Who's your FAVORITE Unlimited driver of all time?

[Bill Gibson]

Past or present...doesn't matter....mine was Bill Muncey, but a close second was Ron Synder because of how hard he drove the former PaynPak conventional boat against the modern piston and turbine powered cabover boats back in the 80s! That guy would let it all hang out on the starts!

 

[robertpickard]

I agree with Bill about Bill Muncey, i loved going every year to the Detroit race and watching those boats it was awesome.

 

[jetpack]

Bill Muncey is the standard of all time. Definetly. BUT I would have to say Chip Hanauer is my favorite because he had been racing boats since a teen and kept at it till he was one shy away from Muncey's record and let it go. Pretty respectable person to do honor to Muncey like that, the one who helped bring hydroplane racing to the masses.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Of the present drivers, I'd have to go with Steve David. As a person, it's hard to find someone nicer than Steve or someone that is a better ambasador for the sport. It also doesn't hurt that the wife is a big time Oberto fan. If I go back in time however, I'd have to say that Mitch and Mark Evans would take the top. They never seemed to have the equipment the other drivers had and yet somehow always found themselve's a way to get to the front

 

[SayMikey]

Of the present drivers, I'd have to go with Steve David. As a person, it's hard to find someone nicer than Steve or someone that is a better ambasador for the sport. It also doesn't hurt that the wife is a big time Oberto fan. If I go back in time however, I'd have to say that Mitch and Mark Evans would take the top. They never seemed to have the equipment the other drivers had and yet somehow always found themselve's a way to get to the front

I like them all,if you talk to any and I have 10 or so each has there own attitude towards the sport and fans. Of those one who comes to mind is Mickey Remond a hell of a nice guy to talk to and as excited about the next heat as any....

 

[Mark Leyde]

Bill Muncey is my favorite all time UL driver also.

 

[68Bud]

My two favorites are Dean Chenoweth and Jim McCormick. When I was a kid they were my heroes.

 

[BlueBlaster]

I like bill muncy for his impact to the sport and from what videos I seen he seemed like a nice guy. I'll have to say for me it's Chip hanauer he raced cause he enjoyed it and he seem so selfless if he won or not he always give people a show and he appreaciate his fans, he never get to big an ego but had a competative attitude as well. Mark Evans have to be second I read his book and seen a few videos and he may have been and underdog he enjoyed racing and he seems down to earth. They both to me are simular in how they raced and attitude.

 

[glenng]

Bill Muncey is the standard of all time. Definetly. BUT I would have to say Chip Hanauer is my favorite because he had been racing boats since a teen and kept at it till he was one shy away from Muncey's record and let it go. Pretty respectable person to do honor to Muncey like that, the one who helped bring hydroplane racing to the masses.

I would have to say Chip also. He showed a HUGE amount of class hanging it up one shy of Bill Muncey's record out of respect for the Muncey family. I did not hear this till a few years ago- but Chips first win was at Willard bay here in Ogden UT. in the Squire Shop boat-also heard that the crooked promoter skipped with the prize money? Can anyone verify this?

Glenn

 

[Mike Cathey]

Gotta be Bill Muncey for me. Remember he was still winning races when the end came and probably would have added a lot more wins before he was through. Especially with the next Atlas that Chip won so many races with waiting in the wings for the next season.

 

[rbeyer]

Muncey, Hanauer and Chenoweth are all near the top for me. However, one guy that I always liked was Steve Reynolds. Didn't have the best equipment but was always a great interview and an excellent ambassador for the sport.

Rick

 

[Bill Gibson]

I gotta admit that i like every name you guys posted in one way or another....one thing all these drivers had in common, living or dead, was the ability to STAND ON IT!Steve Reynolds should have won more races, he was an awesome driver and a great personalty...Chip Hanauer seemed like the least Macho racer ive ever seen....until he strapped in...and then baby.....IT WAS ON!He DEFINETLY was one of my favorites!

 

[garrett randall]

The big winners are always remembered, but I'd like to add a few of my favorite 'underdog' drivers.

Todd Yarling...Tosti Asti Round nose and Chet's Music Shop are two of the boats I remember him driving...always qualified last in the field, but finished almost every heat that I remember watching...always smiling during his interviews...

Oh, and Brenda Jones...how can you not root for the KYYX?

Garrett

 

[Marty Davis]

John Prevost, because I worked with him.

 

[rbeyer]

I think Mike Hansen would disagree with that one.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Why's that, besides Prevost was one of the two guys to blow over a boat in SD in 1988? Ron Snyder was the other, so why would Hansen disagree?

 

[ChrisCapaldi]

I think this tells the story pretty well -



I was always a Billy Schumacher fan...loved the way he buzzed the Belle Isle Beach.

Chris

 

[rbeyer]

Exactly, Chris. Mike doesn't look too happy in that video. I may be wrong, but I think the Madison was a brand new boat.

Rick in Texas

quote name='ChrisCapaldi' date='23 July 2010 - 05:17 PM' timestamp='1279923443' post='368366']

I think this tells the story pretty well -



I was always a Billy Schumacher fan...loved the way he buzzed the Belle Isle Beach.

Chris

 

[misshydro]

mc cormick , snyder, david. Ron lives in our area.Dont think it was there new boat. looks like it was the one that Ron drove the last V12 before they converted it over to turbine power.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Sorry Misshydro, but that was a new boat Hansen was standing on. I remember watching that on TV, the cameras cut to that scene right after John Prevost ran the Circus Circus over the BRAND NEW U-6 MISS MADISON'S DECK at Seattle's Stan Sayer's Pits in August 1988. I don't remember if that was the 8806's first race or if it ran in Tri-Cities the weekend prior, but I do know that Ron Jones was highly ticked off about it even being entered in the race as it wasn't anywhere close to being dialed in. From what I've been told by several, including Jones, the boat had been handed over to the Madison team FOR TESTING AND DIALING IN ONLY. In what I've come to know as CLASSIC BERNIE LITTLE, he had some of his crew running back and forth between the Bud and Madison pit areas in a valiant but futile attempt to help get the Madison ready for the next heat. He had parts and staff for his own boats ready to go to help the Madison team repair the Miss Madison, until the damage was found to be too severe. The boat was taken to either the Budweiser or Jones shop for repairs and was ready to run in San Diego. Unfortunately for both the boat and driver Ron Snyder, the boat blew over along with the Prevost piloted Circus. The boat was done for the season, but not done racing as it was in competition for the next 18 years