln]

OMG. I was born and raised in the Seattle area through the 50’s and early 60’s. We watched the Gold Cup races every year on Lake Washington. We used to build miniature hydroplanes out of wood and tow them behind our bicycles. This brings back so many awesome memories.

[brandonstaelens]

I used to go to the hydroplane races at belle isle in Detroit as a kid. One of the coolest sights and sounds I've ever seen. Seeing a boat do 200 mph across the water is pretty unbelievable.

[DChrls]

I remember a lot of these boats watching them on TV back in the 70's. It's a shame boat racing isn't what it use to be.
Another awesome video!

[dandonovan]

Thunder on the Ohio was a yearly event in Evansville Indiana. Feeling the boats ROARING past you was so very thrilling.

[joshuabrown]

Those piston driven engines are still one of the best sounds in racing.

[joeyj]

What a wonderful pair of videos!! It was great the way Ken and Dan answered all your questions without being rushed in any way. Your questions were very spot on, too.

I grew up in Seattle and worked extensively in San Diego and was always a true fan of the races.

I thought I knew a fair amount about hydroplanes but I must admit that I learned more from your two videos than I had in all the prior years.

Thank you for a truly first class job!

[OTE_TheMissile]

I've been a lifelong auto racing fan & since picking up simracing as a hobby about 10 years ago have been on a mission to find different and interesting forms of motorsports to follow. A few years ago I stumbled across a small group of simracers working to develop a boat racing passion project game called HydroSim and started racing with them online semi-regularly. Driving a hydroplane is so incredibly different from a car, and the process of racing them is unlike anything I've ever done before, and I am having an absolute blast. It's such a unique motorsport and really doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Anyone who finds this stuff interesting, do not hesitate to get involved because there is an amazing group of people out there who live and breathe boat racing & love to share it with others.

[johnanderson]

This one hits home with me! I live in Evansville Indiana and the Ohio river runs between us and Henderson Kentucky! Every year Evansville hosted what was called "Thunder on the Ohio". I saw my first race live in 1980. I was hooked! The sound of the old Allison engine's was deafening! I remember seeing Atlas Van Lines! That was my boat, from my first race! I hated miss Budweiser! She won way to much! Miss Madison was always a boat, that I rooted for! She was a local boat! When the hydroplane's started using turbine engine's. I think that was what changed my love for hydroplaning! The thunder was gone! I got to see a couple of gold cups! We hosted a few, here in Evansville! The driver's all loved Evansville! Huge track! It wasn't salt water and the driver's loved that! I miss those days! It's something that I hold dear! That's for sure! R.I.P. Bill Muncey!

[RadioReprised]

I remember watching as a Kid when they came to Mission Bay San Diego and I was a Big Fan of the Miss Bardhal!

[vincentdsnt]

The movie (Madison) is a great movie about the city owned Miss Madison Hydro and Gold Cup history. I grew up in Detroit and attended the Gold Cup dozens of years, Just Great stuff ! Bernie Little was the owner in those years, Bill Muncie was our hometown hero.