Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Record

Kilometer straightaway record course, Oroville, CA, 03/2004. Video was taken by one of the Oberto family members if I recall. Miss Budweiser ran approximately 213 mph southbound (left to right in photos) and 227 or so northbound, for an avg of 220, eclipsing the old record of just over 200 or so. The boat was accelerating through the length of the kilo according to the driver, Dave Villwock, so the right-to-left run in this clip is showing the boat at mebbe 240+ (driver's comment) when the rudder mount and prop+shaft left the boat. Mebbe the prop let go first. Bye Bye. The boat coasted straight for almost a mile to a stop, never to run again. No injury to the driver. 'magine 240+ with no prop and no rudder with rock levees.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Unlimited
• Hydroplane
• Record

[peeweethepinstriper]

I sold the broken prop off this boat last year on eBay, I had sent many photos of it to Joseph and he gave it the thumbs up as to the real deal. It was found over the levee to the west stuck in the dirt... About 600' from where the boat lost it.. I guess I could make a short video response to this video and include the photos of the Prop.

[unkiemotorhead]

@peeweethepinstriper . Very cool, and the same time hairraising, since the prop must have gone over our heads...we were on the west side pretty well lined up with the prop when it came apart. coulda been killed...... tnx for your note!

[imacgoo]

Actually these guys are in slow motion compared to drag boat racing.Drag boats get into the 250mph range

[unkiemotorhead]

240+ on the northbound run just before the prop or whatever exploded...not really slow motion relative to drag boats...just different. Both are insane in their own way.

[gphydro]

prop driven hydros have bn well past 205mph the drag hydro boats r doing 250+mph in like 4.6seconds

[unkiemotorhead]

Yup, crazy stuff too. Not to take anything away from drag racing, butttt, these are both very different. I've been in drgboats, and kilo environments like this. Boats and cars. And no doubt, 0 to whatever with amazing acceleration is huge. But hanging onto something going that fast for an entire kilometer is a totally different, equally insane achievement. Another perspective: Lotsa people have run their cars up to 150. But how may have stayed up there for miles and miles? Very different.

[butchlaw2000]

hydro plane racing is the most dangerous racing on earth.

[butchlaw2000]

Your High. In the streches these boats will reach near 200mph. In less than a 1/4 mile. They also TURN. Drags boats plez, go straight. big deal.

[biggbrattz]

@butchlaw2000 All forms of racing have thier unique challenges. LOVE the unlimiteds, and have traveled to see them many times, but those drag boats are the sickest machines on the planet. Yes its a straight line but zero to 250mph in one thousand feet??!!....yup, you need all 8000hp to get there!! The unlimiteds are somewhere around 3000hp in a much bigger boat. The drag boats are so peaky and radical,...not to mention, when a drag boat crashes, there is very little left. Love them all!!!

[Naterz100]

@hyena429 Fuel restroctors slowed them down..the canopy made them much safer than in Chenowith crashed ( I saw that crash) as they wer not covered or bucked in. I do wish they would remove the restrictor plates

[djroznow]

It was amazing to hear the noise until the propeller shaft blew if I recall.

[peeweethepinstriper]

@unkiemotorhead I posted a video response..

[saillfish]

Yeah, on glassy smooth water, no wind and very control course. These guys race on windy rough lakes with a ton of boat wakes hull to hull at 215mph and turning. Thats racing.

[swfladon]

I met a guy in Fort Myers the other day who owns the last working Miss Budweiser as well as "Popeye". $3 million worth of boats in his garage. Pretty impressive. He's looking for a georgeous blond to drive for him.