Roostertail Talk

Send us Fan Mail We catch up with 2026 APBA Gold Cup champion Jimmy Shane right after his Madison win to hear how he returned to H1 Unlimited and why this victory feels uniquely special. Jimmy walks us through the mental pressure, the technical unknowns of a new hull and crew, and the moments in the final heat that nearly got away from him.  Support the show Help the podcast by subscribing to our...

Send us Fan Mail We jump into our annual pre-season check-in with Hydro Dan and use spring testing to size up the H1 Unlimited field heading into Madison. We also dig into the new assigned-lane starting procedure, talk Grand Prix America’s momentum, and lay out how to play Deck2Deck like a strategist. www.deck2deck.us Roostertail Talk Deck2Deck Group (Join our group!) Support the show Help the pod...

Send us Fan Mail Lets travel back in time and revisit the radio broadcast of the 1987 Budweiser Indiana Governor’s Cup in Madison.  Follow the weekend broadcast as it swings from qualifying optimism to delays, crashes, and a storm-driven finish.  A BIG thank you to Laurie Marlow for preserving and digitalizing the race broadcast so we can enjoy it today. Support the show Help the podcast by subscr...

Send us Fan Mail You can feel it when someone’s all-in on a racing class, and Ed Thompson is exactly that right now. We sit down coast to coast with the owner of Kool Kat Motorsports and the newly announced president of Grand Prix America Hydroplanes to get clear on what GP hydroplane racing is, how it evolved from the Unlimited Lights era, and what it’s going to take to grow the series into somet...

Send us Fan Mail We pick up Part Two with David Williams and Brad Haskin as Brad steps into leadership at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum and we get honest about what it takes to keep vintage hydroplanes restored, running, and safe. We talk money, time, volunteer labor, and why the museum only works when fans treat it like something we all own and protect.  Don't forget that the Hydroplane...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with retiring museum leader David Williams and incoming director Brad Haskins to talk about what it really takes to preserve unlimited hydroplane racing history. We dig into the long-planned torch pass, the pressure behind the scenes, and why a hands-on museum experience can hit harder than any display case.  Don't forget that the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum is...

Send us Fan Mail The hardest part of hydroplane racing isn’t always the speed. Sometimes it’s deciding, in real time, what actually happened when eight boats hit the start, rooster tails erase sightlines, and a championship can swing on a single judgment call. In part 2 of the interview we sit down with Jonathan Abbott to get a clear, practical look at H1 Unlimited officiating from the chief refer...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Jonathan Abbott to trace his journey from a Valleyfield kid “born in the pits” to becoming Chief Referee of H1 Unlimited. Along the way, we dig into why the 2026 rule changes around starts and lane selection aim to improve safety, clarity, and the on water show. This is part 1 of my interview with Jonathan, make sure to return next week to hear part 2 and the conc...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 180 of Roostertail Talk takes you back four decades to the thrilling 1986 Miami hydroplane race, the Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Championship. This special episode features a full radio broadcast of the event, with legendary announcer Jim Hendrix bringing every moment to life over the airwaves. Relive the intensity and drama as some of the sport’s most iconic figures ta...

Send us Fan Mail We wrap up our conversation with former H1 Unlimited commissioner Sam Cole as he lays out how the sport survived a shaky era and what it will take to grow again. We dig into sponsorship analytics, the Qatar breakthrough, and the hard truths about race formats, fan time, and why new race sites are so difficult to land.  *Photo by Bill Osborne Support the show Help the podcast by su...

Send us Fan Mail We pick up our conversation with Sam Cole as he explains how unlimited hydroplane racing broke onto national television and why that single shift changed sponsorship leverage for decades. We also get candid about the messy reality of exclusivity rules, hard business lessons from the Miller era, and the larger-than-life people who shaped the sport. Make sure you come back next week...

Send us Fan Mail A sport can look loud and effortless from the shoreline, but unlimited hydroplane racing only survives because someone is always doing the quiet work: calling cities, lining up sponsors, writing press releases, and convincing communities that a weekend on the water matters. That’s why this conversation with Sam Cole hits so hard. Sam isn’t just a longtime insider. He’s a former H1...

Send us Fan Mail We wrap up our trilogy with Cool Cats Motorsports by getting specific about 2026 goals, how we stay consistent across a full season, and what we want fans to experience at the races. We also go off-track into teaching, Racing To Read, and the behind-the-scenes work it takes to grow hydroplane racing.  Please do me a favor this summer, when you go to the races, make sure you go ove...

Send us Fan Mail In part 2 we talk with Ed Thompson, John Shaw and Brent Hall about how Kool Kat Motorsports becomes a two-boat team for the 2026 season and what it takes to add a second driver without losing focus. We also dig into the fan-first mindset that shapes everything we do, from pit access to offseason content to how we show up on race weekend. Episode 174: Kool Kat Motorsports, Part 1 K...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Ed Thompson, John Shaw, and Brett Hall to hear how Kool Kat Motorsports grows from a fan favorite into a serious two-boat Grand Prix operation. We dig into East Coast vs West Coast racing, the family roots behind the program, and the craft and marketing choices that make their team stand out. This is part 1 of a 3 part interview.  Don't miss part 2 airing Tue...

Send us Fan Mail We wrap up our conversation with Fran and Edward Muncy by tracing how a tight-budget team kept winning, how the crew culture stayed joyful under pressure, and why Chip Hanauer set the tone in the pits and on the water. We also correct a few historical details and leave with a clear picture of what hydroplane racing needs next to grow.  Support the show Help the podcast by subscrib...

Send us Fan Mail We pick up part two with Fran and Edward Muncey as we talk about carrying on Bill’s vision from driver to owner and into a new era. From the cabover shift to turbines, Chip’s rise, and the Atlas Blue revival, the story fuses grief, grit, craft, and showmanship. Episode 171: Fran and Edward Muncey, Part 1 Facebook Social Media Page Roostertail Talk Website Support the show Help the...

Send us Fan Mail We kick off season eight with an interview with Fran and Edward Muncey.  In San Diego Fran traces a chance meeting, a swift marriage, and the making of a racing showman whose heartbeat was jazz. Family stories, sponsor strategy, and the art of the start reveal how style, planning and music shaped their mission of speed. This will be a 3 part interview.  Look for part 2 to drop nex...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Eric Christensen on the night before he picks up the classic H1 hull “Tubby,” laying out a plan to get on the water. Eric talks about the work ahead of him and his goals for the 2026 H1 racing season! Nautidayz Christensen Racing Social Media Albert Lee Appliance Coffee Vault *Photo from Christensen Motorsports Social Media Page Support the show Help the podcast by su...

Send us Fan Mail Spray hangs in the air, engines hammer the river, and a championship teeters on a half‑boat‑length margin. We crack open a restored broadcast from the 1964 APBA Gold Cup in Detroit and ride every surge, swerve, and split‑second decision that made this one of the most dramatic finishes in unlimited hydroplane history. This is all in thanks to Bob Van Den Akker who donated audio foo...

Send us Fan Mail The conversation widens beyond speed for Episode 168.  We start part 4 by comparing the different hulls that Tom raced for Bernie Little and Budweiser Racing. Tom then relives the stock car crash that fractured ended his driving career. Then he walks us through the reinvention: launching APBA’s vintage and historic category and behind-the-scenes story of saving Detroit’s Gold Cup...

Send us Fan Mail From the Squire Shop highs and a path toward a championship to the uneasy birth of a Miller-backed program, the story tracks the shift from piston power to turbines. What ties everything together is the human calculus. Owners with leverage, marketers with favorites, crew chiefs who can translate risk into speed, each choice nudges fate. Tom talks retirement in ’86, but it wasn’t s...

Send us Fan Mail A river can be an opponent. Detroit’s course demanded patience, precision, and nerve—and Tom takes us inside the cockpit where strategy beat horsepower and a single weekend helped rewrite how champions are crowned. Tom dives into his strategies on outsmarting faster boats and getting his perfect starts. If you love motorsport strategy, boat setup secrets, and the gritty truth behi...

Send us Fan Mail A phone connection to Detroit’s past opens into a story of risk, grit, and craft. I sit down with legendary hydroplane driver Tom D’Eath to trace the path from a kid on a bike chasing the sound of engines to a champion whose name echoes on the Detroit River. Tom walks us through the early pull of the sport, including family boatyard days, outboard marathons, and the intoxicating f...

Send us Fan Mail Step back in time to the thrilling 1983 Indiana Governor’s Cup! Experience this unforgettable race through rare, preserved original race audio that captures all the drama, speed, and excitement of the era. A huge thank-you to Laurie Marlow for sharing this incredible piece of hydroplane history!  Support the show Help the podcast by subscribing to our new service, Roostertail Talk...