Little died friday night after three months in intensive care and a recent battle with pneumonia, said gary garbrecht, chairman of hydroprop, the sanctioning body for unlimited hydroplane racing. Mitch evans hydroplane driver download they believe it was a contract killing and went through nine lawyers trying to prove it, only to fail after. Evans bros racing new u57 owners veteran air national guard hydroplane series driver mark evans and his brother, mitch, can add another title to their resumesteam owners. Because driver mark evans literally would be a pictureperfect spokesman. Evans, a retired driver who won the 2003 american power boat association gold cup in detroit, and ron and paul gordon, owners of. Honolulu specialmark evans told reporters earlier in the week, i drive every race as though its going to be my last. Hes driven everything from a stock outboards to limited inboards to unlimiteds and has served as chairman of the uim offshore commission. Hydroplane racing daredevil evans finds success living. Keeping the community informed holding local officials accountable giving a voice to the voiceless its only possible with your support. Todd yarling served as the driver throughout almost all of this teams involvement in the sport.
Mike qualified as an unlimited hydroplane driver in 1993 when he shared the ride in the u55 with dr. Key to fred lelands boat racing success was versatility. The original gale v was a popular raceboat in the 1950s. Mitch evans hydroplane driver download they believe it was a contract killing and went through nine lawyers trying to prove it, only to fail after spending all the proceeds from their fathers. The race known as the norm evans memorial was named for the famous chelan hydro driver. The go3 racing team is the worlds fastest piston powered hydroplane. Everyone at the time saw the future was in turbine engines.
Driverowner jerry schoenith owner of miss renault elf piston powered unlimited hydroplane apba u i m world champion. Veteran air national guard hydroplane series driver mark evans and his brother, mitch, can add another title to their resumesteam owners. In 1970 norm evans, an unlimited hydroplane driver, was participating in a home town pleasure boat race with his oldest son mark, then yrs old. Events, entertainment, sports marketing mark and jerry are co founders of the automotive thunderboat association. Gold cup unlimited hydroplane blue chip returns to detroit river. They are in museums, garages, barns, and sometimes theyre simply left outside to wither in the elements. Piston powered unlimited hydroplanes from 19871993, and the end of multiple piston teams in unlimited hydroplane racing. Norman mark evans first took the wheel of an unlimited hydroplane when he attempted to qualify evergreen roofing for the 1979 tricities washington columbia cup. Detroit the first time mitch evans sat at the wheel of the u80 blue. Boatbumping in tricities has hydro drivers looking for more. John became a member of the u3 cooper racing team in 1994 through 2010 where in addition to crew duties, he helped construct 2. Mark evans auto miss tricities project interview by russ. The u3 master tire hydroplane driven by mitch evans moves ahead of the u9 jones racing miss wabx, driven by michael hanson, to win thunder on. Treasure hunters 1979 the squire shop unlimited hydroplane.
Mitch evans, driver of the vactionville hydro, and nate brown in the miss elam plus go headtohead at the columbia cup finals. It was national champion in 1954 and 1955, and won the prestigious gold cup in 1955. The evans brothers announced monday they have purchased the u57 unlimited hydroplane from ted porter of precision performance llc of decatur, ind. Design, safety improvements made hydroplane racing faster, but. After the first heat, norm decided it was time for mark, even though underage, to drive solo. More unexpected change came to the team when it was announced that mitch evans would not occupy the u3 cockpit for the 2004 campaign. Driver odouls high points 1 dave villwock 388 2 mark evans 359 3 mike weber 332 4 mitch evans 309 5 michael hanson 296 budweiser columbia cup results. Jan 31, 2018 talking to mark about his past driving history.
Gold cup unlimited hydroplane blue chip returns to detroit. A good read this month as they take a look back with a conversation with jay murphy, driver and team manager of the breathless team. Since the 1950s, mike jones has competed in every category of apba racing. Hydroplane and raceboat museum, 5917 s 196th st, kent, wa. Brow was able to run the required number of laps in qualifying and testing to become an official unlimited hydroplane driver. Interview with unlimited hydroplane driver mark evans youtube. If it is true, as has been strongly rumored in recent weeks, that evans is on his way out as driver of the miss budweiser unlimited hydroplane, he has finished on a decidedly high note. Much to everyones surprise, except maybe his dad, mark won the race. Use this link to purchase your advance tickets online.
Its hard to know whether technology is doing unlimited hydroplane racing. Hopp was next, followed by weber, troxell, jimmy king in the llumar window film 8. The boat racing story begins at a yacht club on lake chelan in eastern washington. Go3 racing team unlimited hydroplane enthusiast and. Pistonpowered hydro made history in 1989 columbia cup race tri. The late norm evans had a lot of natural ability as a race driver and loved to go fast. Ese presents unlimited hydroplanes next ultimate competitor. After a 7 year absence, mark returned to the sport in 2010 behind the wheel of the u57. The original apple cup was started in 1957 with the help of norm evans mitch and marks father and jack lafferty. Interview with unlimited hydroplane driver mark evans. Mark has driven for several notable owners and sponsors in his career with his first victory coming in ron jones, jr. The apba gold cup is an american hydroplane boat race, named for the american power boat.
The key to being a great hydroplane driver is to have big balls and a tiny helmet, he said. Key to fred lelands boat racing success was versatility by fred farley h1 unlimited historian. It is the only communityowned unlimited hydroplane in the world. Sep 01, 2017 continuation of hydro feud has to wait one day. Mark is racing hydros again this summer while mitch is running his local business evans marine which deals in boat and snowmobile repair. Crew members will include tony scharf of wenatchee, wash. Drivers of the miss madison miss madison unlimited hydroplane. Unlimited hydroplane boat racing posters, photos, prints books, magazines, newspapers for sale. Meet the u57, the home hydroplane team professional. Mark is the primary driver with his brother, mitch, serving as the crew chief. Mitch evans will drive the turbocharged allison aircraft engine again this season at every venue.
Breathless iii never actually existed, but is rather a workin progress by mitch evans, the son of famed hydroplane racer norm evans. The drivers are calling san diegos budweiser cup the most important stop in the hfc hydroplane boat racing series. The story of the boat and city are the subject of the 2005 film madison as of the end of the 2019 season, the team fields two boats, one the u6 miss. Fast forward to the 2017 hapo columbia cup, which will mark the 52nd time unlimited hydroplanes have raced on the columbia river. Pistonpowered hydro made history in 1989 columbia cup. Driver mike hanson suffered only a contusion and a minor concussion from the accident, and will be taken to.
Tate says his favorite thing about driving an h1 unlimited hydroplane is the fans. A man who was taken from us much too soon, evans was very accessible to the general public and never too busy to sign an autograph. The latest issue of the unlimited newsjournal is on their website. U3 go3 racings driver jimmy king stands on his hydro after finishing a heat during water follies at columbia park in kennewick. The mark evans story hydroplane and raceboat museum. Drivers of the miss madison miss madison unlimited. May 07, 2012 evans brothers join air national guard series as team owners. His win in the preliminary heat produced the eighth different heat winner this year. Apple cup regatta prolite shootout scheduled for this. Evans has spent most of his career driving for the coopers and holds. Unfortunately, the boat was destroyed in a testing accident later that year. After being acquired by mitch evans, the boat has undergone extensive work and. Jul 28, 2019 u3 go3 racings driver jimmy king stands on his hydro after finishing a heat during water follies at columbia park in kennewick.
Mitchell william evans born 24 june 1994 is a formula e driver from new zealand for panasonic jaguar racing who won the 2012 gp3 series. Set on the ohio river, the trioval course has hosted plenty of action in its 22year history, including wins by unlimited hydroplane legends bill muncey, chip hanauer and dean chenowith. Mitchell william evans born 24 june 1994 is a motor racing driver from new zealand. In his first competitive preliminary heat, brow thrilled the crowd and took the victory. It was sponsored by evans family business out of lake chelan, evans marine, at the tricities, and was sponsored by kwww radio in. Hydroplane racing daredevil evans finds success living, driving american dream. Miss vacationville, driven by mitch evans, kicked up a roostertail saturday as it set a new worldrecord speed of 153. Mitch evans was able to drive the boat to a respectable sixth place finish in the 1987 high. Hydroplanes webber, at 33, to be youngest on circuit. Norm evans remembered hydroplane and raceboat museum. Perhaps there is no better explanation for the lack of young racers on the unlimited hydroplane racing association circuit. But the consensus among drivers in the general motors cup is that newfound parity is good for the sport. Mitch evans and the u3 miss fox hills chrysler jeepsun coatings the only nonturbine boat in the unlimited hydroplane fleet fended off. The apba gold cup originally known simply as the gold cup, a speedboat race is an american hydroplane boat race, named for the american power boat association.
Mitch evans was immediately able to raise his own piston powered lap speed record to over 160 miles per hour and was the fastest qualifier at san diego while taking a heat win as well. Mark evans has a long and impressive resume as an unlimited hydroplane pilot. Lake chelan online news lake chelans online newspaper. In 1980, mitch evans drove the boat at the two races it attempted to qualify for. Mark evans, tom hindley, jack barrie, mitch evans, ken dryden. The former miss madison hulls there are boats that once raced on the unlimited hydroplane tour strewn quite literally across the country. Evans brothers join air national guard series as team owners. Evans and his brother, mitch a former unlimited driver bought the boat from porter. There was a hydroplane race in the tricities last weekend, but.
It is based out of madison, indiana, a small town of 12,000 residents on the ohio river which annually hosts the madison regatta. He currently drives for the panasonic jaguar racing team in formula e. Scott pierce and the miss budweiser continued their domination of unlimited hydroplane qualifying. Dave villwock is second, with ten, and bill muncey third. Mitch and mark evans sons and norm evans father, larry son and norm. Mitch evans struggled, gave up his pace boat position. Norm evans was murdered in 1981 while working on his ranch north of the lake, shot in the head at close range six months after marrying his. Evans, who drives the pico american dream, was 22 when he first piloted an unlimited hydroplane in a sanctioned regatta in the tricities in 1979. In 1970 norm evans, an unlimited hydroplane driver, was participating in a. Unlimited hydroplane racing lost one of its most versatile participants on may 21.
San diego bayfair miss madison unlimited hydroplane. Evans won the 1958 race on his home course at the wheel of the. Unfortunately, he hasnt been around to watch his sons rise to the upper ranks of hydroplane drivers mitch now drives for appian jeronimo. The boat, a former miss budweiser, was owned by his father norm evans, who had raced unlimiteds between 1956 and 1970.
He raced in the gp2 series for four years, placing 14th in 20, fourth in 2014, fifth in 2015, and 12th in 2016. Norm evans was murdered in 1981 while working on his. Evansville, ind, the 2001 budweiser unlimited hydroplane series presented by laughlin nev. Welcome we have been getting lots of request to see our progress on our road to returning the. John became a member of the u3 cooper racing team in 1994 through 2010 where in addition to crew duties, he helped construct 2 boats for the team. These two natural racers battled it out in a race and the results were so close it. The boat, with primary u3 driver mitch evans at the wheel, turned in a solid. Racer evans captures hydroplane action las vegas sun newspaper. Pistonpowered hydro made history in 1989 columbia cup race. Boatbumping in tricities has hydro drivers looking for.