1982 Detroit Gold Cup Final Heat

Considered one of the greatest races in hydroplane history. Something nobody talks about though... Get a load of the stunt that Chenoweth pulled just before the start of the race! Gutsy move right there.

[@josephwalker138]

I was there...! Being a Miss Budweiser and Bernie Little fan, I was disappointed. But nothing more exhilarating and highly anticipated than hydroplane racing in Detroit. OMG, I miss those days. Thanking my father for taking me to my first hydroplane race back in 1962.

[@anthonyforret2117]

Loved that last piston powered Budweiser with Rolls-Royce Griffon engine! It barked a HEAVY note. Saw Jim Kropfeld win big in Tri-Cities in 1984.

[@PAKiller1]

in 2012, it will be my 42nd year of going to the Detroit River for Hydroplane Racing.. This was my favorite race of all time.. First, the story of Chip Hanouer taking over for the late great Bill Muncey.. but most of all the driving on the very edge to win the Gold Cup.. This was before the use of the "jetfighter canopy" that gives much more protection for a blowover accident.. This was a time when if your boat blew over, it was 50/50 on if you survived.. Thanks so much for posting..WOW

[@michiganmafiamx5543]

I was 10 when my dad and I went to this. The crowd on “the wall” by the rooster tail turn stood and cheered the entire race. Watching Chip win was amazing, I still have an autographed Atlas Van Lines hat and a shirt from that race! I live in Grosse Pointe Park and I can’t hear the unlimiteds now, but I can hear the Grand Prix boats. Took my son to watch this year and it was quiet until the GP boats came out. Without Griffons, Merlins and Allisons, this sport is in trouble.

[@timford3599]

You're absolutely correct. Turbines can't hold a candle to these true "Thunder Boats."

[@thomasnikkola5600]

We used to watch every year from the Sea plane base next to the pits and grandstands. 1989-93. Great times. Lived off Alter Rd on Klenk Island.

[@michiganmafiamx5543]

@@thomasnikkola5600 I live very near Alter road and Klerk Island, fun spot to live👍

[@fritzkabeano1969]

And indeed.....the turbines "killed" the sport for me

[@Sergefan91]

Possibly the greatest race in hydroplane history. Haven't seen this one in a while. Thanks for posting it =)

[@robertblaske9524]

This is one of the most incredible races I have ever seen. Have been attending races in Detroit for well over 30 years. Check out 1999 Gold Cup with Chip in the Pico. His last win and record 11th Gold Cup. I was there and still brings goosebumps! God I love this sport.

[@shuichiboy]

The 1999 race is a great one too! I don't have it, but Tom9Ace does and I do keep that one on hand to watch occasionally.

[@robertblaske9524]

@@shuichiboy Yes! There have been many awesome races in Detroit. The fact that H1 has pulled out sucks. I have been contacting my contacts in the sport to voice my opinions to get this race back on the schedule. Gold Cup belongs in Detroit. Most challenging course on circuit. You don't run the Indy 500 at friggin' Texas Speedway or wherever!!! C'mon H1, get it together!!!! I love this sport and will not give up on it. Gold Cup in Madison....really???????

[@robertblaske9524]

We have had racing on this river for over 100 years! This is home of unlimited racing. Yet west coast snobs try to claim at their own. Screw them all!!!!!

[@shuichiboy]

@@robertblaske9524 I'm glad we still have Madison at least. That's been my home base for boat racing for decades.

[@robertblaske9524]

@@shuichiboy Sorry. No knock on Madison from me. I understand the history. Would like to get there for a race. Just unhappy about this Detroit situation. I am happy you guys got the Gold Cup instead of west coast. I think your fans deserve it. Go Jimmy Shane! Class act. I have met him and his wife Bianca. Miss the Jerky Girls in Detroit although I still saw "mom" working the Homestreet merchandise tent in the pits. Yes, and I have some Miss Madison collectibles!!

[@scottconnors7901]

i am a former Detroiter as of 2012 but i still run my rc catamaran on the detroit river and think of the races from back in the day, thanks for the videos they are great to watch, they still have miss Budweiser at the dossin musuem on the island.

[@arlinecarreyn2027]

Miss Pepsi is the one at the Dossin Museum.

[@timbowhalen3860]

Was at that race... Hanauer put on a clinic...the video really doesn't do justice to the way Chip was airing the AVL Blue Blaster out on the back chute. Unbelievable final heat, and the best I've ever seen.

[@johneckerle9480]

Nothing like the 12 cylinder Merlins, Allisons, Rolls Royce aircraft engine powered Thunderboats of a era gone by

[@kennyhuskisson2684]

John Eckerle Yes! The good ole days!👍✌

[@loutcb]

One of the truly GREAT moments in sports.

[@camodigital2]

JESUS sweet sounding video great 👍🏾 work I’m from detroit and I grew up watching these boats 🚣🏽‍♀️

[@integrity-ut8ff]

little did Chip know this was just the Beginning of his legendary status, I was lucky enough to watch his whole career , even when his nick name was chicken little ! I was 22 , in 1982 , use to go to lake Washington and spend the night during the late 60`s with my family to get a great spot on the lake ! cool times they were all piston powered and very loud ! you could here them racing from the Green lake area !!!

[@jackdasef7367]

Damn, I miss the thunderboats. I grew up in Detroit, and we paid more attention to the boat drivers (well, some of us did) than we paid to the Tigers, the Lions or the Red Wings. When they came to town for the Gold Cup, you could hear their practice runs all over town. When the turbine boats came along, they were faster and more reliable, but the sport lost something.

[@CVW2112]

Jack Dasef I grew up watching those boats it's not the same.... I lived the sound of that thunder

[@CVW2112]

Nothing like the the thunder on the Detroit river

[@jackdasef7367]

Best description I ever read of the startup of one of those big engines - "It's like listening to a dragon waking up."

[@kennyhuskisson2684]

Jack Dasef I hear ya, used to watch them in Owensboro,Ky, its just not the same these days as it was back then. I went to hydrofest this year in Evansville,Ind., grand prix & every smaller class was there, a great show! Cant wait for next summer!

[@CVW2112]

Jack Dasef You knew it was summer when you heard those monsters My family was friends with the muncey family....and I knew about bills death way before the media as a matter of fact my mom talked to Ken bills son for hours cause he was in such shock.... I actually was suppose to go on the circuit with atlas team for a season but my dad would not allow it...lol Just think if I did I could have been a driver or a crew chief...i know I would have learned from bill on how to do it.... The Detroit river is the Daytona 500 of this racing if you can win on this course you can win anywhere

[@loutcb]

i've been lookin for this for 30 yrs thx!

[@stevekalis139]

I was only about 5 1/2 years old when my dad took me and my brother to this race. I’ll never forget seeing those two side by side goin at it. And the sound was just amazing. The turbines just never did it for me. No thunder=no interest.

[@K2SKIER112]

so you like slow boats, that's fine. now get off my lawn you punk kids!

[@stevekalis139]

K2SKIER112 2003 gold cup Detroit you tell me what fans really like. Turbine boats are too quiet and the races are booooring.

[@CanYouFoush]

Ram2500 6.7cummins the quality of racing with the turbines has been eons better than racing with pistons. This is one of 2 good heats I’ve seen with pistons, but you get heats like this more than once a weekend nowadays. That, in my opinion, should trump noise any day.

[@shuichiboy]

To answer the question of why Dean didn't shut the door: Chip set him up for that. At the end of the first lap of the final, you see Chip following Dean around the roostertail turn on the outside and Dean looks back to see where Chip was. Chip did that every single lap of every single heat. Finally, in the final heat, Chip waited until Dean confirmed his position once again and that time, slipped inside and made his move. Dean was not expecting him there.

[@kennyhuskisson2684]

Also that particular Bud boat didn't turn all that well👍

[@dallasc9877]

I remember this race, when I was 11, fell in love with unlimiteds. Then a few years later, my dad was was transferred to Nellis AFB, In las vegas , 1985, and I got to see them in real life at Lake Mead, Chip in the Miller, then went to every race after until the quit racing at Lake Mead.

[@gunsofmasseffect4321]

I missed that race, as I was living in Ohio, before returning home to Detroit in 1984, always a fan of Atlas Van Lines and Bill Munsie, until his unfortunate death.

[@jryno25]

Wow......I was 5 and spent the weekend at the Seaplane Base. I forgot how far down the river and close to the Belle Isle Bridge they went. I wish they could get 800,000 people to the Gold Cup now.

[@funkyflights]

Awesome race ! ✊

[@j.e.graham401]

Wow ! What a race !

[@jmjaxson]

I watched it from the pits and my eye's welled-up I was so excited. You could see Chip floating it from pits and that's a long distance for my eye's. I'll never understand why Dean didn't shut the door on Chip and at least make Chip cross his wake once or twice and force him to pass on the outside at least? Dean had to have known he was closing in, then again, maybe not? That heat is in my Top Three and hands-down number one emotionally. I still get goose bumps watching it.

[@timford3599]

Chip Hanauer was absolutely FEARLESS just like his mentor "The Greatest" Bill Muncey. There's a saying about guys like Chip Hanauer "He's Braver Than Dick Tracy."

[@jmjaxson]

I don't buy it. All Dean had to do was pull it in tight on the apex buoy at the Belle Isle turn on the first and second laps. He had all kinds of overlap. At minimum it would have gave Chip some garbage water to run in. That would have never happened to be outside of being over HP'd.

[@zibbyzubb]

Chenoweth left the door open on the inside for Hanauer, That was a big mistake on his part.

[@RadGnarRad]

How was Chip not crashing every single race he ra?. This dude had a magic touch and he was able to get away with things other drivers cannot

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

I'm 74. This, girls and boys, is what REAL boats should sound like. They should NOT sound like Kirby vacuum cleaners

[@cuemaster]

back when america and the d was great.

[@se9k4YybOKk]

Золотое время

[@davidgregory6291]

Seems like every time someone beats the Bud, the announcers claim the Bud has a "problem" of sorts. I guess no other boat is allowed to outright beat the privileged "king".