Miss M’s Bud buy includes unfinished T-7 hull

For years, questions have swirled within the sport of Unlimited hydroplane racing about what will happen to the former Miss Budweiser shop in the Seattle area and that team’s vast collection of equipment and parts. And now, we finally have the answer.

The Miss Madison Racing Team has acquired all of the remaining inventory from the legendary team, an eye-popping purchase that goes down as the biggest in the organization’s 46-year history.

Included in the sale is not only engines, equipment and parts, but also the unfinished “T-7” Budweiser hull whose construction was halted in 2003 after owner Bernie Little’s death.

“We feel like this is a pretty big step forward for not only our team, but the sport as well,” Miss Madison President Charlie Grooms said. “There was a danger that this equipment was going to be lost and we didn’t want that to happen.”

The deal was seven months in the making. Grooms and Joe Little, Bernie’s son, began discussions on the sale last October when Grooms approached Little about purchasing some spare parts in an effort to build a new boat.

Little, who ran the Miss Budweiser for two years after his father’s death, stepped away from the sport after the 2004 season but he kept both the shop in Tukwila, Washington, and the team’s dynamometer facility in nearby Lake Stevens, Washington, and allowed them to remain open with a small staff to service other teams. Nearly every H1 Unlimited team — including the Miss Madison — has used the shop from time-to-time to repair damage, dial in engines or even build new boats.

But Little was ready to move on. With no interest in getting back into the sport, Little was prepared to put all of the equipment up for auction. When Grooms called to inquire about boat parts, Little made him a different offer.

aback but I wanted to see what we could do.”

The prospect of buying all of the equipment piqued Groom’s interest and the two sides began haggling on a price. A week ago Friday, the deal was finally struck with HomeStreet Bank serving as sponsor of the shop.

“We think this is a pretty big deal,” Grooms said.

According to Grooms, the purchase will not only benefit the Miss Madison team, but the sport as well, starting with the dynamometer that is a crucial stop for every team on the circuit.

Before each season begins, nearly every team visits to get their engines “dyno’d,” a process that tests all aspects of the turbine engine from fuel flow to RPMs and horsepower and allows teams to see which engines are rated higher under certain conditions without ever getting in the water.

Had the dynamometer been auctioned, it could have been a fatal blow to a sport that has had nothing but bad news lately. Without it, engines that aren’t properly rated could be more easily destroyed.

“It wouldn’t have been the final nail in the coffin, but it would have been one heck of a large spike,” Grooms said. “All of the teams in Seattle were really worried that the dyno would disappear.”

Grooms’ plan is to open up both the dyno shop in Lake Stevens and the main Bud shop in Tukwila to serve as a quasi-H1 hub where all teams can use either facility whenever they need it. Mark Smith, the former Miss Budweiser crew chief who runs both shops, has agreed to stay on board and continue in that capacity.

“Right now, H1 has no home. There is not even an address,” Grooms said. “The hope is that this can serve in that respect and give the sport a sort of central location to build around.”

And Grooms was quick to note that the Miss Madison team is not leaving Madison.

“The shop in Tukwila is H1’s. That’s going to be their place and it’s going to be sponsored by HomeStreet Bank,” Grooms added. “We’re not going anywhere and are going to stay right here in Madison.”

For local fans, the purchase of the T-7 hull will have the largest impact. The last of the turbine boats built by the Miss Budweiser team, the T-7’s parts are already constructed and ready to be assembled.

For years teams have inquired about purchasing the T-7, including Ted Porter who purchased both the T-5 and T-6 hulls in 2006. It is the T-6 hull that J. Michael Kelly drove to victory in Madison two years ago.

The T-7 will become, coincidentally, the seventh full-time Miss Madison hull. Dale Van Wieringen, the former Miss Budweiser crewmember who designed the current Miss Madison, has been hired to assemble the T-7 and it will take up to six months to complete the boat.

Once the T-7 is completed, the Miss Madison team will have two race-ready hulls and Grooms said the team plans to keep both with the current hull serving as a back-up. As a result, the team may need to move out of its current shop on Milton Street in downtown Madison for a bigger facility elsewhere in the city.

In addition, Grooms announced that the Miss Madison and HomeStreet Bank have signed a five-year contract extension for sponsorship through the 2021 season.

The current Miss Madison hull began its 11th season this past weekend when driver Jimmy Shane steered the U-1 Miss HomeStreet Bank onto the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities, Washington, for a test session. The team will then head south for another test session on Lake Guntersville, Alabama, on June 17.

The H1 season kicks off with the four-boat race in Madison July Fourth weekend.

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